Knife with a flipper?

J

jamesbeat

Joined
Jul 26, 2009
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314
I have a couple of crkt M16's which have the Carson flipper.
I like them well enough I suppose, but they don't do it for me aesthetically, I think the handle is to 'complex'
I know they are a rugged design, but the handles are just full of holes...

The thing is, I'm addicted to the flipper.
Now I know what it's like to have a folder with a flipper, I just don't see the point of a knife without one :D
The flipper gives me a knife that is as fast as a switchblade, but legal for me to carry and easily opened with two hands so as not to scare the sheep.

I have been looking around for something to suit my needs, and I quite like the Kershaw RAM.
The RAM looks to be well made, and I saw a yootoob video showing its locking mechanism, which seems very good to me.
The only problem is that I'm not 100% on the aesthetics. The blade angles are a bit 'sci fi' for my liking.

If the thing was $20 cheaper I'd buy it, but I'm not happy spending this much on a knife I know I'm going to want to reprofile the blade on.

So, I would either like an RAM for $40 if anyone has one they want to sell, or some recommendations of similar knives to look at?
 
Kershaw has a lot of great blades with flippers, you would probably have luck with them.

Are you looking for light weight? If so, the "skyline" has a great flipper.

the Lahar has a flipper, but it might not be aestheticaly pleasing. It is really heavy and bulky
 
Kershaw JYD II CB, Surpurb handle ergonomics with a VERY SMOOTH flipper, topped off with premium steel for around $65.
Picture331.jpg

Its got a hefty lock too.
Picture330.jpg


You will thank me later, others already have ;)
 
Thanks for your recommendations :)

I've been reading a bit more about the Hawk lock on the RAM and I think I've fallen for it.
I really like the looks of the Skyline, but this time I wanted a nice chunky heavy duty knife.
I think I'm going to go with the RAM. I have reconciled its appearance by virtue of the locking mechanism.
I will follow it up with a Skyline for a nice lightweight carry knife when funds allow.

Isn't it funny how we invent 'carry scenarios' to justify buying the knives we like? :D
 
The JYD II Composite is definitely an excellent choice. I also like the Kershaw Groove. It has a solid feel and lock up, quick flipper action, and the blade gets you plenty of style points as well. For a more refined look, I would check out the CRKT Summa, which comes with comes with a really beautiful multi-layered blue and black micarta handle with the liners and pocket clip anodized blue to match the handle.
 
i own more Kershaw Leeks than any other model. great all around knife, and definitely a great bang for the buck. any Kershaw w/ SpeedSafe is a good buy. one thing to keep in mind with flippers (and with AO knives, and with autos) is that larger, heavier blades deploy a bit slower and require more effort (except Pro-Techs, damn those things kick).
 
You'll love the RAM. When I bought my first one, I too thought it was ugly. I bought if for the mechanism. As I carried it more, the looks really grew on me. It's one of those knives where the looks are secondary to its function. The more you use it and appreciate its usefulness, the more you'll like the looks.

Right now, I have two RAMs in my current rotation, one in desert ironwood and another in buckeye burl. Both have Gavin Hawk's custom Grip Clips. I also have a new black-bladed model on the way. Between the three, I'll rarely need to carry anything else.

Phillip
 
I recommend either the composite JYD (very, very comfortable knife) or the Tyrade or the OD-1.
 
You can get a RAM (blemished,although I couldn't find anything wrong with it) for $39 shipped ConUS here.

I got one last week,cause I wanted to try it out.I love it.I'm gonna get a couple new ones with different scales now.
 
BlackOpsSec said:
i own more Kershaw Leeks than any other model. great all around knife, and definitely a great bang for the buck. any Kershaw w/ SpeedSafe is a good buy. one thing to keep in mind with flippers (and with AO knives, and with autos) is that larger, heavier blades deploy a bit slower and require more effort (except Pro-Techs, damn those things kick).
Click to expand...

I'll second the Leek. I've got a Rainbow Leek, and it's the folder I carry most often. It's sharp, very pointy, and feels surprisingly solid in the hand. It's my favorite folder.
 
As many others have suggested, there are many AWESOME Kershaw flippers.

RAM is absolutely amazing, best flipper there is IMO, awesome lock too.

JYDII CB If you want bigger/heavier

Skyline if you want smaller/lighter.

The CRKT Tuition and Summa are also excellent choices.
 
As has already been mentioned, the Kershaw Skyline is a great flipper. It is lightweight, slender, G-10 handle scales, nice blade shape and good steel.

Also mentioned was the OD-1 - also a great flipper. You mentioned analogy to a switchblade and I feel this is the closest to a switchblade a non-automatic/assisted knife can be. Super fast blade deployment with simple and clean looks. It has good Sandvik steel like the Skyline and is a framelock with G-10 scale.

And yet another mentioned knife was the Buck Vantage. I bought the Select version with Buck's mainstay 420HC steel. I bought it because I was interested in the Vantage Pro but wanted to get a feel for the shape. Needless to say I like it and will be getting the Vantage Pro next. The Vantage also has a nice clean and simple design with great flipping action. The Pro steps up to S30V steel and G-10 scales for around $45-50 - an awesome value if you ask me!!!
 
OD-1 is my favorite flipper, but I'll agree with others about the leek. Out of all the knives I own, the leek is probably my favorite
 
JTR357 said:
You can get a RAM (blemished,although I couldn't find anything wrong with it) for $39 shipped ConUS here.

I got one last week,cause I wanted to try it out.I love it.I'm gonna get a couple new ones with different scales now.
Click to expand...

Awww, I just ordered one for $57 shipped from ebay and thought I had got a good deal :mad:
I've bookmarked that link though because after reading this thread I'm pretty sure I need a Leek as well as a Skyline :D

One of the reasons I didn't get an AO knife is that I'm in NY State and I'm worried that an AO is too close to a switchblade.
Besides, it looks like the RAM opens just as fast as a switchblade plus there is no spring to break.
Being in NY was also part of the reason why I liked the look of the Hawk Lock so much, it looks like it would be harder to open with a flick of the wrist (although that is only a guess so far)

Can anyone tell me how durable the coating on the blade is?

Also, Philip, are those wooden scales available separately? I can't seem to find them anywhere...
 
You'll also like how fast you can flip the blade closed with this design. There's no resistance from an AO spring and the lock keeps you fingers out of harms way.

The coating is very durable if it's the same as the stuff they use on the ZT line.

I make wood scales for knives like the RAM. They give the knife a personal touch. Check your visitor messages for some info.

Phillip
 
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