automatic knives

[Bonk]

I probably already asked this here (or elsewhere?), but does anyone here carry an automatic folding knife? I'm in the process of switching from a Spyderco to a Benchmade AutoStryker. It should be here next week.

[Niteshift]

I was carrying one of the S&W auto knive, until I lost it on a foot chase somewhere in a very large citrus grove. http://www.officer.com/ubb/frown.gif

Back to carrying my SOG Autoclip.



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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[slolightbar]

Ive heard this term many times. What exactly is an autoknife????

[LeeRoy]

A nicer name for a switchblade

[Bonk]

To be honest, yes it's a switchblade. A well made switchblade for professional use. The rules on owning and using them vary by state, some places they're treated like a regular pocket knife, other places you have nearly the same legal worries as a handgun. I looked at several places on the internet but ended up getting it through a local EMT friend of mine.

[Monty Ealerman]

Bonk:

The Benchmade auto knives are first rate. The 9000 is a good example of a mil-spec version. Some of the designer auto knives made by Benchmade are very well suited for law enforcement use. There is an Elishewitz that has a tanto style blade and a strong side clip. The Mel Pardue with the rubber grips is very slim, light, and fast.

In Chicago, auto knives are prohibited to civilians in the same section as are knives having a blade longer than 2.5 inches. The penalty for either is up to a $200 fine and up to a year in jail. In practice, the usual penalty for a normal 3 inch knife is mere confiscation without arrest or report, provided there are no aggravating circumstances, while most Chicago officers would probably arrest someone caught with an auto knife. On a first offense, with no priors for other offenses, the person would probably be fined only.

As a civilian in our city, which has a huge number of armed criminals and an absurdly foolish policy of disarming the law abiding, I most often don't carry a knife. When I do, it's usually a 2.4 inch Benchmade Mel Pardue titanium. I like the Kershaw knives, too, but almost all of them violate the 2.5 inch rule.

Regards,

Monty

[This message has been edited by Monty Ealerman (edited 11-19-2000).]

[Sparky]

MAN! I have been wanting one of those Benchmade autoknives for A LONG TIME!

I want one with a regular blade. No serrations, and none of this tanto $hit either.

They make these for cops, but they sure don't price them on a cop budget.

If anyone out there can get these CHEAP, please, pretty please, share with the group!!

Other than my wish list...I have carried a Spyderco clipit for years and been very happy with it. But I don't like the serrated blade anymore. It was great, but now it is a pain to sharpen.

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-Sparky

[Bonk]

I looked at http://www.888knivesrus.com/brands.html for basic research and figuring out what I wanted. They have good prices but it is a royal PITA to get them from out of state, all sorts of letterhead and all needed. I really lucked out, one of the city EMS guys I see alot is a dealer in these sorts of things, and is getting me a Benchmade at nearly the same price but without the hassle. I like the Stryker, but if you want a normal style blade look at the AFO, which is about the same size.

Right now I am carrying a Spyderco with the rounded tip, full serrated blade. I like it - its light and durable. But try as I may I can not get it open quickly with my off hand, and the full serrated part is not working for me. Not only is it a pain to sharpen, but I really need a section of plain blade to make precise cuts - paper, scraping up evidence, making templates. Don't get me wrong, the serrated blade goes through things like wildfire - seatbelts, tape, donut box string, but it goes anywhere it damn wants when it does so.

[This message has been edited by Bonk (edited 11-19-2000).]

[Bonk]

Yippeee! Finally a full forum member! I'll hold my head a little higher knowing that.

[Monty Ealerman]

Sparky:

The Benchmade 9000 AFO, which has a bead blasted blade with no serrations and a standard shape, retails for about $180. The margin allows a dealer to discount it as much as 25% off, down to about $135. As Niteshift's post indicated, knives are easy to lose, so you may want to consider something less hard to come by. The 9000 AFO has no safety, so it's best to keep it in some kind of holster. It will fit in an open 9mm magazine holder pretty well.

I like the spyderco knives. The Clipit Endura, Delica, and Firefly models are all good moderately priced knives, The Native, made in "Golden, Colorado, USA, Earth" (it really says that) instead of in Japan, is my favorite Spyderco, although it has a shorter blade than their standard police model.

The AutoStryker that Bonk referred to, assuming it's the 9100 on the website he posted a link to, is the Elishewitz model I was referring to. It's an excellent knife, and I don't think there's anything wrong with the tanto style edge, although I don't have a preference for it. I recognize the advantages of the teflon coating and the half serration, but I prefer the satin finish plain edge version.

As Bonk pointed out, the serrated blade is great for cutting seatbelts, etc.. Part of the reason for that is that the serrated edge has over twice the surface area of a plain edge.

Even so, I don't use a serrated edge. For some things, the plain edge takes more work, but for most purposes, the plain edge has ample cutting capacity, and can easily be sharpened with an ordinary whetstone. As you pointed out, the serrated edge is difficult to sharpen, and as Bonk pointed out, it is not designed for precision cutting.

Regards,

Monty

[This message has been edited by Monty Ealerman (edited 11-19-2000).]

[EdLovr]

Hi,

I would recommend that anyone interested in knives for LE use or otherwise pay a visit to Bladeforums.com.

This site is dedicated to all aspects of knives, from purchasing them to the tactics and training one can get for employing them "safely".

The best part about this forum is the fact that many of the owners of the various knife companies (i.e. Spyderco, Emerson, Gerber to name a few) maintain a prescence on the boards.

Many LE officers have mentioned how the dealers on these boards have given them special rates on their products. It's an all around good site and it can't hurt to check it out.

Give it a look.

Regards,

Ed

[Sparky]

Oh, I don't MIND paying that much money for a good quality knife...if I HAVE that much money. http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

A nw knife is not as high up on my priority list right now. But I will keep my eyes peeled for a bargain.

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-Sparky

[Pugzly]

In Michigan, you can't have an auto knife - even if you're law enforcement. But someone (as I can recall who) recently came out with a "spring assisted" knife. It's basically a manual knife with a spring. When you start to open the knife, the spring opens it the rest of the way. From my research, it does not fall under the "switchblade" law in our state. I've been thinking of getting one to replace either my combo bladed S&W SWAT knife, or the bead blasted combo bladed Benchmade CQC7 - both of which I carry on duty.

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"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That