is there an ideal size blade for flippers?

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morvlorv

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Apr 3, 2014
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Hey Guys and Gals,

Just wanted to get peoples thoughts and opinions on blade size and flippers.
Do you all feel there is an ideal size for flipping action or are there too many variables and personal preferences to look at?

In my feeble mind, I feel like the larger the blade, the worse the flipping action would be.
Is there a sweet spot for this?

Since most higher end flipper ride on bearings, does it even matter at that point?

I am looking to get my first high end custom folder and really like the flipping action, I find it somewhat satisfying and therapeutic, haha.
I have knives with every other way to open imaginable, and I just dig the flippers.

Currently, at the top of my list is an Andre Thorburn, due to reports on what a nice flipping action they have, but I would be open to other suggestions.
I have found that there are way too many makers out there, so I look at blades that I really dig rather than makers names.

Back to the original question though, will a 3.5 inch blade flip better than a 4 inch blade, or vice versa? Is there a sweet spot for sizes?

Thanks everyone
 
From my understanding from reading here and some first hand experience(less than a lot of other members), heavier/larger blades actually flip better than smaller light weight ones. That doesn’t mean a 4” blade will automatically flip better than a 3”, because the 3” could easily weigh more than the 4”. So I don’t think length plays as big as role as weight. But again, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on the subject at any level. I have a whole two flippers left nowadays.

Beyond that I do believe a lot depends on tolerances as well, which is why people rave about a Shiro opposed to a CRKT.
 
You are just going to have to buy a desk drawer full of them like we did, and choose one, or two...or three of your favorites.;) Seriously, 3.25 inch is pretty common, and might be a good place to start. Cheapies like Kershaw Onion and their other spring assisted serve me pretty well, for day to day.
 
Ive got a deskfull of knives, just not flippers. haha.
The flippers are new to me and I want more.
I do have two so far, and now want to try higher end ones.
The two I have are an emerson sheepdog, and a maserin pitbull.
I like them both a lot, just want higher end now.
The sheepdog has nice flipping action, but being an emerson, its fit and finish is not stupendous, and i dont know how to explain it, it just feels not so solid, even though its not a cheap knife. It just doesnt wow me.

I do like the pitbull a lot, its miles above the sheepdog. It is however a larger blade being around 3.75, so that is what got me wondering and why I asked the question.
I was flipping my pitbull and wondered if the blade was smaller, would it be a different action.

thanks for the replies so far, I like the info.
 
In my observations A longer blade is going to flip out slower than a shorter blade of equal weight but Drop shut easier than a shorter blade close in weight. Im compairing my ZT 0462 blade lengh of 3.72 to a Kershaw Natrix blade lengh of 2.75 both non asisted. BTW the OVERALL weight of the knife has nothing to do with action.
 
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My flippers have ranged from 3" blades thru 3.5" blades, and those lengths are ideal for me.
I don't dig longer blades, but at some point, the longer blade would seem unwieldy, IMO.
and my opinion is just based on a big-a$$ed guess.
 
If you are interested in an Andre Thorburn it does not matter the blade length in my opinion. His action is superb regardless of a practical blade length. It all comes down to hand tuning everything and tolerances.

Personally above 4 inch for a folder is a bit....well....over the top.
 
I find larger knives are better flippers and free droppers overall. But that's not always the case. A properly designed and tuned flipper will work at any size. From a shiro neon lw on the small to a zt 0452cf on the large.

I have several at around 4" blades are really good both deployment and the drop shut. But also have many in-between that are good. Not mine but my friends neon lightweight has pretty amazing action and it's small.

So id suggest leaning towards designing the proper flipper and having it tuned right makes the difference.

But also design and different sized hands don't work with every owner. 0450 is just too small for my hands. It's action is nice but it's so small it's just not nice for me. The neon I don't have a problem with for some reason. This will all differ for someone else.
 
It also depends on how the mass in the blade is distributed. The more mass towards the tip, the greater the rotational inertia imparted on the blade. I'm thinking specifically of the Grimsmo Norseman.

Think of swinging a baseball bat holding the handle vs the barrel.
 
Everything said here makes a lot of sense.
sounds like the high end flippers with tight tolerances and very well made shouldnt matter much of the size.
So if my favorite size is 3.5 find what speaks to me in that size and go for it, haha.
Shiros were always a grail of mine, then i found out about thorburn and how notoriously smooth they are (same with shiro though).

This is just my opinion but to me the thorburns look like they have nicer fine details and to me just look like you a bit more for less money.

Should i also be looking at other makers? My price range is the $600 to $1000 range
I am hoping to get a custom in that price range, so im sure it will be closer to the $1000 mark.

This hobby is hilarious. Start with $20 esse and Doziers and kershaws, and it blooms into $1000 and up knives.
The progression is real, lol
 
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The boker kwaiken is an amazing flipper once broken in. Very smooth. My kizer envoy has a much shorter blade and a tighter detent, feels like an assisted knife. Any size blade can flip good it just has to have the proper detent strength for the size of the blade
 
No ideal size, veriatity is the spice of like, and for your perfect one is the fun of it.
Chuck
 
Physics being physics, I'm certain the weight of a blade will absolutely have an impact on how well it flips. That said, unless we're talking about extreme examples *cough* SpySmasher SpySmasher *cough*, I would also say that it's vastly less important than detent strength and pivot action.
 
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I have a 1-1/2" flipper which amazes me as to how well it deploys but I think that is an exception.
3 -1/2" +/- 1/4" makes for a pretty great knife to my way of use and the Thorburn flippers I have owned
are unparalleled in regards to action by any other maker's knives I have own or handled. They are just so
well made. Most beyond your price range, though there are occasionally some to be found in the $800.00 +/-
range. I used a Shiro F3 for nearly a year and that was a near perfect knife with high excellent flipping action.

I have owned other South African knife makers flippers and a few by US makers that underwhelmed me. My experience - others may say differently based on their own experience - is that bearings are significantly better than washers. Still, I have owned a few IKBS bearing set up knives by other makers than Thorburn and they were not nearly as smooth and precise and inconsistent opening and falling shut (and worse - staying shut). I have been disappointed more often than not with flippers. Glad you are not asking about mid-techs... :rolleyes:

Ray
 
Technically speaking, the detent and lockbar matter vastly more than the blade length or thickness. A light detent will usually flip worse than a strong detent, until tolerances come into play. Better tolerances will make up a great deal for detent and lockbar. A weaker lockbar will usually aid in drop shutty action, though, and tolerances can make up for the potential of a weaker detent.

When it comes to flipping action, it's a fine balance of a large number of mechanical properties.
 
Thanks for all the thought out replies.
Are A2 knives the same quality as thorburns?
It looks like A2 has some offerings with other steels than n690.
I have zero experience with n690, so im not sure about that steel, but i think im just all caught up in super steel mentality, its easy to happen.
Reviews of the steel seem mixed.
Is it a bad idea to spend a grand on a knife and not get a super steel or do the interwebs just have me convinced super steels are needed?
I sort of think fit and finish on the knife are whats the most important as long as it has a decent steel.
 
N690 is a decent steel. It's not m390 or anything, more like vg10. I find it less chippy than vg10. People get all up in arms if an expensive knife isn't in the most popular steel. If your not going to cut alot with it, don't worry about it. It's also using a custom makers heat treatment, which is often better than mass production ht. Most knife buyers know nothing of ht and steel properties and only steel names of what's popular.

So something like m390 is likely to sell faster than N690 but N690 is still a good steel when heat treated well. It may require sharpening more often if used alot but most people are not using 500+$ knives due to they want resale value.
 
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