First "expensive" flipper knife?

I've got a few recommendations all of knives that I own and therefor can recommend first hand
Olamic Wayfarer 247 is really well done
Curtis F3 is great but not that thin
Xm 18 is a classic for a reason
Custom Knife Factory Morff4 (as well as a few others from them but the morff is a nice user)
Reate Knives Torrent is really nice, there are a few others in their line up they all seem to be fairly well done.
Of course your Grimsmo suggestion is really nice they can be a bit hard to find and are expensive I don't own a Shiro but again lots of good feedback out there.
 
Freeman 451 BLF. Absolutely flawless flipping action, you can spend your budget or quite a bit less depending on your preferences, the button lock makes it fun and unique to close as well as open and Jeff Freeman handles customer service (I've only had questions, no issues) beautifully. Despite all that it's a totally competent hard use knife that's taken everything I've thrown at it and laughed.

All in all it's a massively underrated flipper and knife in general and I strongly recommend picking one up. Just be careful until you get used to closing it as it drops like a guillotine.

Almost forgot, there's a LOT of customization available, so you can really make the knife yours from the start.
 
Take a look at the CKF Morrf 3. It's crazy light for its size, a great slicer, and a great flipper. You'd have to find it on the secondary market, but they come up from time to time. If you don't mind a little heavier (but by no means "heavy"), try the Morrf 4. It's all Ti and has an M390 blade. They tend to come up more often on the Exchange than the other variations of the Morrf.
http://www.bladehq.com/item--Custom-Knife-Factory-Morrf-3--28472
 
Custom knife factory

Olamic

ZT

WE knifes

Rike knife

Reate knives

you cannot go wrong with these brands and flippers.
 
DDR Dominator
 
Staying under $500, I would reco the production manu's in this order...
CRK: Sebenza or Umnumzaan (not flippers) Likely the finest folders made in the U.S....under $500.
ZT: smaller flipper..0450...0770CF in M390 ////larger sized flipper 0801, 0562
Spyderco: Slysz Bowie...outstanding knife (not a flipper)

mid-tech under $500: Brad Southard AVO or Tolk...both are premium quality knives. Brad Southard is an exc knife-maker who does collaborations with Spyderco on occasion...to our benefit.
 
Wow there's some excellent suggestions here that I hadn't even seen before now!!!

For everyone who mentioned it, I'd looked at the ZT 0450 and listed it as a possibility but had been underwhelmed by the looks. After it was suggested again though I'd looked into more videos on it and really like what I'm seeing, I'm just worried I'll think it too small!

I've also been looking more into the Hinderer XM-18 3"/3.5" knife and it ticks a LOT of the right boxes!! At $425 it's right at my max budget and the brand has a good reputation for a reason, I'm just not sure whether to go for the "daintier" 3" or the more beefy 3.5" version. Both are the same price but very different in size and heft, so that's something to consider.

The Shirogorov Neon looks SO SWEET!!!! I'm a bit vain in that looks do matter to me, but function trumps all, and this one has both in spades!! I may be on the lookout for one of those in the future but lol for EDC use (and the fact my husband borrows and, in the case of my CRKT, breaks my knives semi-regularly), I'd be scared to EDC that baby! SOOOO pretty though, and so well made....DEFINITELY on my must-buy list.

So I've kind of narrowed it down between the 0450 and the XM-18. Both seem to be great blades, and I like the idea the Hinderer blades were made for toughness. Both have excellent warranties (as far as I've read) and while the price difference is big, they both seem to be well made. I just wish there was a way to handle them before shelling out the moolah, but hopefully I can make a decent choice that'll last me.

There's a lot more out there than I ever imagined, and I've barely scratched the surface!! ;)
 
im not a Hinderer fan, but ive heard many reviews of hinderers not being good flippers. just saying.
 
Well, I own both an XM-18 (3.5" in M390) and a ZT-450....

Besides the fact that the are both technically flippers, they have almost nothing else in common.

For me the ZT-450 is an inexpensive EDC (so IMO does not fit what you're looking for), Mine was $160 new if I recall correctly whereas my Hinderer was $425.

Beyond price, the ZT is relatively small, light, and very slim in it's profiles. It flips really great thanks to a super strong detent, but not so sure I would ever consider it as hard use.

The XM-18 is definitely hard use, built like a tank, but as such it's heavy and cumbersome in the pocket. Flips OK (yes I have a newer one), but nothing to brag about as flippers go.

SO, if you want an "expensive" + "flipper" knife, I would suggest that you might be better off with something than either of the aforementioned knives. With your budget, an Olamic, or even a second hand (lower end) Thorburn would be worth considering.
 
SaraLikesKnives said:
Wow there's some excellent suggestions here that I hadn't even seen before now!!!

For everyone who mentioned it, I'd looked at the ZT 0450 and listed it as a possibility but had been underwhelmed by the looks. After it was suggested again though I'd looked into more videos on it and really like what I'm seeing, I'm just worried I'll think it too small!

I've also been looking more into the Hinderer XM-18 3"/3.5" knife and it ticks a LOT of the right boxes!! At $425 it's right at my max budget and the brand has a good reputation for a reason, I'm just not sure whether to go for the "daintier" 3" or the more beefy 3.5" version. Both are the same price but very different in size and heft, so that's something to consider.

