Seems like my taste in knives changed a few years ago towards automatic knives.  I went on vacation last year to Gatlinburg, Tn and went to a gun store next to Smoky Mountain Knife Works and got a great deal on an H&K Entourage and really liked it.  

Now I'm looking at the Benchmade 9051 AFO, Kershaw Launch 5, Protech TR-3, and Protech Les George Rockeye.

Who else likes autos?  

Anyone have any of the above knives?

Whats on your want list for autos?

Love em..

The Launch series is decent for the money... The Benchmade are always great.

Anything Marifione would make me happy

I bought the Kershaw Launch 5, and wasn't impressed and returned it to Kershaw Guy.
My ZT 0350 is much faster with spring assist than the Launch.
I really like the DA auto version of the  Spyderco Vallaton but I can't justify the cost right now.
http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Vallotton-Butch--1384#T

Protech is the best to me.  TR-3 is an awesome EDC knife.

Auto knives vary greatly in price and quality.   Most of my autos are Daltons, Benchmade, Lone Wolf, ZT, and some Protechs.     Daltons are very hard to come by anymore as the production knives were limited to less than 300 of each, and some of them under 20 of each.  

The best mass production autos in my opinion are the ZT and Protechs.   Lifetime warranty and built like tanks.  Benchmades are good, but unless you are law enforcement or military, they won't do warranty work on your knife, nor will they provide their free sharpening service.   You can have a dealer send it in for you, but they may not want to always do that.

One of my favorite sites for buying rare autos is www.adamsknifeworks.com  .  He has been selling autos since the 1980s and has a ton of rare and custom autos from all the major brands.  Some exclusives as well.

I got into them back in the mid 90s.  I bought a Boker leverlock 712, a Daulton California, a Paragon, a Boker SpeedLock II and a Benchmade 9000S AFO satin/partial serration and that was it for a bit.  Back in '08, I had some money and bought a few Hubertus leverlocks and another Boker 712/715, or two, for my dad.

I haven't bought anything more modern, but I have 6-7 of them and they're nice for what they are.  I don't EDC any of them, personally.

Chris

I have several autos from Benchmade, SOG and Boker.

I EDC a Boker AK74 and am looking at picking up a Protech Magic BR-1.10 (as soon as I can convince myself I won't lose it )

Thanks for the replys, I'm going to checkout the Protechs and Benchmades.  

Someone mentioned ZT makes an auto?  I didn't know that, what model is that?

That sucks Benchmade doesn't off warranty or sharpening unless your mil or leo.  I seen where they have the discount for mil or leo.  I'm retired military so I doubt that I could get that discount since it doesn't say retired military qualify for the discount, but maybe I'll call to verify that.

I don't believe ZT currently has any autos in production but they have made them in the past, ex: http://www.bladehq.com/item--Zero-Tolerance-610ST--3146

Benchmade will still warranty autos from non mil/leo but you need to bring it to a dealer to send in for you. It's hard finding one willing to do it for you, especially if you didn't buy the knife from them.

I didn't realize ZT made an auto, thats a cool looking knife too.  Maybe they will come up with another one in the future.

Piranha makes some interesting knives. Made in USA too

Got a Benchmade CLA a few weeks back. It's a nice knife, and I love carrying it, but I've found I still stick to my assisted opening ZT's most days when I know I'm going to be cuttng a lot.

It's nothing against the Benchmade, but I just haven't gotten closing it one handed down as smoothly as my ZT's. It's definitely not hard to do when I sit around watching TV and practice, but a framelock is just easier for me to shut one handed. Love the Benchmade auto though.

I'll commit myself to nothing but the Benchmade as my go to knife every day for the next week, and see if my opinion changes.

Meh I tried to like them but just can't.

For what you get knife wise they are far too expensive in my opinion and for any kind of warranty work you have to ship them through a dealer, No thanks.

That being said they are cool but I'll stick with flippers, assisted opening, fixed blades ect.

With all the technical innovation in how knives open now, having a push button do it is just another option.

One of the serious problems I have is that a full auto knife is twice the price of an assisted. Same materials workmanship fit and finish. What the law did - and it was the intent - is move ownership of auto knives into a privilege determined by your finances and social class. If you can afford one, and you have the intimate connections with the ruling class in your community - no problem. Compare that to the profiling that was endemic with the anti switchblade movement in the 1950's and which ones were pushed out of business.

It was simply a test phase for anti gun legislation and it worked.

I have Paragon, Benchmade, Schrade, Lightning and have had issue Camillus autos, they all work fine. The one that I carry daily as an EDC and find both fun and useful is my Ganzo 7212 stonewash in OD G10. It was less than $18 with free shipping, has milled stainless liners with bolsters one piece, smooth action and works great.

When you have a knife made well and costing less than the average FRN clamshell discount folder you have to ask why the $150 and up pricing for a "Brand" knife?

Now, why do I think that autos are overpriced? Take the Boker Top Lock - in the day it was a $49 folder, or a $99 auto. One $2.50 retail cost spring was the only difference.

Yes, the custom makers use a lot of exclusive and expensive materials, but for the most part we could be buying autos for $49 in a truly competitive market and getting Benchmade quality components. What we have is a protectionist setup with only American makers considered legal, MIL/LEO the only "qualified" buyers, and a lot of hypocrisy about "no Interstate trade."

So, of course they charge what the market will bear. Same as Broomhandle Mausers until the Chinese dumped 50,000 of theirs as surplus and that dropped the price to half. Being no longer in production prices eventually rose over twenty years back to their norm.

With new autos being made every day, I see the market as one that shuts out the common knife buyer and which isn't likely to change as the makers like things exactly they way they are.

I view MidTech folders in the same way, but people like what they like.  Exclusivity is a real buying motivator for people, nothing wrong with that.  People like spending tons on AR-15 accessories and that's not my cup of tea, but congrats.

I don't think that I've ever paid over $140-$150 for my Boker lever locks, nor my AFO 9000s, but they're all nice knives for what they are.

Other things, I might be more frugal with.

Chris

I've been carrying a Microtech Scarab for years before I retired. I had to sell that one before I retired because double edge knives are illegal knives where I reside. Now I have a single edge Microtech Scarab. I really like the Microtech. The one I carried on duty was 10 years old and the extension/retraction spring action was just as strong as when it was new.

I've got a few but I mainly own and carry Axis knives now. I like the one handed closing versus having to close the blade against spring tension.

I have a myerco 18xray

I really love it and I cut the head of a deer with it last year