Is anyone else starting to hate flippers?

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Never really been my thing, but that's just my opinion, people like them and that's fine. :)
 
I never thought it would happen but yeah. Im officially over flippers. Not that I wont buy them or like them but where as they were once a requirement Its no longer a deal breaker if a knife doesnt have one. In fact my new favorite knife is a non flipper. So yes, to those wondering hell has in fact frozen over and the zombie apocalypse will probably no doubt soon be upon us.


DAVE_M said:
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Let me break it down:

I like flippers.
I own flippers.
I said flippers are not practical.
Everyone has a problem with my opinion.

I'm done.
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No one has a problem with your opinion. People have a problem because you dont present it as an opinion but rather a fact. When you say "flippers arent practical" you are speaking it as a fact and for everyone. Had you put "IMHO" in front of that statement it would have saved you a lot of grief. What doesnt work for you or is awkward is completely second nature to another.
 
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DAVE_M said:
Let me break it down:

I like flippers.
I own flippers.
I said flippers are not practical.
Everyone has a problem with my opinion.

I'm done.
Click to expand...
Being too busy lately to check what's going on on BF but this thread caught my attention.
Probably someone brought this up already, I didn't read all pages till now, but I'm very much with you on the practicality of the flippers.

My point is that if for some reason you are not able to completely lock the blade during flipping/opening, you are ending up with blade that is out of your control,
you have to close it in order to try to open and lock it again.

Something that will hardly ever happen with disk/thumb stud or hole design where your thumb is applying force on the blade all the time during opening, till it locks, and you have to have obstacle with larger force in order to stop it...
You would have immediate feedback if the blade hit on something and you can re-position your arm and continue with opening. This is impossible with flipper design.
Sounds clumsy but every one of you knows exactly what I'm talking about.

That's my thing with the flippers, it's not opinion, it's a fact. I simply tend to own knives that I can be in control of the opening of the blade.

With that said, I do have flippers... They are usually designs that I like and I compromise some of my principles, not a big deal, my life doesn't hang on my choice what to carry today - flipper or thumbstud...
For the same reason I have also framelocks and knives with metal scales, even I prefer linerlocks or Axis locks, and non-metal scales.

Again, not a big deal, I don't see why all the drama, flipper or stud, different tools for different situations... Flippers are pretty and and elegant designs, I guess also trend right now, nothing wrong with this... :D
 
POCEH KOCEB said:
Being too busy lately to check what's going on on BF but this thread caught my attention.
Probably someone brought this up already, I didn't read all pages till now, but I'm very much with you on the practicality of the flippers.

My point is that if for some reason you are not able to completely lock the blade during flipping/opening, you are ending up with blade that is out of your control,
you have to close it in order to try to open and lock it again.

Something that will hardly ever happen with disk/thumb stud or hole design where your thumb is applying force on the blade all the time during opening, till it locks, and you have to have obstacle with larger force in order to stop it...
You would have immediate feedback if the blade hit on something and you can re-position your arm and continue with opening. This is impossible with flipper design.
Sounds clumsy but every one of you knows exactly what I'm talking about.

That's my thing with the flippers, it's not opinion, it's a fact. I simply tend to own knives that I can be in control of the opening of the blade.

With that said, I do have flippers... They are usually designs that I like and I compromise some of my principles, not a big deal, my life doesn't hang on my choice what to carry today - flipper or thumbstud...
For the same reason I have also framelocks and knives with metal scales, even I prefer linerlocks or Axis locks, and non-metal scales.

Again, not a big deal, I don't see why all the drama, flipper or stud, different tools for different situations... Flippers are pretty and and elegant designs, I guess also trend right now, nothing wrong with this... :D
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I agree with most of what you wrote here, but this highlighted part? Come on, you wouldn't really do that would you? I would think that just about anyone who uses a flipper and accidentally "half opened" it would just give a light wrist flick and lock the blade into place. I can't really imagine closing the knife and starting over with the flipper. Not really important...I was just bored and wanted to write something. :D
 
CapitalizedLiving said:
If I was doing stuff with a folder that would potentially make it close on me, or if I was worried about slipping onto the blade, then I would buy a knife with a flipper. But then again I see a flipper and I think "guard."
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My thoughts too.
 
