Case’s New World Class Best Assisted Opening Pocket Knife
Case has a new website and a new attitude. They have truly stepped outside of their comfort zone. Case has never produced an assisted opening knife. They did produce some auto pocket knives back in the 20th Century but when a Federal law was introduced by the Congress in 1958, all production of automatic pocket knives were stopped. Even though crimes committed with auto knives were rare, the perception of young people in black leather jackets wielding switch blade knives was perpetuated by movies of street and motorcycle gangs. Not too unlike in present time, the political factions playing the fear-card on firearms. Ironically, at this time auto knives are being made legal once again. I guess Congress in 1958 disregarded the rights of the many for the paranoia of the few.
Case’s brand new assisted opening knife, the Case Kickstart Mid-Folding Hunter Model #03015, will debut in August 2018. This is a great knife made by the World’s foremost knife maker. I love my Case knives and love this new addition. I am so happy to see this new modern version of the Mid Folding Hunter. I look forward to a possible Kickstart Trapper, Cheetah and a Kickstart full size Hunter. Years ago, I expressed my opinion to Case about making some of their current models of folding knives into autos or assisted opening. I have no dilution my suggestion was the reason for the Kickstart® line of knives. Currently there are seven different handles offered for the Kickstart® Mid-Folding Hunter including my favorite Smooth Yellow Synthetic.
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- Assisted Open
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- Spring
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- Pocket Clip
The Case Kickstart Mid-Folding Hunter is basically a Mid-Folding Hunter with the addition of an ambidextrous thumb-stub on the blade, liner-lock and a pocket clip on the side which carries blade axis up. Outside of the fact on my sample the assisted opening factor works flawlessly, this knife has a real interesting and cool part. The way the assisted opening is facilitates the opening of the blade is something new. The back spring in a folding knife keeps the blade in place while it is in your pocket and keeps the blade in the open position as well. This is called a “slip joint”. But in the Kickstart® Mid-Folding Hunter there is an additional spring on one side which is compressed when the blade is shut. When the user starts the push on the thumb-stud, this protruding spring launches the blade. I like to call this a catapult system. This system is a modified version of the former Case auto knives but better. The only thing needed for Cases’ next righteous step, is to add the lock and release button. Do I know if this is the first step to the return of the Case auto? No. Do I think this is possibly….the first step to a Case auto? Yes I do. What knife product would take the knife world by storm? A Case Hunter auto.
The video in this article will demonstrate how the Kickstart® Mid-Folding Hunter works and performs. Right out of the box I applied lubrication to the axis. I do this to all folding knives I review from $40 to $1,800. After the lubrication I moved the blade back and forth working the lubrication into the axis. I then folded this bad-boy closed and pushed on the thumb-stud. This assisted opening Mid-Folding Hunter launched the blade remanence of a lightning bolt. I was very impressed. Check out the video and then go out to your preferred knife store and pre-order your Kickstart® Mid-Folding Hunter. If they are well connected you might even find one in their display case.
Case Kickstart Mid-Folding Hunter Specs
- Model No.: 03015
- Pattern: Kickstart® Mid-Folding Hunter
- Pattern Stamp: 61265AC SS
- Handle Material: Amber Bone
- Handle Finish: Jigged
- Blade Type: Mid-Folding Hunter Clip
- Blade Length: 2.9 inches
- Lock Type: Liner Lock
- Blade Material: Tru-Sharp™ Stainless
- Blade Finish: Mirror-Polished
- Closed Length: 4 inches
- Weight: 0.23 ounces
MSRP: $121.99
https://caseknives.com/collections/outdoor
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