Best production flipper?

Shiro or Thorburn - Andre Thorburn's knives are more often considered custom but there are some models that
are not all fancied up - simple bolsters with G10 scales, for example, which are (I think) legitimately,
production models. These are incredibly smooth. Different feel than the one spectacular Shiro F3 I owned.
Either made all other versions I've tried feel mid-tech at best. They certainly spoiled all others. :( :thumbsup:

Ray
 
The North Arm Knives Skaha deserves at least an honorable mention. Action is pretty awesome on it. I'm also absolutely in love with my Hoback MK Ultra for flipping action, but it could be called midtech not just production, it's a weird middle ground.
 
I understand that Shiro and Thorburn knives are great flippers. I don’t own a Thorburn and the only Shiro I own is a Tabargan w/ Axis Lock so I cant offer personal testimony.

Of what I have first-hand experience with, I’d say Reate followed by CKF, WE and ZT. But really, the difference between the best and the tenth best has become minuscule.

It’s so easy to find good flipper action these days; it can be had in knives costing $50. The mystery of the Flipper has been solved and good action can be easily obtained...except maybe by Spyderco.
 
Higher price I gotta go with Koenig and the newer Hinderers on bearings.

Mid level my favorite is still the ZT0456 but all ZTs flip well.
 
I think Hackenslash Hackenslash nailed it--if it's flipping action you're basing your question on, it's down to a matter of minuscule degrees and probably knife-to-knife variations these days.

People like to think there is some brand or another (e.g. usually Shirogorov) that has better action than everything else, but once you're at "falls freely shut but still has the detent to rocket open" there is no action difference to be had, and there are piles of knives that meet that criteria these days. I bought and sold a few Shiros that were ultra-smooth, drop shut, rocket open knives and they didn't have any better action than say, my CKF Milk or the better of my two Begg Steelcraft Mini Bodegas. Even some really inexpensive knives are getting pretty damn good, I've been surprised by a few cheap knives too. The action and general all around quality on my Steel Will CF Modus is shocking. Its blade falls just a hair short of freely, and it has great fit and finish outside of my wishing they'd chosen to radius the edges of the blade spine and flipper tab, but that's easy enough to fix up after the fact.

That said, I may be the only person who prefers a little resistance. I find myself bending in more detent pressure or cranking down pivots on the wildly free swinging knives with a decently heavy blade. I've had no success with the Milk on that front, even when super tight it goes into free fall at the slightest provocation when it's unlocked.
 
Best production flipper with a plunge lock, and a deep pocket clip that's reversible:

Hogue-Knives-X-5-SP-Flipper-FDE-SW-34554-BHQ-81367-jr-large.jpg
 
I'm not a flipper guy, but I was amazed at the Guardian Tactical Helix I bought on a whim. Rockets open, falls shut.

But I am learning from this thread that this is the new normal.
 
SavageSick said:
I've been eyeballing the 0450.

Care to explain? FWIW, I am impressed by the 0452 in my collection.
Click to expand...

The blade is too thick, and the handle is too short.

I realize that those aren't GREAT reasons, but something about that knife just rubs me the wrong way.
 
Bastinelli Safe folder has the best flipping action and is addictive as hell.
It's so good it annoys the missus! Hahaha
 
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