I don't care about them. They are a completely unnecessary feature, for me. I was curious and tried a few. I found that it is not a feature that matters when selecting my folders.

I care about fit and finish, ergos and aesthetic far more.

If a knife that appealed to me in those ways had a flipper, I would but it. It's not a negative thing, but it's not something I need.

For instance, I bought a Spyderco Domino for the flipper. It worked flawlessly. It was very snappy and fun to flip. Still, I like everything about my Caly 3.5 more. Domino got sold.

My Socom has a bearing pivot and flips open just as fast and easy as my Domino did. Its just a non-issue.
 
Guess we should all go back to using slip joints? :rolleyes:

One note on some comments above. Everything stated in these threads are an opinion unless referenced and then it's someone else's opinion. Who really cares?

I have no particular love of "flippers". I don't care for thumb studs because they wear holes in my pockets or catch on car seats. I don't care for clips because they catch on car seats. But I buy knives with studs and clips and use them. It is just a matter of how I use them. Oh, since I am ranting a bit, I hate the little thingie on Vic SAKs where you might attach the knife to a key chain or lanyard. But I love the overall usefulness of SAKs.
 
Why can't we just all get along? [said with conviction and a little whine] We are all just knives. Flippers, studs, thumb holes, nail nicks, plunger buttons, hidden bolster releases, fixies, and any other brothers I haven't mentioned. We should all have equal rights under the knife enjoyment act of 1973.

Seriously, I can't believe this thread has gone on this long in the General section. Spinning out of control in W&C I can understand. Do any of these random opinions really benefit the general population? Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed it and gotten a few laughs (mostly "at" people and their degeneration of engineering improvements beyond their own preferences). :rolleyes:
 
Oh I guess you are right I have been in my other forum since 2002 and I forget which one I am posting on.
I'll go post on the new guy thread I am kinda a Curmudgeon but I mean well.
Been working in the knife and gun business since 1985...
Best wishes
 
Surfingringo said:
I agree with most of what you wrote here, but this highlighted part? Come on, you wouldn't really do that would you? I would think that just about anyone who uses a flipper and accidentally "half opened" it would just give a light wrist flick and lock the blade into place. I can't really imagine closing the knife and starting over with the flipper. Not really important...I was just bored and wanted to write something. :D
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Sure. Short answer should be "yes, one can do short wrist flick" and get the blade locked, but my thing is - I try not to do wrist flicks, I simply don't do it... I can do a thumb flick but don't like wrist flicks, they are unnecessary moments and I never had the habit of flicking the wrist.
I fully understand that we are not talking about flippers not opening constantly, it's rather sporadic event, but would you agree that it happens with flippers more than with other systems ? It's normal IMO, it goes with the specifics of the system, the blade moves more freely than in other systems ( another thing that I do not like in flippers), the pivot screw on those flippers is not that tight as on other knifes that you are applying direct pressure with your thumb, and by being slightly loose, they also get affected more by dirt and so on, so they are more prone to stop before they lock than other systems. Again, not all the time, but it happens more often when you only accelerate the blade and let the momentum do it's job, instead of pushing the blade all the way from closed to locked position.
All of my flippers had this problem when they were new or when they are ful of dirt, lint and so on, I never had such problem when riding the thumbstud all the way to the lock.
So in my case ( of course everyone else can look at this differently) i don't do wrist flicks, I don't want to do it with blade half way open by my body, maybe in tight environment and so on, let's not going in specifics. That's it, I'm just eliminating a non-desired possibility by trying to eliminate flippers for more serious tasks that I do with my knives. SD is another story and I know number of people that will not carry flippers and this is the main reason for it, we are talking service guys, not mall ninjas.
 
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