Questions on Comparing Auto Knifes

[CJDore]

I was recently at the NRA comvention and saw Protech, SOG, and Kershaw knifes that i liked. The Protech appears to be the most expensive of the 3. What are major differences between these 3? Kershaw has a very nice new knife and SOG has a safety if I remember correctly and are made in USA.

[enfield]

Always compare things based on price and buy the most expensive.  You can't go wrong.  Millions of Ipad/Iphone users agree.  :D

[gjohnsoniv]

Nothing wrong with the Safety on the Sog, but I've never been a fan of them. On my previous ones they always seem to get turned to safe in my pocket. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those though, they're all going to be nice.

[tnhawk]

I was recently at the NRA comvention and saw Protech, SOG, and Kershaw knifes that i liked. The Protech appears to be the most expensive of the 3. What are major differences between these 3? Kershaw has a very nice new knife and SOG has a safety if I remember correctly and are made in USA.

I haven't owned a SOG or Kershaw knife but I have several Protech knives. Before the auto knives became legal in TN I carried a Gerber or Benchmade knife. All of the brands I've owned had good quality and materials, however the Protechs have been excellent. I have one auto from Microtech but it's difficult to operate.

[Hershmeister]

Willis68 has made me into a protech snob

[nightrunner]

I only have a ProTech. It has a safety but it is right below the button and I have been practicing when I take it out of my pocket, my thumb slides the safety down then hit the button to open. It's very smooth and fluid that way. Edited April 19, 2015 by nightrunner

[musicman]

I have multiple examples from all the brands mentioned. My first nicer knife was a SOG Tanto Aegis, and I loved it at first. It has gotten loose over time, as well as the fact that I have snapped off the tip of the blade since. (My fault, as much as the knife's.) I called SOG and they will replace the blade for $25. Not bad, but I haven't bothered to send it in.

I've had Kershaws from $10-65 and have liked most of them very much. The cheapies are... cheap. Pretty much all the USA made knives have been satisfactory, and generally feel better in the hand than the SOG, imho.

Now the Protechs. Yes, spendy. And yes, AWESOME. Better steel, tighter fit, excellent ergonomics for the 3 styles I've had so far. I will definitely be purchasing more in the future.

I feel the Kershaw USA knives are a great value and not necessarily lacking in any way. I will probably get more in the future. The SOGs, however... I just don't know if I'll buy any more of their folders. I like some of their fixed blade stuff and may get more of those eventually.

One brand I handled, but haven't purchased yet is CRKT. I handled some of theirs at NRAAM and really like their blade serrations, but two of the models I checked out had a liner lock that was almost impossible to manipulate. That was kind of a downer.

I guess I should clarify, I go back and forth between auto and assisted open blades, but will probably be all auto, all the time eventually.

[Troutburger]

Check out piranha knives

[CJDore]

I only have a ProTech. It has a safety but it is right below the button and I have been practicing when I take it out of my pocket, my thumb slides the safety down then hit the button to open. It's very smooth and fluid that way.

I have never seen a Protech with a safety...can you provide pictures?

[willis68]

I have never seen a Protech with a safety...can you provide pictures?

 

 

Pro Tech makes at least 3 models with safeties, the TR4, the Dark Angel and one of their Emerson models that I know of

[Ted S.]

Kershaws are good value for the money, SOGs are a little nicer, and Protech are equal to Benchmades. All my opinions based on my experience.

 

The biggest difference for me between something like a Kershaw or SOG vs higher end switchblades like Benchmade or Protech is that with the higher end knives I don't feel the need to use the safety if there is one. Cut myself a time or two with a Kershaw that either didn't have a safety or had the safety off, knives deployed in my pocket when I was reaching for something. Although it was really rare when this did happen (months of carry with no previous issues), it did happen. With my Protech (has no safety, had it since July 2014) and my Benchmade (have NEVER used the safety since I've had it, well over a year, this knife is my normal EDC when I don't want to carry that huge Protech), I just don't worry about using the safety. Never set either of them off reaching for something in my pocket.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Ted S.

[tnhawk]

Pro Tech makes at least 3 models with safeties, the TR4, the Dark Angel and one of their Emerson models that I know of

The safety on the OTF Dark Angel must be moved forward to deploy the blade.  The safety on the TR4 must be moved to the rear to deploy the blade. 

[Bocephus]

My first and only automatic so far is the H&K Entourage produced by Benchmade. I think I paid $108 put the door at Blade HQ. Good starter knife for the price and it's a Benchmade.

[mikegideon]

I have five Protech autos. REAL hard to beat them.

[Randall53]

I'm hard on a knife and I lose them sometimes. For those reasons I usually stick with under $50 Gerbers like the
EZ-OUT etc.....I 'd like to have an Auto or better yet a horizontal belt fixed blade. Those are hard to find for under my $50 limit. *sigh*

[mikegideon]

I'm hard on a knife and I lose them sometimes. For those reasons I usually stick with under $50 Gerbers like the
EZ-OUT etc.....I 'd like to have an Auto or better yet a horizontal belt fixed blade. Those are hard to find for under my $50 limit. *sigh*

 

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Kalashnikov-74--103

[Randall53]

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Kalashnikov-74--103

Whoa.....Now I like that! Much nicer than the EZ-OUT I'm carrying now. Thanks mikegideon, I think I'll order one of those tomorrow. The tip of my Gerber looks like a fine flatblade screwdriver from a recent drop on the patio. LOL

[mikegideon]

Whoa.....Now I like that! Much nicer than the EZ-OUT I'm carrying now. Thanks mikegideon, I think I'll order one of those tomorrow. The tip of my Gerber looks like a fine flatblade screwdriver from a recent drop on the patio. LOL

 

Blade HQ does the conversions, so I think you gotta buy from them. They have different colors and blade styles. I had one, and gifted it to my girlfriend's son. Pretty good knife for the money.

 

Here's the assortment...

 

http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Boker-Kalashnikov--249

Edited May 3, 2015 by mikegideon

[hipower]

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Kalashnikov-74--103

 

I've had 2 of these for a couple of years. They have been really good light duty/envelope/box openers. My Tanto version of it self-destructed in about a week. And Boker refused to honor the warranty on it at the time. Something about the auto versions not being done "in house" so they weren't a true Boker product.