Flippers

[plastid]

so these knives that open only with a flipper(no thumb stud)

What happens when they stop flipping correctly how do you deploy them do they become just another collection piece?

why wouldn't the maker put on a thumb stud to insure the allowance of "life" long opening?

 

[amg137]

If they're well-made they don't stop flipping well, and in fact tend to get better with age. At least that's been my experience, as long as you clean them out periodically. This is especially true for bearings-based flippers.

 

[benchwarmer380]

What would happen if the thumb stud broke off? A flipper would be a nice addition then.

There are three reasons I can think of that would make a flipper not flip.
1. The pivot is too tight. Easy fix. Just loosen the pivot.
2. There is gunk or some other foreign material in or around the pivot/detent. Another easy fix, just clean it out.
3. While using an assisted flipper, the spring breaks. If this happened you wouldn't be screwed but it would take more steps to fix with a couple of different ways to go about it. I would just take it out and use it as a manual. Every assisted knife that I've used both assisted and deassisted were much better (in my opinion) deassisted. Or you could get in touch with the respective companies customer service and either send it in or have them send out a spring. Most of the times when I hear Kershaw sending out replacement SpeedSafe springs they'll send out a couple on their dime.

 

[benchwarmer380]

I will add that thumbstuds on certain flippers would ruin the aesthetics. The ZT 770 comes to mind.