OTF Knives! Why YOU Should Carry One!

The OTF switchblade is one of the most famous types of switchblades in existence. Feared on the golden screen and coveted by collectors, the OTF knife is a perfect example of the increasing complexity and novelty of modern knives. But what is an OTF knife, what are the advantages and disadvantages of an OTF knife, and should you consider carrying this switchblade! Welcome to the Knife Life! Lets dive into the OTF!

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[DylanLey]

Definitely the simplest and easiest type of knife to operate. They're also really cool and fun to play with. I definitely agree that they are probably the last type of knife you'd want to use for hard use or self defense due to their complex and fragile construction.

[thomasesau]

I own many automatic knives. I found OTF are great for cutting string, rope or paper. But for most other tasks I prefer out the side switchblades.

[eric]

I went into this video thinking "no way is this knife for me." But you may have sold me again. Great video as always!

[dougr]

Great channel my friend. I have a large number of high end fully automatic OTFs from Benchmade and Microtech primarily for collecting. However, I do carry a Benchmade Infidel OTF occasionally for personal protection when discretion is a must. Most of my OTFs are double edged dagger blades that are useless for everyday knife tasks which is 99.9% reason why an EDC pocket knife is needed. My EDC is a Gerber combo 1.5" pen blade, finger nail clipper, nail file which I keep on my key chain.

[danzigrulze]

You get some mud, dirt, or hell a good piece of lint in that mechanism and don't have a can of WD-40 handy, well just say good bye to your OTF knife. The knife I did carry in the Army was a simple Cold Steel Recon for a folder and a Holtafors chisel knife that I would carry on my vest to break open ammo boxes and cut open mortar round tubes. I also made a little piece of kit that had a couple of Knipex tools that were mostly found on regular multi-tools because being in mechanized I would sometimes have to make on the spot repairs to my vehicle. I also had multiple multi-tools stolen or just get "lost" so having each individual item that cost dirt cheap was better.

[mbks]

The higher end D/A OTF's are a lot more reliable than they're given credit for....the main problem is people buy them for the "cool factor" and don't know how to maintain them...like you said, they are susceptible to debris getting in the mechanism which does likely limit what professional fields (military/law enforcement or EMT's) they should be used in...I get a lot of ziploc bags and boxes full of parts because people take them apart to try to either clean them or they just want to know how they work and then they can't figure out how to re-assemble them...this is a big part of why Microtech uses proprietary hardware...I've carried a Microtech Combat Troodon T/E for close to 6 years, and it's just as snappy as the day I bought it because I know how to maintain it....mechanical failure is inevitable with OTF's...I love my OTF, but I wouldn't bet my life on it...fortunately, the Combat Troodon also includes an attitude adjustment device on the tail end...lol

[jasonbrown]

i have been carrying otf knifes for about 4 years now. i got them for edc self defense purposes, but they got demoted to edc daily tasks cutting open boxes and mail.
i love my otfs, but they can get gummed up and its a process to disassemble and clean them, if they get gummed up from something as simple as cutting an apple and you forget to wipe the blade down before putting it away, the tracking gets gummed up and then it wont fire out all the way.
still i love them i have some cheap ones and expensive units and love them all, but i used to carry a zippo and i didnt even smoke, i just like playing with it, same goes for the otf, it feels and sounds so cool playing with it

[stuartrollings]

Unfortunately for my wife I like em all! Do not discriminate against my fellow blades! And it is cool to pick different models and types to carry each n every day! Thanks for your review!

[samoanboa]

Just a quick follow up on my OTF. I contacted Normandy Knife sabout my issue. Got a quick response from Jeremy Pyne. He kindly asked me to return the knife for inspection and politely ask if I had used a safe gun oil. I clean the knife and used Hoppe's now the knife operates perfectly with a light touch. Good company great guy! Buy with confidence.

[sputnikjones]

So I just got one and I carried it once knife laws in my state just relaxed and I found a nice not to expensive one .mostly just a toy for around the house now though. Lol

[samoanboa]

My baby 3 1/2 Normandy OTF is great knife. However, I found when cutting for example an orange, the blade if not cleaned immediately after use material even a slight amount will jam the internal mechanism leaving the knife unusable in this case requiring a clean and reset. Definitely not a reliable defense knife stilla. very cool knife. Thank for the video..

[williamwalton]

I own an automotive repair shop, so I open a ton of boxes and use my knife constantly throughout the day. I’m on the bench made plan so to speak. There is an army navy surplus store two doors down from me. I have a drawer full of auto benchmades. My current favorite is an OTF (I can’t remember the model) I personally don’t like double edged knives so mine isn’t one. There are some serious down sides though. The spring gets pretty tired toward the end of sharpness cycle. This isn’t an issue for me because I take my knives two doors down and send them back a couple times a year. They come back rebuilt, sharpened and refreshed after a couple weeks. So when I send them off I always buy a new bench made auto. Hence the drawer full of knives.

[jackward-my]

Excellent, professional videos, many thanks.

[undergroundexplorer]

OTFs have a cool factor and a good utility factor as well. You can open and close it without touching the blade. Most of them are safe to carry in your pocket as the switch requires a significant amount of finger pressure to get the blade to deploy.

Modern OTFs like those from Microtech are much more durable than the older ones from Korea and Taiwan which were most common in the 1980s. I’m talking about the NATO Military and Super Automatics which were sold as kits through the EdgeCo knife catalog. They were flimsy pieces of junk that broke very easily. Pretty much little novelty toys/letter openers that became popular because they were used in so many movies. Definitely not EDC material like the OTFs we have today.

[larrycampbell]

First visit to your channel. I really like your format! Thanks

[dcamnc]

I've been collecting and sharpening/tuning knives semi professionally for decades now. Personally I've seen more side opening autos fail than otf's. Both types are certainly less reliable than manual openers or fixed blades though.

[tenza]

I watched a guy hammer a OTF through a 2x4 didn’t hurt the knife at all. It was a sos knives OTF. I carry a shootout wanted one when they came out but it was illegal until early this year.

[robhoward]

Fantastic video. Just found the channel. OTF - A new acronym

[sombra]

I like the concept of an OTF, however, most of the places I might go that I might perceive the need for one are also places where any kind of spring deployed knife is illegal - crept for one state that does allow switch blades with blade lengths of one inch or less. Plus the cost of a Benchmade or Microtech is a bit stiff.

[zippymagee]

I definitly agree with the very safe EDC use of Double action OTFs, I have a Guardian Tactical Recon-035. It is great! Off center blade and play in the lockup bothers people but I found it only took about 3 uses and I don't even notice anymore. I really wanted the Legendary Microtech Ultratech but the action was really stiff and harsh texture on button for EDC.