What is your favourite AO system?

[Benner]

Hey all,

Been playing around with my folders this week and it got me thinking, what assisted opening system is the most popular out there?

I have based this poll on what I feel are the most common systems, however please give me a shout if anyone feels something else should be on there.

I have an example of each of the above and my findings are the following;

Kershaw Speedsafe: Very quick deployment, almost a smooth like opening that oozes quality.  Springs are quite solid and easily replaceable when the time comes.  Kershaw's warranty is superb too (world wide as well for us internationals) and happily send the bars out free of charge.

SOG S.A.T: Quite a comparatively fragile system.  Springs are quite thin and I find the deployment slow and takes a bit of umph to get going.  Springs are available as a part from SOG too.

Benchmade Nitrous: Absolutely rapid!! Probably equals an auto on speed and with no tiny springs has no parts which need servicing or replacing either.  I always question if these open too viciously though.

So, my vote goes for the Kershaw design.  No its not the quickest and yes it does have a spring in it that will need replacing eventually, but the pace in which it opens is spot on and it feels a quality and reliable system.

So, what are your findings?

[jekostas]

Have to go with Kershaw's system, with CRKT second. 

I've had assisted blades from Kershaw, CRKT, SOG, Buck and Benchmade.

SOG's assist system has the annoying problem of leading to unfixable blade play (that isn't covered under warranty) given enough time.  I've also had something really weird where the spring tension in a Twitch 2 somehow reversed direction and it became nearly impossible to open without two hands because the blade kept trying to fold in to the handle.

Buck uses a dual-circular spring system what while it works fine, is slow as balls and can be fouled by pocket lint.

The only Benchmade assisted folder that I've had used a single leaf spring rather than the two in the nitrous assist.  It was an Aphid where the leaf spring literally snapped in half sitting on my desk.  I got it replaced easily enough but I find I rarely carry it now because I don't trust the opening mechanism.  This is kind of a disappointment to me because I really, really like the knife otherwise.

CRKT has had a number of opening systems, including a leaf spring system (which I currently have in the Montu) and the Arcuate system, which I think is freaking cool, but I'm just not a big fan of the knife (the Yea-go).

Kershaw?  No knife failures other than one caused by me putting a Chive back together wrong.

[kirk13]

Maybe I'm being a bit dumb here,but isnt assisted opening much the same as a flick knife?How legal are they here in the UK?

[jekostas]

Maybe I'm being a bit dumb here,but isnt assisted opening much the same as a flick knife?How legal are they here in the UK?

Assisted opening knives are distinguished legally from flick knives/switchblades in the following way.

Flick knife/Switchblade:  Opening is done via a button or lever attached to a spring system.

Assisted opening knife:  Opening is done via a flipper, thumbstud or disk physically attached to the blade.  Normally you have to move the blade past a certain threshold angle (typically between 20-30 degrees) before the assist mechanism will kick in and finish opening the knife.

Since every assisted knife on the market has a locking mechanism, legality in the UK is probably no.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can't speak to legality in the UK but these are not considered flick knives in most jurisdictions because it doesn't use centrifugal force to open.  And, its not an automatic because it's not button actuated.  The torsion bar only engages when the blade is partially opened, assisting the user in opening it quickly and ensuring the lock engages properly.

As for my favorite, well I've really only ever used a Kershaw so I'd have to stick with them, or not vote at all since I've nothing to compare it to.

Def

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Benner]

They are very different ideas.

Auto's work from a button, where as, AO's work as you have to actually start pushing the blade itself to open. The spring "assists" the blade to open.

They are legal to own in the UK.

[Benner]

Maybe I'm being a bit dumb here,but isnt assisted opening much the same as a flick knife?How legal are they here in the UK?

Assisted opening knives are distinguished legally from flick knives/switchblades in the following way.

Flick knife/Switchblade:  Opening is done via a button or lever attached to a spring system.

Assisted opening knife:  Opening is done via a flipper, thumbstud or disk physically attached to the blade.  Normally you have to move the blade past a certain threshold angle (typically between 20-30 degrees) before the assist mechanism will kick in and finish opening the knife.

Since every assisted knife on the market has a locking mechanism, legality in the UK is probably no.

They are legal to own, just not legal to EDC without a good reason.  But that is due to the fact that they all lock, not because of the AO part itself.

[kirk13]

Cheers Guys that explained it!

[jzmtl]

Springs are available as a part from SOG too.

Really? I asked before and they said no, knife have to be send in for replacement, which put me off due to cross border shipments.

For that reason I'd go with kershaw.

[jekostas]

Springs are available as a part from SOG too.

Really? I asked before and they said no, knife have to be send in for replacement, which put me off due to cross border shipments.

For that reason I'd go with kershaw.

Yeah, that's the other thing.  SOGs customer service is awful.

[jerseydevil]

I've owned AO knives by both SOG and Kershaw. My vote is definitely for the Kershaw system. Nice and smooth, plus I just like the Kershaw knives that I have better than the SOGs I had-no more SOGs in my collection at the moment. I've had to do a spring replacement on a Scallion once, and not only was it quick and easy to do, Kershaw's customer service is top notch.

[Benner]

Springs are available as a part from SOG too.

Really? I asked before and they said no, knife have to be send in for replacement, which put me off due to cross border shipments.

For that reason I'd go with kershaw.

They do indeed.  I emailed about 18 months ago and they not only said that they had a kit for them (I asked about the flash series) but they said they would send to me here in the UK as well.

Seems I need to explain more about what AO systems actually are!

[thebullfrog]

I voted SOG S.A.T. only because it's the only system I have experience with besides Gerber's POS F.A.S.T. system. While I cant vouch for how it stands in comparison to the other options, I can say that my Flash II worked flawlessly as my beater knife for years. I must have fired opened and closed that knife literally thousands of times (most of it was fidgeting lol) and it worked as perfect the day I gave it away as it did when I bought it. My little brother has it now and continues beating on it. It even spent a couple months half buried in the dirt/mud outside when he dropped it. Still works perfectly. I suppose the other systems "might" be better, I couldn't say, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another S.A.T. after seeing what it can handle.

[Styerman]

I'm not a fan , don't own any ATM , best I ever played with was my ZT 301 . I had an older Benchmade , where the spring aprox. 3/32" round stock , and removeable with an allen key . Sadly the thing was way too heavy for EDC ( honking great stainless bolsters ) .

Chris