The N690-steel blade opens very easy through the smooth ball bearings around the hinge point. There are 3 ways to open the knife: the smooth flipper, the grip part on the blade that acts as thumb hole, or the Emerson-like wave on the back of the blade. This wave sticks behind your pocket when you get it out and opens the blade automatically. The handle is ergonomically shaped and fits very nice in the hand. The side of the grip has a crease milled out which comes in handy when you want to use a fire bow. It will keep a stick in place while using it to make fire.