Assisted opening knife

This little Gerber is only 20.99 and it's made in China. I don't have it, but theres a larger one also, for 30.99. If you get one of them, or anything else, please let us know what you think of it, or even write up a little review.

Kershaw's got some nice assisted opening knives in their budget Chinese line, namely the Nerve, Clash and OSO Sweet. You can also get a couple of discontinued CRKTs on the cheap that have assisted openings like the Koji Hara Ichi. The Meyerco A-OK knife can also be had under $10.

Other than that, a lot of the budget spring-assisted knives are going to be mostly interchangeable. You'll get some variation of 440A steel, maybe some "throw in" featuers like a glass breaker but nothing spectacular. Unfortunately none of the top-tier Chinese makers like SRM, Navy etc. make assisted blades in their own lineup right now.

cesnapilot, here's a list that will help: http://www.dealextreme.com/forums/Forums.dx/Forum.-216~threadid.637625

SOG Flash 1

It was a gift from my buddy Norm and the SOG Assisted Technology makes it a very fun edc knife. I find myself playing with it like a switchblade all the time. It’s small (2.5” blade), has a pocket clip and also has a safety lock if you’re worried about it popping open in your pocket.

There are also different versions & colors of this knife:

Flash I - Aluminum Handle

Flash I - Aluminum Handle- Black TiNi

Flash I - Black TiNi

Flash I - Partially Serrated

Flash I - Pink Handle

Flash I - Straight edge

SOG Flash 1 great knife this is the one that i have.

If You`re looking for a single handed knife look for Bee or Sanrenmu ,they have good quality at a low price .

I have carried my Flash 1 ever since getting it. It is the perfect size to use in the office, rides low in the pocket, one handed opening and closing (spline against leg), and it is flat ground. Seems to hold a edge pretty well too. They can be found for 25-30.

The assisted part is neat, but I could live with out it. I don't think it really adds any speed to deployement vs. a smooth one hander. I have never had it pop open in my pocket, but I have always been cautious with my Kerchaw Chives as they seem to require a little less effort to open. Then the safety defeats the purpose.

I like it alot.

Wow, I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that I dislike the Flash 1. I've had a Flash 1 develop unfixable blade play and SOG's customer service essentially told me they wouldn't fix it.

Kershaw's my go-to brand for assisted knives these days, but YMMV.

I found a deal on a basically new BM mini-ambush a while back with the rolling lock (similar to Axis). I have really been digging it. I like the shape, it functions great, and it is cheap enough to actually use. It is bigger than the Flash 1, but seems to be just big enough to get a solid grip. The blade length is just under 3", so it isn't considered a weapon around here. It probably isn't considered assisted, but the lock encourages the blade to open.

So what Kershaw would you recommend? I had one about 15+ years ago that I used during fishing and hunting trips but then lost it. It was a very well made knife but I loved the soft rubbery finger grooved grip the most. I wouldn't mind having another kershaw.

It may not fit your purpose, and I don't have one yet, but I really like the design of the Leek. Been looking for a deal on one for a while. The blade shape is just sexy IMO.

Budget Line: Volt II, OSO Sweet, Clash

Non-Budget Line: Chive, Scallion or Baby Boa (small), Leek, Needs Work, Packrat (medium), Whirlwhind, Blackout, Mini Cyclone (large), Cyclone (freaking huge)

That's just the knives I have experience with (either working with or owning). There are more assisted knives in Kershaw's line. The really nice thing is that regardless if you buy in the budget or premium line, Kershaw offers a lifetime warranty and their customer service is absolutely second to none. You can find the budget assisted stuff for ~$20 in the US.

My only Kershaw is a Mini Cyclone. It has an on/off switch for the assisted opening function. I paid $29 for it on eBay, and I like it a lot. If my Bee EL-01B ever shows up, I'll compare it to my Mini Cyclone and to my Sanrenmu knives. There are a lot of really attractive Kershaw assisted openers out there.


A co-worker was showing me his Kershaw OD-1 a few weeks ago. I was never a big fan of "assisted" openers, but that one really impressed me.

OD-1 isn't assisted. It's just stupid fast.

The little knob on the back that you push with your finger isn't considered assisted? Now I'm confused... but yes, it was stupid fast.

Edit- Yup, you're correct. Kershaw considers that a "flipper" action. Whatever they call it, it's pretty neat.

It looks like I need some kershaws in my collection. Money mouth

You got a fantastic deal on this knife. I got it as a gift, but the person sent an obscene amount on it in comparison.

The best folding pocket knife I've ever seen or owned in my life though. Perfectly made and designed.

This knife is a bit of an enigma for me. When I said it was "new", I purposely used quotes because it didn't look new when I got it. It had a bunch of fibers and debris inside the handle, no packaging, and a burr on the blade. The seller basically said "sorry" and stated that it was in storage for a while. Anyway, I cleaned it up, resharpened the blade and found that the blade developed that burr again. I then figured out that the blade was contacting one of the pillars inside the handle. Contacted SOG, and to their credit, they were willing to take the knife and repair it. Instead, I put some heat shrink tubing on the thumb studs and this provided the clearance needed for the blade.

Another issue I found was the blade not opening fully, at least reliably. Later determined that mine is a "Lowes" knife, with Zytel grips - which is different than the aluminum handles on the standard knife. The definitive video on this knife, which mirrors my experience, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAAl-1RFmg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

All that said, I still really like this knife. The lockup is weak, with a lot of blade play, but for general, light use I think it's fine. Opening is reliable, as long as I don't squeeze the grip too hard. It looks great, and carries well. The blade takes a good edge, and holds it well. It's one of my go-to knives. For $24, I can't complain. But it's not perfect. If I had known the difference between the Lowes and standard version, I might have gone for the better one.