Looking for opinions on OTF Knives

Thumper - November 26, 2021

AdviceGear

Howdy all. I’ve been reading posts on here for awhile, but this is my first post.

What are y’all’s opinions on OTF (Out-The-Front) knives? I’m thinking about purchasing one but wanted to get some possible input from people who know more about OTF knives.

Thanks in advance!

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I have no experience with OTF knives but do carry a Gerber Covert Auto with me all the time.  It is used multiple times daily and is a great knife.

 

That knife looks like it’s had a good life! How long have you been using it if you don’t mind me asking?

 

I’d say 7 or 8 years and it works as well today as the day I bought it.  I use it on the farm as well as at work.  I use the back side of the blade to remove the lids from metal cans, such as those used for fire ants.  It is the perfect size for me.  They have a non auto version of the knife for those that live in states that don’t allow auto knives.

The two designers, their signatures listed on the blade, designed this knife as a tactical fighter.  I hope I never need to use it as such but I will say when I’m in a situation where a feel a bit uneasy, my hand goes into my pocket where I have the knife in my grasp… with my thumb on the blade release.

 

That’s another draw to the OTF knife for me. If I get in a bad spot/feel uneasy I can put it in my jacket pocket where I can have it ready to deploy as needed.

 

I’ve never been a fan of OTF knives. Purely just my aesthetic preference however. What is your draw to that style of knife over a traditional folder?

One drawback I can see is people being scared with the deployment mechanism and consider it “tactical and dangerous” or an illegal switchblade. Definitely looks scarier to me than a folder and could draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

There was a good forum post a while back about gray man mentality and keeping a low key. I didn’t comment on it because all was said that I had to say by the time I saw it, but it’s a good post. https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/grey-man-vs-hard-target/

 

I don’t know if I have a legit answer to that. I think the thing that draws me to it is the mechanism. 

I’m not overly worried about drawing attention. I live on a farm so the idea is I’ll get the knife to test as a work knife.

I love the Gray Man thread. It’s super helpful now that I’ve moved back closer to civilization lol.

 

Living on a farm, that knife will get used & beat up.  It will get wet & dirty too.  I’m curious if the OTF mechanism would handle dirt & grime better than a folder?  I’m thinking that the design of an OTF might not allow removal of grime as well as that of a folder… but I certainly don’t know.

 

I say farm. Mini farm is more accurate. We only have some goats and ducks currently but have plans to get mini-horses and cows soon. I would mainly be using the knife for opening boxes, opening feed bags, and stuff like that.

You’re probably right on the fact that it could be harder to remove grime.

 

A knife is a knife is a knife.  Th decent ones, of which there are many, have decent cutting edges. Some fold and some don’t.  I would not worry about the details of how they unfold…..

I would think a multitool would be a perfect item for your use and many others.  my fav is a Skeletool – various models with knife,  pliers, and screwdrivers in a handy, compact unit…..

 

Well thank you for the shout out and kind words Bradical.

 

Hi Thumper, thanks for posting!

I don’t have any experience with OTF knives (only foldable, non-automatic knives) so can’t really give first-hand advice.

Thinking out loud, I’d guess it depends on what its intended use is and if you intend to make it your sole all-purpose knife? You mention both using it possibly on a farm as well as using it for personal defense. I would assume that a potential point of failure would be the mechanisms that release the blade as well as the fact that the blade is not fixed, so, in a vacuum, it wouldn’t be my first choice for daily, heavy-duty chores (in a vacuum…obviously Redneck proves me wrong). On the other hand, they can be quickly deployed so they can have an advantage during a self-defense situation.

As for the Gray Man thing, I used to carry foldable knives only, but I now switched to a fixed blade knife. I still carry that in my purse or under my clothes when going out to town (and personally never hide it if I hike or camp) so I don’t feel that a fixed blade knife is inhibiting my ability to blend. Just my two cents!

p.s. I slightly modified the title to make it super clear to whoever is just scrolling through the forum that you are asking for advice. Hope that’s ok 🙂

 

I also carry a fixed blade for more heavy duty farm chores. What fixed blade do you carry if you don’t mind me asking?

 

Thank you for editing the title! It is much more clear now!

 

I have a Fallkniven F1, which is the perfect size for my hands. FWIW I don’t live on a farm so I really just use it as EDC or hiking/camping.

What about you? What’s your fixed blade?

 

It depends on weather. Right now I’m rocking a Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement for defense, and a cheap but surprisingly good knife I found at Walmart. I need to find a sheath maker near me to make me a kydex sheath for my favorite knife, which is superbly better than this Walmart knife.

 

Oh yes, the knives like the Ka-Bar are neat. Same for a karambit. They are a bit too advanced for me though: I don’t have any close-quarter combat training, and/or I’ll probably slice myself open before doing any harm to somebody else lol They look really sweet though…

 

The hope is that I’ll never have to use it for defense, but it is there if needed. The hope for the OTF is I can put it in my jacket pocket if I’m out and about in town, which would be easier to access than my Ka-Bar under multiple layers.

 

Definitely an advantage – you definitely wouldn’t fit a Fallkniven in a pocket.

 

Completely my personal opinion, so take with a grain of salt. OTF knives are a bit of a gimmick. If you want a knife for general use, an OTF knife is terrible for this. Most OTF knives like the microtechs do not have an ideal blade shape or handle design for performing general knife work, they are pretty much exclusively designed for defensive use. The problem is knives in general suck for defensive use, and OTF blade knives really suck for defensive use. Most OTF knives are designed for stabbing, which is 1. Not really a defensive technique (kinda, but also not really) and 2. Not a very natural technique that your raw motor skills are going to fall back on in a life or death situation. If you really want to carry a knife for self defense I would look at a knife that has a much more natural feel and that is less likely to go sliding around in your hand. Something like this Karambit from fox knives 

Fox Karambit

Or like this WPS Knife

WPS Knife

Or even something like a fixed blade push knife. You want something that is easy to retain in your hand (thus the rings on the karambit and WPS knife) and that involves a natural technique to effectively use. If you can throw a punch and swing a hammer, then you can use any of the above knives fairly effectively. Would still definitely say to avoid using a knife for defense if at all possible. What’s the first rule of a knife fight? You’re gonna get cut

 

Thank you for your input! You make good points.

 

As per my experience, OTF knives are really very good for everyday cutting tasks, self-defense, and are an excellent accessory to carry for that weekend hunting or fishing trip