Three new models are but a smattering of the boom in factory-made automatics.

When it comes to a truly original American knife, it’s hard to top the auto.

Unfairly maligned over the decades as the “weapon of street gangs” and other inaccurate smears, the knife still known to many as the switchblade is enjoying a renaissance in popularity due to the reversals of many statewide auto bans spearheaded in large part by the two leading pro-knife legislative action groups: Knife Rights and the American Knife & Tool Institute.

With autos now legal to many thousands of enthusiasts in dozens of states, one of the results has been a boom in factory-made autos by a growing number of knife companies.

CobraTec FS-3 Molon Labe

FS-3 Molon Labe Specs
Overall Length: 8″
Blade Length: 3″
Weight: 6.3 oz.
Blade Steel: D2
MSRP: $160

If you’re into OTF (Out The Front) autos, Texas-based CobraTec Knives should be of interest. The small, family-owned operation offers entry-level, midgrade and high-end automatic and manual opening knives, as well as fixed blades. 

Its OTFs* are a great bang for the buck. The medium FS-3 Molon Labe edition features a 3-inch clip-point blade of satin-finished D2 tool steel paired with a 4.5-inch aluminum handle. Available in either a plain or partially serrated edge, the test model is the latter. The serrations give extra cutting power through thick or fibrous materials. 

The knife is sized just right to handle most cutting tasks and still be compact enough for comfortable carry. The handle has a Cerakote® finish and graphics with the Molon Labe—Ancient Greek for “come and take it”—text. A deep carry, reversible/ambidextrous pocket clip held by a large screw doubles as a glass breaker. A ramped thumb slide switch actuates the blade, which deploys and retracts with quick, crisp action.

D2 is known for toughness, edge holding and ease of resharpening. It’s been a popular choice for custom knifemakers for years and has become widely adopted in the production industry as an alternative to low-grade stainless steel, offering the enhanced edge retention at a nominal price increase, if any.  The belly of the modified clip point blade has excellent slicing abilities. 

Medford Knife & Tool MERC-1

MERC-1 Specs
Overall Length: 8.75″
Blade Length: 3.75″
Weight: 4.5 oz.
Blade Steel: S45VN
MSRP: $600

If you think the Medford Knife & Tool MERC-1 is like all the other OTFs on the market, you’re wrong. The 3.75-inch blade comes in either a double-edge dagger style or Medford’s single-edge Praetorian-style drop point, each in CPM S45VN stainless.

Sporting two sets of fullers, the dagger test blade is loaded with attitude. The 5-inch handle is hard anodized aluminum. A sturdy, wide, deep-carry pocket clip is affixed to the end of the handle by a large screw and has a glassbreaker point.

One of the more interesting facts about the MERC-1 is there are no handle assembly screws. How is this done? The top handle cover slides onto the body via a tongue and channel system. The large clip screw fastens the two together, preventing unwanted movement of the top cover. The no-screws approach provides a visually streamlined, cleaner look than most.

The MERC-1 is a solid performer. Blade deployment and retraction are quick with a solid feel. The sliding button requires some force to push and pull but once you get used to it, it’s no problem. This is done by design to prevent inadvertent blade movement.

The knife does well at general cutting but needs a bit of pushing to get through some tasks. Dagger blades are more for thrusting and penetration. One thing is certain, the MERC-1’s is definitely cool looking! (Author’s note: the knife for this review is an earlier version with a hex-bolt machining pattern on the handle. The pattern has been changed to a series of chevron lines and an engraving of a crossbow.) The MERC-1 is Medford’s first attempt at an OTF and an excellent one at that.

Vero Engineering/Pro-Tech Synapse

Synapse Specs
Overall Length: 7.3″
Blade Length: 3.2″
Weight: 3.4 oz.
Blade Steel: CPM MagnaCut
MSRP: $400

Pro-Tech Knives has teamed with Vero Engineering to produce a collaborative auto: the Pro-Tech Synapse. The framelock design features all advanced materials in a no-nonsense folder ideal for EDC. It’s especially notable for the infusion of Pro-Tech’s trademark ultra-snappy automatic opening action. 

The 3.2-inch drop-point blade is flat-ground CPM MagnaCut stainless steel, which is known for its edge holding and corrosion resistance. The drop point shape provides plenty of blade belly. 

The handle is a half-and-half hybrid construction style, with a black Micarta presentation side and the opposite side hard-coat-anodized T6-6061 aluminum alloy for strength, light weight and minimal mass. A stylish milled titanium pocket clip carries the closed knife tip up in the pocket. Another nice touch is the firing button, which sits inside a milled cavity to help prevent accidental blade deployment.

With a closed length of 4.1 inches, the Synapse is neither too big nor too small. The large finger groove helps lock your grip onto the handle effectively, allowing a more secure grip with or without gloves.

The blade has an aggressive bite to it and the curve of the belly makes slicing almost effortless. The Synapse is a great working folder.

*Editor’s Note: According to CobraTec, its OTFs have a built-in safety feature that prevents the blade from fully deploying if anything is obstructing its path. Once in “safety mode” the blade must be reset by pulling it all the way into its locked position, making it fully functional again.

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