Modern autos are a far cry from the Grease-movie representation or your Grandad's old "switch blade"...but are they practical as a useable EDC or even a field pocket knife?

So, I’ve have my fair share of automatic knives and have carried a few over the years.  Sure, much of the allure is the novelty aspect; they’re just kind of cool.  But, are they practical?  As with most autos, they can be more complicated, which isn’t a good thing when you want a dependable pocket tool/knife.  The biggest advantage used to be the one-hand opening aspect, that is pretty much moot with such features as assisted opening knives (often more legally acceptable than autos), and also the “wave” feature on some knives (Emerson, Spyderco, Cold Steel, etc.).  In fact, I’ve found the wave method of deployment the fastest to access from my pocket than any other deployment method outside of a fixed blade knife.





Two autos that find themselves constantly in my daily rotation have been the Protech “Whiskers” design and the Microtech Ultratech.  The MT Ultratech has been an excellent weak-hand blade; extremely svelte and very good access with one-hand opening and closing.  The more I carry it the more I appreciate it.  It’s definitely more complicated than most autos being an OTF design, but I see it as a secondary or even tertiary pocket knife.



Now, the Protech is simply marvelous as far as the design.  It uses a shifting frame mechanism to open and close.  It’s extremely sleek and I love the blade profile; very utilitarian with an excellent long-sweeping belly.  The only downside is that the activating mechanism is pretty much for right-handers only.  While I typically prefer a locking mechanism for autos when carried as duty folders, the frame-activation is almost a safety feature in-itself. In fact, everybody that I’ve handed it to can't even figure out how to open it.  The actual locking mechanism is much like a lock-back and so far, seems to be quite robust from a design perspective.  I’m growing more and more fond of this design and Protech is one of the best auto companies out there.  Their fit and finish is slightly better than Benchmade.  Speaking of Benchmade, their Adamas auto is a beast.  It’s one of the few I would actually consider carrying as a duty auto.

Two very good “budget” autos that I’m quite impressed with is the Kershaw Launch 1 and the Boker Plus Strike.  The Boker Kalishnikov auto gets most of the attention, but the Strike is a very solid and reliable auto for the price point…I would consider the Strike as the perfect entry-level auto that has a great EDC design.



So, are autos practical carry options?  Yes and no.  Most are priced out of the budget for most interested, but less-restrictive laws are making them more prevalent and introducing quality budget-autos into the market.  I would concede that autos are inherently less reliable than manual folders, but with that said, I’ve never had a failure of a quality auto and carried a Benchmade AFO quite often for years.  In fact, my first-generation AFO still fires and locks up just fine and it’s almost 20 years old.  I wouldn’t mind recommending an auto for generic EDC, but I’m still on the fence about carrying an auto as your only folder (unless you have a fixed blade) for a hard-use field EDC.

The limited manufacturers and draconian restrictions have keep autos on the periphery and out of the hands of most people.  That can lead to a dislike which I can understand.  Benchmade has been making autos for years and I’ve seen several of their autos carried and used in Iraq and Afghanistan along with numerous field exercises. They’ve proven robust and reliable and I would posit that they can be just as practical as most other common, manual EDC folders (some more than others of course).  There are a few I would consider for combat-use, but I still would prefer my primary EDC in a harsh environment to be a manual folder.

I'm sure opinions will vary, but given the limited access, restrictions, and often higher expense of autos, I doubt many have the actual field-use to offer an informed-opinion.  I don't knock it, it's just the way it is with tools that haven't been very accessible outside of military or law-enforcement circles.  The good news is that many states are becoming less-restrictive which lets more people get their hands on them for actual use vice pristine collections that rarely even see a pocket much less hard use.

ROCK6

I think they're fun to play with but for carry, most of them are heavier, scare the fudds and typcically frowned upon in general by local municipals.

And also because I'm a wave whore. It's faster to deploy out of the pocket.

I've been carrying autos since they became legal here about 4 years ago and would not go back to anything else.

Not a novelty.

Very useful and reliable in my experience.

I've been carrying a Boker Kalashnikov for the last two years.

