Every time I’m playing with an OTF it makes me feel like a kid again seeing one for the first time - like magic! I just love the internal mechanics of how they function.
2 Likes
What is the classic, the you-must-have-it standard of automatic tactical knives, those that deploy the blade at the push of a button? The ones that come out longitudinally, not sideways.
Honestly, I know very little about automatic knives.
@Heath’s ‘favorite autos’ post is my favorite hobby blend photo of pencils and knives. He may know more about the range of auto knives.
2 Likes
Are some of these real MOP and other shells?
1 Like
My mom (who is the expert on these things) says no, they are just pearly. I, who have bitten them to pieces, say yes.
2 Likes
I wouldn’t consider myself a knife collector but I’ve always had a fascination with them. I would get The Edge Company catalog in the mail as a kid and drool all over the cool stilletos, switchblades and butterfly knives I couldn’t afford. Way before the internet back when you (and all you 50 yr olds can relate 
) had to read the back sections of the gun and knife mags to get cool stuff like The Anarchists Cookbook or Poor Man’s James Bond.
Fast forward many years and I stumbled on the Hawk Deadlock by chance. Didn’t know anything about it but as soon as I saw it I had to have one. I had a few other OTF’s like the Microtech Dirac and a Piranha Excalibur (all legal in Maine!) but basically before the Deadlock, every single OTF made has some amount of blade play when extended, essentially putting them in more of a toy category. The Deadlock is as solid as it gets with zero play.
So when you asked which “classic you-must-have-it” automatic, I wasn’t sure if you were referring to something else. But If you remove classic and just want to know what you should save your money for because you-must-have-it, it’s the Hawk Deadlock.
Here’s the “My favorite autos” post mentioned.
And here’s the YouTube I had stumbled on showing Gavin Hawk’s first version.
You can get some more pics and info from their website.
And I finally got a small enough video:
3 Likes
These days, most automatic tactical knives are front deployed (OTF). I don’t own any, as in my state they’re illegal to carry in public.
I have one auto-flipper knife, by Ganzo (model 707). It’s a gentleman’s knife with beautiful wood inlay. Very sharp and very fast deployment. But, I never use it because it’s quite long.
Automatic is more of a gimmick for my taste. There’s just more to go wrong. A very well made knife will deploy very rapidly when you know how to flip it open. Some are so quick and easy for rapid manual deployment, one might think they’re automatic.
One of my favorites is the Nomad made by Asher Knives.
This model isn’t made by Asher any longer. It’s an incredibly fast and easy deployment, that you’d think it was assisted. Axis lock. So well made and a great value for the price.
4 Likes
Well, thanks, I’ve seen some knives vids on the tube and yeah, I see that it could be a tendency to infinitum rabbit hole.
1 Like
I tend to favor knives with very good value (quality/cost ratio), and less so on flashy features, super aggressiveness, premium materials, and all handmade artisan craftsmanship. I do lust after some limited editions… especially some made by Spyderco. But there are lesser known high end brands that also have jaw dropping designs (but equal chin-hitting-floor prices).
You can go really cheap and get by quite well these days, buying from Chinese brands like Ganzo, Petrified Fish, SanRenMu, CRKT (designed in USA, made in Taiwan or China)… and then you head into roughly middle tier with Kizer, Civivi, Artisan Cutlery, CH Knives, Kansept, Ruike, SOG, TwoSun, and WE Knife (these brands have a wide mix, with very affordable models and some pricey ones).
Btw, CRKT is still running their Labor Day Sale. Still some nice deals to be had. LINK
It used to be that you’d have to get made in Germany, Japan, or USA to get really good quality knives at reasonable prices, but the Chinese have made enormous strides. It’s really impressive with how much knife value you can get for your money.
So anyway, it all comes down to your personal needs. Mainly, how large a knife do you want, is it something for EDC (every day carry), what type of steel is a must-have (versus nice-to-have), and what’s your budget. Most people who are into knives have an assortment of sizes, brands, steels, and prices.
Frankly, for myself, I could get by with blades shorter than 2" and leave it at that. My Victorinox Alox money clip has micro scissors, a nice 1.75" pen knife (slip joint), and a nail file. The knife is pretty adequate for opening up boxes, packages, etc. But, I do at times like a knife with a blade lock and well sized grip. One of my more recent buys was a Kizer Comfort, which was on a really nice discount.
