Microtech Automatic Knives

As a guy who uses his EDC (Benchmade Ascent, not an auto) on a small boat daily... There's times when a one handed, open it right now, blade isn't just a conversation piece - it might be the difference between surviving or not...

In my case all I'm concerned with is being caught by a line/rope while tossing a castnet or setting/retrieving an anchor. If you get caught, you've only moments between the line coming tight and getting dragged out of the boat. Every year or two someone is killed that way (and I'm not even talking about commercial guys up north in extreme cold water places. I've taught myself how to open and close all of my folding blades with one hand, in any situation. Most never learn that skill and that's where an auto knife is very handy. That's particularly true if the one handed operation needs to be done with your weak hand (and that's where I'm still vulnerable....).

By the way, as first rate as the Microtech blades are, my first choice if I needed an auto for combat purposes would be a Benchmade AFO, or something similar that's a bit more sturdy construction. I think they're actually an issue item for some of our elite units overseas..

I find the double action Microtech autos take more effort/strength to open "one-handed" than a comparable flipper, assisted-opening knife, or Spyderco hole.

That being said, they are pretty fun. I just wouldn't carry one in the field due to the mechanical complexity and relative lack of strength of the mechanism. It's fairly easy to make one not fully open.

For me, the biggest utility in Microtechs is the abilty to not only open them one-handed, but close them and put them away one-handed as well. It frees up the other hand for other tasks, and it can be very important depending on the type of cutting job you are dealing with., If you are holding something of considerable size and/or weight, or using your other hand to support yourself in an akward position, then being able to open the knife, cut, close the knife and stow it quickly is really a Godsend. This is one of the most often overlooked advantages, and most people won't understand until they've tackled such cutting chores.

I have found that the UTX85 & Daytona (same size) are the best for real deal carry. They are not too small, not too large, and they are relatively easy to fire comared to some other models.

i love mine, i use it as a utility blade. i'm a mechanic by trade and i can open it easily, with either hand, even while wearing gloves.