benchmade Phaeton OTF Opinons

[birch]

So, I have to start at the beginning.
When I was in 5th grade I had to ride the bus to and from school. Since we were a very poor school district, there were usually a few families of kids who got off the bus together and went home in different directions. It just so happens that the kid I ended up having to walk home with lived before me.......and he was a bad one. He wouldn't even wait until the bus pulled away before he lit up a Camel (6th grade)--just to show the bus driver he didn't give a ****.
It was a little weird for a few days, but we eventually started talking about things little mischievous kids talk about. Guns, Boobs, Van Halen and fireworks. Soooo...he asked me if I wanted to see his collection.
I walked in his room and I couldnt believe my eyes. He had every bad thing a kid could possibly have!--Penthouse, playboy, cherry bombs, nun chucks, swords and also the one thing I couldnt keep my eyes off. I think he really just wanted to brag about his Penthouse collection, but all I could see was a black and silver swithblade on his bedstand--A real one. He grabbed that baby up, flicked the side lever and that 5 inch handle turned into a 9 inch stiletto faster than my eye could follow. I swore I would have one of those if I had to shovel cow **** for the next month after school. Well, I shoveled and mowed and hauled wood and just about every other thing a 5th grade boy could do to scrape up 20 dollars to order out of the "bad stuff' catalog (at this time, you could order mini thins, survival knifes, ammo, knives and just about anything cool under gods green earth. So i slapped the 2o and shipping in front of my day and had him order my swithblade. I ran to the mailbox every day as fast as I could--no swithblade.

Finally the day came. It was in a black cadboard box all taped to hell. I borrowed my dads jack knife and open it up.........my little heart fell to the floor. That super cool switchblade turned out to be a switchblade allright---however, the only thing it was meant to do was comb some very fine hair. It was a switchblade comb. And, since I had really thick hair, I couldnt even comb my hair.

I still thought it was pretty cool, but not at all as cool as Darwin's real one. So I started saving up for a real one--only, I couldn't legally by one in Michigan. Such super gruesome movies like "westside story" painted the switchblade as a nothing more than a weapon of destruction. So, the powers that be banned them in 1952.

Fastforward to last night! I have been itching for a Benchmade Knife and stumbled upon an article that said they will now be legal in MIchigan on October 1. I got out of work today and drove an hour away to Jay's in Clare, and they had my holy grail knife. I got the Benchmade Phaeton in FDE and coated blade. 35 year dream come true. At first i thought it would be a novelty, but it is actually a very strong and light knife that also happens to be really fun to play with. In fact, I am going to cook a steak this afternoon and cut the thing with my new blade!!!

I was just hoping to get some comments from other OTF or classic switchblade lovers.

Take care

[rancher1913]

I had the bug as a kid too. I remember having the switchblade comb because it was all I could get and spending hours pretending it was a real one. when I was eighteen I was working construction and one of my coworkers was going to Europe for a trip and knew I wanted a switch blade so he made me a deal, I gave him 200 bucks up front and if he found some knifes he would get them for me. that was a lot of money for me but being dumb I jumped at the chance. he was going to be gone for about a month and about 3 weeks into my wait I got a package from France that had a declaration of kitchen cutlery on it, it was full of switch blades, big ones, little ones, ones that shot out the end and ones that folded out. the biggest was about a foot and a half when open and would dang near break your wrist opening it. thanks for the memories.

[farmerjim]

I bought one from the local grocery-hardware store for a dollar when I was about 12.

[birch]

A was talking with a good friend of mine about the "good old days" the other day. We came to the conclusion that the one good thing about turning into old men is realizing the focus is living life like it was before we hit puberty.

My favorite things before puberty were: my bike, my guns, my knifes, books and cruising through the woods with a good buddy. Now, my wife and kids are in the mix, but I still enjoy my first loves more and life has become less complicated since I realized I was the same person at 7 as I am at 40.

[DCP]

These just became legal in IL. with a FOID

I decide on Benchmade 3350 Mini-Infidel AUTO OTF 3.10" D2 Satin Double Edge Blade, Aluminum Handles
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BM3...uminum-Handles.

The laws on shipping these are worst than Gun laws

I bought about $50.00 worth of tooling and converted these that came in non-Auto was going to sell some but I can only sell to IL

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Kalashnikov-74--103
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Boker-M...ashnikov--1152

[birch]

I have been looking at the Infidel already! The OTF knives are as addicting as guns.

We cannot have spear point knives in Michigan, but there is an infidel (forget which one) that looks like a dagger but is not ground on one side. The other one I am looking at is the Buck 110 auto. I just about walked out of the store with that one, but I ignored the impulse.

The only problem I have found is shipping the knife back to Benchmade for the forever sharp guarantee. If i want to ship it, I have to find a local LEO that will ship and accept the knife, or I can have the store that I bought it ship it for me. It is an hour and 45 minute round trip to that store, but I have a feeling finding a LEO might take more time.

When did Illinois pass their law allowing?

[DCP]

Knife Rights’ Illinois Switchblade Ban Repeal Signed! Effective Immediately
August 14, 2017

https://kniferights.org/legislative-...e-immediately/

[rl69]

To rich for my blood. I do have a birthday coming up if y'all are wondering what to get me.

[Thundarstick]

I'm not a big fan of auto openers, but I'm a uge fan of the AXIS lock, Benchmade, S30, 60, and 90V! I have several 940s that are set up to open buy gravity just by pulling the axis lock button back, one handed open and close!

[GhostHawk]

Your story is better than mine. My grandfather showed me a switchblade when I was about 8. Was one of the only times I ever saw that man cry.


Grandpa was in the Border Patrol, in El Paso Texas. One day him and his partner went to frisk and jail a . (As my grandpa told it) "And that dirty greaser whipped out this switchblade and shoved it into my partners gut."

Grandpa never said, but I strongly suspected that he pulled his service revolver and ended same mexican then and there.

I remember 3 things very clearly.

A Grandpa loved his partner.
B were not to be trusted, or ever turn your back on.
C Knives are cool, but like many tools it is up to how the user uses that tool which determines if it is good or evil. I was a good boy and I would never use a knife to threaten or injure someone without my own life being in mortal danger.

In 65 years I never have. I still love knives, especially ones like assisted open that with a flick of a finger are ready for action. Miss you Grandpa, but you did good. You taught this boy the important things. I only hope I can do as well.

[birch]

That story is about as good as it gets. I think it is really cool that your grandpa loved you enough to show you that knife with the story behind it.

That is the part I wish the anti-gunners could understand. I have more heritage and life lessons learned with a gun or knife in my hand than just about everything else. My dad gave me my first knife and sharpening stone when I was 4 years old. Before I could take the knife out by myself, he taught me to sharpen it with 3-in-1 oil until I could shave the hair on my arm. I loved my sharpening stone just as much as my knife. More than anything, I was proud that my dad trusted me enough as a little kid to sleep with that combo by my pillow.

I work with youth for a living. Thankfully, I live in a part of the US where hunting and the outdoors are part of just about everyone's lives. Our local highschool has an actual outdoors class. The kids make their own knives, bow and arrows, are taught the fundamentals of shooting and taught how to construct makeshift shelters. Most of those kids have adults in their lives who take pride in passing down their first 22 rifle to heir sons and daughters. There are a lot of people in my area who have gun safes full of high end stuff. Almost all of them have one or two guns that are not for sale for any amount of money.