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Kershaw Brawler Assisted Open Knife

6 Best Budget Spring Assisted Knives

August 12, 2021 / / 1 Comment

From collectors to avid outdoorsmen (and women), day laborers or simply those who like having a versatile tool ready at hand, spring assisted blades have skyrocketed in popularity.

Also known as assisted-opening knives, these blades are revered for their fast and reliable deployment while reducing the risk of human error and injury.

Many of us have been there, with even the most well-practiced knife-wielder experiencing a misfire from time to time with manual flipper knives. The same cannot be said for spring assisted openers. Short of catastrophic mechanical failure (a rarity), these blades deploy with unparalleled reliability.

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"Kershaw Cryo" by Luke Detwiler is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Why Do People Hate Assisted-Openers?

July 31, 2018 / / 51 Comments

If you were to peruse some popular knife forums, you’d think the invention of the assisted-opening mechanism was the worst thing to happen to the knife world.

The truth is that the average user could not care less whether the knife is spring-assisted. As long as it opens reliably and is relatively cheap, most people barley notice.

So, why do most knife nuts seem to hate assisted-opening knives with a passion? These are the most common arguments against assisted blades.

(Note: I’m being the devil’s advocate and citing some common arguments. I honestly don’t have a preference between assisted-openers and manual folders.)

1. Assisted-openers are dangerous

One of the biggest complaints about assisted-openers is that they’re dangerous. There are stories from people across the internet who say an assisted opener engaged while in the pocket. Those with flipper tabs are likely more dangerous because they can open up pretty easily when some pressure is applied to the edge of the closed knife. (This is a problem that can be mostly prevented with right-handed tip-down carry where the pocket would help keep it closed.)

I’ve carried assisted-openers before and never had one open. However, I have had an unassisted knife open slightly in my pocket. I don’t remember the circumstances that caused it, but any type of knife can be dangerous. Take a look at what could happen with an auto:

A first for me. Boker Kalashnikov opened in my pocket. from knives

Some have even complained that the strength of the assisted open is so powerful that the knife feels like it’s going to jump out of the hand.

2. Safety lock negates any advantages

To combat the first complaint, many knives come with safety mechanisms that keep the blade closed. For example, many Kershaw SpeedSafe models have a little peg that slides behind the blade to keep it from opening up accidentally. While it does increase the safety of the knife, it also counteracts the quickness and accessibility of the knife.

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Win a Kershaw Blur S30V for Assisted-Opening Knife Week

April 25, 2016 / / 17 Comments

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The assisted-opening knife is a relatively recent innovation in the world of knives, but it transformed the landscape and created an entirely new genre.

We’ve been celebrating landmarks and anniversaries throughout the year here at Knife Depot. This week we’re celebrating Assisted-Opening Knife Week.

Assisted openers were invented as a way to circumvent the ban on switchblades while offering users an option to engage a knife quickly with one hand. Here’s a good description of the difference between the two.

There’s some debate as to who created the first assisted-opening mechanism, but it’s likely that both Blackie Collins and Ken Onion developed a similar mechanism concurrently.

Since then, most brands carry assisted-opening knives that use trade names like SpeedSafe, SOG Assisted Technology, Outburst, and others.

Throughout the week, we’ll be writing cool stories and having exclusive sales related to assisted openers. To kick things off, we’re giving away a Kershaw Blur S30V. This iconic pocket knife uses a SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism and boasts a stonewashed blade with a slight recurve. This iteration has upgrade S30V steel, making it a perfect EDC.

The winner will be announced Saturday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best-Selling Assisted-Opening Knives at Knife Depot

November 27, 2015 / / 7 Comments

Every few weeks, we like to reflect on the most popular knives here at Knife Depot. This information is fluid, meaning in a few weeks these may not be the same knives topping our best-sellers lists.

However, it does give a good indication as to what kinds of knives people are interested in the most these days. We’ve gone through a number of categories, including best-selling kukris, best-selling Spyderco Knives, and best-selling CRKT Knives, so we decided to take a look at assisted-opening knives.

Here are some of the best-selling assisted openers.

5. Kershaw Blur

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First up on the list is a veteran of the assisted opening world: the Kershaw Blur. The Blur and its cousin the Leek (spoiler alert: it’s next on the list!) really set the standard for assisted-opening knives. Ken Onion was one of the first designers to use an assisted-opening mechanism on his knives (using a device he calls the SpeedSafe mechanism).

The Blur is a hefty knife with a 3.38-inch drop point blade made from Sandvik 14C28N. It has a black aluminum handle and a tungsten DLC coating on the blade.

It makes this list because this includes the various types of Kershaw Blur variations, including the S30V version and the tanto with black-green handle version.

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4. Kershaw Leek

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The Kershaw Blur and Kershaw Leek are always lumped together as two of the most influential modern knives around. What makes these great knives is the fact that they complement each other. Whereas the Blur is dark and stout, the Leek is bright and sleek.