Made a review for it, because I liked it so much:
One of my EDC knives is by CRKT. The Squid. It’s a bit of a goofy name, but it does look like a squid when you look at it with the blade deployed in the right angle. Still, it’s really well made, easy to grip with micarta on one side and has a nice wide sturdy blade.
I actually bought 2 of these – first the copper one, then followed by the stonewashed steel model with same green micarta scale. The clip on the copper one does have a tendency to show scratches, so I got the other to just bang about as a carefree EDC blade.
4 Likes
The Kizer looks great
I was thinking about buttons the other day.
I have a terrific “herringbone” style Polo short sleeve shirt that I got in Breckenridge Colorado many years ago. One of my favorites… but unfortunately I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the dangers high heat dryers present to cotton fibers. They get punished over time and, even with very resilient well made cotton textiles, there will be fractures, breakage, and then holes. This shirt has numerous small iron-on patches applied underneath in various stress points… which has worked, but I’m afraid even careful drying (minimal heat exposure) won’t save it. It’s going to eventually be beyond reasonable repair. Why mention this? THE BUTTONS! It has 3 very nice metal buttons that have a kind of kitschy embossed pattern on them, somewhat like a Victorian sun or navigation chart icon. My plan is once the shirt is finished, I’ll harvest the buttons and put them on another shirt.
A long time ago when I was in Vermont during one winter for skiing, there was a day of rest (it was warm and rainy–no one wanted to ski) so we took to driving and visiting antique shops. One shop had two large bowls of buttons. One was marked “$0.10 ea” and the other “$0.25 ea”. Of course, the higher priced one had the really nice buttons. I remember sifting through it and finding a couple of buttons that I really liked… but alas, I could only find those two. I’d want 6 to use as a swap-in for a shirt. I should’ve grabbed them anyway.
I recently visited a little antique store that had some little metal containers having a front clear plastic panel and inside were various artistic looking buttons mounted. I’ll have to try taking a photo next time.
2 Likes
Oh interesting story, I would like to see a photo of those buttons, thanks.
I collect…too many things…but I do collect buttons…just a different kind than what you’re talking about.
4 Likes
Here’s the shirt button I was talking about. It does look more like some kind of gear. Reminds me of Stargate Universe… the Destiny ship door control.
2 Likes
Hello, I have been watching tubes and they have convinced me that the best thing is a fixed blade knife, could you please recommend me something affordable and available that anyone should try?
1 Like
What convinced you that the “best thing” is a fixed blade knife?
I disagree, because it all comes down to purpose. A fixed blade knife is superior for complete rigidity and for withstanding abuse. A fixed blade can be easily used with a hammer for driving through wood, for example. Some folding knives can handle it too, but most not.
But a fixed blade is cumbersome–it doesn’t fold, so it requires a sheath. It’s not comfortable to pocket-carry for that reason. A folding knife is far more convenient and most are extremely capable of handling most ordinary everyday cutting tasks.
5 Likes
My EDC knives are usually a Spyderco Manix 2 or Benchmade Osborne 940 series (I have several). In the past few years I’ve come to prefer the former because it’s just easier to open. In both cases, I like the ambidextrous nature of the lock because I’m left-handed and most alternatives don’t come in left-handed models or you can’t get particular steels for them.
I trust fixed-blade knives for many more tasks but they are too unwieldy to carry all the time; I usually reserve those for camping or hiking and I usually still carry a folder in those cases too. My favorite fixed is a Fallkniven S1 Pro. You can practically use it in place of a small axe.
Here’s my 940-1 I customized a few years ago with bronzed titanium screws and clip:
4 Likes
Nice, Noah! I like that customization to your 940.
I hear you about being left-handed. Must be very frustrating with frame lock designs, which are inherently right hand biased. An axis-lock design is much more ambidextrous.
Spyderco makes some beautifully designed knives and their limited editions can be serious collectibles. I still regret not pulling the trigger on a 100 pacer. $360 USD original price and I missed out on a lightly used one for $200 USD. Now… you have serious trouble finding them for less than $400 USD new.
I almost bought a SpydieChef but balked just in time to realize LC200N steel would not be for me. It’s really tough to sharpen and that’s the tradeoff for serious corrosion resistance. I’d rather put up with a little extra cleaning of D2 to stave off corrosion and enjoy better ease of sharpening.
2 Likes