Chefget
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 2, 1998
- Messages
- 5,038
Just got this beauty in, have to share 
For several years I've been pestering Stan Wilson to make a flipper. He really didn't want to, mainly due to the fact that the flipper tab can be so intrusive (read ugly) to the flow of the knife. But Stan isn't one to back down from a challenge! Several months ago we had a chat about why I like flippers, what thrill is, etc. Also in the conversation came the reoccurring theme of the fallacy of a linerlock...in specific, fingers must be put in the way of the closing blade.
Well, hard to say what goes on in that man's mind, but the result is superb indeed!
This is the one and only Stan Wilson Non-flipper Flipper. It is also a lock back. Both the blade and the 'flipper bolster' ride on bearings. The flipping action is perfect...smooth but not floppy. The lock back is easy to disengage, and the tension of the lock back/blade detent is adjustable with the turn of a single torx. The design is, in a word, brilliant.
Here is a short video on how it works (sorry for the crappy vid quality)
[video=youtube;umvsdfhoNwM]http://youtu.be/umvsdfhoNwM[/video]
And here are some pictures that Stan took of the knife's internal workings, with his explanations...
"This pics shows the inside of the flipper side liner with the bolster attached, engagement post is press fitted into the bolster and protudes through an arced slot cut into both liners. The step pivot and bearing are in place.
this pic shows the distance bolster will travel. this bolster is mounted with a pair or bearing races for smooth travel.
The lockbar is in place showing the detent ball. The hole for the detent was bored into the lockbar oversized then a rod of titanium was peened into the hole, the hole was then redrilled to accept the ball and the ball is staked into place.
The lockbar spring and backspacer, the tension screw is backed out in this picture leaving no pressure on the lockbar.
The screw can be adjusted to vary the tension of thelockbar.
The blade tang has a hole the detent ball on the lockbar fits into in the closed position. The tighter the lockbar is set equates to more pressure on the ball into the hole, more pressure on the ball means more force is needed to open the knife.
The blade is in place, closed position.
The pivot on this knife is 3 parts, the center part is 3/16" where the blade rotates and is stepped down to 1/8" where it engages the liners. The center part has a threaded post that the 2 outer parts will screw on to. The pivot is first attached to the back liner (flipper side) with the first outer pivot, it is lockt-ighted in place, now both the center and the first outer pivot cannot rotate, the flipper bolster and bearing are attached and lock-tighted into place.
The frontsideliner is in place and the second outer pivot is ready to go on. The outer pivots have a register hole bored into one end where it will fit over the center pivot keeping all 3 in line. This pivot is also lock-tighted into place and the blade tension on the bearings is set. The small slot to the right of the larger slot is where the lockbar release will travel.
Next we need a way for the flipper bolster to return to battery. The return spring assembly, A steel disc with a screw set in the edge for the spring attachment and s set screw to keep it from rotating.
The spring assembly in place and the spring is attached to the trip pin.
The front bolster is milled out to clear the spring assembly and spring. The pin sticking out of the bolster is what will lift the lockbar to unlock the knife. This bolster rides on teflon washers and is also lock-tighed in place."
And here are some picture of the finished knife
Thanks for looking, and if you have a chance to pick up a Wilson I would highly recommend it!
-Michael
For several years I've been pestering Stan Wilson to make a flipper. He really didn't want to, mainly due to the fact that the flipper tab can be so intrusive (read ugly) to the flow of the knife. But Stan isn't one to back down from a challenge! Several months ago we had a chat about why I like flippers, what thrill is, etc. Also in the conversation came the reoccurring theme of the fallacy of a linerlock...in specific, fingers must be put in the way of the closing blade.
Well, hard to say what goes on in that man's mind, but the result is superb indeed!
This is the one and only Stan Wilson Non-flipper Flipper. It is also a lock back. Both the blade and the 'flipper bolster' ride on bearings. The flipping action is perfect...smooth but not floppy. The lock back is easy to disengage, and the tension of the lock back/blade detent is adjustable with the turn of a single torx. The design is, in a word, brilliant.
Here is a short video on how it works (sorry for the crappy vid quality)
[video=youtube;umvsdfhoNwM]http://youtu.be/umvsdfhoNwM[/video]
And here are some pictures that Stan took of the knife's internal workings, with his explanations...
"This pics shows the inside of the flipper side liner with the bolster attached, engagement post is press fitted into the bolster and protudes through an arced slot cut into both liners. The step pivot and bearing are in place.
this pic shows the distance bolster will travel. this bolster is mounted with a pair or bearing races for smooth travel.
The lockbar is in place showing the detent ball. The hole for the detent was bored into the lockbar oversized then a rod of titanium was peened into the hole, the hole was then redrilled to accept the ball and the ball is staked into place.
The lockbar spring and backspacer, the tension screw is backed out in this picture leaving no pressure on the lockbar.
The screw can be adjusted to vary the tension of thelockbar.
The blade tang has a hole the detent ball on the lockbar fits into in the closed position. The tighter the lockbar is set equates to more pressure on the ball into the hole, more pressure on the ball means more force is needed to open the knife.
The blade is in place, closed position.
The pivot on this knife is 3 parts, the center part is 3/16" where the blade rotates and is stepped down to 1/8" where it engages the liners. The center part has a threaded post that the 2 outer parts will screw on to. The pivot is first attached to the back liner (flipper side) with the first outer pivot, it is lockt-ighted in place, now both the center and the first outer pivot cannot rotate, the flipper bolster and bearing are attached and lock-tighted into place.
The frontsideliner is in place and the second outer pivot is ready to go on. The outer pivots have a register hole bored into one end where it will fit over the center pivot keeping all 3 in line. This pivot is also lock-tighted into place and the blade tension on the bearings is set. The small slot to the right of the larger slot is where the lockbar release will travel.
Next we need a way for the flipper bolster to return to battery. The return spring assembly, A steel disc with a screw set in the edge for the spring attachment and s set screw to keep it from rotating.
The spring assembly in place and the spring is attached to the trip pin.
The front bolster is milled out to clear the spring assembly and spring. The pin sticking out of the bolster is what will lift the lockbar to unlock the knife. This bolster rides on teflon washers and is also lock-tighed in place."
And here are some picture of the finished knife
Thanks for looking, and if you have a chance to pick up a Wilson I would highly recommend it!
-Michael