The Shirogorov Neon looks SO SWEET!!!! I'm a bit vain in that looks do matter to me, but function trumps all, and this one has both in spades!! I may be on the lookout for one of those in the future but lol for EDC use (and the fact my husband borrows and, in the case of my CRKT, breaks my knives semi-regularly), I'd be scared to EDC that baby! SOOOO pretty though, and so well made....DEFINITELY on my must-buy list.

So I've kind of narrowed it down between the 0450 and the XM-18. Both seem to be great blades, and I like the idea the Hinderer blades were made for toughness. Both have excellent warranties (as far as I've read) and while the price difference is big, they both seem to be well made. I just wish there was a way to handle them before shelling out the moolah, but hopefully I can make a decent choice that'll last me.

There's a lot more out there than I ever imagined, and I've barely scratched the surface!! ;)
Click to expand...

Take a look at the new Hinderer Eklipse Gen2. They are out now and it might be exactly what you are looking for. A little lighter than the XM-18 3.5 and a little slimmer in the pocket but still 3.5". On top of that everyone we have had come through has flipped like a champ!

https://flic.kr/p/RKENFG https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/
 
Brad Southard Tolk comes to mind, base version is 485 and 520 for bronze/blue ano or 560 or 580 for the CF show side
 
So I've pretty much narrowed it down to two knives, but thought I'd give some thoughts on the other knives (and there've been several) that I handled over the last week or so. Remember, I have size Large hands, so it's very YMMV, IMO kind of thing:

ZT0450 - Fantastic little knife, smooth action, disappeared into the pocket. ...but little. Oh, so little. Just didn't fit my hand, I fumbled with it a few times over the three days I carried it and just...couldn't. Really disappointed by that because the action was amazing.

ZT0801 - Beefy. It had a decent action, not as good as the 0450 but more than adequate but in the hand it felt thick. The dimensions were almost perfect, but it didn't feel right in my hand - the ergos just weren't there. It's one I desperately wanted to like but... :( Back it went.

ZT0452 - So close to perfect!! Action was great, felt nice in the hand, but that 4" blade was just too much. It felt like I was flipping out a sword every time I pressed the tab. This one however is staying because my husband fell in love with it (same size hand as mine but with thicker palms, I have longer fingers) and won't let it go.

ZT0456 - Seeing a trend here with Zero Tolerance? :p I was initially turned off by the Nick Shabazz review where he said that it was too thick for an EDC, but at the last minute decided to go for it. So glad I did too - the action is amazeballs, the looks are stellar, and it just FITS my hand.

ZT0220 - This one looked really good online but was pretty beefy when I got it in hand. It was balanced well enough though so I didn't mind the weight, but...ugh, that detent. I'd heard folks mention stiff detents on some ZT knives and this was my first real experience of that. The ergos were good but there was no way to get around how stiff that detent was out the box. By then I'd handled quite a few knives that were easier, so was immediately turned off by this one. It'll be going back this week.

Hinderer XM-18 3.5" Skinner - This was actually the first one I picked up after reading all the glowing reviews online, but the moment I got it in my hand... Not throwing shade on what I'm sure is a well-built knife, but it had way too many edges and hot spots on that handle for me to, well, handle. Extremely disappointed by this one but may be willing to give a used 3" a try later on, I just didn't want to smoothe down the corners of the handle of a $425 knife.

Olamic Wayfarer 247 - On the suggestion of forum members, I went for an Olamic 247 and, gotta say, I'm impressed. It comes with a ceramic detent ball (I think the bearings are metal though?) and holy crap is that smooth. The blade is not quite as free-moving across the pivot as the 0456 (that one likes to fall closed like a Grimsmo blade) but, wow, it glides across that ceramic detent. Beautiful knife too, excellent craftsmanship in every aspect.

*

As for which ones are the keepers? Well I won't leave you in suspense: it's the ZT0456 and the Olamic 247. Initially I'd planned on only getting one knife for EDC and was having a hell of a time choosing between these. The ZT was just such an incredible flipper; I could play with that one all day and never hurt my fingers, whereas the lockbar on the Olamic is pretty stiff with a strong detent. But the Olamic had it all where it counted: smooth-smooth action, absolutely stunning looks, and it felt like a part of your hand when gripped.

How was a girl to choose?!

Well, lol, turns out I didn't have to since my husband this week decided to get ANOTHER expensive tool (costing way more than both these knives collectively), and reciprocity meant I had a larger budget to work with. But I think I've decided on my (for now just two, lol that could change) daily EDC's:

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Pretty happy with my choices but, Lord, there's so much more that I'm now drooling over. Lol this could turn into a VERY expensive hobby if I'm not careful!!! :p

And quick note: I realize most of these (with the exception of Olamic) aren't really midtech knives but higher end production ones. I felt that, given the fact I hadn't handled enough knives to know what I wanted, I should give some attention to production models and I'm glad I did. There's some good stuff there, but you definitely get some better perks in terms of fit and finish when you go up a couple hundred bucks. :thumbup:
 
Thorburn A2!
Ad some extra cash and get the best one :).
 

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