Favorite folder to play with?

ZT 0801 is as fun and smooth of a flipper as I think you can buy! I flip mine all the time, like it is my job!
 
I just got a 0562 today and it immediately became my most enjoyable knife to flip. I've never felt such a smooth action. I can tell I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this guy.
 
Grips (flick)
Emerson (butter out)
Sebenza (butter out)
561 (flip)
940 (flick)
 
survival_minds said:
Well if you don't mind spending 90$ on a Benchmade Griptilian, then that is a great one to play with! Good luck!
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I second any axis lock benchmade that tickles your fancy. Axis locks are way too smooth and fun!
Also second a butterfly. Different but way more to do while flipping!
 
I have three flippers, for your hand size the Brous Bionic flips nice. Brous Silent Soldier is small and flips really really nice. Spyderco Domino and Dice are nice in that size.
 
If you're new to knives, I'd say grab a hand full of Kershaws to play with. If you like Hinderer, pick up a Thermite, Cryo, or Cryo II. They come in all kinds of finishes and blade designs. Heavy duty knifes that are fun to flip. Take them apart... clean polish and oil the pivot... put them back together with blue loctite. It'll smooth out the actions and you can learn a lot about knives that way. Also good knives to learn how to sharpen on (all come razor sharp out of the box).

Skyline, Leek, Blur, etc. are all great USA options with better blade steel. Check out Kershawguy.com for ideas. He is low on Blems right now but that's a good way to get them a little cheaper (I have trouble finding the blemish).

Good luck!
 
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Ontario Rat 1 for $30 is very fun to flick and has similar size, ergos and blade shape to a PM2. Just a liner lock, aus-8 and cheap scales.
 
Something a little heavier and assisted is a ZT 0300. I had a BW version for a while and I was always flipping it open.
 
My Andre Van Heerden M36 interframe, it flips unbelievably smooth and fast and the lock disengagement is a dream!

Constantly flipping it!
 
If you really want a knife to "play" with I would strongly suggest a knife with some kind of bearing pivot. I find most of them are almost as much fun to close as they are to open.
ZT's - 0801 which is probably the standard in <$200 range, and the 0562 (designed by Rick Hinderer) are what I suggest
Spyderco's - Domino & Dice have gotten a nice rep. Although I have yet to handle one yet.
Brouse Blades - makes an amazingly smooth flipper for the $. The Mini Division, Silent Soldier and Reloader (although the gimping on the back of the Reloader can get a bit bothersome) are great in the $300 range.
Once you get to $400 you start to enter Hinderer, Mid-Tech, some custom territory.
YMMV
One thing I Can guarantee is that the search is gonna be fun!
 
Not a manual, but the SOG slim Jim is fun to flick open, the opening speed is sick; just got to remember to be careful, it almost wants to come out of your hand!
 
I'm in the opposite position: also a noob but my only folders so far are a fullsized Griptilian, a Ritter Mini Griptilian, and a Skyline. I'm considering a Spyderco next just to get familiar - probably the Dragonfly 2 because I like how it gets a four finger grip with three finger size.

I wouldn't recommend a Mini Griptilian just for playing with; I have larger hands and the thumbstuds aren't as ergonomic. It is more pocketable though so you if I had to carry one I'd pick the mini Ritter every time unless it was like a camping trip or something.

It's a strange thing about the Benchmade Axis locks: once you have them clean, lubed, and loctite-d, you don't need to touch the blade to deploy it, just pull the lock down and flick your wrist a bit. You can still flick them open with the thumbstuds but it kinda spoils the fun a bit knowing that they swing out just as easily without it.

I'd be interested in having something heavier with a fancy pivot but the tactical stuff is all too big for me to EDC it.

I'm thinking maybe a Dragonfly 2 or Delica for a user and a Birk 75 for more gentleman's/dress up, especially if it's fun to play with.
 
For the sole purpose of repeatedly opening and closing a knife, I don't think anything will beat Kershaw's overdrive flipper system. It's a flipper that disappears into the handle!!! Awesome!!! I irritate my work partner all day with mine.

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