Since I have about 10 switch blades right now, I can tell you they tend to be weak, compared to other kinds of knives that fold. Most of mine would be asssosiated with police and or emt work and still I find them weaker than most other folders.
I am not saying you can't buy a quailty switch blade, but that it is harder to do. If you can locate a 'Springer' this brand is long gone, but many are still around, and that might be a better choice in brands.
Kershaw makes good quality and strong assisted openers, in both straight edge and serrated edge styles. These have that button which is pushed out on the blade which gets in the way of certain chores, and the owner needs to get the feel for opening this type.
I lost mine a long time ago, but I still remember nearly getting cut before I became accustomed to the way it opened.
I do not own any of the German made or Italian made 'stilleto' type which are very fancy looking, but other wise are useless in my opinion. The stainless steel blades on these are useless for most any real world chore, other than attack, which I assume your friend isn't particularly interested in.
IMO as i said the switch blade is a type of knife made for light duty chores.
Weaker to me means they tend to wear loose quickly, and are apt to clog with pocket lint. Most won't take a useful edge and hold it very long.
With that said, there are some rather expensive switchblades that will meet all the criteria of a good knife, other than being expensive. To me being a common sort of man, expensive then becomes more a term in jewelery, and having a unique flashy item, such as jewelry is.
I can't speak to Texas Law, at all, since I never lived in Texas.
There are other things to discuss about switch blades like the different methods of springs which cause them to open.
Most use a lever like spring made of a single curved bar of steel, which start them to open. This are a weak part IMO. These can break, and pocket lint effects this type more. Once the blade is started out, nothing else insures it will open, and any other contact the blade makes with anything will stop the blade from opening the rest of the way. At this point the knife becomes a gravitey knife and at this point a man can normally flick the knife and the blade will finish opening and lock. Of the thpe like this I own I leave them stored in a jewelry box opened, to reduce stress on the spring.
The other main type of spring is a wound coil in the shape of a snail, and will open the blade to the locked possition, even if the blade makes a contact lightly with some other object.
Both types tend to suffer opening in a pants pocket, which will make life interesting.
There is another type that pops straight out and will pop right back in, and to me these are worthless, unless you are making a 007 flick. Totally loose all the time.
To me these are good for opening mail and stirring tobbacco in a pipe and that's about it.
I am hoping to be informitive over being argumentitive.. I know if it were me reduced to one hand I would want a fixed blade of some sort. And if being discreet mattered then I would go with a smaller but sharp neck knife probably.
Most certainly being one handed has it's challenges.
In these topics I always go back to the movie where Mick Dundee says "That ain't a 'Ni' fe' This is a 'Ni fe'!
I remain curious to know which switch blade this is?
One of my co-workers lost his left hand long ago to a Mexican meat grinder, so he qualifies. I'll be presenting him with his first legal switchblade tomorrow at 5:00pm.
