The knife action is the way that the knife opens, whether it is manually or assisted. I also want to add that certain companies have their own special opening mechanism. For example, Benchmade has the Axis Lock and CRKT has the Carson Flipper and Fulcrum. I do not have categories for these alone because I classify them under the appropriate category.
Fixed blade knives: The most ancient and simple kind of knife is the fixed blade knife. These are knives that do not fold with a tang that extends at least partway into the handle.
Folding knives: This is a category of knives that fold into the handle along a curved line.
Traditional unassisted folding knife: These knives are in my opinion, boring. They simply open manually, and close manually. They may have a lock, or not. I classify multitools under this category.
Knives with a flipper: Knives with a flipper are quite fun. Flippers are little nubs attached to the lower spine of the blade that jut out from the back of the handle. When manual force is applied in a downward motion onto the flipper, friction will allow it to break from a little catch and flip out. Often you will need to flick your wrist with the flipper to get a greater amount of force to open the knife. These knives must be closed manually.
Assisted folding knives: First of all, let me make myself very clear when I say that these knives are in no way classified as switchblades. The difference is that once again, manual force must be exerted to use thumb studs or a flipper to open. Yes, assisted knives can have a flipper because if you gently apply pressure to the flipper, after a certain point, the blade will move open on its own. Assisted knives have a spring so they are different from flippers. I also want to add that they still open and close along a curved line.
Switchblades: Please note that switchblades are illegal in the United States. Switchblade action is activated by a button on the handle. Think of a toy collapse-able knife, when you press the blade back (if you are pretending to stab someone while playing) then release it, the blade springs out from the handle linearly. The same is true with switchblades except, you must press a button on the handle. a knife "that contains a spring, detent or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist, or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife." Translated, that means that any knife with a mechanism designed to keep the blade closed and that requires manual force to open the knife, IS LEGAL.
Butterfly knives: Made originally in the Philippines, these butterfly knives, or Balisongs open and close with the two parts of the handle swinging counter to each other around the blade. These are illegal in California as far as I know.
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