I bought an automatic opening at a store here, no problems. It was a side opening stiletto.
You can buy automatic knives in a state that they're restricted in, don't know why, but thats the way it is... you know when you walk into a gas station and they have knives that are in a small display case? Lots of those are typically automatic knives, at least here they are.
I used to carry a box knife like what you have 2.9XLT, heck, I even swam in the river with it, but once I started carrying a "regular" pocket knife, I realize how heavy that damn thing was, and how crappy its pocket clip was. I found after 2 years of carry, it came out of the pocket really easily, and fell out many times. Still keep it around for wiring, cutting zip ties, and cutting other thick things where a regular blade would dull too fast.
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Well, I decided which fixed blade to get, its a CRKT Dogfish:
I also found this little knife, a Spyderco "Bug"... it has a total length of 2.75"... really really tiny knife, but I figured it would be a good keyring knife, or a good key pocket knife.