Flippers with great action. Please post pics

Will Batayte · Jan 20, 2015

Yeah detent strength is definitely a huge factor and is one way to accomplish great flipper action. My microtech doc has this kind of great action. But recently I've been playing with a friends RJ martin q36. The detent while firm doesn't seem to be the reason for the awesome action. When you push button it, it absolutely flys out like an auto. But when lightswitched it still fires but nothing like the other technigue. The reason I'm posting this aside from wanting to buy more awesome flippers

is because I'm trying to see if there is a corrilation between the shape of the flipper and blade geometry to why certain knives work so well without a super string detent. The q36 is a cunnundrom to me. I feel like it's almost loading up force then slipping because of the perfectly perpendicular flipper. Kinda the way you flip open a zippo by snapping your fingers. If that makes any sense

Will Batayte · Jan 20, 2015

Wow guys quite beautiful knives. I really love the Diskin and that limited composite blade ZT.

The bionic 2 is a Brous?

Will Batayte · Jan 20, 2015

Yeah the 560 while one of my favorite knives of all time doesn't have much of a good flipper action. I always have to throw in some wrist flip

shunsui said:
This one works soooo much better than my 0560.

Will Batayte · Jan 20, 2015

egally08 said:
Love that pivot, you don't see him do many of those. I agree that Rj's knives are like no other. Besides being lightning fast, they are just, different. It's hard to describe the action to someone that has never felt it. I have flippers that are faster by a hair, but the feel is different. It's a combination of the heavy blade, the incredibly strong detent, and what a lot of people forget to factor in (IMHO is the most important part) the placement of the flipper tab in relation to the pivot. Most of Rj's knives that I've handled are not completely free falling and frictionless like a lot of other knives on bearings, yet his action is faster, usually. Similar to a Shirogorov on washers, has a lot to do with the flipper placement.

Mentioned above, Shirogorov makes some phenomenal flippers. Their models that are on washers, are 9/10 times faster than most production models with bearings.

See this is what I mean. It just feels different. I'm not sure what exactly accounts for it aside from the geometry of the flipper. And how it comes basically straight out at the 3 o'clock position from the pivot.

Will Batayte · Jan 20, 2015

Guys I'm getting a kinda weird glitch with my tapatalk app where it shows my posts repeated over and over on each page of this thread. Not sure if it actually posted this way or if it's just how tapatalk is displaying it to me. If it is repeating my posts over and over, I'm sorry. I've posted a few times to answer specific posts but I've only posted each one once so....

Rare blade · Jan 20, 2015

Mine flips nicely, custom scales by KEYMAN

Alford78 · Jan 20, 2015

Blues Bender said:
This is the best flipper I've ever handled, it's like it opens with magic, it's just unreal. The smoothness is like rolling a marble along a silk sheet, it's absolute perfection. Also, absolutely no blade play. I don't think anything will flip as good (or better) unless it's perhaps an RJ Martin, Sinkevich, or Shirogorov.

.

What is this knife?

Alford78 · Jan 20, 2015

Clanton said:
There's no production knife and VERY few custom's that compares to RJ!

What is this model?

PURPLEDC · Jan 20, 2015

Will Batayte said:
Yeah detent strength is definitely a huge factor and is one way to accomplish great flipper action. My microtech doc has this kind of great action. But recently I've been playing with a friends RJ martin q36. The detent while firm doesn't seem to be the reason for the awesome action. When you push button it, it absolutely flys out like an auto. But when lightswitched it still fires but nothing like the other technigue. The reason I'm posting this aside from wanting to buy more awesome flippers is because I'm trying to see if there is a corrilation between the shape of the flipper and blade geometry to why certain knives work so well without a super string detent. The q36 is a cunnundrom to me. I feel like it's almost loading up force then slipping because of the perfectly perpendicular flipper. Kinda the way you flip open a zippo by snapping your fingers. If that makes any sense

The placement of the flipper certainly does have an effect like you suspect. if the flipper sits above the pivot when closed it does help store energy when pushing in. If you dont have a strong detent that is where you want the flipper. Things like a doc have the flipper well below the axis point of the pivot and the shape of the flipper doesnt help. Now pair a long curved flipper above athe axis of the pivot. Liner locks usually feel much smoother as they flex easier and most times have less pressure than a frame lock.

jill jackson · Jan 20, 2015

My DOC is a bit slower than my other flippers, but still does just fine, I was thinking it was the heavy blade? You don't think that is a factor?

jill jackson · Jan 20, 2015

ZT 0600 flips great.

jill jackson · Jan 20, 2015

This Large Lahar midtech flips like POW, because the detent is so firm. Takes a bit to overcome it, but when you do it's instant. It's number 2 of 20 made.

PURPLEDC · Jan 20, 2015

jill jackson said:
This Large Lahar midtech flips like POW, because the detent is so firm. Takes a bit to overcome it, but when you do it's instant. It's number 2 of 20 made.

I have heard those pro series are some seriously killer knives. I have noticed that the prices on those have come down a bit. Still crazy to me that Tim doesnt seem to do anything anymore in the custom or midtech arena. There was a time it seemed he was going to take over the knife industry.

evanPGH · Jan 20, 2015

PURPLEDC said:
I have heard those pro series are some seriously killer knives. I have noticed that the prices on those have come down a bit. Still crazy to me that Tim doesnt seem to do anything anymore in the custom or midtech arena. There was a time it seemed he was going to take over the knife industry.

I've wondered about this as well.

If he decided to start making the midtechs again I'd buy one for sure.

Brigadier · Jan 21, 2015

jill jackson said:
My DOC is a bit slower than my other flippers, but still does just fine, I was thinking it was the heavy blade? You don't think that is a factor?

Put some good reel oil in the pivot. That will help a lot. A needle oiler down the blade stop channel will give you access directly to the bearings.

jprime84 · Jan 21, 2015

On the low budget side, the Kershaw Strobe (Diskin design with KVT, unfortunately china steel) is a lightning fast flipper.

bld522 · Jan 21, 2015

I've got some fantastic flippers, but the best one by far is my Rod Olson Quick Flick. And just to throw a monkey wrench into the discussion, consider this. It's a button lock. So much for the notion that a strong detent is needed to make a great flipper. You just need innards from one of the finest knifemakers on Planet Earth . . . Brian Tighe.

Here's a borrowed pic:

PURPLEDC · Jan 21, 2015

jill jackson said:
My DOC is a bit slower than my other flippers, but still does just fine, I was thinking it was the heavy blade? You don't think that is a factor?

A heavy blade is usually your friend as once it starts moving the extra weight stores momentum. Heavier blades also drop back into the handle when closing easier. I think its more about placement and the shape ofmthe flipper of the doc.

Keyman · Jan 21, 2015

Will Batayte said:
Yeah the 560 while one of my favorite knives of all time doesn't have much of a good flipper action. I always have to throw in some wrist flip

You must have a first Gen. or a lemon.
I've got a ZT0560BW it has a strong detent with a rocket flip, awesome knife.

Brigadier · Jan 21, 2015

PURPLEDC said:
A heavy blade is usually your fiend as once it starts moving the extra weight stores momentum. Heavier blades also drop back into the handle when closing easier. I think its more about placement and the shape ofmthe flipper of the doc.

My DOC blade rockets out of the handle regardless of if you flip it via push button or light switch. Have you ever handled a DOC?

If your DOC has never been lubed, and is factory dry, then I would understand it flipping slowly. As I posted earlier, some good oil, I use reel oil, makes a big difference. The same was true for my Mini Matrix. When I got it, it was dry. Some reel oil in the bearings and it rockets out of the handle.