Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - Question- Fixed Blade or Folding Knife?

**Bill Harsey** · 12-28-2004, 08:40

Swatsurgeon,
Not to be smart but speaking directly, If I wanted the T-2 to be an auto (switchblade), it would have been an auto.

You gave me something to consider that I'd never thought of before, the auto knife blade being stopped during opening and not continuing to full open and locked position. This is an interesting reason against the auto in an emergency situation.

Auto openers are very popular. There are makers who are very good at building them. In the state of Oregon where I live it is legal to manufacture, own, sell and carry NOT concealled an auto opening knife. It is legal to sell an auto opening knife to confirmed members of the police and military. This is a problem unto itself. How do I know that some guy or gal didn't borrow someones department letterhead? I don't have the resources or time to do confirmations on police or military.

It would be against the law for me to ship an auto opening knife to a citizen residing in a state that bans auto opening knives. Same goes for Canada. Personally, to date, I have never wanted to make them for several reasons and the legal ones are the least of these.

An auto opening folding knife with a good strong spring that opens smartly is also hammering on internal components every time the button is pushed. Springs break, internal shear pins wear and then the knife just doesn't work at all.
This is the main reason I don't custom make auto openers, it is the dependability over long period of time issue. They don't fail gradually, if they do it's all at once and I don't want an operator in a life critical situation to need a knife and find the one on him just decided to quit working.

12-28-2004, 08:40	#37
Bill Harsey Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets Posts: 3,886	Autos vs. Manual Swatsurgeon, Not to be smart but speaking directly, If I wanted the T-2 to be an auto (switchblade), it would have been an auto. You gave me something to consider that I'd never thought of before, the auto knife blade being stopped during opening and not continuing to full open and locked position. This is an interesting reason against the auto in an emergency situation. Auto openers are very popular. There are makers who are very good at building them. In the state of Oregon where I live it is legal to manufacture, own, sell and carry NOT concealled an auto opening knife. It is legal to sell an auto opening knife to confirmed members of the police and military. This is a problem unto itself. How do I know that some guy or gal didn't borrow someones department letterhead? I don't have the resources or time to do confirmations on police or military. It would be against the law for me to ship an auto opening knife to a citizen residing in a state that bans auto opening knives. Same goes for Canada. Personally, to date, I have never wanted to make them for several reasons and the legal ones are the least of these. An auto opening folding knife with a good strong spring that opens smartly is also hammering on internal components every time the button is pushed. Springs break, internal shear pins wear and then the knife just doesn't work at all. This is the main reason I don't custom make auto openers, it is the dependability over long period of time issue. They don't fail gradually, if they do it's all at once and I don't want an operator in a life critical situation to need a knife and find the one on him just decided to quit working.
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