I love being able to easily open and close my knife one handed.

Yes, I also have assisted opening knives that do the same thing but I have come to prefer autos.

The Boker Kalashnikov was $40 and it still opens fast and locks up tight.

I have a Benchmade AFO II that is more expensive but no better.

The Kalashnikov fits my hand and is a good weight.

I love my Kalashnikov's

I’ve got a broken ultratech I can’t get fixed.  Can’t even buy the bit head to open the case.

I like my OTF CobraTeck knife other than that love my assisted opening Kershaw knives.

Currently dragged out the Ganzo with solid bolsters and Ranger Green G10 scales. A svelte modern take on the Italian stilletto, sold direct free shipping. It's been used for about a year and a half, works fine, has a decisive snap, easily resharpened, and I rarely lose my grip on it.

It makes me wonder why I bother with "normal" knives at all - a push button lock is secure enough, adding a spring to open it really isn't rocket science. If I want that then the double action OTF fills that void with it's screen door slamming action.

Do autos have disadvantages, yes, so do "normal" blades. You pick and choose features, see how it adds up, then live with the drawbacks as you will. I have liner locks - both cheap and Big Name - which cannot be trusted as the liner walks out of engagement using the blade. Never had that happen with switchblade, ever. On the other hand, I have thumb opening framelocks which I know will take a much bigger beating should I ever need it, and I carry them when I get to choose ahead of time. Just like shoes and jackets, we plan to meet the conditions, so goes which knife to carry.

There is one disadvantage, I can't take a switchblade into every state MO has CCW reciprocity with. It's much better but it's still a point of circumstance to consider. Then again a Mossberg 590 Shockwave isn't a "pistol" in every state, yet. With a laser, tho, it's a very appealing walkabout gun.

So you take your best choice and enjoy it.

http://www.pvk.vegas/product-p/mt-bit.htm

Being able to close it one handed was what made them most useful to me.  Yes, you might be able to close a liner lock knife one handed, but you always have to put a finger where the blade goes. During a stressful situation it seems like it would be fairly easy to cut yourself.  With an auto knife your fingers never have to be in the path of the blade.  I carried a Benchmade AFO for many years while I was a police officer just for that reason.

Rock6,
 What is the knife on the far right in
the second photo.

Thanks for the post!

I find my Lightning OTF knives more useful than a more robust and slick assisted folder. (Usually Kershaw.)

Most of the time, it's open something, pry something, scrape something, etc where the flaws don't matter but one hand open close does matter.

If I need something more robust, there's always the machete in my trunk.

send it in. I have, 2 weeks return time. if they arent exactly legak in your state have a dealer send it.

PVK and Eknives sell the bits.

It's a Hogue auto.  I grabbed it on a discount as I'm really liking their X5 model folders (flippers) and they have an excellent reputation for quality.  I would put them on par with some of the higher-end Benchmade knives (about the same prices as well):

Hogue EX-A04



ROCK6

I don't really know why, but I am
drawn to knives with a belly.

I buy other style blades, but the
ones with a belly always catch my
eye.

Thanks again!

I prefer OTF double-action.  I bought the Lightning and a butterfly as soon as the Texas law effective date happened to strike auto and gravity knives from being prohibitive weapons.

The Lightning doesn't last long as EDC before it starts to rattle.  I went through a few and then bought the H&K Epidemic.  It is a nicer knife but the blade is too narrow and dulls quick as an EDC.  The biggest issue I have is you can't send any auto knives back direct to Kershaw, Benchmade, etc. for repair or sharpening.

I have a Kershaw Launch that I carry quite a bit unfortunately it is the only EDC knife I have that has inadvertently  opened in my pocket many times.  Ironically I find my Spyderco Tenacious to be my favorite EDC knife.

An issue I've experienced with OTF knives is if you flick or accelerate the knife during deployment it will not deploy completely and become loose in the blade "carrier".  Then you have to reset the blade by pulling it out all the way manually until it locks back in the "carrier".

I prefer my normal folder spyderco

The OTF automatic knife is the perfect comsumer pocket-knife, why waste time with anything else?

