A selection of various types of traditional switchblades. Although lots of fun, most are — and always have been — more fl ash than function.
but did little to change my opinion of their real-world usefulness.
The Modern Era In 1987, a custom knifemaker in
Florida named Ron Miller produced a revolutionary aluminum-handled, coil-spring automatic knife with a button-lock mechanism. Ultimately known as “the black knife,” it laid the groundwork for the modern era of automatic knives. The black knife not only set a new standard in design and engineering, but its execution proved it was possible to make a precision, high-quality automatic knife that locked up solid and provided all the performance of a conventional folder. As it often happens in the knife
world, what happens in the custom arena drives trends on the production side. Such was the case with the black knife, which ultimately inspired the entire current generation of factory automatics. In some cases, most nota- bly Benchmade, Inc., the introduction of auto knives literally represented a
turning point in the company’s histo- ry and commercial success. In other cases, the redefi ning of the modern auto knife and the explosion of af- fordable CNC machinery planted the seeds of small-scale, mid-tech com- panies that focused very heavily on automatic knives. Among these were Microtech, Pro-Tech and Paragon. Modern automatic knives are of
marvels precision machining
and high-tech materials that rival the workmanship of the fi nest fi re- arms. Boasting the latest, greatest cutlery steels, aerospace-quality handle materials, and sophisticated coatings, they are a far cry from the typical switchblades of the early and mid 20th century. Compared to the classic Italian switchblade (which, I later learned, was typically not heat treated to actually take and hold an edge) modern autos are infi - nitely more capable as cutting tools. Compared to the classic US-made switchblades of the early 20th cen- tury and legendary German brands
like Hubertus, today’s autos still represent a quantum leap in engi- neering and quality execution.
The Burning Question With all that said, one question
remains to be answered: Are autos — even today’s state-of-the-art autos — any better than conventional fold- ing knives? To answer this, let’s fi rst address
the issue of cutting performance. Since modern autos feature the same blade steels, heat treating, and edge geometry as today’s best conven- tional folding knives, when properly designed they cut just as well. When it comes to overall strength,
modern autos are far better than clas- sic switchblade designs and, in many cases, rival the lock strength and struc- tural strength of ordinary manual- opening folders. Although a few clas- sic switchblades featured robust lock mechanisms, most didn’t. In some cas- es, the rocker-style button or lever that “fi red” the blade simply indexed into a
When it comes to deployment speed, the Emerson “Wave” Opener, which automatically opens as the knife clears the pocket, was fastest. It was followed, in order, by a manual folder with a Spyderco round hole, a manual folder with a thumb stud, a button- only auto and an auto with a secondary safety.
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
The Axis auto mechanism offers the advantage of ambidextrous operation — a unique feature in an auto — but its secondary safety is dif- fi cult to operate under stress.
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