The Classic Switchblade

[Bathawk]

Surprised I couldn't find the stats on a switchblade in basic book or in martial arts, but I guess I should just use the stats for a "small knife"?

But then I started thinking, my Dad once showed me a switchblade he had, and I guess outside of the "gimmick" it didn't seem like a high quality knife...showy maybe...but if anything, I would think that same gimmick would be rife with issues

So does anyone have input? Are the stats included elsewhere? Or am I overthinking it and should just stick to "small knife"?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Bathawk

So does anyone have input? Are the stats included elsewhere? ?

Yes, they are in High Tech along with modern TL8 "tactical folders" whihc are much higher quality.

[Culture20]

I believe its popularity (and infamy) stems from its being more easily concealed in any pocket or purse, no sheath required.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Bathawk

So does anyone have input? Are the stats included elsewhere? Or am I overthinking it and should just stick to "small knife"?

Pretty much yeah. Likely with cheap.

Despite appearances in some fantasy settings, actual switchblades require coiled torsion springs of a size and quality that are not available before the mid-19th century. And switchblades reputation is based more or less entirely on scare campaigns run in the mid 20th century. In fact, they make relatively lousy combat knives [because] of the opening mechanism - between the risk it might fail when you needed it and the issue of making the mechanism sturdy enough to take combat stresses without snapping off or folding closed on the hand you are gripping it with, and the fact it doesn't actually take any longer to draw a knife from a sheath than it does to deploy a switchblade, well....

Note too that anything bigger than a small knife is largely irrelevant in any folding or retracting format - if the blade is larger than a one handed grip, you can't conceal it within the handle without making the handle ridiculously large. Not to mention the longer blade offering a longer lever arm to make that stress on the mechanism problem even worse.

[Kromm]

It's described on p. 197 of High-Tech, with stats on p. 200. It amounts to a cruddy small knife you don't want to parry with.

I nearly lost a finger to an expensive folding knife, not a switchblade, when its well-made, solid lock failed anyway. In fact, this happened twice with two different knives, neither of them cheap. I've handled both folding and out-the-front switchblades, and would say that "expensive," "well-made," "solid," and "not cheap" wouldn't describe any of them . . . I'd hesitate to use one as a weapon.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Despite appearances in some fantasy settings, actual switchblades require coiled torsion springs of a size and quality that are not available before the mid-19th century. And switchblades reputation is based more or less entirely on scare campaigns run in the mid 20th century. In fact, they make relatively lousy combat knives [because] of the opening mechanism - between the risk it might fail when you needed it and the issue of making the mechanism sturdy enough to take combat stresses without snapping off or folding closed on the hand you are gripping it with, and the fact it doesn't actually take any longer to draw a knife from a sheath than it does to deploy a switchblade, well....

Note too that anything bigger than a small knife is largely irrelevant in any folding or retracting format - if the blade is larger than a one handed grip, you can't conceal it within the handle without making the handle ridiculously large. Not to mention the longer blade offering a longer lever arm to make that stress on the mechanism problem even worse.

Folding knives like an old straight razor or a Laguiole have been common since the middle ages, but did not have a lock until modern times. So in general, I would be careful of stabbing with any of them, and stabbing is the way of using a knife which is really dangerous.

Its kind of notable that fantasyland has acquired the technology of the 1870-1914 era such as bedsprings and dirigibles.

[Donny Brook]

A sprung locking folder (switch blade) could be made as strong as a good quality manual-opening locking folder.

But even in a good quality locking folder, the locking parts are smaller and more fragile than a solid tang and handle. There's no way around that.

In the kind that open out the front, the best quality will have a solid bar than slips into part of the space in the handle occupied by the closed blade. This will make it quite sturdy for the force of thrusting, but again there is no way to compensate for the lack of robustness for swinging and parrying.

[Bathawk]

Originally Posted by Kromm

It's described on p. 197 of High-Tech, with stats on p. 200. It amounts to a cruddy small knife you don't want to parry with.

I nearly lost a finger to an expensive folding knife, not a switchblade, when its well-made, solid lock failed anyway. In fact, this happened twice with two different knives, neither of them cheap. I've handled both folding and out-the-front switchblades, and would say that "expensive," "well-made," "solid," and "not cheap" wouldn't describe any of them . . . I'd hesitate to use one as a weapon.

Thank you. I have the pdf, but when I searched for "switchb" it only came up with four matches for "switchboard"

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Bathawk

Thank you. I have the pdf, but when I searched for "switchb" it only came up with four matches for "switchboard"

You're using a case-sensitive search. Searching for "Switchb" should find the right item.

[Polydamas]

If you have the printed book, the print index is better (ie. its a real index not find-and-replace)

The mechanical aspect of switchblades, flick knives, and butterfly knives appeals to the inner fourteen-year-old, and folding or spring knives can fit into a smaller space than a fixed-blade knife (in GURPS terms, they have better Holdout, eg. +0 rather than -1 for the Tactical Folding Knife and Switchblade on High Tech pp. 197, 198). In those respect, they do appeal to petty criminals.