To flip or not to flip

I'm old. I don't fidget, unless you count trying to break in some recalcitrant knife. I like flippers.

Lesknife said:
I don’t have any problems using either flip or no-flip or any kind of folding knife for that matter but if I could have all my knives flip open and closed like my Buck 830 Marksman that would be great!! It’s the easiest, quickest and most reliable action I’ve ever used so far.

I’m not a fidgeter or play with stuff I just like the easy one handed action when I’m doing stuff that requires one hand to hold while I cut with the other hand like cutting large round bale twine out feeding livestock. After each bale I’m putting my knife back in my pocket and then retrieving it to cut the next bale open. It works great. Same with sacks of feed and such.
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Right. Or when I'm using one hand to hold up a ram who has hung himself up by the neck, while using the other hand to cut him down. But an auto is even better than a flipper for that.
 
Unpopular opinion coming

I'm not old but I'm not young. I don't think this really has anything to do with age, but few pose this as ageism and anti hipster. Seriously? Flippers are fantastic. I would far rather a thumb hole and a flipper over a thumb stud any day. I don't understand why one would classify this as just a fidget factor when it's highly functional to be able to open a knife with a flipper design, they're definitely not new and it's definitely not a fad that's going anywhere.
 
My FIL who is in his early 70s prefers the speedsafe flipper of KAI. I swapped him a 1776GRY for a 1776GRN because they don't offer the smooth gray handle anymore. I told him I wanted my knife back if he ever wants to move on. 😁 I prefer the M390 to the S20CV.
 
DocJD said:
All my flippers are either liner or frame locks . IDK if there are any other types that can be flippers ?

So most of my objections for EDC are really about the associated lock type necessary .
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Spyderco Amalgam and Smock have compression locks.
 
DocJD said:
All my flippers are either liner or frame locks . IDK if there are any other types that can be flippers ?

So most of my objections for EDC are really about the associated lock type necessary .
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Lots of flippers have cross-bar or button locks.
 
DocJD said:
I don't have any , but design sounds pretty good ! :cool:
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It's a good lock. Only (personal?) problem is on some knives (like the PM2), it hurts on the web between thumb and index finger when under heavy use. Ok for me on other knives (like the Shaman and Szabo). YMMV.
 
I am not overly fond of flippers myself but to each his own. I tend towards the more traditional patterns.
 
Grasshopperglock said:
Clean a fish or animal and see how gunky with the funky the pivot gets after closing the knife. You know, safety. Then try flipping it again.

If the blade won't deploy all the way or it's practically glued in. You can grip it with slimy, nasty fingers. Hoping like hell you don't slip and catch the edge. Things have to get done.

If only you had another option. Something you can push or pull. Something that's not near the edge. Something that'll work with dry or wet hands. Something with a positive grip to the finger or thumb.
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To clean a fish or animal I would only use a fix blade knife. Each knife has a purpose IMO.
 
I like the flipper on a pocket knife. The flipper is easy for me to operate since my arthritis. I am not happy with some that are frame locks due to a slight amount of pressure on the frame lock can stop the knife from opening. These I feel are a poor design. Hard to tell without trying the knife before purchasing, Some with thumb studs can be a problem to sharpen on some sharpeners like the Edge Pro. There are pros and cons with every knife. Choose what is best for your needs. I find my EDC recently has been a Kershaw Leek with S30V blade steel. Con: I find you need diamond sharpener to sharpen easier. Can touch up on Spyderco ceramic. Opening never has failed on this knife in years. I haven't needed a HD knife for my EDC.
 
mitchnola said:
Personally I even like thumb disks more than studs. Easier to deploy and easier on thumb imo.
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Yeah I like the disks when they are larger than the ZT 0640. I buy the "monster" size which really isn't much larger. Works better that way for my short, fat, arthritic thumb.
 
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No flippers for me.

In my narrow view it leans towards tacticlol.
 
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