Recommendation? Best Value Front Flipper

G

goldenboy9595

Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
170
I'm looking for a new front flipper. I bought a Boker Plus Lancer a while back and I really like the front flipper. I am looking to buy a new one and hoping for some recommendations on a good value for quality. Price range is pretty broad (100 -400?). Again just looking for a good value.

Thanks!
 
goldenboy9595 said:
That's pretty sweet. Thanks
Click to expand...

I have the stainless Puuko one, and quite like it. It's super sharp out of the box and I like the design alot, it works quite well and has a gentleman-ly look to it. Downsides would be the weight (for it's size) and you need to loctite the pivot, it tends to get loose on it's own after some flipping since it's free spinning.No experience with the Titanium one, I like my G3 but I don't love it enough to upgrade, your mileage might vary.
Oh yeah, and they have a new Front Flipper I blanked on the G5 Metamorph, no experience with it though.
 
i have both kizer feists and I remember there was a time when they can be found on the bay for almost $125. i had bought a user feist with the fix to edc while the first gen stays packed away. If only I can convince Justin to redesign the blade a little, :rolleyes: its an almost perfect small folder front flipper.
 
Top end of your range gets you into an Olamic Busker. It's nine kinds of fun. Great little knife. I'm not sure about best value though.
 
goldenboy9595 said:
I'm looking for a new front flipper. I bought a Boker Plus Lancer a while back and I really like the front flipper. I am looking to buy a new one and hoping for some recommendations on a good value for quality. Price range is pretty broad (100 -400?). Again just looking for a good value.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

On the cheaper end,

Real Steel G5 metamorph is a gorgeous front flipper. If you are considering the Pukko front flipper consider this too.
maxresdefault.jpg


Then if you want a big knife (4 inch blade) the Katsu titanium framelocks are AMAZING value. Nicest knife I have ever seen for $100 build quality is amazing. (Made in Japan)
wwxmU1S.jpg

Clip doesn’t come anodized purple.
Muvpjep.jpg

The Boker Exskelibur I is a front flipper. Just make sure to get the Ti framelock version as it is the best one. (Dont get the exskelibur 2 it is not a front flipper) Just be aware that the quality is great and the action very smooth but the screws are very soft. This isn’t a knife you want to disassemble. Basically set the clip to tip up or down according to preference and leave the screws alone.
x9Fxce9.jpg

wRbSyjS.jpg


Super thin knife, amazing for edcing a ti framelock. This knife constantly kicks way more expensive knives out of my pocket.
pCH23T6.jpg


Then there is the Kizer Feist. i have no issues accessing the lockbar but I never seem to on any knife. Great knife for the price, abit small though. (2.75 inch blade)
VAqdRzM.jpg


If you keep your eyes out you might be able to find a used Gareth Bull for around $500. These are top of the line front flippers along with the Burger Exk Is and the A2 front flippers. These are customs out of south africa. Then there is the Zeiba custom front flipper I am not sure of the cost on that.


I got this pretty well used Gareth Bull for just under $500. Love it.
pBWzYCJ.jpg


Stay away from this Vouking front flipper. Overly stiff detent makes it a crappy front flipper.
12_ef64067b-b471-4d40-a8e6-0c02c59302b0_300x300.jpg
 
b00n said:
I have the stainless Puuko one, and quite like it. It's super sharp out of the box and I like the design alot, it works quite well and has a gentleman-ly look to it. Downsides would be the weight (for it's size) and you need to loctite the pivot, it tends to get loose on it's own after some flipping since it's free spinning.No experience with the Titanium one, I like my G3 but I don't love it enough to upgrade, your mileage might vary.
Oh yeah, and they have a new Front Flipper I blanked on the G5 Metamorph, no experience with it though.
Click to expand...

Titanium version of the G3 pukko is not a front flipper.

Edit: nm, I stand corrected, they do have a TI version of the front flipper g3. I heard they are making a Ti framelock version of the metamorph. That might be the real steel to get.
 
