There is a certain classy viciousness to switchblade knives that I have always admired. A switchblade knife is the ultimate assassins weapon. The really skinny ones the long, thin stiletto knives can go in and cause a fatal wound with scarcely any bleeding. A trained assassin can use one of them to kill someone in seconds, then pretends that the victim has collapsed and make a clean getaway. Of course, average thugs wielding switchblade knives can't do anything like that, but even so these blades are handy hidden weapons even in the modern age. They are easier to conceal them guns, and will get you in a lot less trouble if you're caught carrying one. Besides that, switchblade knives are all but silent. The only sound they make is the telltale flick quieter than the click of a hammer in a pistol.
There are many different styles of automatic knives, and not all of them are good. As a matter of fact, unless you're buying a high-quality switchblade knife, you might want to reconsider. There are plenty of easy to open lock back knives that are well made, but a cheap switchblade knife can be a fragile thing. The mechanism has to be perfectly balanced or the blade can fall out or snap. Make sure that you buy one from a reputable knife dealer so that you can be sure it is of the highest quality.
The other problem with switchblade knives is that they are illegal in many places. One of the advantages of carrying a knife as a self-defense weapon is that, if you are stopped and searched by the police, you won't get arrested for it. With a switchblade knife, however, this isn't always the case. If you do live in an area where they are legal, however, they are great defensive weapons. They are easy to conceal in hand, and they can open almost instantly. They also have a awesome intimidation factor. Just flipping out the blade of a switchblade knife is usually enough to scare the bad guys away. Of course, once the knife is out, you had better know how to use it!
I don't get switchblade knives for use as weapons, or even for self-defense. For me, it's all about appreciation of a well made, expertly crafted blade. I'm also a history buff, and I'm fascinated by medieval Italian assassins. By collecting stiletto knives and blades, I can have a piece of that history. It's fascinating to be able to contemplate how such a simple tool could have been such an instrument of political manipulation. The career of a leader could rise and fall on the blade of a knife.
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