An automatic knife does one job faster than any folder on your belt. Press a button or push a slider and the blade is out, locked, and ready to cut, with no wrist flick and no two-handed routine.
The split that decides everything else is direction. Out-the-front knives drive the blade straight out of the handle on a slider, while out-the-side knives swing the blade open like a regular folder, just powered by a spring.
These five picks cover both directions and a wide price ladder, from a $69.95 Boker to a $550.00 Benchmade. Every price and spec here comes straight from the maker’s own product page, checked before this guide was built.
Key points:
- Two out-the-front picks: the Microtech Ultratech Gen IV at $367.00 and the Benchmade Infidel at $550.00
- Three out-the-side picks: the Kershaw Launch 19, the Pro-Tech Godfather, and the Boker Kalashnikov
- The budget door into automatics is the Boker Plus Kalashnikov All Black at $69.95
- Automatic knife rules change by state and sometimes by city, so read the legality section before ordering anything
Before you buy an automatic, check the law where you live
Federal law draws the first line. The Federal Switchblade Act, at 15 U.S.C. sections 1241 through 1244, defines a switchblade as a knife whose blade opens automatically by pressure on a button or device in the handle, or by inertia or gravity.
That federal law mainly restricts moving switchblades in interstate commerce and bans making, selling, or possessing them in federal territories and certain federal jurisdictions. It also carries listed exceptions, including common carriers shipping knives in the ordinary course of business and knives supplied under Armed Forces contracts.
Inside the fifty states, ownership and carry rules are set state by state, and cities can add their own limits on top. A knife that is fine to own and carry in Texas may be restricted in another state, and sellers routinely refuse shipments to some addresses.
So the working rule is simple. Check your state and local rules for ownership, carry, and blade length before you order, and check them again before you travel with an automatic in your pocket.
Microtech Ultratech Gen IV
The Ultratech is the out-the-front benchmark, and the Gen IV version keeps the formula tight. A thumb slider on the handle drives the blade out the front and pulls it back in, so opening and closing both happen with one hand.
Microtech builds this one around a 3.55-inch single-edge blade in M390MK steel, set in a 6061-T6 aluminum handle in OD Green with a black blade finish. Open, the knife runs 8.54 inches long, and it weighs 3.61 ounces on Microtech’s own spec list.
Price: $367.00
Where to buy: Microtech
That weight is the quiet surprise here. A full-size double-action out-the-front knife at 3.61 ounces carries flatter than its length suggests, and the glass breaker at the butt end adds a hard point without adding bulk you will notice day to day.
The Gen IV updates include Microtech’s Crud Kutter and Dual-Fuel Drive Train, both named on the maker’s page for this generation.
At $367.00 direct from Microtech, the Ultratech Gen IV sits below the Infidel while giving you a more modern blade steel. If you want one out-the-front knife and you want the established name, this is the one the rest of the category gets measured against.
Benchmade Infidel 3300BK
The Infidel is the heavyweight in this group, in price and in hand. Benchmade’s double-action out-the-front mechanism runs off a broad slider on the face of the handle, and the symmetrical dagger blade makes the knife work the same from either hand.
The spec sheet reads 3.91 inches of D2 tool steel at 60 to 62 HRC, in a 6061-T6 anodized aluminum handle. Open length is 8.91 inches, closed length is 5.00 inches, and weight is 4.90 ounces, the heaviest knife in this guide by a clear margin.
Price: $550.00
Where to buy: Benchmade
You feel that weight as solidity rather than drag, though pocket carry is a bigger commitment than with the Ultratech. Benchmade also backs the Infidel with its LifeSharp program, which covers lifetime sharpening and maintenance for owners of genuine Benchmade knives.
At $550.00, the Infidel is a deliberate purchase, not an experiment. Buy it if the ambidextrous dagger format and Benchmade’s service program are what you want, and skip it if you are still deciding whether out-the-front carry suits you at all.
Kershaw Launch 19
The Launch 19 is the working knife of this group, an out-the-side automatic that opens with a push button and locks with that same button. It looks like a regular everyday carry folder because, apart from the spring doing the opening work, it is one.
Kershaw specs the blade at 3.3 inches in CPM 154 steel with a two-tone finish, black Cerakote flats over satin grinds. The handle pairs black-anodized aluminum with an earth brown G10 front scale, and a finger choil lets you choke up for close cuts.
Price: $239.99
Where to buy: Kershaw
Open, the Launch 19 measures 7.7 inches, with a 4.4-inch closed length and a weight of just 3 ounces. That makes it the lightest full-size pick here, and the deep-carry clip and lanyard hole keep it set up for daily pocket time.
Kershaw lists the Launch 19 at a $239.99 special price against a $299.99 regular price on its own store. For a USA-made automatic in CPM 154 that you can carry every day without thinking about it, that is strong money.
Pro-Tech Godfather 921
The Godfather is the classic out-the-side stiletto, built long and slim in the Italian pattern. Press the button and the 4-inch blade snaps out from the side, and the whole knife has the quick, decisive action Pro-Tech is known for across its automatic line.
This 921 version runs a DLC black blade in 154CM steel with a stiletto profile, in a solid black 6061 aluminum handle with blasted hardware. Overall length is 9.25 inches with a 5.25-inch handle, and weight is 3.6 ounces despite the size.
Price: $225.00
Where to buy: Pro-Tech
That combination is the Godfather’s whole argument. It is the longest knife in this guide and still lighter than the Infidel, though the needle point and slim profile suit collection drawers and dress carry better than prying, scraping, or other hard utility work.
Pro-Tech lists the Godfather 921 at $225.00 on its own store. If your interest in automatics starts with the stiletto shape itself, this is the authentic American-made version of it, with no clone shortcuts in the build.
Boker Plus Kalashnikov All Black
The Kalashnikov is where most people should start. It is a push-button, out-the-side automatic with a button lock, an aluminum handle, and a price that lets you learn whether you like automatics before you spend real money finding out the answer.
Boker specs this All Black version with a 3.35-inch blade in D2 steel and a black finish from tip to tail. Overall length is 7.83 inches and weight is 3.60 ounces, right in the same carry class as the Kershaw, at a fraction of the Kershaw’s price.
Price: $69.95
Where to buy: Boker USA
The trade is clear and honest. D2 at this price will not match the corrosion resistance or refinement of the steels higher up this list, and the fit and finish are workmanlike rather than polished. None of that stops it cutting boxes, straps, and cordage every day. Boker USA lists the Kalashnikov All Black at $69.95, and it is in stock there. As a first automatic, a truck knife, or a spare you will not baby, nothing else in this guide gets close on price.
Picking between the five
Start with direction, because it decides your daily routine. Out-the-front sliders give you straight-line deployment in tight spaces and one-handed closing, while out-the-side buttons carry slimmer, feel familiar, and usually cost less for the same quality level.
On budget, the ladder is clean. The Boker Kalashnikov at $69.95 proves the concept, the Pro-Tech Godfather at $225.00 and the Kershaw Launch 19 at $239.99 cover style and daily work in the middle, and the two out-the-front knives sit above them.
Between the Ultratech at $367.00 and the Infidel at $550.00, the Ultratech is the sensible buy for most people, lighter with a stronger steel on paper. The Infidel earns its premium only if you specifically want the ambidextrous dagger and Benchmade’s service behind it.
For everyday carry, take the Launch 19 and its 3 ounces. For a first automatic, take the Kalashnikov and spend the savings on a sharpener. And before any of them ship to your door, run the legality check at the top of this guide one more time.
