PRETTY FLICKIN' QUICK

Four new assisted openers make for some cool deploy toys

Assisted-opening knives, aka assisted openers or spring-assist knives, boast quick one-hand opening and a "fiddle factor" as well. They represent a hybrid genre between manual folders and full-blown automatics. They cover both the higher and lower ends of the knife market, so there's one for everyone including you.

Boker Plus offers the Kihon designed in conjunction with custom knifemaker Lucas Burnley. Lucas is a hot tactical maker whose Japanese-inspired designs have garnered him worldwide acclaim.

The Kihon's modified clip-point blade is a little over 3 inches and D2 tool steel, long known for toughness and impact resistance. The blade is flat ground for exceptional cutting through a variety of media. A machined recess on the spine serves as a thumb rest to apply pressure and more control. Ambidextrous thumb studs double as the blade's positive stop when open. A flipper tab offers quick, easy one-hand opening. Caged bearings in the pivot ensure smooth blade rotation.

The handle is a hybrid construction of a stainless steel frame lock side mated with a textured OD green G-10 scale for weight reduction and grip enhancement. Gold-colored collars provide a classy visual touch to the pivot and handle screws. A large standoff is also anodized gold to match the other accents. The lock side features a lock bar stabilizer disc to prevent blade overtravel. A neat wire pocket clip carries the closed knife blade tip up. The blade and steel lock side have a black stonewash finish for low glare and added corrosion resistance. However, the clip is not reversible for lefties. Milled-out oblong cavities in the handle's lock side reduce weight.