Article by Kevin Kobwebb
Spring Assisted Knives Are The Modern Day Switchblade Knife
Spring assisted knives are just like a switchblade in that they open very fast and in a semi automated fashion. The biggest difference between the two is a switchblade knife will open automatically with the press of a button where as a spring assisted knife opens once you apply some pressure to either the thumb stud or the tang. One benefit of owning a spring assisted knife versus a switchblade is that a spring assisted knife is legal in all 50 states. Only a handful of states currently allow the carry of a switchblade knife.
Illegal since the 50's switchblades have always remained very popular amongst collectors however they have had to find underground sources in most cases to buy them. Spring assisted knives can be found for sale legally on dozens if not hundreds of online websites including some big sites like Wal Mart and Amazon. Recently U.S. customs tried to outlaw these knives by classifying them as a switchblade but luckily for knife lovers they failed in their attempts to do so. There is no reason a knife of any kind should be illegal in regards to how it opens. A knife is a knife, if someone has bad intentions it does not matter if it is opened automatically or by the flick of the wrist.
Spring assisted knives make great tools for those who would be in need of a knife in a situation where it had to be deployed quickly. Professions that could benefit from these knives are police officers, firefighters, E.M.T.'s, military personnel and the handicap. Many modern day models are actually built as a functional emergency tool. This is done by implementing a razor blade in the handle to be used as a seat belt cutter and a metal carbide tip which can be used as a glass breaking punch in an emergency.
Whether you buy a name brand spring assisted knife from the likes of Kershaw, Boker, Smith + Wesson or a cheaper no name brand knife you cannot go wrong. One thing is for certain these knives are cool. Once you hold it and feel the blade snap open quickly you will feel like you are too cool for school. Nothing compares to spring assisted knives.
Prices on these knives range from for a low end one to well over 0 for a name brand model. If you are going to carry around a knife for duty I would recommend buying a higher end model, because they often have a safety mechanism. The downside is that if you lose it which many people do lose their knives, you will feel a bit angry versus if you had lost a or model. Many people do not realize that the lower end models today are made with excellent craftsmanship and good steel. There is no such thing any more as "Chinese steel" because they burned through their supply because of their uptick in commerce over the last 20 years. They actively source their steel supply from the United States and India and are trying to purchase as much as they can when they can.
Most lower end knives have a 440 stainless steel blade that can easily be razor honed with a little bit of time on a stone or belt sander with fine grit. However they will need more maintenance as far as resharpening goes compared to some more expensive knives that use a higher grade steel with some carbon content in it. Either way you simply can't go wrong. So if you want a cool knife that will impress yourself as well as your friends, consider spring assisted knives over regular knives next time you make a knife purchase.