For me, these are tools - about akin to the keychain swiss army knife. And about as useful (which means, very useful). And that's my frustration, most offerings of small and handy out the front pocket knives are targeted to serious affectionatos and an identity/lifestyle accessory- and seem priced accordingly.  My market interest is for a much more casual flavor.  Inexpensive, works well enough, and when I lose it somewhere, I don't really care.  Do they make $10 consumer versions?

The Lightning is the lowest cost OTF double-action you'll find.

Lightning D/A OTF

My OTF has been the handiest knife to carry ever since it became legal in WI a couple of years ago.

The emerson wave made them more novelty than practical. The big draw to switchblades was they could be opened fast with one hand, with the wave the knife is opened as soon as it's out of your pocket.

I bought a few when they we finely legal here a few years back. Basically just because I like knives.
Never carried one though.

Then one drunken night I stumbled across the new Benchmade mini Presidio II 5750 and ordered one.
It's ambi and easy to close one handed. For work I was carrying a mini grip and outside of work a 940.
Now this 5750 is what I carry most. Perfect size and feels great in the hand. Has a safety but the axis lock
has to move pretty far for it to open so I don't use it. It *gasp* replaced my 940 for my favorite folder.

Size is right between the mini grip and 940. I can get all four fingers on the handle.

I carry a double edged MT in my weak side front pocket to offset my ZT0350. I can't even feel it in my pocket. It doesn't have much utility use, it's mostly a " get off me" knife that I hope never has to be used.
It's my only auto and I probably won't ever buy another, but I like it.
And it's fun to play with.....

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Auto knives what are they ;)

I carry a auto about 75% of the time they are legal here and I like them. My favorite side auto has to be the Stitch and OTF is the cypher.

I’m surprised the cypher isn’t more popular it’s a big blade and much thinner and pocket friendly than my combat troodon. I have a second DE Cypher but it’s on lone to a buddy who’s test carrying it for a week before ordering one.

I think autos are a very practical choice. I prefer them to manual folders, but I dislike OTFs because a spring failure could render them non-deployable. My Benchmade 5000 Auto Presidio could likely be opened by hand if it failed, but it's never failed. I also love the ambidextrous Auto-axis release (which I safely carry every day without the safety engaged).

I had a spring failure once ever. It was with a Gerber-Emerson Alliance. I've been carrying an auto for 11 years.

Sometimes I carry a fixed blade, but not for EDC. They're the best if size doesn't render them impractical. (It usually does though).

And the safety can lock it open or closed if there were some kind of spring failure

This is a real good way to get into the OTF world.  They're a little chunky and not as refined, but they are pretty reliable.  I have a few and have had zero issues; I've been abusing one to see how much it can really handle and it hasn't failed yet.  I finally splurged on a MT Ultratech and glad I did.  I don't know if I'll pick up anymore, but for what I was looking for the Ultratech is about perfect.  Slim, sleek, set up for left-one-handed-use, and it's been quite reliable.  It's not a primary pocket knife for me, but is exception as a weak-side back up knife.

I've heard great things about the Presidio autos.  I was leery at first of my Adamas auto firing with the Axis-lock, but it's getting more rotation time as I get more comfortable with it. I don't know how the Presidio is, but the spring action on the Adamas is one of the strongest I've had and you really need to grip the knife solidly so it doesn't jump out of your hand.  Some of the Protech autos are vary similar...

Same with me.  I finally picked up that MT Ultratech OTF and found it the perfect weak-hand pocket knife.  Utility is relative as I like it for lighter chores as it's fun to pull it out with my weak-hand and use and put it back in the pocket in a flash.  This is also as far as I'll probably go for an OTF, but it fits my needs very well...glad I splurged on the Ultratech.  Not that I would advocate an OTF as your primary EDC, but BladeHQ's field test is pretty interesting...



ROCK6

Many years ago we decided to equip our special ops crews with an auto knife.  The ability to get a knife out and open with one hand during an airdrop was important to the FEs and loadmasters, so we wrote request that only Benchmade could fill.  You could always spot one of our crew- knife in the left top pocket of the flightsuit.  I don't get to carry it anymore.  

