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Spring Assisted Knives
Spring-assisted (or assisted-opening) knives dodge most switchblade legislation, but keep most of the "wow" factor. Spring into action with the awesome knives below!
Spring-assisted (or assisted-opening) knives dodge most switchblade legislation, but keep most of the "wow" factor. Spring into action with the awesome knives below!
A spring-assisted knife is a pocket knife that uses a spring or torsion bar to finish opening the blade after you start it manually.
You begin opening the knife with a flipper tab or thumb stud, and the assisted mechanism takes over to complete deployment.
Also called assisted-opening knives, these pocket knives offer convenient one-handed access for everyday cutting tasks while avoiding many switchblade restrictions.
An assisted-opening knife requires you to start moving the blade manually before the spring takes over. An automatic knife releases its blade from the closed position when you activate a button, switch, or other release.
No. Assisted opening helps deploy the blade; it does not automatically close it. To close the knife, disengage its lock and fold the blade into the handle according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Generally, no. Federal law exempts qualifying assisted-opening knives from certain switchblade restrictions when a mechanism biases the blade closed and requires manual force to overcome that resistance. But state and local definitions can differ, so the “spring assisted” label alone does not establish legality.
Yes, in most places in the USA. But legality depends on your location, the knife’s features, and how you carry it. Since spring-assisted knives are not typically considered switchblades, they avoid many restrictive laws, making them a popular alternative to automatic knives.