Closing a Flipper

[Chronovore]

Flipper tabs are my preferred opening method. I've also gotten used to using them when I close a knife with one hand. On most knives, I push the lock bar aside with my trigger finger or thumb, depending on how I'm holding it. The blade falls just enough to clear the detent ball and comes to rest with the flipper tab on the pushing digit. Then I move the digit and let the blade fall closed. This is especially satisfying with a smooth "drop-shutty" action.

I've recently tried a couple of knives that have really small flipper tabs. The first time I closed one without thinking, the tiny tab sailed right past. Instead, the blade edge landed on the back of my thumb. I got proof of sharpness from just the weight of the blade.

I know. We should always pay attention to what we are doing. Still, would you consider this a design flaw? How common is this? I'd love to get your thoughts on this.

 

[knerd]

User error. The lock functions as needed. When the lock isn't in use the blade is unlocked.

Change your habits?

 

[ScooterG]

Not a design flaw. You’ll eventually build muscle memory with repeated closing. If you don’t, please post weekly pics

 

[3fifty7]

Would I consider it a design flaw for a blade to be able to rotate closed once the lock mechanism had been released ?

No, no I would not.

 

[Dogdrawz]

Not a design flaw. You’ll eventually build muscle memory with repeated closing.

^^^ This. I once viewed a video by GPknives in which he pulled a thumb stud knife from the pocket & tried to flip it open w/ a non existent flipper tab. to muscle memory.

 

[Chronovore]

Don't get me wrong. I freely admit the user error. I should have been paying more attention. This happened because I defaulted to "muscle memory" based on a common tab design in all the other manual flippers I've owned. I had come to expect a stop based on the tab moving through that zone.

Since "all the other manual flippers I've owned" is a tiny slice of the pie, how common is it for the tab to not move appreciably through the zone of lock bar access?

 

[soc_monki]

Let the blade land on your thumb nail. That's what I do, so if the tab misses (or I have my thumb lower down than normal) I don't get cut.

I have missed a time or two, however, so ymmv!