Top 10 Best Assisted Opening Knives
for December 2023

The Kershaw Chive Pocket Knife is the best pocket knife we've ever tested. It's small and lightweight enough to carry around all day without feeling bulky, yet it's sturdy enough to use for everyday tasks. The knife's 1.9-inch blade is made of 420HC steel, which—like most knives in this price range—is not 100 percent carbon steel, but is a compromise between steel alloys. Since 420HC steel is harder and more durable than, for example, 1095 steel, it achieves the best of both worlds: it sharpens easily, stays sharp for much longer, is more durable than 1095 steel, and is less likely to rust. The blade is also finished with a bead-blasted matte surface, which gives it a subdued, textured look. The handle is made of 410 stainless steel, which is strong, wear-resistant, and corrosion resistant. It's small and lightweight, yet sturdy enough to use for everyday tasks. The knife's 420HC blade is sharp, and we found that it performed admirably in everyday cutting tasks, such as opening packages, slicing fruit, and stripping cable insulation. The knife is also versatile, with a built-in bottle opener and a serrated edge for cutting bread. The knife is lightweight and small enough to comfortably fit in most pockets, purses, and backpacks. The knife's SpeedSafe assisted opening feature makes it quick and easy to open. The knife comes with a tip-lifter, a flipper, and a FrameLock safety system, which allows users to lock the blade in the closed position. The knife comes with a handy pocketclip, and the handle is predrilled with a lanyard hole.

The Leek is a great knife for everyday carry, whether you're camping, going on a hike, or just need a knife that's easy to carry and use. It's small and slim enough to fit in a pocket, and it's also small enough to fit in a backpack, so it's easy to carry and use without worrying about losing it. The blade is sharp enough to easily cut through rope or tape, and it's also thin enough so that it cuts without much effort. The blade also locks into place, so the blade won't close accidentally when you're carrying it. The blade locks and unlocks easily with the push of a button, and the lock is made with a pin and a spring, so it has a strong, secure locking mechanism. The knife has a reversible pocketclip, so you can easily clip the knife to a pocket, backpack, or belt. The lock is also reversible, so you can easily flip it to either lock the blade open or close it. The Kershaw Leek is durable, and the blade stays sharp for a long time. It also has a SpeedSafe assisted opening mechanism, which makes it easy to open the knife without risking injury. The blade locks into place when it's closed, so the knife won't accidentally close on your fingers or the handle. The Leek also comes with a belt loop and lanyard hole, so you can easily attach it to a belt or strap it onto a lanyard.

This knife is small enough to make EDC a breeze, but it's big in features. The 2. 9-inch blade is big enough to handle most everyday tasks, but it's sharp enough to cut nails, rope, and fabrics. The blade is coated on both sides in stonewash finish, which keeps the blade from scratching or dinging against surfaces, and the blade's stainless steel construction means it's less likely to rust or stain. The handle is 4Cr13 black-oxidized blackwash finish stainless steel, which resists corrosion and stains, and it's comfortable in the hand. The blade locks in place with a frame lock, and the flipper makes it easy to open the blade one-handed. The knife is well-made and well-designed, and it's an excellent value for the price. The handle is textured, and the texture helps the knife grip well in the hand, and the blade's tip-down clip makes it easy to clip the knife to your belt, your pack, or your purse.

The Kershaw Barstow is a well-made, no-nonsense pocket knife that is very easy to use. The glass-filled nylon handle is sturdy and provides a good grip in wet or dry conditions, and the flipper is sturdy and simple to use. The blade is of good quality, with a sharp edge that stays sharp. The knife opens quickly and locks securely in place. The knife is made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, and is rust-resistant and corrosion-resistant. The blade is 3 1/4 inches long, so it's large enough for most cutting and slicing tasks, but not so large as to get in the way or become a hazard. The knife has a sturdy steel handle, and a sturdy steel pocket clip. The pocket clip is reversible, so you can use the knife as either a fixed or folding knife. The pocket clip is sturdy and rust-resistant, and can hold the knife securely in your pocket. The pocket clip also features Kershaw's Secure Frame Lock, which prevents accidental blade closure. The knife comes with a reversible pocket clip, a bottle opener, a spear point single sharpened edge, and a glass-filled nylon handle. The Kershaw Barstow is a great all-purpose pocket knife. The knife is affordable and well made, and is durable, versatile, and user-friendly. The knife is reasonably priced, and comes with a warranty. The knife is made in the USA. The knife comes with a pocket clip, a bottle opener, a spear point single sharpened edge, and a glass-filled nylon handle. The glass-filled nylon handle gives the quality grip users need for wet activities like animal skinning, for all-weather access, durability and enhanced protection. The bottle opener is sturdy and easy to use, and the spear point single sharpened edge stays facing its proper folding position. The knife is reasonably priced, and is well made. The knife is made in the USA. The knife is versatile and user-friendly, and is durable, versatile, and reasonably priced. The knife has a glass-filled nylon handle, a sturdy steel pocket clip, a bottle opener, a spear point single sharpened edge, and a sturdy steel blade.

The Kershaw Airlock Folding Knife is a sturdy, no-nonsense design that's perfect for every day use. It's lightweight, compact, and easy to carry, and the blade steel is sharp enough to cut through most materials. The handle is comfortable and grippy, and the blade is sharp enough that you can easily cut through cardboard boxes and paper. The handle also has a window, so you can easily see the edge of the blade while it's closed. The SpeedSafe mechanism is smooth and easy to use, and the spring loaded assisted opening provides quick and easy one-handed opening. The Airlock is also highly compact, folding to just 4.25 inches when closed, which makes it easy to stash in a backpack, purse, or briefcase. The Kershaw Airlock Folding Knife offers strong, reliable performance without frills or flourishes, and it's the perfect EDC knife for everyday use.

