Centermass
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2016
- Messages
- 4,530
So, not too long ago on here, another poster asked about a certain model, and somehow the conversation turned to the pros and cons of Axis Assist and side-opening auto knives. In my infinite wisdom, I vigorously professed how assisted models in general provide no real benefit over most Axis manuals or side opening automatics, so one might as well just get either of those and forget about the totally superfluous assist option...
Fast forward from then (what, a couple of weeks?) and let’s just say I recently happened upon a couple of great deals on the secondary market for a 495 Vector and a 477 Emissary. Yes, yes, horrible Axis Assist knives.
The Vector, while a flipper, and perhaps not for everybody in the aesthetics department, is a great knife in my opinion. It did take some getting used to, since it’s an Axis lock knife without any thumb deploying options, but I really do like it quite a bit.
As for the Emissary, I’ve admired them since their release, the large model in particular, and had one of the Aqua 477-1’s some years ago for a very brief time before I traded it to a buddy to get my beloved 710 back (don’t ask), so out of sight and out of mind it went. Yet, it still intrigued me, taunted me. Their price always put me off though, even secondhand, from getting another, until I found the deal last week. When I received it today, I quickly remembered just what a lean, light, and quick deploying knife it is, and couldn’t imagine why I got rid of the first one years ago.
Do I regret making what I still think are valid points about why Axis manuals or side-opening autos might make more sense from a practicality aspect? Nah. Sometimes, though, the heart wants what the heart wants for reasons outside of the practical. Hell, if it were about practicality, most of us wouldn’t have as many knives as we do... right?
Fast forward from then (what, a couple of weeks?) and let’s just say I recently happened upon a couple of great deals on the secondary market for a 495 Vector and a 477 Emissary. Yes, yes, horrible Axis Assist knives.
The Vector, while a flipper, and perhaps not for everybody in the aesthetics department, is a great knife in my opinion. It did take some getting used to, since it’s an Axis lock knife without any thumb deploying options, but I really do like it quite a bit.
As for the Emissary, I’ve admired them since their release, the large model in particular, and had one of the Aqua 477-1’s some years ago for a very brief time before I traded it to a buddy to get my beloved 710 back (don’t ask), so out of sight and out of mind it went. Yet, it still intrigued me, taunted me. Their price always put me off though, even secondhand, from getting another, until I found the deal last week. When I received it today, I quickly remembered just what a lean, light, and quick deploying knife it is, and couldn’t imagine why I got rid of the first one years ago.
Do I regret making what I still think are valid points about why Axis manuals or side-opening autos might make more sense from a practicality aspect? Nah. Sometimes, though, the heart wants what the heart wants for reasons outside of the practical. Hell, if it were about practicality, most of us wouldn’t have as many knives as we do... right?