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That's pretty cool.  Protech has resurrected the Emerson CQC7 auto:



ROCK6

If I get an auto, one very close to that is what I'd get.

I've wanted a Microtech since I saw the first Men In Black over 20 years ago...

Yes, but not OTF. Too unreliable. Every Microtech owner knows the fail flick. None of them will admit it though. Not to mention Microtech's ridiculous warranty, poor attitude, and design theft.

I've been lucky so far.  It does suck about MT's customer service as the design has been perfect for me.  I think they attract far more collectors than actual users.

ROCK6

Having a knife you can open quickly and effortlessly is extremely practical. That said, an automatic knife offers little advantage over an assisted open knife. I own a fair number of auto knives (see screen name) but I carry a Kershaw Leek assisted open. It's every bit as fast to open as any of my autos.

Novelty to me, but I'm a fixed blade guy. The only non fixed blade knives I have anymore are SAK's.

A ratty collection from a few years ago, but a Benchmade AFO 9000s w/o safety, a Paragon below that, a Boker Speedlock II that was converted and a Dalton California, below that.

I got into the Boker lever-locks and have a couple, as well as a couple of Hubertus level locks.  Even gave my dad a couple of Boker 712s/715s, when Ebay was cool!

Upper right is a signed Pat Crawford Combat Tanto, hollowed grind, titanium scaled folder, which is my best knife!

Chris

Side folding auto...yes. OTF...no. I carried mine for a while and switched to a different knife when I had pocket change disable the knife more than once.

Not ratty at all!  Real nice Crawford...

I can fully understand the concern, but this just shows that some knives are not meant to share your pockets with much of anything.  I just carry my Ultratech and chap-stick in my left pocket; zero issues.  I can see how the OTF opening is perfectly sized for "dime-entry" though!  This is also another consideration why I like the reversible, deep pocket clip as I can carry the OTF in my back pocket with my wallet (I carry both in the left back pocket) if the pocket is big enough.  I treat OTFs like I would a pocket CCW; nothing else really goes in the pocket.

ROCK6

I think autos are practical and of course more fun.  I carried a Spyderco Embassy daily for 5 or 6 years.  Still have it but I've been rotating between a Para 3 & Salt 2 over the past year.

Love the Benchmade / Emerson CQC  have one (not the auto), although I never carry it anymore.



Now, I carry the Benchmade "Mini-ruckus".  Great auto knife.

I think autos are great. Ive carried a wide range of them for the past eight years. Currently, I carry a Benchmade AFO for the past three years on and off daily and as of the last few months, its what I carry on and off duty.

Im a fan of the wave concept that Emerson has but Ive had to many Emersons loosen up over the years to really justify keeping them in rotation. Also, in my mindset, I do not want a knife to open practically every time I take it out of my pocket either. They can be dang good impact weapons or for an extremely last ditch effort, a glass breaker depending on what knife it is.

^This.

I have a Gerber Covert Auto that is my EDc. I love the silly thing. Takes a decent edge and it is used at least 5 times a day. Everything from opening mail, opening boxes, cutting up my lunch etc.
Good little blade.

I carry mostly autos now since I moved to free America, they work great and are fun, but truth be told I can deploy a manual opener just as fast, wouldn’t go so far as to say a novelty. Some people have various degrees of dexterity and for some an auto may be preferable

Side folding autos are no less practical than a typical side folder.

OTF's are weak by design.

The obvious advantage of the OTF is the inherently easier operation.  One need not worry about how they grip it so as to have free clearance of the deployment.  More useful, one can retract it with minimal effort as well.  With one hand you slide it out of your pocket, pop the button, cut the bad knot you're hodling in your other hand, pop the button, slide the knife back into your pocket, while still using your other hand to hold that rope.  All in about 1/3 the time it took to read that.

