Best US made flipper

Tri way Hinderer's are THE best US made flippers under $500 right now. I've had a Shiro and I just sold my Arius. The Arius was amazing and the overall machining expertise of the Koenig surpasses the Hinderer's but it's also at least $200 more than a Hinderer. I honestly don't feel that the Arius action is any better than a Hinderer at this point. I'm currently loving my full Ti gen 3 Eklipse:D


PS... Hinderer's are also really hard to get right now. All the drops are selling out QUICK
 
I vote for a Hinderer too. I bought a 3.5 Wharncliffe like the one pictured above and love it.

You can watch the secondary market and pick a nice one up if you are patient.
 
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Protech Malibu, keep the rest of the money for another blade.

Been after a Malibu for quite a while and they’re near impossible to get! Got an email about a drop today at 3:02. Jumped onto the site at 3:10 and they were gone. It doesn’t help that Protech only make these in small batches. Beautiful knife!
 
If I could get one, I'd consider a Half Track wharncliffe. However, my knife storage thingy is full so no new knives for a bit, until I sell or give one away. Viper now has a Hinderer collab called the Storm, and is compatable with the Half Track back spacer system. I've consider that too...
 
I also will vote for the Hinderer XM18 3.5" Gen6. Detent is very well balanced, flipping actions is great, and the overall construction is top notch.
 
Question... Are any US makers using the fancy steels like M390 or Elmax? I know they are still using very nice steel, but since I started on Shirogorov, I know more about those steels. And see much less of that on the US stuff.

You see M390 and Elmax in Russia & China, because - being European - Böhler-Uddeholm doesn't have the same export restrictions as the US. The US steels equivalent to M390 (as said above) are CPM-20CV and CTS-204p.

If you actually do go for a Hinderer, most modern Hinderers have either CPM-20CV or (only a few) CPM-3V. Excluding DLT exclusives, which typically run M390.

Roland.
 
As mentioned earlier, ZT knives are very good too. This is my "most American knife" :)

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Upgraded to multi-row ceramic bearings, it will give your Shiros a run for the money :) Interestingly enough, ZT released a special version of that knife only in Russia, it's quite popular there.
 
Koenig Arius might be the best, but it's $150-$250 over your price range. An Olamic Swish or Wayfarer would be up there, too, at between $375 and $700 depending on options. Hinderer XM-18 or Eklipse would be in your price at $425, and the bigger XM-24 wouldn't be much over it. The Full Track and the smaller Half Track are probably better flipping action than the XMs, in my opinion, although the latest generation Hinderers with the tri-way pivot have gone a long way to redeeming Hinderer's reputation for mediocre flipping.
 
This is all great info, thanks so much. Haha, ok, now I understand how people end up with so many knives.

And just for my noob completeness... Are the Chris Reeve knives also as good as I want to think they are? They were one of my first considerations when I started looking, but so many had handles, patterns, bling...that just wasn't for me.

But now, I've seen some.special.edition CF Sebenzas or some.of the dark inlays that look much simpler and classier to me. So, back on the table for now, maybe? Would be looking at the large 21 or 31...
 
I wanted a Hinderer bad for quite a while. Spending that kind of money, I also wanted a specific model, color and finish. I gave up when I realized that's probably not gonna happen. That's when I discovered Olamic Cutlery. They will actually let you place an order for a knife and then build it for you. What a refreshing concept! They have several models that are all very nice. I was about to place my order for a Wayfarer 247 when I found a NIB Spyderco Military in Cruwear that I thought would fit my needs better. I haven't had a chance to handle anything from Olamic Cutlery yet, but from everything I've soaked in, it seems they have great products. I recommend you give them a look. From what you describe, I believe they may suit your taste well.
 
For what it's worth, I've looked hard at Chris Reeve Knives for a while. Still a beginner myself, I've decided I don't like thumb studs for now. Something to consider....
 
For what it's worth, I've looked hard at Chris Reeve Knives for a while. Still a beginner myself, I've decided I don't like thumb studs for now. Something to consider....

True... The studs don't bother me as much as the folded profile, and some of the handle designs/types. All personal preference. Just not my preference. :)
 
I'd like to say it's this Halftrack since it's my latest and it does flip really nicely. But if I'm being completely honest, it would actually be any new Hinderer XM-18 / Eklipse 3.5" Triway. Even better on the new Skiff bearings that fit. Beautiful action, incredible build quality, not so fancy that I would never actually use it (Koenig, Holt). Available if you stay on top of drops and comes in $75 below your budget, which unfortunately you will quickly blow on some shiny alternate Hinderer hardware or a different scale.

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