opening a "flipper"

F

FredL

Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Messages
42
I own LOTS of knives, but none of them are flippers. How exactly are they opened? I can't imagine that they're easier than standard one-handers...

thanks

Fred
 
IMG_0012.jpg


In this picture, you can see that the flipper on the Heat (just like all flippers) is connected to the blade itself. When closed, the flipper sticks out of the handle on the spine side. All you do is push down on the flipper with your index finger and the blade pops up as soon as it gets past the detent. You can also notice that the flipper turns into a makeshift hand guard.
 
Thanks. I watched the video of a flipper being opened, and it did look a lot like an assist mechanism for a wrist flick.

Fred
 
FredL said:
Thanks. I watched the video of a flipper being opened, and it did look a lot like an assist mechanism for a wrist flick.

Fred
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. I'm going to have to stop by my local knife shop and see if they have any flippers that I can take a look at. Would a flipper knife constitute as a gravity knife?
 
but just a strait flipper(non assisted) would be considered a folder, i guess im asking, in an area where folders are ok, but switch, and balisongs are not, would they be ok?
 
yes they would be IMO. Since most definitions of a switchblade say that the opening device has to be part of the handle and not the blade.
 
Flippers are very easy to open and provide other benefits. They provide a substantial finger guard and a nice failsafe if the lock fails (the flipper will press against your finger instead of closing on you).

That said, once you get your inertial openings down, you won't have any need for flippers, holes, studs etc. But in the mean time, a lot of fun. Plus I think they look l33t.

A good flipper can be opened faster than an AO in my experience. Probably not as fast as some OTFs though.
 
i can flip open a balisong so fast you cant even see it, but there not acceptiable to be seen with here. thats why i want one of these...
 
Rich Hinderer makes an excellent flipper, as I own one. And from what I have read, RJ Martin makes an incredible flipper@@
 
Any relatively cheap flippers? I'm thinking $150 MAX, but $100 or under would be nice.
 
I've got a Ti verson in the M16 line and an M1-13. Both flip fine for me. Some don't like them; the M16 has class with it's .45 Commander style. The sharkfin on the M1 looks better in the original than CRKT's, but that doesn't hurt functionality.
The late lamented "old" CRKT in AUS8 are good knives. Paying a little extra for good steel is never a bad thing.
 
I have a few knives with flippers, and while they're all good (mostly Kershaws), I think the best flipper is on my CRKT M16. Of course, it's hard to compare the majority of Kershaw's flippers since they're usually AO .

If you want something high end, those combat elite folders look pretty l33t.
 
My best "flipper" is the CRKT Desert Cruiser. It's a big honking knife from the grip side, but it not only opens smoothly, it flips open with no problem. Some of the other CRKT flippers are fine is you flip them enough, but mine have frozen too many times to make them ultra reliable. I can flip my M21-14 a dozen times reliably, but if I pick it up cold I sometimes find that it doesn't flip authoritively into place. The Desert Cruiser I can open easily with one hand but, again, some of the others take a bit more effort.

I'm sure that if one were to take one knife and just practice with it that it will eventually loosen up; however, the Desert Cruiser didn't need any break in period. It's just smooth. But I've been carrying mine more lately because I've come to realize that rapid opening is crucial in self defense.
 
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