The Leek uses the same patented SpeedSafe technology to make this EDC lightning quick. It has a 3-inch blade made from Sandvik 14C28N with a bead-blasted finish and a pure stainless steel handle. The knife is light and thin, making it an ideal EDC knife.

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Watch ‘The Story of the Knife’, Win a Tactical Assisted Opener from Trademark Knives

July 31, 2013 / / 65 Comments

Every now and again, something so badass comes around that we just have to share it. Enter the “Story of the Knife” from Knife Depot.

We’re so confident that this new Knife Depot video will relate to you that we’re giving away this tactical knife just for watching it. Here’s how you could be the lucky winner.

1. Watch the video above.

2. Write the name of one of the knives you see in the video in the comment section below.

3. Receive a bonus entry by leaving a comment on the YouTube video telling us why you love knives.

You can also click one of the tweet, share on Facebook or share on Reddit icons below for some extra luck.

It’s as simple as that. We’ll announce the winner at the end of the week, so start watching for your chance to win the Assisted Opening Tactical Rescue Pocket Knife from Trademark Knives.

Tactical Folding Knife

15 Worst Knife Pocket Clips

April 9, 2024 / / 31 Comments

pocket-clips

This post was first written in August 2016 and was updated in April 2024.

A pocket clip can make or break a knife.

Even though it’s easy to remove a pocket clip on most models (and there are some good reasons why you should remove it), many people won’t buy a knife with a poorly designed clip.

During our time selling and handling knives, we’ve come across some major disappointments in the pocket clip area. While we don’t think a knife is lost beyond redemption because of a bad clip (replacing a clip is also just as easy as removing it), it can be the low point on a great knife.

So we assembled a list of 10 of the worst pocket clips around. (We opted for knives still or recently in production because it’s too easy to pick on an old model like the Schrade Cliphanger.) All of these are a matter of opinion, so while you may hate some of these, others may love them. That’s just the way these things go.

15. WE Vision R

Sometimes when a knife designer tries to do something different from the norm, it can be hit or miss. The clip on the WE Vision R tries to shake things up to middling success. This is a clip that many people hate and a few people admire.

It essentially takes the classic clip but instead of putting it on the side, it’s on the top of the knife. Most people say it’s just too awkward to put in the pocket and take out.

This clip style isn’t brand new, of course. The late Jon Graham was one of the first pioneers of this type of clip, but those were just a little better.

14. CRKT Eros

Ken Onion is one of the most influential knife makers alive, having set an industry standard for assisted openers and folding knives in general. But he just can’t seem to make an outstanding pocket clip.

crkt-eros

The clip on Onion’s CRKT Eros is not his worst (that’s still to come), but it’s nothing to write home about. CRKT calls it “an extremely unique custom style carry clip” in its product description, but it looks very gangly and thin.

Along with the fact that it’s a one position clip—tip-down, right hand—some have complained it’s susceptible to bending. That’s not surprising considering how narrow it is.

13. Hogue EX-01

Hogue may be better known for its gun grips, but it makes some darn good knives. The Hogue EX-04 was one of our Badass Knives of the Week a while back. Despite its well-made knives, the clips are frequently a subject of derision among knife fans.

EX01

I’ve read several accounts of people saying they won’t buy a Hogue because of the clip. Many Hogue models feature a spoon-style clip that’s fairly large and almost feminine as Dan from Blade Reviews calls it.

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15 Bright Green Knives

March 12, 2024 / / 7 Comments

best green knives

It’s an old tradition to wear something green on St. Patrick’s Day. Some people wear green shoelaces or a green hat, but if you’re the kind of knife nut who’s reading this blog, you’re probably going to carry green knives.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re looking at 15 great knives with green handles.

This article has been updated a few times since its first publication in 2014 to get rid of discontinued models and put some new ones.

Spyderco Pacific Salt 2, Green

We used to have the Dragonfly 2 in ZDP-189 in this spot, but that knife is no longer available. The Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 with modified drop point blade made from LC200N and bright green handle scales is the next best thing.

Kershaw Link, Olive

Olive is kind of a tamped down green color, so we decided to add it to this list. The Kershaw Link is one of the best US-made EDC folders, and Kershaw made it even better by making this version have premium 20CV steel with olive scales.

CobraTec Green Diablo

CobraTec has a number of excellent green knives, including the CobraTec Green Ryker. But the Green Diablo features a brighter green handle that complements the black-finished D2 blade.

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10 Best-Selling Kershaw Knives at Knife Depot

February 19, 2024 / / 5 Comments

best-selling Kershaw Knives

Since 1974, Kershaw Knives has been making some of the best EDC pocket knives on the market. If you don’t believe me, just look at the numerous awards handed out to Kershaw every year at the BLADE Show.

While some companies have ups and downs in their reputation, Kershaw has been going strong for decades with no sign of stopping.

