Autoknives - Practical or Gimmicky?

**Devil** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 10:11am

I'm going to buy a Benchmade 8600, which is an auto knife or a Benchmade 860 which is a manual version of the same design.

Honestly, I'm leaning very strongly toward the manual 860. I've never owned an auto other than a really cheap switchblade when I was a teenager.

I see some disadvantages to the auto like shorter shelf life due to a spring that can wear out. Also, if you have the safety engaged, I think any advantage in speed over a manual knife is lost. I really don't know what the likelihood is of the knife opening in your pocket if you have the safety off.

All of my other folders open with a thumbstud or spidey hole and I think maintaining consistency is a positive thing.

Anyway, just for my own food for thought I was wondering what you guys' overall opinions are on auto knives.

Gimmicky bullshit or tactical badassery?

**Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 10:28am

Are any of the thumb-stud knives you have assisted? I really like the action on my spring-assisted Kershaw Blackout, even after several years regular use (and Kershaw provides replacement springs & screws free). I've never played with an auto like the 8600, but maybe there is a third path to explore.

**wetware** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 11:09am

Automatics are sweet. I have a couple and my Protech is pretty much reserved for when I have to wear a tie. That said, they're gimmicky as well as illegal in many places so they're not really worth the price tag or risk when an assisted opener or a knife with the WAVE feature can be deployed just as quickly, if not faster, than a switchblade.

Further, automatics often have other mechanical issues than just the spring wearing out. I have a Benchmade automatic (don't know model, sorry.) that I was issued in Iraq and a while back I realized that the automatic locking mechanism no longer works. The manual lock works just fine, but in many switchblades, the release button is the lock. The blade slides over the catch on the button which wears on the corners of the catch resulting in a nice ramp for the blade to travel up instead of locking.

**Devil** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 11:45am

Originally Posted by Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD

Are any of the thumb-stud knives you have assisted? I really like the action on my spring-assisted Kershaw Blackout, even after several years regular use (and Kershaw provides replacement springs & screws free). I've never played with an auto like the 8600, but maybe there is a third path to explore.

No, I don't have any assisted openers either. Maybe I'll give them a try. Free replacement parts is a bonus.

**Devil** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 11:55am

Originally Posted by wetware

Automatics are sweet. I have a couple and my Protech is pretty much reserved for when I have to wear a tie. That said, they're gimmicky as well as illegal in many places so they're not really worth the price tag or risk when an assisted opener or a knife with the WAVE feature can be deployed just as quickly, if not faster, than a switchblade.

Yeah. Auto knives are illegal as **** in my state. Interestingly, that was low on my list of concerns. Probably because I know if I don't go around acting like an idiot, the odds of having a problem with the po po are slim. Nevertheless, it is on the list of reasons I'm leaning to the manual.

I'm a big Emerson fan, so I have several knives with the wave feature. Personally, it's one of the few things I dislike about Emerson knives. I call it the "cut the **** out of yourself" feature or the "ruin a good pair of pants" feature.

On occasion, the wave will hang in your pocket while you're moving around and the blade will open slightly. I've sliced my finger open good reaching into my pocket after this happened. Also, when you wave the knife open, it's not that difficult to graze the side of your pants and slice them open. Been there, done that. This is less likely with longer blades. I think smaller folders with the wave feature are a bit dangerous.

**Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 11:58am

Yeah, maybe try out an assisted. I thought it was a little gimmicky before I got it, but like I said I love the action now. Don't know how other companies handle it, but I've used my Blackout for daily carry for four or five (three? six?) years, and a month or two ago used the Kershaw website to ask about a replacement screw for the handle. Couple weeks later I had a little baggy with all the screws and a replacement spring, no hassle. Didn't have to dig up a receipt or any of that **** either.

**Bad** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 12:40pm

Hi. IMHO:
If you like to carry a folder with you for "tactical" purposes, it should better be as simple as possible, because the less moving parts you have the less parts are there to break, + in manual version, you'll probably have no parts to stick on the way of the blade. And, usually, things are breaking at the most critical moment.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 12:58pm

Originally Posted by Bad

Hi. IMHO:
If you like to carry a folder with you for "tactical" purposes, it should better be as simple as possible, because the less moving parts you have the less parts are there to break, + in manual version, you'll probably have no parts to stick on the way of the blade. And, usually, things are breaking at the most critical moment.

An assisted opening knife has one more part than a regular folding knife- a curved piece of metal that acts as a spring. In the event that it breaks, your assisted opening knife is now a regular folding knife; no big deal. The spring and locking mechanism are two separate things. If you're worried that a well made spring assisted knife will catastrophically fail when you need it, then you should probably go with a fixed blade.

**Devil** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 1:03pm

Originally Posted by Bad

Hi. IMHO:
If you like to carry a folder with you for "tactical" purposes, it should better be as simple as possible, because the less moving parts you have the less parts are there to break, + in manual version, you'll probably have no parts to stick on the way of the blade. And, usually, things are breaking at the most critical moment.

I don't really carry a knife for tactical reasons. I carry guns for that. Not to say that I don't like tactical knives or that I wouldn't bury one in a skull if I had to :). Really, I just like knives period. Every man should carry a knife. It's in the man code. My knives see more duty opening action figures and Barbie dolls for my kids than anything else.

But I agree with your point about **** breaking at a critical moment.

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 3/01/2011 1:17pm

When all else is equal, more moving parts means it's more likely to malfunction and break sooner rather than later.

Still IMO, it's neither "gimmicky bullshit" nor "technical badassery." It's gimmicky badassery. :)