Do you "flick" your knife open? Why or Why not?

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futrdreams

Joined
Aug 23, 2001
Messages
26
Hey all,
As the thread asks do you flick your knife open? What I mean is, with out using the hole or thumbstud, can you and do you open your knife with a flick of the wrist? I have for several years and didn't ever think much of it until I started hanging out here. I've seen threads on thumbstud vs "spyder" holes before, and to me it never realy mattered. So know I find myself wondering, is flicking my knives open bad for them? I've done this w/ almost every folder i've ever owned.
Thanks.

Chris



P.S. I dont ever open a knife this way around sheeple, if I'm around those types, I usually use a two handed opening.
 
I do it here and there, but certainly not as a matter of routine. IMO, it is harmful over the long run to the pivot area of the folder.

If you look on the Chris Reeve site (www.chrisreeve.com), you'll see, in the FAQ area, a caution about flicking his folders open. Keep in mind that his folders are built like tanks. That should give you an idea about the wisdom of flicking.
 
Flicking is hard on tolerances. On liner locks and frame locks, it smacks the blade's back harder into the stop pin (often causing marring of the stop pin), causing the lock to engage moreso than if opened without inertia (often causing premature wear to the lock face when unlocked).

That said, my personal study of locking mechanisms has proven the Axis mech to be the most resistent to "flicking damage." The lock engages more fully, but the 416 stop pin and pivot pin really stand up well to the abuse. 2 1/2 years of daily carry, use, and occasional flicking of my 705 and other Axis models is my basis for this.

Professor.
 
I used to have this crappy, zytel-handled linerlock... only had a single liner, and after being flicked for a while, the liner was had bent to the point that it hit the other side. Eventually snapped the handle scale right in half.

Of course, that was a cheap POS. You should check all your linerlocks, to make sure that the liner is not hitting the handle. If it is, then it's pretty much screwed.

And, non-linerlocks seem to not be damaged as much by flicking, but you should still give all your knives a thorough inspection.
 
For the engineering reasons noted already "flicking" over stresses a knife
leading to pre-mature wear and / or failure. Other than the "toy" factor there
is NO real good reason to "flick" at all. It's all to easy to forget a knife is
tool for cutting. Like all tools they require care by the owner to last and
function correctly.
 
Why flick, when you could Wave?

Emerson's are built to open that way....

Regards,

Ed
 
in a word...no!....i use the knife blade stud or hole as it was designed or in the case of a commander the wave...i too refer you to the crk faq section as to why not do this to your knife....feverdoc
 
Actually, a lot of people do this.....so I try to build my knives so they can take that sort of use. I have seen makers turn red when guys do that to new knives on their table....but I cant see why....
I use a hardened 440C stop pin and tight tolerances. Its a KNIFE.... I always use the analogy of a Porsche door.....do you gently close it each and ever time?? Or slam the slide home on an empty chamber on your custom 1911? Maybe, maybe not....but it needs to be built for the hard user.......or it aint worth buildin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:p:):p:):p:):p
My opinion.........obviously!
 
I use flicking when i'm in a hurry, but not generally.

Why? because depending on how you do it, you could accelerate wear on most knives, i've heard the Lockbacks and AXIS locks are indifferent to flicking, which may or may not be true, but I do know that if you flick hard enough often enough you can really wreck your liner lock, or maybe even a frame lock.
 
I usually just open the blade normally with the stud/hole. However, I do have a CRKT M16 that I flick only because I'm not very good with the thumbstuds and the flipper is so much easier. I've been flicking it for over a year and there hasn't been any noticeable damage, but I definitely wouldn't flick any of my more expensive knives.
 
I used to do the ballistic flick thing, but not really anymore. I do think it is hard on a knife, so I avoid it. With my AFCK I do something different. I do a half flick so that the blade coems out and then by turning my hand over kinda sorta like, the blade will "flick" over the rest of the way. My two part flick makes for an easier flicking open on the folder parts. Since the blade is already half open from my first flick, there is little force needed to flick the blade home.
 
No, I do not like to put the wear and tear on the knife. Besides I now carry mostly fixed blades and obviously they don't need to be opened at all.
 
I agree with all of the above comments. If it is a high dollar piece, I open it fully with the provided stud or hole. The only models I have ever flicked open are the M16 and my new M18 from CRKT. Given the "Carson Flipper" and the fact that the large dual thumb studs act as the stop pin, it hasn't affected them. I think this will be especially true of the M18. This little beauty is extremely smooth and doesn't require much effort to flip it open, at least no more than opening it rapidly with the thumb via the stud.
 
I don't flick my knife open, 'cause I don't think that anyone wants to see my Sifu flying out of my hand, across the room!.:D.:eek:.:D.
 
I view "flicking" in the same way I view the "spine-whack test", both are un-neccesary abuse of the knife.
Just my opinion.

Paul
 
My EDC's are an Emerson PSARK and a Kershaw Boa. all day long in my house all you hear is CLACK CLACK CLACK. I don't think there is any other way to open these two knives!!
 
I still flick my knives open...


I was trying to break the habit until I had a conversation with a well known maker, and his comment was much like Mayo's, but a little stronger. He told me that if a maker got pissed because you flicked a knife, then the knife wasn't worth buying in the first place, as it should hold up to that kind of stress without any problems. I kind of live by that rule now when it comes to folders.
 
Originally posted by tom mayo
....but it needs to be built for the hard user.......or it ain't worth buildin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I have talked to a two famous knifemakers (in TOTALLY OFF THE RECORD conversations) who say it is OK To flick their knives...even though their public policy is against it. I understood their reasoning to be that one guy might be able to flick open a knife with "reasonable force" many thousands of times with no damage, while someone else might be doing "full arm swing" flicks and beat the heck out of a knife in a much shorter time.

That being said, it is nice to see a maker who puts something like that into print! (I have flicked my TNTs... Not every time I open them... Not often at full force [ but it has been done...] Generally, I just glide the blade open with my thumb and enjoy the ride...)

The speed limit may be 65 MPH... but it sure is nice to know my 6.0 L, V8 Silverado 2500 can cruse at 105 MPH when I want it to. I'm not selling all my knives from makers that are against "flicking", but I will seriously think before I buy another...


(The other taboo test for some makers is the dreaded "Spine Whack". At Blade 2001, I watched Tom Mayo destroy the edge of the table we were dinning at by spine whacking his 001 TNT (now with NC Blades). It was a pretty impressive show of lock strength. The lock held just fine; The Talonite didn't show a mark; Jerry Hossom stopped him before we had to pay for the table....);)

Michael
 
I was going to answer "yes", but I don't think "flick" is the right term for me. "flip" is probably closer.

bogus.jpg


Mike
 
Options are always nice...
 

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