Is the term "switchblade" derrogatory?

[xlr8]

I've never considered pulling a flashy noticable knife out on site anywhere.

The letto is perfect for removing weatherproofing material from just about any kind of cable. I amazed a co-worker by doing in 5 minutes what it took him at least 20 to do with the ol' utility knife/scissor combo that most guys use. He's one of the guys I gave one of my kit lettos to.

[Markco the Mad otter]

Good analogy xlr8, and as I have stated here before I have a Pampered Chef grilling tool, a.k.a. "burger flipper" that is much more of a weapon than any of my switchblades. But to many individuals, switchblades are weapons and burger flippers are grilling tools so I guess it is just a stigma that will be around for some time.

Jim

that and a shovel...horrid drive by weapons!!! probably worst than even the SWITCHBLADE that Gov. Arnie used on budget cutting!! WOW

and I see some one is also dangerously close to following in the steps of a certain comedian and calling this a "stupid" country!

[Bobby Cadillac]

Ya know, I have a feeling that switchblades (autos) would lose at least 80% of their mystique if it was not for the laws governing them. The over welming majority are tactical (bad boy knives) or copies of 50s street gang knives, all inspired the laws that we criticize today. just an observation...

Bobby Cadillac

[JerrBear]

The over welming majority are tactical (bad boy knives) or copies of 50s street gang knives

Mr. Bobby Caddy,

I agree with your observations about "mystique" and the law...

However, I'm not exactly sure what a "50's street gang" knife is, but I think the overwhelming majority of switchblades are Italian stilettos...

(My ownself mos' humble and totally worthless opinion...).

[natcherly]

The over welming majority are tactical (bad boy knives) or copies of 50s street gang knives

Mr. Bobby Caddy,

I agree with your observations about "mystique" and the law...

However, I'm not exactly sure what a "50's street gang" knife is,

Ask these guys:

When you're a Jet,
You're a Jet all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day

but I think the overwhelming majority of switchblades are Italian stilettos...

(My ownself mos' humble and totally worthless opinion...).

I understand the stuff from the Far East greatly outnumbers Italian products. Italian knife makers have a hard time competing even in Europe due to the low prices of those pieces.

[X-Punk]

For some reason I refer to my OTF's as "automatics" and everything else as a "switchblade".

[Viking45]

Oh man I almost cried reading that bit in xlr8's reply. The part where he said "no more of a weapon than the hammer in my bag"
I hope you said that with an evil look in your eye.

This is a great topic because I have given this some thought.
I have (jokingly) pulled out my giant Harsey tactical folder and cut a piece of electrical tape in front of about six guys.
Then I pulled out the "Ever Menacing" Hubie Cigar and one guy says: "Man,that's a SWITCHBLADE,you could kill someone with that thing"
I just look at the guy and lay the tiny Cigar down next to the Harsey,the little Hubie was barely as long as the blade of the big knife....but yet the Hubie is a much more deadly weapon because the credit-card-thin blade snaps out at the speed of light with all of it's razor-sharp switchblade killing power.

I have always collected knives but when I got the internet back in 2001 I just went nuts buying Italians and then knives like Al Mar's SERE auto and a few MOD's and MT's.
This is where I started hearing the term "auto" and I began referring to switchblades as autos.
I kinda thought it sounded more like I was this educated professional knife collector guy and people would think hmmm,this man must really know his business.
I felt the term "switchblade" was what some loser(like myself) would call an automatic knife.
Then I went through the phase of thinking- Well now it just looks like I am trying too hard to be this Knife-Collector-Professor.
So I have gone back and forth on this subject. I call an Italian a switchblade and a Microtech an auto. Somehow calling the ole Black Beauty an "auto" is almost blasphemous.

If a guy jumps out of the shadows with a switchblade(Italian) or a Buck 110,I would be more concerned with the Buck. But to the average person hearing that fear-inducing,mind-knumbing snap and seeing the gleam of light flashing off that low-grade stainless steel of switchblade deadliness sends him reaching just past his Victorinox nail file and to his wallet so fast his head spins.

Someone used the word "flickknife",I kinda like that.

[Jeff]

I'm used to old German lever locks being referred to as flick knives.

[Cryptomecanic]

have you ever heard anyone refer to an OTF as an "Angel Blade" ?

[Viking45]

I wonder if I went on a rampage with a shovel, would the word "shovel" ever be demonized? I could do much more damage with a shovel than with any puny little "switchblade" and it would be my defensive weapon of choice when working in or around Atlanta. I base this on legality, availability, simplicity and the severe damage that can be inflicted with said "weapon".

That's funny,I was working in my girlfriends flower garden about two months ago and two very nasty pitbulls came between my house and the nieghbors and the larger male was pretty aggressive,they were on both sides of me and even though I had my Cold Steel Pocket Bushman on me all I could think about was the "sharpshooter" style shovel I had in my hand.
I love animals but I was about two seconds away from splitting Rover's skull with that shovel.


About four days later I was almost in the exact same place between the houses when the same two dogs were digging in my nieghbors compost pile.
I grabbed a piece of broken concrete about the size of a beer can and when the large male came at me again I bounced that chunk off his square head right above his left eye,needless to say he didn't want seconds.
I cringe to this day thinking about the sound it made. My point is with all this,a shovel is a damn good weapon but a good ole rock works pretty good too.

[xlr8]

A buddy of mine was robbed at a cell site in Tennessee last year. The perp got the better of my friend via steel pipe. He was able to crawl under the truck, come around front and while the guy was leaning into the truck looking through stuff, my buddy showed him what an F-250 door can do to a knee!

So I guess we can add shovel, rock, car door and steel pipe to the list of offensive weapons. I so hate that there is a stigma associated with the word "switchblade" at all.

[Markco the Mad otter]

Great!!
Now the storm troopers will be here at my door taking my shoves, rocks, pipes and car doors!!
...but at least my knives will be safe!!

[tr4252]

A (liberal) lady friend has been urging me to start making kitchen knives, instead of "the deadly switchblade". I have not replied.

Tom

[Viking45]

Great!!
Now the storm troopers will be here at my door taking my shoves, rocks, pipes and car doors!!
...but at least my knives will be safe!!

Yes but are they "autos" or "switchblades"?

I have really enjoyed this topic,as simple as it is,it has stirred some good conversation up.
We are all knife collectors yet we all have such different views on what to call a "self opening cutting tool"
I actually use both terms equally but it usually depends on who I might be talking to at the time.
I have a tendency to call my Italians a switchblade,my Hubies a lever and high-tech stuff like MT,MOD's,Al Mar etc an auto.
It just sounds right to me.

[javacupper]

The Gangland series on the History channel indicated that some of the street gangs are using sharpened screwdrivers as their stabbing weapons of choice because they're cheap, strong and disposable. I guess we'll have to empty the toolboxes and use adhesives instead because we obviously can't have hammers or nailguns either.