Let's talk flippers

Tippet

Tippet

Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
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I am so embarrassed I'm only just now learning about flippers. I thought they had a spring, but apparantly not. Just the pressure required to overcome the detente ball is enough to flip that bad boy open all the way and lock it, is that right?

I'd greatly appreciate anyone and everyone who knows about this type of knife sharing whatever they know. Do you use bearings, or just a peened pivot pin? Does a liner-lock put enough friction on the opening blade to be problematic? Is a frame-lock a better or worse solution?

I'd also appreciate being pointed in the direction of anyone's favorite book or other source of info about flipper design.

Thanks in advance!
-Taylor
 
I own a CRKT Carson Design M16.
Best EDC I've ever had.
It's like having a retractable claw, like that of a cat, only of steel, in your hand.
You open it and close it one-handed in a single motion that becomes so fluid and natural as to become second nature.
If I forget it home or, for some reason (like on a plane) I'm without it, I find myself reaching for it in my pocket whenever I need to open something, and it's like missing a body part.
Mechanism is a standard pivot and liner lock with LAWKS safety. It has no bearings, just the standard pin and one bronze and one nylon washers.
 
The smoother the better.Bearings would be my first choice with bushings a close second.Liner locks and frame locks are fine but you dont want too much spring pressure.I find a smaller detent ball to be better too.
 
Thanks M. I wonder if anyone's made a book about flippers specifically. It seems at first like it's so simple, no need for deep thought...but I'm guessing there's a challenge involved with tuning the detente, lock, and stop to work well with each other. I'd hate to have to reinvent the wheel.
 
I dont know of any books on flippers but the basic mechanics is the same as liner/framelocks.Now if you want an assisted opening flipper I would suggest buying one and take it apart to study,I would also say for a flipper too.Sometimes seeing something taken apart and studying it answers all your questions.
 
McAhron said:
the basic mechanics is the same as liner/framelocks.
Click to expand...

Well yes as far as the lock goes...but the tab, detente, and pinstop add a completely new dimension...and that is the sum total of what I actually know for sure about it. :o
 
Tippet said:
Well yes as far as the lock goes...but the tab, detente, and pinstop add a completely new dimension...and that is the sum total of what I actually know for sure about it. :o
Click to expand...

Nah, I really don't think it adds too much extra complexity. The detent and pinstop aren't different, except that your choices are more limited where you can put them so that the tab/nub/guard can still end up outside the profile of the scales.

In other words, you can think of a flipper folder as a subset of linerlock/framelock folders- there's an infinite number of designs for framelocks/linerlocks, and some of them will still work if you leave a big bump of steel on the blade to poke out the backside when it's closed.

Hope that helps. :o:D
 
Yes that does help M, thanks! And thanks to you also Mac.

I ordered a couple books, "How to Make Folding Knives" by Ron Lake & "Blade's Guide to Knifemaking" by Joe Kertzman. Sheesh that Ron Lake book is expensive, hope it's good.
 
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