Automatic Knives Today
In Britain, the folding type of switchblade is commonly referred to as a flick knife. This type of knife has a simple opening mechanism: running parallel with the spine and fixed at the butt is a tapering steel bar, which is depressed by the blunt part of the blade (ricasso) when it is closed. A pin locates in an indentation on the ricasso and keeps the knife closed. Pushing the button lifts the pin and allows the blade to flick out. The blade automatically locks in the open position, because another pin on the back of the blade engages with a hole on the spine of the knife. Pushing down on the guard lifts the spine and releases the blade so it can be closed.
Knives with an automated opening system are heavily restricted under UK law; although they can legally be owned, it is illegal to manufacture, sell, hire, give, lend, or import such knives. This definition would nominally restrict lawful ownership to 'grandfathered' automatic knives already in possession by their owner prior to the enactment of the applicable law. Even when such a knife is legally owned, carrying it in public without good reason or lawful authority is also illegal under current UK laws.
While switchblades remain illegal in U.S. interstate commerce since 1958 under the Switchblade Knife Act (15 U.S.C. §§1241-1245), Amendment 1447 to 15 U.S.C. §1244, signed into law as part of the FY2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill on October 28, 2009 provides that the Act shall not apply to spring-assist or assisted-opening knives (i.e. knives with closure-biased springs that require physical force applied to the blade to assist in opening the knife). While functionally similar, the two designs share slight but important differences. A switchblade opens its blade from the handle automatically with the press of a button, lever, or switch that is remotely mounted in the knife handle or bolster. In contrast, a spring-assist design uses a lever or switch mounted on the blade or connected via a direct mechanical linkage. Manual pressure on this lever overcomes spring pressure designed to keep the blade closed, which in turn causes the blade to partially emerge from the handle. At this point an internal torsion spring takes over, rapidly forcing the blade into an open and locked position.
Today there are still a number of knife companies and custom makers who build high-quality automatic knives for the military, emergency personnel, and knife collectors. Some famous automatic knife manufacturers include Microtech Knives, Benchmade, Severtech, Gerber Legendary Blades, Mikov, Pro-Tech Knives, Dalton, Böker, Spyderco, Kershaw Knives, and Piranha. Few manufacturers still produce the classic Italian style stiletto switchblade, except in Italy. Automatic knife manufacture in Italy consists predominantly as a cottage industry of family-oriented businesses. These include Frank Beltrame and AGA Campolin, who have been making automatic knives for more than half a century.
Automatic knives have been produced in the following countries: Argentina, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and U.S.A..
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