Fastest Knife in the West (or wherever you happen to be)

[nate j]

What is the fastest knife you own?

By fastest, I mean shortest time to draw the knife from sheath or pocket, open the knife (if not a fixed blade), cut what you need to cut, close the knife (if not a fixed blade), and return the knife to sheath or pocket.

It is fairly obvious that a fixed blade will be fastest to the cut, but returning a fixed blade to the sheath typically requires a bit more time and care than drawing it, in order to avoid cutting or stabbing yourself.

[David]

The knives I own with the Emerson Opener are the fastest.

[theonew]

Agree with David. I recently got a Byrd with the Emerson opener and love it for the speed and ease.

[zoidberg]

Agree with David. I recently got a Byrd with the Emerson opener and love it for the speed and ease.

But that is a back lock right? How quick can you close and then pocket it?

[zoidberg]

I've got a fair few knifes that deploy super quick but really only a few that close one handed relatively safely.

Right handed the spyderco pm2 does well.
Left or right handed benchmade axis locks like a minigrip are quick.

The fastest would have to be the benchmade 300 flipper.
Opens and closes like a dream, just weighs more than most of my edc knives.

I find mora fixed blades with plastic sheaths pretty easy to get the knife back in.

Speed comes with time but then rushing with a blade can mean getting bit which reminds me... balisongs are pretty fast too.

[dks]

As mentioned, waved knives, if you can/know how to get  them to work, are at least as fast as autos.

Any auto knife should open fast  no specific brand, and a double action out the front knife should be fastest to close (I used to have a cheap one many decades ago and it was fast and rubbish)


Benchmade makes a few. e.g. Infidel line 

[t2kv]

My fastest is probably a worn-in Spyderco Para 3. Middle-finger flick opens it very fast, and the compression lock closes very quickly too.

[Echotech]

I find mora fixed blades with plastic sheaths pretty easy to get the knife back in.

the Mora Eldris is particularly quick to get in and out as the  sheath doesn’t have the belt hanger and can be put back in either direction

[pfrsantos]

Probably the OTF models, like dks showed above.

To be fair, with knives I think the importance of speed is only relevant while deploying. It's a tool. It's (sometimes) important to have it ready for use quickly. When you don't need to use it anymore, you can spend some time putting it away safely.

[Etherealicer]

I think a fixed blade, while faster on the deploy, will be slower on putting it back into your pocket if you want to ensure you are not stabbing yourself.

If legal, then double-action OTF are undoubtedly the fastest, although I find that they take quite a bit of effort. (after all, the whole energy stored in the springs come from a very short button push).

Fastest opening in my collection are flippers (I don't own an emerson-wave knife). But the difference is marginal to thumb-studs/-hole and axis-lock-flick. I think the big difference will be on the closing
The easiest are button-lock, deadbolt-lock and sliding bar-lock (axis-lock).

Which makes my fastest knife the Spyderco Smock and the CRKT Seismic. The SOG Terminus XR LTE is also a contender, but I have a tendency to block the locking-bar when flipping (problem is the position and size of the locking-bar).
Honorable mentions are "Artemis Scaled" Bugout (I have several Bugouts, but this one is broken in well) and my Anthem (just soooo smooth).

[Etherealicer]

To be fair, with knives I think the importance of speed is only relevant while deploying. It's a tool. It's (sometimes) important to have it ready for use quickly. When you don't need to use it anymore, you can spend some time putting it away safely.

I find that a knife that I can easy deploy and put away without thinking much to be very helpful, especially if you have your hands full. E.g. as a non-car-person I transport everything with my bike and it happens quite frequently that I tie some heavier load on it. So, when taking it off I need to steady the bike, hold the cargo and cut some strings. That is where a knife that deploys easy and vanishes back into the pockets without any hassle is appreciated.

[pfrsantos]

I find that a knife that I can easy deploy and put away without thinking much to be very helpful, especially if you have your hands full. E.g. as a non-car-person I transport everything with my bike and it happens quite frequently that I tie some heavier load on it. So, when taking it off I need to steady the bike, hold the cargo and cut some strings. That is where a knife that deploys easy and vanishes back into the pockets without any hassle is appreciated.

Even in that situation, I think you don't mind if it takes 4 seconds to deploy, instead of half, and the same time to put away safely, right? That was what I meant.

[Aloha]

While my Mini Grip is a fast knife is not even in the same league as my Delica with Emerson wave when it come to deployment.  As for closing my Grip is easiest and fast. 

I carry a fixed blade when working and thats what I reach for first.  Its quick to deploy but depending on which I carry it does take time to re-sheath.   

[ezdog]

My ZT 0900 is the fastest out, a simple push on the flipper and BAM!

Also pretty fast to close but not as fast as my Manix which I have tweaked to flip out and back many times a day and with practice has become my lasting EDC and that speed is one reason for it!


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[cody6268]

While my Mini Grip is a fast knife is not even in the same league as my Delica with Emerson wave when it come to deployment.  As for closing my Grip is easiest and fast. 

I carry a fixed blade when working and thats what I reach for first.  Its quick to deploy but depending on which I carry it does take time to re-sheath.   

Mine is very fast. However, I had purchased it from a member here who had taken the knife apart and mirror-polished the bronze washers.

[Aloha]

Oh wow.  Mine was bought from a member as well and thankfully he did all the break in for me.  I bought one from the fleamarket and man that sucker was broke in very well. Fast fast fast.  Love the Axis lock a lot.   

[nate j]

CRKT Seismic

I had apparently missed these, but picked one up after reading this.  Wicked fast, both opening and closing, especially after a little breaking in, and locks up very solidly.   

My Kershaw Leek is also quite fast, along with my SOG Spec Elite II.

[schwartzstuart6]

It has to be the OTF Models for me

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[Ray S]

Fast but not real.