Friday, November 4, 2011

First (and probably only) Autoknives


Just bought my first autoknives ("switchblades", for those whose knowledge of pocket knives is limited to having seen West Side Story). Both are "out-the-fronts", a Microtech Scarab and a Lightning. They're very similar, except that the latter is a quarter of the quality and a tenth of the price of the former.

I bought them only because the cantankerous curmudgeon who was arrested for possessing them and whose subsequent lawsuit against the state made them legal again is an acquaintance. And as a thumb-in-the-eye to the sort of people who try to regulate what I eat peaches with. Sort of like when I bought my first "assault rifle" just because Hillary said I shouldn't have one.

First impressions:

1. A fixed-blade is in every way superior. Cost, strength, durability, speed of deployment, quietness, reliability, utility, ergonomics.

2. There is an undeniable 'fun factor'.

3. I wonder how long they'll last, since everyone who sees them has to play with them.

4. It was worth it just to see the eyeballs bug out of my wife's friend from Massachusetts when she asked if I had a pocketknife to open a box.

Such knives are most often thought of as "fighting" or "tactical" knives, but they are the worst possible choice for such a thing. They're fun just-plain-everyday pocket knives, though.

3 comments:

PJ said...

Nice!! I've been on a bit of a knife-bender myself.

I've found the Kershaw Blur series to be about as close to an auto knife as you can get while still being legal in MOST jurisdictions.

I will admit to lusting over a really double acting OTF Benchmade.

roni said...

That's pretty cool. Never really thought of them as an option.

Do you carry it in your pocket? If you do I was wondering if you have problems with it popping out on its own while in your pocket. Kinda like butt dialing with the cell.....

Oblio13 said...

I use the pocket clip. The switch is like the double-action trigger on a revolver, it won't go off accidentally.