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reswright
3850
Feb 8, 2020
I used to like assisted opening knives, and don't anymore. Learning something's got an actual spring assist is usually enough for me to skip it now, for two reasons. the first is that for me, a thumb stud or a thumb disk or a flip tab or a button lock or an axis lock all usually mean that I can snap the blade open on my own without a spring assist. The second is, switchblades exist, and if I'm going to go the assisted route I might as well take it the rest of the way. Kinda a third reason is that with a lot of spring assists -- Gerber in particular -- the spring setup causes some grating in the action as metal grinds on metal. They're really cheap setups -- just a piece of metal with tension on it that's connected to the pivot and the other end anchored in the frame. I really don't like things that grate while opening or closing, but most AO setups give you that one way or another. Once upon a time I loved CRKT knives, but nowadays they're just a bullshit marketing company that pretends to have a stars-and-stripes American identity while making exactly zero knives with American labor, and builds everything with bottom end materials. A knife that could be great, like the Crawford Kasper, if it were made with XHP and carbon fiber is instead only ok because it's made of 8Cr and thermoplastic. Wish they'd pull their head out of their ass, but I'm not counting on it happening anytime soon.
RayF
22214
Feb 9, 2020
reswrightThere are assisted opening knives, and then there are assisted opening knives. Leaving switch blades and autos aside, no assisted works as well as the humble Kershaw Ken Onion Leek--easy to open, easy to carry, and reasonably easy on the wallet at forty bucks.
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Best to stick with the extra heft of the 410 Stainless handles, I find the aluminum versions too light. https://www.knifecenter.com/item/KS1660/kershaw-1660-ken-onion-leek-assisted-flipper-knife-bead-blast-plain-blade-stainless-steel-handles

Rudolph
279
Feb 9, 2020
reswrightWell , it sounds as if we're like minded in which case this $300 number just kinda pisses ya off more. https://www.bladehq.com/item--CRKT-Panache-Limited-Edition-Frame--103098
reswright
3850
Feb 9, 2020
RayFI’ve never bought one, mostly because of the aforementioned problem. I will say that the Kershaw Zing AO isn’t too bad, and it’s close to that form factor. maybe I’ll finally pick one up.
RayF
22214
Feb 9, 2020
reswrightNot much to lose; you may like it!
reswright
3850
Feb 9, 2020
RayFseeing some aftermarket parts, too. No scales, which is too bad, but at least some stuff. looking like a hobby project....
reswright
3850
Feb 15, 2020
RayFIt's got its strengths. Good ergonomics, very thin and light. If I had to ding it on something I'd say the construction's a little TOO simple -- Kershaw does this thing where instead of having screws on both sides of the scale, they mostly only have them on one side, and coming out the other side of the other scale. Works but looks a little rough. As someone who takes 'em apart, they could spend a little more dough and do torx fasteners on both sides like everyone else. Still, a decent pickup. I see why people like it. MB Drop should give a run.
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There seems to be a lot of versions available. I considered your suggestion to go with the stainless one. I usually like things to be a little different from normal in whatever I'm upgrading, like a better scale or a better steel or something, so it didn't come to me naturally to go with the base version, but the long and short of it is that none of the spicy variations really seemed all that spicy. I would have bought the CF San Mai if the core steel had been something more suitable to a thinned edge than D2. It wasn't, it was D2. So going with the stainless version was a good call, in terms of the weight and distribution of steel handles vs. the aluminum and so on. Feels like the balance point would be way forward with a lightweight handle. Knife's too light for it to make sense to go with a superlight handle unless you've thinned the blade down even more and I'm not sure that'd be an improvement. Good call, Ray.
RayF
22214
Feb 15, 2020
reswrightI could go for a nicer version too, but as you mention, the others offered are mostly cosmetic variations of the base model. Glad you like it, but be careful—they’re easy to lose! I’m on my third...