Flicking, Flipping, Or Firing: Why do you love it?

grownstar said:
0801 and 0551 for me! Can't stop flicking those damn things...if you come to my house you'll hear a constant thwack!
Click to expand...

I loved my 0801 and my 0550. They were two of the most enjoyable knives I ever had to play with, but unfortunately, they only ever really got played with, and never really got any use, so they had to go. They helped fund some very nice knives that I use the crap out of now though so I'm not too sad about their departure.
 
I like all that I have tried so far. I own at least one of each; thumb stud, flipper, assisted, manual/slip, and gravity/butterfly. Other than the manual I enjoy playing with them a lot. I do it whenever my hands are idle, yes even my left hand. (Although I have to be careful with certain lock types in my left hand.) It really helps me when I have to sit through/in something I don't want to.
 
My ZT 0561 is a great flipper, as the detent is so strong, it flies open. I had to strenghten up my finger, though.

Next is my Brous Division Flipper full-sized. Easy detent, bearings at the pivot, heavy blade. Makes for a smooth trip.

Just picked up a CRKT Hi Jinx, and that thing is on bearings, as well. The blade is so thick and meaty, it just glides out.

Occasionally I'll bring out my Microtech Tachyon II for some bali-swinging action. Takes a bit more room, so only when the kids aren't around. That is fun!

If you haven't tried a dual-action Out The Front switchblade, like a Microtech Scarab, you owe it to yourself to flick one. The sound is to-die-for.

Any Kershaw with Speed Safe, is a lot of fun, as well.
 
I don't enjoy flicking or flipping. I just want to get my knife open. If that's OCD... like bouncing your foot all of the time (while sitting), then I guess you have that situation. It's fine with me; NEVER saw any advantage. I have owned perhaps four flippers, but that's just another way of opening, as fas as I'm concerned.
I gave a "younger" relative a brand new digi-camo Strider Sng. He flicked it constantly and so hard that he got it locked up (open), and I needed long-nose pliers to get it unlocked and closed. I believe that the severely-abused knife died shortly thereafter, Strider or no Strider.
 
Last edited:
Sonnydaze said:
I don't enjoy flicking or flipping. I just want to get my knife open. If that's OCD... like bouncing your foot all of the time (while sitting), then I guess you have that situation. It's fine with me; NEVER saw any advantage. I have owned perhaps four flippers, but that's just another way of opening, as fas as I'm concerned.
I gave a "younger" relative a brand new digi-camo Strider Sng. He flicked it constantly and so hard that he got it locked up (open), and I needed long-nose pliers to get it unlocked and closed. I believe that the abused knife died shortly thereafter, Strider or no Strider.
Click to expand...

OCD isn't tapping my foot or flicking my knives, but those are a method of dealing with it, by allowing me to deviate my focus from my "ticks", like having to have my hands clean, or when I notice someone has left the dials in their car in disarray for no reason (yes, this actually bothers me), and basically anything that doesn't fit what my obsession believes it should be. In some more extreme cases than mine, people are known to have long and intricate procedures to organize items into the pattern that fits their "tick". In my case, anything that is in my space that I set down has a pattern and place it must meet, and I automatically memorize the orientation of almost everything I place. If it deviates from that positioning, I have an immense urge to adjust it, and something like tapping my feet, flicking a knife, or even in some cases biting my lips lets me get my mind off of it, and try to lessen the urge for the sake of those around me. It's gotten a lot less intense over the last few years, but used to be difficult for my family to deal with, especially as a kid.

That sucks about the Strider, but that's also why some knives aren't suited to being flicked repeatedly, and I would certainly never want to flick any of my knives hard enough to affect lockup. I think in that case it was just someone not knowing how to take care of their knives, but I suppose everyone has that happen at least once, which is why we learn from it.
 
I think 2 things are at play here for knife lovers: 1. The obsessive trait over the details and 2: ability to meditate and focus on details. Both are a great way to "escape," stay in the moment and enjoy.
 
I can never get enough of playing with my manix 2. It's so smooth to open no matter which way you prefer. I love the thumb hole design most right now.
 
Charr, for me OCD is a curse. My brain quickly focusses on defects (that most people will never see) and then demands interventions to fix them ... and it will keep on doing so until the "problem" goes away. My brain takes these close-up photos of every detail and then plays this photo album over and over in my head. I therefore cannot live with defective stuff and I get rid of "defective" things to get rid of constant reminders. This has caused many expensive mistakes in my life. It's not natural perfectionism but obsessive perfectionism ... and there is an important difference between the two. In the knife world CRK (Sebenza) is a safe choice for OCD types. I so wish CRK would make a flipper as that would be heaven for guys like us ... LOL!
 