This thread is relevant to my interests. I've been looking at the aforementioned Stedemon Vouking G02, Real Steel G5 Metamorph, and the Katsu Ti/CF front flipper. I've been ignoring the Boker options because of nothing short of personal prejudice based on my past experiences with the brand.

Stedemon has been good to me in the past (SHY IV and V were solid gold, and my D02 is still the smoothest flipper I have handled) so I'm a little surprised that the G02 has any issues. It's a shame, because I really like the look of the copper-colored pivot collar. The G5 Metamorph appeals to me, but I worry that the slim blade stock and smooth handles will be problematic. That leaves the Katsu as the most overwhelmingly-positively-reviewed knife, but the price, while a deal, makes me hesitant given that I have no prior experience with the brand. Also, the show side of the Katsu is maddeningly plain - I wish they had put a CF inlay on that side as well.

So, I'm in a paralyzing three-way tie between bias towards a brand I like (Stedemon), functional concerns (Real Steel), and lack of experience with a third brand (Katsu). Quick, someone send me a $200 Amazon card so I can just get all three and not sweat it.
 
Lapedog said:
On the cheaper end,

Real Steel G5 metamorph is a gorgeous front flipper. If you are considering the Pukko front flipper consider this too.
maxresdefault.jpg
Click to expand...

Been trying to find one of these in the Blue. Want to buy from any of the bigger, known online dealers but nobody seems to be stocking them. Closest is one of them has the grey version. :-( Anyone got a source that isn't the bay of pigs?
 
Wolverine666 said:
It's not? Maybe it's more of a top flipper?
Click to expand...

It's a down and diagonally back flipper I guess. :D Definitely not a front flipper in any way and while it works, it's not intuitive at first or easy or comfortable until you get the hang of it. I even thought at first something was wrong with it, but when you get it worked out it works very well. You push down on the stubby flipper and move backwards, almost as if you combine a light switch motion with push button motion, at least that's how I would describe it and how it works for me. (I have sausage fingers though)
 
Dan of Bazz Clazz said:
Been trying to find one of these in the Blue. Want to buy from any of the bigger, known online dealers but nobody seems to be stocking them. Closest is one of them has the grey version. :-( Anyone got a source that isn't the bay of pigs?
Click to expand...
I picked up a blue G5 Metamorph from one of the major online knife dealers last week. Honestly, I’m not impressed. I want to like the knife because of the blade shape, but there are quite a few negatives with the design.

First of all front flippers in general really aren’t very intuitive. They’re kind of Fiddly in the deployment department. I never have any trouble opening just about any knife design in multitudes of ways, but I find front flippers are usually awkward.

The Metamorph is slippery and a bit too long. The pocket clip doesn’t give you much to grab on to. Most front flipper designs seem to work better when you can grab the entire handle and hook your fingers around the clip. My medium-large meaty hands have trouble with this knife. I’ve managed to poke the heel of my palm a dozen times during deployment with this stabby blade.

The detent was way too strong out of the box. I had to disassemble the knife and lighten the lock bar tension. I also adjusted the pivot to get a decent flip without tearing up my thumb or flipping the knife into orbit.

The worst part of this knife is the very soft steel. Just about any cutting other than paper or thin cardboard rolls the edge horribly. I sharpened a single oak dowel rod and the factory edge was shot! I reprofiled to 17° per side with a 20° micro bevel and that rolled too. The steel sharpens easily to a razor edge, but doesn’t hold it at all. Way worse than any Kershaw or Byrd 8Cr13Mov.

I really wish this knife was a regular flipper with a better steel. I’d be willing to pay more for it.
 
I just ordered a Romain Bignon 'MiniBib' It'll be my first front flipping knife...

file.jpg


Anyone has any experience with this?
 
Ive hear amazing things about the boos blades smoke. However I'm not sure it counts as budget... you tend to get what you pay for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top