SWITCH TO ONE OF THESE BENCHMADE AUTOS

THE PRESIDIO II AND CLAYMORE ARE CONVENIENT, FAST AND FLICKING FUN!

- Sean Curtis

There’s really nothing like a quality folding knife, especially one you can deploy quickly. Over the decades, a particular model fitting this motif of folding knife, called the “switchblade,” has developed a colorful history. To some of us, this conjures up images of ducktail hairdos, stiletto knives and sock hops.

In fact, some federal legislation was anchored in 1958 to try and curtail the growing “menace” of the quick-opening pocketknife. More recently, the term, “auto,” has been used to describe a folding knife that can be rapidly opened by some mechanism, such as a push-button.

Perhaps more notably, laws regarding these knives have been relaxing in the last several years. Benchmade, which has crafted quality cutlery options over the last three decades, is leading the way with some outstanding options, such as the Auto Presidio II and the Claymore.

I’ve used Benchmade knives personally and professionally for a number of years. Because of my varied, outdoor-based forms of recreation and a number of tours in law enforcement, wildland fire, EMS, search-and-rescue and emergency management, I’ve found that this brand offers high-quality products that are dependable.

While adding more moving parts or functionality to a simple folding knife presents opportunities for failure, Benchmade hits the mark in a couple of unique platforms that offer absolute performance for the price.

Auto Presidio II