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Switchblades?

Now if someone is looking for an AWESOME automatic knife, look no further!! :hyper:

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=6150

I just had to boast a little. This was just debuted at the Blade Show in Atlanta a few weeks ago. :cool: It has dual coil springs and fires like a rocket!! Hopefully they will sell a million of them :)

I am very impressed. Benchmade is one of the most recognized names in high quality mass produced knives. If they are using your design, Blackwood, all I can say is WOW!! From the looks of that baby they will sell bunches. Oh and I want one. :D

I read that this man is the reason automatic knives are illegal in most states.


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I've been a knife collector virtually my entire life. That switchblade looks the type you can get for little or nothing at Tijuana. As FL. Knifemaker said, it is not very good quality. By all means check your local laws. They very widely when it comes to switchblades. In some states, they are legal. In some states like California (2 in.) and Arkansas (3.5 in.) there size limits on switchblades. In some states like Missouri, they are legal to possess, but not carry. In Illinois, simple possession can be a felony. In America, if you want a one hand opening knife, a Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, or some other maker likely produces something that will legal in your jurisdiction. If you want to go custom, contact Fl. Knifemaker, his stuff isn't cheap, but he makes some good looking stuff! I have owned production versions of his knives made by Benchmade, they are really sweet designs.:)
 
One other thing. Even if switchblades are legal where you live, it would not be wise to go around flashing it. They makes non-knife buffs very nervous, and you could attract the attention of police, who often don't know their state/municipal knife laws. You could get arrested, and have to get a lawyer, only to have the charge dropped. The wiser route is to treat a knife like the tool it is, and only take it out when it has an appropriate use.
 
I am very impressed. Benchmade is one of the most recognized names in high quality mass produced knives. If they are using your design, Blackwood, all I can say is WOW!! From the looks of that baby they will sell bunches. Oh and I want one. :D

I read that this man is the reason automatic knives are illegal in most states.


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The Rukus Auto is actually the 5th knife collaboration I have with them. A great company, great people. They can get a US made knife into production faster than any other company. I couldn't be happier working with them.
 
One other thing. Even if switchblades are legal where you live, it would not be wise to go around flashing it. They makes non-knife buffs very nervous, and you could attract the attention of police, who often don't know their state/municipal knife laws. You could get arrested, and have to get a lawyer, only to have the charge dropped. The wiser route is to treat a knife like the tool it is, and only take it out when it has an appropriate use.

+1 on this. In most states automatic knives are in the same class as hand guns. Might seem stupid but if you read the law you will find both in the same paragraph.
 
I have several Kershaws around here!! Ken Onion the inventor the SpeedSafe mechanism is great guy and a friend of mine. I believe it gets around the automatic knife laws because it doesn't have an actual button. None of the knife laws make any sense.

Yeah, It's a cool knife. The only problem I've had with it is when other people want to use it. I have to give them a one minute tutorial on how to use it, otherwise they end up cutting themselves trying to use the thumb post to open it.

On another aside, the other day I was at the gas station/convienence store and in the case at the front they had what appeared to be an exact replica of my Leek (yes, it is one of those types of convienence stores). They were selling it for $12, that's why I assume it's a replica. I wanted to have him take it out of the case so I could inspect it, but I was in a hurry.

Is there any kind of patent on the torsion assist system? I wonder if the knife was an illegal knockoff...


on a further aside, what the deal with convienence stores that sell knives at the counter? Seems like the only convienent thing about that is that it would be more convienent for me to rob the teller...


edit: apparantly washington state defines a 'switchblade' as follows:

"Switchblade knife" means any knife having a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring mechanism, or other device, or a blade that opens, falls or is ejected into position by force of gravity or by an outward, downward, or centrifugal thrust or movement.

So, the Ken Onion design opens by applying force to the blade itself and not "a button, spring mechanism, or other device". I guess that's the (tenous) loophole. The "outward, downward, or centrifugal thrust or movement" part is also a little vague.. I mean, I could let a well oiled buck knife 'fall into position' by orienting it correctly and disengaging the lock... :rollno:
 
Best wait for an amnesty on knifes then...

I remember when Northumbria Police held a gun amnesty back in the 90's, and someone handed in a German Bren gun from world war 2!

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That kind of beast!

The BREN was used by the British Army and its allies not the Huns. This gun fired the same round as the early Spitfires and Hurricanes as well as the British SMLE service rifles of WW2 and the Vickers MGs from the First World War, the .303 British (that's what we call it here). BREN was a contraction of BRNO (Czech weapons firm that designed the gun) and Enfield (one of your govt arms factories).
 