The SWSA11 from Smith & Wesson is a well-designed knife that boasts the qualities of a high-quality EDC knife, but at a much more affordable price point. The blade is made of 8Cr13MoV steel, which is an especially tough steel, and it features black FDE coating and a rubberized aluminum handle. The handle also sports a liner lock that locks the blade in place so it won't fall out, and a finger guard that helps provide extra safety. The blade has a drop point shape, which is ideal for self-defense, hunting, and other outdoor uses, and it has a sharpened tip for cutting. The knife also has a large, tough aluminum handle that makes it easy to hold, even when you're wearing gloves. The sheath also doubles as a belt clip, and it's made of tough nylon. The SWSA11 is a decent all-around knife, and it excels at its primary function: cutting. The knife is light, sharp, and durable, and it's ideal for self-defense, hunting, and other outdoor uses.

The Gerber Bear Grylls Survival AO Knife is Gerber's third-generation survival knife, which improves on the previous generation's strong points (better ergonomics and more streamlined cutting performance) while leaving behind some areas in which it struggled (a shorter blade, smaller cutting surface, and less sturdy locking mechanism). The AO version has a slightly longer blade than the standard Survival knife, and Gerber's Assisted Opening (AO) feature makes it faster and easier to use. The assisted opening mechanism is a spring loaded titanium blade that pops out easily enough, but it's a bit stiff at first. Once it's opened, the knife is as reliable and sharp as you'd expect from a Gerber knife. To test the cutting performance, we cut a 9-inch piece of rope in half, and it severed the rope cleanly. The blade's sharpness also proved up to the task, though a bit more effort is required than with other knives we tested. The AO function also lets you quickly open and close the knife one-handed, but the blade locks firmly in place once it's been opened. The knife has an integrated compass, a fire starter, and a ferro rod tip, and the blade locks closed securely when not in use. Overall, the Gerber Bear Grylls Survival AO Knife is a great starter knife, and it excels at what it does well.

The CRKT Fire Spark EDC Folding Pocket Knife is one of our favorite folding knives in its price range. It's small, light, and sturdily made. It also opens quickly and easily with a flick of the thumbstud, and it's very comfortable to hold. The Fire Spark EDC has a 4-position pocket clip, so you can carry it in your pants pocket, your shirt pocket, on your belt, or in your purse. The handle is metal, so it's hard to scratch it, and it has a G-10 handle and a colorful, non-slip grip. The blade is sharp, but it's fairly thin (about 0.5 inches thick), so it's not quite as sharp as a fixed-blade knife. The Fire Spark EDC doesn't have an ambidextrous handle so it can only be opened with your thumb, but it's small enough and light enough that you can carry it in an Every Day Carry (EDC) holster. The Fire Spark EDC has a 1/8-inch thick blade made of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, which is considered durable but not as powerful as 10CrMoV steel, so it should not be used for cutting through lumber or meat. The Fire Spark EDC has a fire-safe design, so the knife won't start on fire if you drop or throw it in a fire. The blade is thick enough to safely use in a self-defense situation, but the blade isn't long enough to be particularly good at hacking. Some users complained about the Fire Spark EDC's handle, which needed to be filed down to make a more comfortable grip.

The Albatross EDC is a handsome and well-built knife. The handle is anodized aluminum, and the blade is made of AUS-8A stainless steel, which features a Damascus-style pattern. The knife is compact and easy to carry, and its folding design makes it easy to stow in a pocket or backpack. The blade lock is sturdy, and the blade opens and closes smoothly. The knife is also strong, with a sharp, durable blade. The knife includes a seat belt cutter, a glass breaker, and a pocket clip, and it comes with a nylon sleeve, which makes it easy to carry as a keychain. The knife's design is simple, so it can be difficult to use, especially the knife's thumb stud, which can be difficult to operate. The knife's handle is narrow, so it can be difficult to hold. The knife's glass breaker is sharp, but it's small, so it can be difficult to use. The knife's blade lock is easy to use, but it can be difficult to push the blade lock fully into place. The knife's blade is sharp, durable, and strong. The knife's design is basic, so it can be difficult to use. The knife's glass breaker is small, so it can be difficult to use. The knife's handle is narrow, so it can be difficult to hold.

The SOG Flare folding knife and pocket knife is an elegant and well-made EDC knife that is guaranteed to last a lifetime. This folding knife has a 3. 5-inch straight edge blade and a closed length of 4. 5 inches. This EDC knife is the perfect size for smaller hands, but it's powerful enough to cut through most materials, including rope and leather. The assisted opening is extremely fast, and the blade locks securely in place with SOG's Piston Lock. This folding knife comes with a pocket clip so you can clip it to your pocket or belt, and it comes with a sturdy, protective sheath for storing the knife in small spaces. The SOG Flare also includes a safety lock that prevents you from accidentally closing the knife while it's closed, so you don't have to worry about accidentally cutting yourself. The SOG Flare is good looking, made of high-quality materials, and is extremely reliable. If you're looking for a high-quality folding knife that you can count on every day, the SOG Flare is the knife for you.