Auto knives

[hurley842002]

I'll keep and carry this knife, because I like THIS knife, but I could take or leave the auto idea.

[Jer]

Autos aren't that great? The ability to both deploy & retract with one hand is priceless.

[hurley842002]

Autos aren't that great? The ability to both deploy & retract with one hand is priceless.

Maybe OTF Autos, but I'm finding my Benchmade takes more effort to close than most of the manual folders I've owned, especially when compared to Benchmades' axis lock.

Don't get me wrong, so far I'm really digging this auto, especially the authority at which the blade deploys, I just don't think there is much that an auto can do, that I can't also do with a manual.

[Irving]

Autos aren't that great? The ability to both deploy & retract with one hand is priceless.

Zero difference from most of my other knives with just a thumb stud. Not even a difference in speed. Not a humanly perceptible difference anyway.

[Jer]

Maybe OTF Autos, but I'm finding my Benchmade takes more effort to close than most of the manual folders I've owned, especially when compared to Benchmades' axis lock.

Don't get me wrong, so far I'm really digging this auto, especially the authority at which the blade deploys, I just don't think there is much that an auto can do, that I can't also do with a manual.

Double OTF autos are a game changer.

Zero difference from most of my other knives with just a thumb stud. Not even a difference in speed. Not a humanly perceptible difference anyway.

No way in hell can you put a liner or body lock thumb stud blade away as fast as I can retract a double OTF auto. Not even close. I've lost count of how many times that's been inexplicably handy.

[ray1970]

I've lost count of how many times that's been inexplicably handy.

You must be way more tacticool than me. While closing a folding knife with one hand comes in handy I’ve never found myself in a situation where the speed with which the blade was closed was that big of a deal.

[hurley842002]

You must be way more tacticool than me. While closing a folding knife with one hand comes in handy I’ve never found myself in a situation where the speed with which the blade was closed was that big of a deal.

LOL, I'm patiently waiting for the after action report on the "Tactical knife closing concepts, for the OTF operator" course.

[Jer]

You must be way more tacticool than me. While closing a folding knife with one hand comes in handy I’ve never found myself in a situation where the speed with which the blade was closed was that big of a deal.

It's just easier and faster to pull a button and have the blade retract in an instant and be on with your day w/o having to do anything else. I just don't see how someone could fold a traditional style folding knife faster is all.

The more important aspect isn't necessarily speed so much as convenience though. The ability to deploy and retract single-handed is ridiculously handy... pun intended. It's one of those things that you don't see the need for until you have it and use it for a while. You start to realize how handy it is to not drop whatever you're doing to fold your knife back up safely with two hands. With auto OTF you push a button, cut whatever needs cut then pull the button back and you're done. All with one hand and all as fast as you can push a button. I have a boat load of auto knives that aren't double and even more that aren't auto at all and I find that I never carry them anymore because when I do I inevitably find myself having to drop what I'm doing to fold the knife back up and it is feels clunky and antiquated.

I liken it to shooting a cap and ball gun compared to shooting an automatic. Sure, you can but.... why?

[StagLefty]

I find that my DA OTF is a great one handed operation and I use it all the time. I guess I'm just tacti-old

[StagLefty]

I'm opening and closing mine while I'm typing just because I can