I’m a big fan of several of SOG Knives’ assisted openers, including the Trident folder pictured here. There is a feature built into many SOG folders that acts as a safety mechanism to prevent the spring-assisted blade from opening unintentionally. In normal use, the safety can be used or not used as desired. If the knife is used extensively, however, the safety can sometimes become loose enough that it will engage of its own accord.
I do not use the safety feature and have never found it necessary. The lever is small enough, however, that I would find it difficult to disengage quickly if the knife unexpectedly failed to open because the safety was “on.”
One quick fix for this issue is to take a little super glue and, while the safety is engaged, coat the top of the switch. When you’re done, disengage the safety and wipe any excess glue from the handle. The resulting seal isn’t exactly unbreakable, but it should keep the safety from engaging accidentally if you never use it.
A more permanent solution would be epoxy, such as JB Weld, but of course that would be functionally permanent. It’s possible to break the super glue bond fairly easily, but not so easily (at least so far as I’ve found) that it doesn’t keep the safety “off” during extended pocket carry.
I also like the Trident. I picked up two tantos a few weeks ago, and they’ve become part of my standard load-out.
And I smiled when I saw this article. Within hours of getting my Tridents, I broke out the super glue and put the kibosh on that safety. The assist mechanism alone seems to keep the blade closed just as reliably as, for example, Kershaw’s SpeedSafe.
It’s a simple cost-benefit analysis. The safety looses.
And I suspect the safety’s only on there to make that cord-cutting notch more “user-friendly.” If the knife is locked closed, it hardly matters how you’re holding it when you go to slice some paracord or a seatbelt or something. But even with the safety off, all you have to do is hold (support) the blade’s spine while your cutting. Duh.
Not that you don’t realize this. Just rambling. Pardon.
Enjoying the site! I’ll keep nosing around….
I have glued the safety on my Aegis and my Flash II to avoid a fumbling defense in time of need, when seconds really count.
Neither knife as opened unexpectedly in my pocket, even during fairly physical carry.
Good advice.
Chris