Good post Roland.kootenay joe wrote:A softer pull is a good pull. There is no need for springs that make a blade stiff to open. A spring serves 2 functions: 1) to keep the blade closed so that it cannot flop open or poke the tip above the liners, and 2) to hold the blade in the fully open position such that a slight knock on the spine does not take it off the fully open position. It does not take a 'bear trap' spring to do this. A 'softer' spring holds the blade open perfectly well.
If i carry a knife with strong springs i sometimes won't use it because i don't want the 'struggle' needed to open the blade. With a softer pull knife, there is no thinking about it, instead just get the knife out of pocket and open it, all easy & smooth.
Years ago i was a strong spring guy and thought a soft spring knife was inferior. Now i know better
kj
I used to be a real stickler for strong springs too but in the last 9 months I've taken on a different perspective very similar to yours. It was the GEC #35 Churchill that changed my perspective.
I like that pattern so much that I stuck one in my pocket even though I wasn't a fan of the softer spring at the time. After carrying and using the knife for the last 9 months I've really come to appreciate the softer spring. So much so that I find myself preferring softer springs nowadays when I buy a new knife. It's not a deal breaker but I prefer it. Makes the knife such a pleasure to use.
I still like good snap and a firm pull too but I've done a complete 180 as far as what I actually prefer.
I bought a GEC #81 Bull Moose from the last run and I think the springs on those are real nice too.