We first wrote this post way back in August 2014 with the best-selling Kershaw Knives from Knife Depot. The list looks (almost) nothing like it does today. For a quick refresher, the top knives were the Leek, Blur, Amphibian, Clash, and Shuffle. As a sign of the times, two of those knives have been discontinued and another has fallen out of the top-sellers.

Best-selling Kershaw Discontinued Amphibian

Discontinued Kershaw Amphibian

To help you see what others are buying, we decided to update this old post with the best-selling Kershaw knives at Knife Depot over the past few years. Quantity sold and gross sales were factored in.

Let us know if any of the knives surprised you.

10. Kershaw Launch 11

We’re going in reverse order to the best-selling Kershaw knife, so coming in at number 10 is the Kershaw Launch 11.

As you’ll notice throughout the list, there are a ton of Launch knives on this list, and the rest are sitting just outside the top 10.

The Launch 11 is a top-notch auto with a smaller 2.75-inch blade and aluminum handle with an open design. It has some nice flourishes like a titanium pivot ring, integrated backspacer, and slim pocket clip.

9. Kershaw Blur

The Kershaw Blur took quite a fall in the past few years in terms of top-selling Kershaw Knives, but this iconic Ken Onion knife is still up there.

The Blur is a robust assisted-opener with curves in all the right places. The blade is 3.4 inches with a modified drop point blade. The handle is aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts that make it comfortable to hold in all types of conditions.

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15 Bold Knives with Blue Handles

January 15, 2024 / / 1 Comment

This post was originally published back in Jan 2016 but was updated in January 2024 to include newer models.

Not fond of all the black-handled knives out there? Well, we’ve got a series of posts for you.

We’re exploring some of the best knives in different handle colors. Knives with orange handles and knives with green handles are already in the bag, so we thought blue-handled knives were in order.

You can find other blue knives by searching at knife-depot.com, but hopefully some of these will inspire your own blue period.

Kershaw Blur

Let’s kick things off with an iconic EDC from Kershaw. The Blur is available in all types of colors and materials.

This version with navy blue scales and black Trac-Tec inserts is quite a looker.

Hogue Ballista I

The Ballista is a real beauty and one of the best EDC automatics to come out in the past five years (it’s not surprise we named it one of the best new knives of 2022).

This version has blue aluminum scales with a drop point blade, but the Hogue Ballista I available in a few different iterations

Spyderco Resilience

Spyderco went through and upgraded some of the knives on its Value Series of folders named after admirable traits. The Resilience is one of our favorites because it’s much longer with a 4.2-inch blade. It uses S35VN steel and a dark blue FRN handle.

Cold Steel Tuff Lite

Cold Steel is best known for its huge folders, but the Tuff Lite may very well be the best EDC Cold Steel has to offer. This small Wharncliffe-bladed folder uses Demko’s Tri-Ad locking mechanism. This version has an eye-catching blue handle.

KA-BAR Dozier Folding Hunter

The Dozier Folding Hunter has been a mainstay of KA-BAR, so it’s no surprise this folding hunting knife continues to receive praise and varied colors.

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13 Best Automatic Knives in 2024

January 2, 2024 / / 7 Comments

Despite its legal gray areas, the automatic knife (sometimes called a switchblade) is one of the best types of knives on the market.

For those who don’t know, an automatic knife is a knife that can be opened with the push of a button or switch. For a more in depth look at the difference between a switchblade and an assisted-opening knife, check out this article.

We’ve been going through and carefully picking some of the best knives of each brand and category. So, it only made sense to do autos.

One caveat here: We are not including OTF knives in this list. While most out-the-front knives are technically automatics, they’re almost their own thing. We’ll have a separate list for the best OTFs coming soon.

Check out which autos made the list below.

1. Buck 110 Auto

The Buck 110 Folding Hunter is one of the most iconic folding knives ever made. Its only major downside is its inability to open quickly with one hand.

That’s what makes the automatic version of the Buck 110 so good.

With just the push of a button, the classic 3.75-inch clip-point blade bursts to life instantly. This version uses the same 420HC stainless steel that the 110 is known for and also keeps the lockback mechanism. For strength and dependability, you can’t go wrong with a lockback.

The handle is Crelicam genuine ebony with brass bolsters and pins.

Even after all these years, the Buck 110 remains an excellent choice for a knife and this auto version just makes it even better. You can opt for the premium Buck 110 Auto Elite if you prefer S30V steel and a G-10 handle. There’s even the Buck 112 Auto if you need a smaller knife.

2. Kershaw Launch 6

With the new Kershaw Launch 15 coming out in 2023, this list could easily have contained 10 different Launch knives because they are all simply excellent.

But we kind of arbitrarily picked the Kershaw Launch 6 for this spot. The Launch 6 is a full-sized auto with a 3.375-inch drop-point blade and an aluminum handle.

It has a cohesive all-black look that’s downright sexy.

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