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Schrade Extreme Survival OTF?
- Thread starter jday2727
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I'd be really sure of the wording of your local laws, depending on where you are, it may be worded that any blade that retracts into the handle is not allowed, or there might be similar wording that could be ambiguous. If the wording doesn't differentiate between button activated and OTF functions, you may find yourself in a jam.
Where are you located? someone local to you might have a better idea if you'll be in the clear with it.
Where are you located? someone local to you might have a better idea if you'll be in the clear with it.
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If you're not in a major city, I've been told many times by law enforcement you're not gonna get hasseled over a knife unless they're either using it as an excuse for a person stop, or your carrying in commission of another crime. I got pulled over for jaywalking a few years ago. I had a concealed balisong which is illegal in my state, officer asked if I had a weapon, told him I have a balisong concealed and after he cleared my name through computer we had a nice chat about life and went our seperate ways.
I am not saying you wont get in trouble, but where I am police aren't concerned about law abiding citizens carrying knives.
However, heed the mans advice above. Be sure you're interpreting the language of your laws correctly.
I am not saying you wont get in trouble, but where I am police aren't concerned about law abiding citizens carrying knives.
However, heed the mans advice above. Be sure you're interpreting the language of your laws correctly.
I'm in Colorado, and from what I can tell there is nothing about that at all.
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Someone else can confirm, but you are likely safe in that case. Lots of ways those rules can be worded, and just wanted to be sure that you weren't going to run into difficulty. And those weird anti-loopholes (poorly worded laws) can be a pain if you aren't reading the text yourself.
Hopefully someone can chime in on the knife itself.
Hopefully someone can chime in on the knife itself.
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2013
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I had one of the older smith wesson assisted otf's, made by samr factory as schrade and it was a good knife for its price point and for what it was.
Sorry that's only experience I have, would like to know how people like the newer schrades
Yes but these are assisted opening, so they should be perfectly fine.
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Should be, assuming that if you do have a run-in with the police, they can make the distinction between auto and assisted. I personally wouldn't count on it.
You won't get a quality OTF for $40, end of story.
As for legality.. If they're searching you, it's too late. Whether it opens from a button, slide, switch, doesn't matter. If there are any discrepancies with your state knife law and your carry, you'll likely get fined/arrested and the knife taken.
As for legality.. If they're searching you, it's too late. Whether it opens from a button, slide, switch, doesn't matter. If there are any discrepancies with your state knife law and your carry, you'll likely get fined/arrested and the knife taken.
...which is exactly what the knife does. Good luck arguing that it is not a switchblade, but "assisted opening" to a LEO. :thumbup:
And also....it's a piece of junk.
JPD1998
Gold Member
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I have every generation of the Viper from the first gen to the version before the latest run.
As far as quality goes , they are decent at their price point. IMO the fit an finish of these got better with each release and the last three or four versions of the Viper are probably the best.
The first gen , pictured below is probably best as a light duty utility knife, but it's compact, and I find myself carrying that one most often.
I've opened and closed them 100's of times and they function as intended. The steel is also decent , not super steel, but not junk either. They also have very little blade play , considering the design.
I would say that these are a much better option than the pot metal , flea market OTF clones that you see in the $30 - $40 range, plus Schrade actually has a decent warranty and good customer service.
As far as being legal... I agree with the others , I think a LEO will consider them an auto.
Pic of first generation Viper
As far as quality goes , they are decent at their price point. IMO the fit an finish of these got better with each release and the last three or four versions of the Viper are probably the best.
The first gen , pictured below is probably best as a light duty utility knife, but it's compact, and I find myself carrying that one most often.
I've opened and closed them 100's of times and they function as intended. The steel is also decent , not super steel, but not junk either. They also have very little blade play , considering the design.
I would say that these are a much better option than the pot metal , flea market OTF clones that you see in the $30 - $40 range, plus Schrade actually has a decent warranty and good customer service.
As far as being legal... I agree with the others , I think a LEO will consider them an auto.
Pic of first generation Viper
Only when they open
If you have a device, like a thumbstud ON the blade and not in the handle, then it's not a switchblade as far as Colorado law.
If you don't...good luck. Debating that issue with a LEO is a poor idea.
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I have four of the Schrade OTF assisted opening knives. In function they range from totally reliable to occasionally firing correctly. The OTF5 is the least reliable of the ones I own while the Viper 3 and OTF8TB have been surprisingly reliable. The OTF6 is okay but has an occasional stutter when firing. In my case, reliability is not an issue since I don't carry any of them--they're toys and I only own them for the novelty. I do know all of them takes a very good sharp edge. I keep the OTF6 hanging in a storage building beside the place I open bags of birdseed. Comes in handy and it's no big deal if it doesn't open consistently.
One thing I dislike about almost all these knives is the stiffness of the safeties. Some loosen up with use while some of them are so small and stiff they are nearly impossible to operate.
As for legality, the definition of a switchblade that says it is opened with a button, spring or other device in the handle would not specifically apply to all the Schrades. They are opened by pressing on an extension of the blade that slides inside the handle--same as an AO that opens by pressing an extension of the blade such as a thumbstud or flipper. Of course that's an issue for the legal system to decide and I know nothing of how a court would interpret this (or anything else for that matter). The sole exception here is the OTF8TB. That knife opens by a button on the handle and I question it being legal in places that switchblades are not legal. Again, my opinion means nothing to the legal system.
One thing I dislike about almost all these knives is the stiffness of the safeties. Some loosen up with use while some of them are so small and stiff they are nearly impossible to operate.
As for legality, the definition of a switchblade that says it is opened with a button, spring or other device in the handle would not specifically apply to all the Schrades. They are opened by pressing on an extension of the blade that slides inside the handle--same as an AO that opens by pressing an extension of the blade such as a thumbstud or flipper. Of course that's an issue for the legal system to decide and I know nothing of how a court would interpret this (or anything else for that matter). The sole exception here is the OTF8TB. That knife opens by a button on the handle and I question it being legal in places that switchblades are not legal. Again, my opinion means nothing to the legal system.
I agree that debating an LEO is a bad idea, but these knives have a stud attached directly to the blade, and are not opening because of "hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device". They open due to pressure directly on the blade, not a secondary device, and that was the whole reason assisted opening knives were declared legal in the first place.
I just tried knifecenter's ordering system. The Schrades are no problem, but the actual automatics pop up the "military, LEO cert form" thing. The knife industry does not consider these autos, and they don't meet the criteria for the law.
You can wring your hands about what a cop may or may not misunderstand about the law, but the law is pretty clearly written. If an assisted OTF is going to cause a problem, I don't see how an assisted flipper is going to be a safe choice, either. Same thing with false edges or how blade length is measured.
The OTF8TB works just like the others - they just moved the blade stud under the handle instead of on the side.
Good luck trying that argument in the real world. :thumbup: Let us know how it comes out.
Good luck trying that argument in the real world. :thumbup: Let us know how it comes out.
Sure. And this is "legally" a stilletto, by the same thinking:
