Drop shutty knives

[dkb45]

The 4in Wharnie keeps doing a Siren song whenever I see one...

Too big for me. I'm also hooked on the drop point version. The wharnie is more tanto.

 

[b00n]

Too big for me. I'm also hooked on the drop point version. The wharnie is more tanto.

The drop point has a great shape, definitely the more useable version of the two overall.

 

[ChazzyP]

I should clarify, I don't consider a blade that's armor plating thick or a blade that free swings when the lock is depressed to be drop shutty. Those are just cheating to achieve the action.

I also do have a 562, my 562CF is in my pocket at the time of writing this, and is pretty drop shutty.

Good point about blades free-swinging with locks released being beyond consideration, which eliminates all AXIS and compression lock knives, though their easy closing in one of the things I most value in them. Like Huy Nguyen said above, I like it less when the the blades bounce, requiring a wrist-roll to prevent needing an extra nudge to re-close.

One of the big factors I find that inhibits drop shutty action (is Nick Shabazz owed props for coining that term, BTW?) is lock-bar pressure. That seems to be what inhibits my ZTs from being being full DS and needing a light shake to drop closed. The same thing that makes them great flippers (strong detent) also eliminates them from my DS Hall of Fame. Like b00n , my fat thumb gets in the way of the flipper tab on my ZTs and I'm left with the detent ball right up against the blade tang acting as a secondary stop and requiring almost a three-step action to close the knives--disengage lock with thumb, pull back thumb a little/push ball up onto tang with index finger and flipper tab against thumbnail, then clear thumb and shake closed or flick closed with index finger.

That which inhibits my great flipping ZTs from being DS is what makes my Hinderers almost drop shutty--their light detents and light lockbar pressure. The fat thumb v flipper tab geometry is better for me on these too. Only my one Working Finish RHK won't drop closed with the lightest encouragement. My XM24 Spanto used to fall closed with no encouragement until I sent it off to Josh at REK to grind about a half-pound from the blade changing it from sharpened prybar to high-hollow-ground light saber. This re-inforces our OP's point about "armor plating thick" blades not counting.

Anyway, truly DS knives I own are:
North Arm Skaha (1), of course. Just stupidly free-falling.
Shirogorov F95T "Turtle", right out of the box fully DS, but with an almost slo-mo hydraulic action. Drop-shutty perfection.
Shiro F3 Python, after a lot of work on my part to cure some later-in-life lock stick. It was apart, cleaned, polished, and re-lubed so much that it became DS without trying to make it so.
Shiro NeOn UltraLight, right up until a few degrees before the detent ball catches. Not sure what's catching there, but don't really care.
Cheburkov Scout. This one is a great flipper, wicked smooth, and closes about like my Turtle.

Something about those Russians and drop-shuttiness, though those knives don't necessarily fit the OP's pricing criterion. They're more than some customs but less than others. The Cheburkov is considerably less than all but the Ultralight.

Drop Shutty is fun to play with and kinda cool, but not really all that useful. My preferred closing method is disengagement and forefinger-flick anyway.

 

[DRLyman]

I

I just sent the maker an email asking about the possibility of making a scale with a lefty clip. If nothing else, it puts one more in the pile of people who have expressed interest in a lefty version, and could be the teetering point to push him into doing it... or worst case scenario I only wasted like 2 minutes.

It may take him a little while to get back to you because he’s busy, but he will answer your questions. I’m interested in hearing his response.

 

[dkb45]

I

It may take him a little while to get back to you because he’s busy, but he will answer your questions. I’m interested in hearing his response.

Sadly it's a hard no from him. Not enough interest that he's seen, and the price point wouldn't be fiscally possible according to him. Getting one made from scratch would likely run nearly $200.

 

[DRLyman]

Sadly it's a hard no from him. Not enough interest that he's seen, and the price point wouldn't be fiscally possible according to him. Getting one made from scratch would likely run nearly $200.

Darn, I was hoping he’d be open to doing left handed versions just so more people could experience using the knife. At least we know the answer now.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

If the blade drops shut and bounces, it is most likely because the knife has weak detent; it has little to do with the knife being too smooth.

That’s my point. The maker has to dial the detent in just enough for the knife to drop and stay shut, it can’t be too weak making the flipping action slow and weak/sometimes does not lock uo. But it can’t be too strong making flipping the knife painful and the blade can not drop shut without requiring a little nudge.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Good point about blades free-swinging with locks released being beyond consideration, which eliminates all AXIS and compression lock knives, though their easy closing in one of the things I most value in them. Like Huy Nguyen said above, I like it less when the the blades bounce, requiring a wrist-roll to prevent needing an extra nudge to re-close.

One of the big factors I find that inhibits drop shutty action (is Nick Shabazz owed props for coining that term, BTW?) is lock-bar pressure. That seems to be what inhibits my ZTs from being being full DS and needing a light shake to drop closed. The same thing that makes them great flippers (strong detent) also eliminates them from my DS Hall of Fame. Like b00n , my fat thumb gets in the way of the flipper tab on my ZTs and I'm left with the detent ball right up against the blade tang acting as a secondary stop and requiring almost a three-step action to close the knives--disengage lock with thumb, pull back thumb a little/push ball up onto tang with index finger and flipper tab against thumbnail, then clear thumb and shake closed or flick closed with index finger.

That which inhibits my great flipping ZTs from being DS is what makes my Hinderers almost drop shutty--their light detents and light lockbar pressure. The fat thumb v flipper tab geometry is better for me on these too. Only my one Working Finish RHK won't drop closed with the lightest encouragement. My XM24 Spanto used to fall closed with no encouragement until I sent it off to Josh at REK to grind about a half-pound from the blade changing it from sharpened prybar to high-hollow-ground light saber. This re-inforces our OP's point about "armor plating thick" blades not counting.

Anyway, truly DS knives I own are:
North Arm Skaha (1), of course. Just stupidly free-falling.
Shirogorov F95T "Turtle", right out of the box fully DS, but with an almost slo-mo hydraulic action. Drop-shutty perfection.
Shiro F3 Python, after a lot of work on my part to cure some later-in-life lock stick. It was apart, cleaned, polished, and re-lubed so much that it became DS without trying to make it so.
Shiro NeOn UltraLight, right up until a few degrees before the detent ball catches. Not sure what's catching there, but don't really care.
Cheburkov Scout. This one is a great flipper, wicked smooth, and closes about like my Turtle.

Something about those Russians and drop-shuttiness, though those knives don't necessarily fit the OP's pricing criterion. They're more than some customs but less than others. The Cheburkov is considerably less than all but the Ultralight.

Drop Shutty is fun to play with and kinda cool, but not really all that useful. My preferred closing method is disengagement and forefinger-flick anyway.

I agree to you, drop shutty is fun, it has that fidget factor that does not get old.
But idk if it’s just me, I always have to look at the knife (to make sure it stay shut) although I can feel the knife close and lock shut on my hand. There is always that lingering fear of the knife not smooth on that day, there may be dirt or gunk on the pivot/detent ball track making the knife “not smooth”. Whereas a knife from start requires a little wrist roll/shake to close feel “more safe”.

 

[ChazzyP]

I agree to you, drop shutty is fun, it has that fidget factor that does not get old.
But idk if it’s just me, I always have to look at the knife (to make sure it stay shut) although I can feel the knife close and lock shut on my hand. There is always that lingering fear of the knife not smooth on that day, there may be dirt or gunk on the pivot/detent ball track making the knife “not smooth”. Whereas a knife from start requires a little wrist roll/shake to close feel “more safe”.

I probably misunderstood your earlier post about the blade bouncing. My follow-up reference to bouncing was related to that which one gets when closing an AXIS or Compression Lock knife. That free drop all the way with them (not germane to the OP's inquiry) makes those locks fun in their own way, but it's annoying when they bounce and require another nudge to close. I do find that sort of closing in a typical BMK or Compression Lock knife to be more practical and less fussy than trying to get a frame- or liner-lock to drop shut in an actual knife-use situation.

 

[mdgessert]

Was it the one that came up for $115? That's the one I bought, saw it and couldn't claim it fast enough.

Yep. I wanted that one and just missed it. Let me know if you want to move it, I’m still curious about the action and feel. Thanks!