Button Lock, Full Titanium, Non-Assisted Flipper

bld522

bld522

Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
7,119
I'm in the market for a folder that incorporates the following design elements:

1. Button lock.
2. Non-assisted flipper.
3. Full Titanium handles.
4. Blade length not to exceed 3.5 inches.
5. Weight not to exceed 4.0 ounces.
6. Premium blade steel (154CM or better).

The only knife I've been able to find that comes close to meeting these criteria is the Tighe Coon by Brian Tighe. It has a button lock, non-assisted flipper, full Titanium handles, and BG-42 or RWL-34 blade steel. And by all accounts, it's beautifully made. With a blade length of 3-3/4" and a weight of 4.3 oz, however, it's a little longer and heavier than I'd like.

Does anyone other than Brian make a knife like this?
 
Last edited:
Tighe was the only person I could think of. Have you tried emailing him and asking if he could make a Tighe Coon with a 3.5 inch blade?

Otherwise, his Nirk Tighe has a 3.5 inch blade, 4 ounce weight, but not a button lock. http://www.bladehq.com/item--Brian-Tighe-Custom-Medium-Tighe-Rod--13496

brian-tighe-medium-tighe-rod-large.jpg
 
Thanks, harkamus. I would contact Brian as you suggest, but a full-custom Tighe Coon is probably out of my ballpark.

Just for laughs and giggles, I contacted William Henry about the possibility of building a flipper. I haven't heard back from them yet. But if they ever decided to make one, my search would probably be over. Then again, so would my knife buying funds for quite some time.
 
Rod Olson has made some titanium flippers featuring a button lock, that might be another option.
 
evilgreg said:
Rod Olson has made some titanium flippers featuring a button lock, that might be another option.
Click to expand...

Oooh, that's right up his alley. It looks like he has some Tighe influence. His knives use STBS which is a thrust bearing system that Brian Tighe came up with if I'm not mistaken. Also, the reverse bevel (not sure what the technical term is) on the pivot side of the handles is very Brian Tighe-like. Finally, both makers are from Canada if I'm not mistaken.

http://www.knifeart.com/rodolson.html

knifeart_2243_171430331p
 
Yep. That could definitely be the knife I'm looking for. I notice that a similar knife was sold on the Exchange back in November. I just sent the seller a PM to find out what he thought of it and why he decided to sell it. Hopefully I'll get some feedback from him.

EDIT: I do have one major concern, harkamus. The knifemaker, Rod Olson, is virtually unknown. His knives have very little presence on the Internet, no videos of them exist on Youtube, and other than the fact that a few Olson knives have been sold on the Exchange, I can't find any information about Rod or his knives on BF. If I purchase the knife and something goes wrong with it, I wouldn't even know where to send it in for repairs. I was able to find a few previous sales on Rod Olson knives with a similar design and they've all sold in the mid-$300 price range. But the one you posted is FAR more expensive than that. In fact, it's only about 10% less than the cost of a brand new Tighe Coon from a contributing BF Retailer (when they have them in stock, that is). One difference, I suppose, is that the Tighe Coon is a midtech knife and the Olson is a full custom. But I'm not sure if that's worth running the risk of buying a knife from an invisible knifemaker. (Don't get me wrong. I've purchased custom knives from virtually unknown knifemakers before and they've been outstanding. But I've always had a chance to inspect the knives before I purchased them. I don't have that advantage this time. And although I've purchased from them before without incident, the retailer who has the knife you posted doesn't have the friendliest return policies or a sterling reputation for dealing with customer issues.)
 
Last edited:
William Henry makes a knife that fits your qualifications, the gen tac. It's expensive, but the plain (just titanium) handled one is less than a tighe. They use zdp189 steel.
 
Ernie1980 said:
William Henry makes a knife that fits your qualifications, the gen tac. It's expensive, but the plain (just titanium) handled one is less than a tighe. They use zdp189 steel.
Click to expand...
It's not a flipper. Does not meet his criteria.

To OP:
Regarding the Tighe Coon though, it is a custom knife and not a mid tech. I would just see what Tighe can do. He's a nice guy. Met him a few times at Bladeshow. Did he reply back?

The only other knife I can think of isn't out yet. It's by a Russian custom maker named Shirogorov. Truenorthknives is the sole importer for the US right now, so he might be able to get one after it gets released. The knife uses an axial lock from what I can tell from Shirogorov's website (translated into English by google). Shirogorov is an interesting maker since he has rights to use the Benchmade Axis lock as well. Though if you meant full titanium as in not just the liners being titanium, I suppose the knife doesn't fit all your criteria.

27.jpg


Maker website is shirogorov.com. Google will translate it.
 
Last edited:
Not yet, harkamus. In the interim, I got a lead on a Rod Olson flipper. I may go that route if I can connect with the seller. And believe me, Ernie, if William Henry made a GenTac flipper, I'd be on it like white on rice. William Henry makes terrific knives.

Thanks for the tip on Shirogorov. There's a lot of buzz about those knives right now. They seem to be on a lot of people's wish lists, so they must be well made.

UPDATE: I was able to get together with the seller of the Olson Flipper and I purchased it this afternoon. It meets every one of my criteria. It's just like the one you posted above except it has a standard CF inlay instead of an LSCF inlay. I'll let you know what I think of it as soon as it arrives.
 
Last edited:
My William Henry knives flip just fine. Just hold the button down and have at it. It's all in the wrist. LOL My Benchmade Axis lock knives also flip with ease. My Tighe Rod is no faster to deploy than the W/H and B/M models mentioned.
 
Speed really isn't the primary issue for me. It's the ability to deploy the blade without having to fiddle around with thumbstuds or holes or rely on a spring or a wrist snap to assist with the opening. Perhaps that's why flippers continue to gain in popularity. But I appreciate your suggestion.
 
Last edited:
After a long and tortuous journey, the Olson FINALLY arrived . . . and it was worth the wait. The knife meets all of my specifications. It looks just like the picture harkamus posted above (#6) except that the inlays are standard CF rather than LSCF. The action is buttery smooth, the lockup is tight and the blade is centered. I got it for a great price too, so I'm a very happy camper. :)

Here are the specs:

Blade length = 3"
Overall length = 4"
Blade thickness = 0.120" at the ricasso
Handle thickness = .490"
Weight = 2.9 oz
Steel = RWL 34
Handles = Titanium with CF inlay
Pivot = STBS Bearing System
Lock = Button Lock
Clip = Titanium, RH Tip-up Only

Thanks again to evilgreg for leading me to it.
 
Last edited:
Was wondering if you got it and was anxious to hear your thoughts. Glad it all worked out. :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top