Just before i saw this thread i was sitting and making vigorous clicking noises with the odd middle detent on my old CS Voyager 6
The most fun knife i have to flick and ocd around with is my Ti-lite... pretty much any good CS folder; Am.Lawman
Maybe my Benchmade 580 barrage or my Spyderco Mili as well
 
Nellem said:
Charr, for me OCD is a curse. My brain quickly focusses on defects (that most people will never see) and then demands interventions to fix them ... and it will keep on doing so until the "problem" goes away. My brain takes these close-up photos of every detail and then plays this photo album over and over in my head. I therefore cannot live with defective stuff and I get rid of "defective" things to get rid of constant reminders. This has caused many expensive mistakes in my life. It's not natural perfectionism but obsessive perfectionism ... and there is an important difference between the two. In the knife world CRK (Sebenza) is a safe choice for OCD types. I so wish CRK would make a flipper as that would be heaven for guys like us ... LOL!
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, really. When I was younger, I was very much like that, and it has taken a ton of concious effort to try and reduce it in myslef as much as possible. Sounds like your case is a bit worse than mine, but if you want to medigate the obsession with defects, I recomend you find something that allows you to concentrate or fixate as much as possible on it, and keep it with you at all times. For me, it was a book when I was a kid. As long as I could read, I could listen to the world around me without allowing myself to look at it. Drove my teachers and professors absolutely insane, especially when they called on me for a question and I always answered it without even looking up...because I was listening...and I'm not a moron...ANYWAY, back to the topic at hand:
If you're looking for something along the lines of a Sebenza Flipper, honestly look into Shirogorov. The prices will definitely give you some serious sticker-shock at first, but, much like a sebenza, they are worth absolutely every penny. My model 95-T was a grail of mine for a long time, and it has completely taken me by strom in terms of quality, precision, and amazing material choices. And of course, it's the bet flipper I've ever handled (at least for my tastes).
 
Charr, thanks for the Shirogorov advice. I've been looking at it for some time now but I just cannot justify the price tag. But maybe - as happened with the Sebenza - one can only know for sure when you actually own one.
 
I think I just like appreciating that little piece of precise engineering in my hand. I don't really care what type of mechanism it is, as long as it's smooth.
 
JKLnHYD said:
I think I just like appreciating that little piece of precise engineering in my hand. I don't really care what type of mechanism it is, as long as it's smooth.
Click to expand...

I think that's true for me too. Besides my knives, I also routinely clean and oil my 1911, and if I'm at home, you'll usually hear me playing with one of my various mechanical tools at least once a day. One of my favorites to play with that isn't a knife is a multi-tool that one of my friends made me on his CNC. It kind of reminds me of a G&G Hawk design I saw a while back, and it has a very mechanical feel and flow to the design. He never put a blade on it though because he didn't want it to compete with my knives for pocket time :D
I've also built a bunch of mechanical statues with him from his CNC that you can play with for hours. Some of my cousins gave them to their kids as toys and they love them.
 
It's kind of funny because I'm the opposite. While I own and enjoy flippers I still seem to use the thumb stud most of the time. I carried an assisted ZT 0770CF for awhile and I got tired of the looks I got at work and people asking if they could see my switchblade, legal or not it attracts way too much negative attention in public.

I can completely understand the OCD/Nervous/Distraction from other OCD issues something repetitive can provide like flipping a knife open etc. For me what I really love is a knife that can opened that's glass smooth and completely controlled with hydraulic like resistance that sounds like a vault when the lock bar engages. The only knives I've had so far of many that are by far the most "therapeutic" and awe inspiring every time I open them are CRK and VCEP.
 
I love them all, but flippers are my favorite. I just love feeling the blade fly out and feeling the thwack of it closing. There's beauty in the engineering, and I suppose that's why it's so fun. And it pisses my folks off, so I can't do it often.
 
Nellem said:
Charr, thanks for the Shirogorov advice. I've been looking at it for some time now but I just cannot justify the price tag. But maybe - as happened with the Sebenza - one can only know for sure when you actually own one.
Click to expand...

In my case, it was something that took me a lot of time to work up to, but once I actually bought it, I felt like I could sell a lot of the "lesser" knives I had purchased before it, because they just didn't compare. It's an odd feeling, because now, save for a few models and designs i have never had a chance to handle before, I really don't have any interest in buying more knives besides those I've already ordered. The stuff I look for now is outside of the realms of flippers and "tactical" folders, and much more in the way of traditionals, autos, and balis (again, because I want to handle some of them).

BTW, eye candy :D

and some more!


Anyone else with pictures of your favorite please add them too. Eye candy always helps ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top