I have a gorgeous brass butterfly that opens smooth as silk with the lightest flick. It's over the legal limit in size for concealed carry, but it lives a happy at-my-fingertips life in the door of the band van. We spend too many nights with big cash on hand to roll around without some kind of real protection.

If it were easier to do the concealed carry on a hand gun in NY state I'd have one of those in the door, too.


Damn nice switch you designed there FL, way too illegal for my town, but I'd own one gladly!
 
Man... that automatic benchmade is pretty sexy! Now, I hope I'm not causing any problems here... but what makes up a majority of the cost of that knife, is it the steel, or an overall quality thing? I have always wanted to spend some money on a few nice knives, but I can't really justify it. I might be able to if I knew more about them.

I own a few to carry around, and my #1 right now is one of the speed safe Kershaws.... I love the thing. It's the Tactical Blur. Its not a really expensive knife, so I have no problem putting it through its paces. Its got a good weigh too it, and the action is still good after a year of pretty frequent use.
 
I'm pretty fond of my Buck Rush 290. I bought it at Walmart, about $50, but Buck is a good company. It's the closest thing to a switchblade as you can get; take off the safety and push a nub on the back of the blade and it flies open. VERY borderline and open to interpretation here in PA, although considered 'assisted opening'. However, I'll never go back to another kind of knife here. Way too convenient to use. I carry it ALL the time.

I carry it though, even at work, clipped on the inside of my right pocket. It seems like police take it in context. If I were trying to mug someone and had the knife, they'd probably push it as a switchblade. If they notice it and ask me to open it, though, I'll open it in the traditional fashion. Kind of like how if you go around wearing a sacrificial dagger on your hip, or a boot knife, you'll get some unwanted attention... but if I'm wearing my hunting clothes I can walk around with a 6" sheathed knife on my hip.

Context. And avoiding trouble.
 
Just about any popular, high quality production knife will have knockoffs. The difference in price is in the raw materials, fit, finish and overall quality. A knockoff won't have a high quality steel blade, proper heat treat and most likely no titanium frame or precision pivot pins. That means, it won't stay sharp very long and you risk having the lock fail at the worse possible time, like on your fingers!!

Buy from a reputable, authorized dealer, they can be found on the manufacturers websites. Gas stations and fea markets are not usually a good place to buy quality knives :)
 
Obviously not the same quality, but I like my Kershaw, and it has a handy automatic opening feature.

http://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw-Ken-Onion-Leek-KS1660ST.htm

I've always wondered about the legality of the torsion bar opening system on it though. But I bought it in a brick 'n mortor chain store so I assume it's legal in WA state.
I have one just like that except in a plain edge. It's very cool and handy. People love the mechanism. They always ask to try it themselves haha!
 
I good "flipper" design works almost better than an assisted opener. You must put pressure on the blade like an assisted opener but a detent holds the blade back until you push hard enough, then it pops open. No moving parts other than the blade and lock bar.

Now......why I don't like opening mechanisms.......

At the gun range, we often set up a stage that requires use of a knife. In other words, you must shoot at mutliple targets, set the gun down, draw a folding knife, cut through a rope in order to move to the next target and resume shooting. 99.999% of the time NO ONE uses ANY kind of opening device on a folding knife. In a hurried, pressure situation, EVERYONE flicks their knife open and cuts the rope almost all in one motion. That's why other than on art knives, I really don't care for any specialized openers. I prefer a blade that carries weight out towards the tip for easy FLICKING! Just about all assisted openers, flippers, buttons, balis, etc. etc. require you to regrip the knife after the blade is deployed. In a real world, down and dirty situation, that requires too much time. Just about any good quality tactical style knife can be flicked open with a little practice.

The Axis Lock Benchmade autos are the exception to my rule. In order to flick my manual Ruckus I slightly pull back the lock to release tension on it. I don't HAVE to, just a nervous habbit. The auto version fires the same way and requires almost no regrip.

That's my 2 cents for the day :D
 
I have an old side action Italian SB with whalebone handles.
The knife was made in the early 1900's. The steel is nothing like the steel today. This is good steel dark and hard.
If you can get your hands on a good front action stiletto they are worth good cash. They are very hard to find.
 
I have an old side action Italian SB with whalebone handles.
The knife was made in the early 1900's. The steel is nothing like the steel today. This is good steel dark and hard.
If you can get your hands on a good front action stiletto they are worth good cash. They are very hard to find.


That would be carbon steel. Probably much better for edgeholding than any of the steels currently used. The only problem is it's not stainless and requires some care to keep it from rusting. OTF (out the front) autos are very cool. I need to get myself a Benchmade Ifidel. :)

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=3300