Before you spring (no pun intended) and buy an assisted opening knife, make sure you fully understand the differences between these and conventional pocket knives that don’t have assisted opening mechanisms.
Conventional Pocket Knives
There are many different types of conventional pocket knives, ranging from multi-blade traditional pocket knife patterns like stockman and barlow knives, to modern, single-blade flippers.
Traditional pocket knives like stockman knives and models patterned after the Buck 110 Folding Hunter are opened with a nail nick and require both hands not just to open but to close them.
Modern pocket knife patterns have advanced ball-bearing pivot mechanisms and often have one or more methods for deployment, such as thumb holes, thumb studs, and flipper tabs.
With practice, they can be opened with one hand, and very quickly, and sometimes they can be closed with one hand as well. With that said, there is no internal mechanism that assists with opening. That is all on the user.
Regardless of the type of conventional pocket knife, deploying the blade is entirely manual. Even so, with practice, some users can deploy the blade of some conventional pocket knives with remarkable speed and facility.
Assisted Opening Knives
Ostensibly, an assisted opening knife might appear just like any other pocket knife. The only difference between them is internal and cannot be ascertained visually alone.
Basically, an assisted opening knife has an internal spring that applies a load to the blade once it has been opened partially before it completes deployment of the blade.
It is important to note that assisted opening knives are not automatic knives, or “autos” which fully deploy and lock the blade with the push of a button or lever. There are fewer legal considerations associated with assisted openers, which makes them preferable to some users as well.
It is also the case that an assisted opening knife requires the user to open the blade part of the way before the blade is completely opened.
Because of this feature, basically anyone can deploy an assisted opening knife with one hand, with very little practice, and on a much shorter learning curve. In many cases the knife blade can be folded with one hand as well.
One potential note is that since the internal mechanics of assisted opening knives are more involved than those that don’t have these mechanisms, which means they can potentially require more maintenance.
Which Is for You?
There is more alike than different between “standard” and assisted opening knives, so determining which is for you requires a little reflection.
Get an assisted opening knife if:
- You have a hard time deploying folding knives with one hand but want to be able to do so.
- You are concerned about the legal ramifications of automatic knives.
- You want something more modern and fidget friendly.
On the flipside, a conventional pocket knife might be better for you if:
- You don’t want the extra complexity of an assisted opener.
- You are already proficient with conventional means of deployment.
- You want something simpler overall.
Otherwise, one or the other might really serve you just fine. In most cases, an assisted opener will work just as fine as a conventional pocket knife and it’s all about what you prefer.
Where to Get a New Assisted Opening Knife
If you’re in the market for a new assisted opening pocket knife, visit BUDK. They carry a massive inventory of knives in their online store, along with plenty of replica blade swords and other tools and self defense weapons.
Take a closer look through their catalog and get in touch with them if you have any questions about what they sell.