My own view on these devices is as simple tools.  It doesn't need to be great.  It doesn't even need to be unfailingly reliable.  It just needs to be able to work

I'm a big fan of the Wave and have carried a waved folder for the past 20 years, while I've had much better success with Emerson folders, I can fully understand that having a blade deploy immediately coming out of your pocket for simple tasks isn't always wanted  This is one reason why even with an auto, I like to carry a smaller, manual gentleman's folder for use around un-sheared sheep

Agreed.  I do like the Gerber Covert Auto, I just often prefer a left-handed auto for my weak hand and side-opening/button autos are a little more difficult to manipulate.

I would concur that side-opening autos are no less practical than the majority of manual folders.  I'm not a mechanical engineer to judge how much weaker an OTF is than a standard side folder though.  I do know that where most side folders fail first is from lateral stresses.  I would assume OTFs are likely more susceptible and of course weaker by design against direct pressure from the tip to the handle.  I just wonder if some locks (like Single Actions) are slightly more robust.  Robust is relative, but there's been a lot of tests on higher end OTFs and I've seen a video of a guy hammering a cheaper OTF through a hardwood door (chip board), tip down without failure.  OTFs are inherently more complicated (I think; again, I'm not a mechanical engineer) which can open the door to more failures.  However, I think for simple EDC uses, they are okay.  I still wouldn't want to rely on one for hard-use, not only because of the design, but simply the cost (thinking of higher end, more "reliable" autos).

I've continued to carry a few autos daily.  The Microtech Ultratech OTF has been a daily companion, but it's really a secondary or even tertiary blade.  I've found it extremely reliable for easier tasks, often one-handed and with my weak hand.

The ProTech Magic 2 Whiskers continues to impress me as my favorite folder.  The opening mechanism is genus and serves as an inherent pocket safety simply by design.  The opening mechanism and locking mechanism are much like a regular "lock-back" knife and while I haven't tested it to failure, it's easily one of the more robust designs.  Finally, the blade shape is quite utilitarian...all the function aside, it's one of the nicer fit/finish pocket knives I own.

Agreed.  This is why I really like the MT Ultratech and other slide-switch autos.  The Ultratech is fully reversible and I carry it either in my front or back left pocket and it is very fast to access one-handed, open and close, and put back in my pocket before anybody even know (other than the "shnick" sound).

A reliable auto is little different from a manual folder.  I don't think autos are necessarily any "faster" than a thumb, flipper, assisted, etc. non-auto opening mechanism; the Wave likely is the king for fast pocket deployment.  I would concede that an auto adds complexity to your folding knife and can understand the concern from the likelihood of higher chance of failure, but I have an older Benchmade AFO (first generation) that was carried continuously for a few years and since, just off and on.  It's never failed and still fires and locks up just fine.  Autos are no less practical, but admittedly, their design and regulatory restrictions often make them more expensive.  I like the "cool factor" of an auto, and yes I can afford them, but I can't say they are superior in any way than standard, manual folders.  Practical?  For the most part, and no less than standard, manual folders.  I will also admit that if I'm carrying an auto, I likely have a second (or third) manual folder on me...

ROCK6

I've carried and used auto knives for over 10 years, and have a couple opinions on them:

OTF auto knives are great for situations where an open blade is dangerous. An airplane or helicopter moving around, on a boat, scrambling around in the woods at night, etc. Open the blade, cut, retract. Very little chance of an accident. They are not good for hard use, and especially not self defense. Maybe there's an intimidation factor, but there are plenty of other knives I'd rather have in an altercation.

Normal auto-openers aren't really better than an assisted opener or good flipper. A waved knife is better at the opening quickly thing anyway. They are fun to play with though.

I was about to say "novelty" until I saw that sexy byatch in the very middle of the 2nd pic

I carried a few OTF knives and while I liked them, they were bothering my thumb joint with the pressure to open. The best part is the closing. I could draw it, cut something, close it, all before my toddler knew what was happening or would go for it. really easy one hand.

I currently EDC a Protech side opener. same just a push button, which is nice. good profile, carries well, less scary looking than a switchblade at my office, too.

i want another OTF but it's a lot of money to tie up in a pocket.

Very good assessment and perspective...mine is quite similar.

A little "Czech" bias? Mikovs are well made autos.  The lever lock takes some getting use-to, but it turns out pretty intuitive.

ROCK6