Switchblade
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A switchblade (also known as automatic knife) is a type of knife with a folding blade that springs out of the grip when a button or lever on the grip is pressed – either a side-opening knife, which opens automatically in the same manner as an ordinary folding knife, that is, with the blade pivoting out of the side of the handle, or as a so-called 'OTF' (out-the-front) design, in which the blade slides out of the tip of the handle. A wide variety of blade designs may be found on switchblades, which are themselves not limited to the stereotypical Italian stiletto seen often in movies. The normal term in British English is flick-knife.
Switchblades are frequently made cheaply, however, there are a fair number of knife companies and custom makers who build high quality automatic knives for military and emergency personnel, and for the knife collector or people residing in areas where automatic knives are legal. Switchblades are heavily regulated at the state level, and interstate commerce in switchblades is also restricted by the federal government.
Some famous automatic knife manufacturers include Microtech, Protech, Benchmade, Dalton, and Piranha. The switchblade should not be confused with the butterfly knife, assisted-opening knife, or stiletto.