Assisted Opening Knives

Many of tactical knives incorporate the Assisted Opener system to give you fast, one-handed opening when you need it most. Contrary to the button switch, the auxiliary opener only helps the user to complete the operation of opening the blade. So how do they work?

When the cutter is closed, the torsion spring holds the blade in place. When the user starts to open the knife, a mechanism such as a torsion spring moves along the track in the bushing and quickly opens the blade.

Spring-assisted surgery is sometimes confused with switchblade knives. The difference is that the auxiliary opening knife must be opened at about a quarter angle (45 degrees) before the opening mechanism is engaged. Also, the user must use the blade in some way to open the blade, not through a button. This is legally important because the blade cannot be opened simply by pressing a button or gravity. Auxiliary opening knives are not generally considered switch blades, so restrictions on switch knives may not apply