Who invented the front flipper design?

miso2

miso2

Joined
Nov 19, 2014
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Hi all,

I just got my first front flipper knife, Boker Plus Exskelibur I.

Only after a few days, it became my favorite deployment method.
You can open the blade either lightening fast or in a slow controlled manner, which would not be possible with a regular flipper.
Left hand opening is quite easy, too.
Yet, this design does not require to put anything protruding on the sides of a blade.
This is ideal for making thin profile knives, which I love.

I would like to appreciate and praise whoever invented this design.
I read somewhere that it is also called "South African flipper" and guess that the inventor must be a South African knife maker.
I would appreciaite it if you can educate me who it was.
Thanks!


Miso
 
Gonna guess either Andre Thorburn, Gareth Bull, or Fred Burger?

Maybe all three of them together?

They are the makers that use this method of opening a blade the most...
 
The basic concept is probably a century or more old. This specific shape I'm not sure, but a Sebenza will do this to an extent.
 
This opening method has been around for many years, and was not "invented" by any current knife maker. It seems to have originated in South Africa, but I have seen early examples from US makers as well.

Newer variations have the flipper on top:

AVHA2WARRIORtc.jpg


The "classic" variation has an elongated tang:

2832-2.jpg
 
Thank you for the inputs guys!

I guess I should have been more specific to the design which Blues described as the "classic" design using small protrusion of the blade and jimping on it for deployment.
Otherwise, the fastner (?) on a friction folder can possibly be considered as a front flipper tab.

9d0bea2cbb6504b5a6ec324dfbdb9446-couteau-fermant-fibre-carbone-l10_784.jpg


And this design might have a very old origin......



Miso
 
miso2 said:
Thank you for the inputs guys!

I guess I should have been more specific to the design which Blues described as the "classic" design using small protrusion of the blade and jimping on it for deployment.
Otherwise, the fastner (?) on a friction folder can possibly be considered as a front flipper tab.

9d0bea2cbb6504b5a6ec324dfbdb9446-couteau-fermant-fibre-carbone-l10_784.jpg


And this design might have a very old origin......



Miso
Click to expand...

I also believe it has roots in more "traditional" knives, but I'm not sure. There doesn't seem to be a lot of info out there, but I haven't really searched that hard:D

js1badsti said:
hey bluesmbender who makes that cf top frt flipper?
Click to expand...

It's an André Thorburn/Andre Van Heerden/Liong Mah collab piece. I almost bought it...was too late:(
 
I had a Gareth Bull 3.5" bladed folder. It is an excellent design, but I was unable to open it efficiently, and sold it. Apparently, lots of folks can use it very nicely.
 
From my limited experience with front flipper, I guess it may not be very functional for those having big hands.

Miso
 
According to Knife Center, Mike Skellern (of South Africa) designed the Exskelibur. Not sure about who invented the style, though. I've never handled such a knife. Pretty cool.
 
Alfazulu said:
According to Knife Center, Mike Skellern (of South Africa) designed the Exskelibur. Not sure about who invented the style, though. I've never handled such a knife. Pretty cool.
Click to expand...

Yes. His co-designer, Fred Burger, might be the inventor or one of them.
The knife is an excellent one for those loving thin blades.


Miso
 
Don't know who invented it but Cold Steel used to make a knife called the UltraLock in the 80s and 90s. It had a front flipper very similar to the Exkelibur and it was a breeze to use. I wish they'd bring that design back.
 
shady A.M. said:
Don't know who invented it but Cold Steel used to make a knife called the UltraLock in the 80s and 90s. It had a front flipper very similar to the Exkelibur and it was a breeze to use. I wish they'd bring that design back.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, shady A.M.
That is intersting.
A quick google search spitted out this video. Is this what you referred to?

[Youtube]3k9Q2i2MjXo[/Youtube]


Miso
 
Most local people give credit to the Lip Opener as used by Fred/Trevor Burger, Gareth Bull, Des Horn early Thorburns etc to the late Fanie Le Grange. No one really knows who was the first locally but Fanie was well known and this was in the early 1990's. I am specifically referring to the early 1990's Knife Makers Guild of South Africa shows.

The front flipper is "in front of the bolster and pivot" IMO and the first model I ever saw of it was in 2011 KGSA show by Andre Thorburn.

[video=youtube;HD6WLHUs-rU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD6WLHUs-rU[/video]

I personally do not call a lip opener a front flipper, nor vice versa. Just a personal opinion based on my knowledge of our local knife history.
 
marthinus said:
Most local people give credit to the Lip Opener as used by Fred/Trevor Burger, Gareth Bull, Des Horn early Thorburns etc to the late Fanie Le Grange. No one really knows who was the first locally but Fanie was well known and this was in the early 1990's. I am specifically referring to the early 1990's Knife Makers Guild of South Africa shows.

The front flipper is "in front of the bolster and pivot" IMO and the first model I ever saw of it was in 2011 KGSA show by Andre Thorburn.


I personally do not call a lip opener a front flipper, nor vice versa. Just a personal opinion based on my knowledge of our local knife history.
Click to expand...


marthinus,

Just to clarify, would you call the fist example Blues Bender showed "lip opener" and the second "front flipper"?


Miso
 
shady A.M. said:
Don't know who invented it but Cold Steel used to make a knife called the UltraLock in the 80s and 90s. It had a front flipper very similar to the Exkelibur and it was a breeze to use. I wish they'd bring that design back.
Click to expand...

miso2 said:
Thanks for the info, shady A.M.
That is intersting.
A quick google search spitted out this video. Is this what you referred to?

[Youtube]3k9Q2i2MjXo[/Youtube]
Click to expand...

Yes, that is it, and it was the first to come to my mind too. Once it was broken in, you could run your finger over the exposed part of the tang, and open it pretty quickly. It was much like using the flint sparking wheel on a cigarette lighter. The knife itself came in tanto, spear, and clip point versions. It would make a nice gentlemen's knife if dressed up a bit.

That is the closest that I can think of that isn't closer a flipping tail or hook.
 
miso2 said:
marthinus,

Just to clarify, would you call the fist example Blues Bender showed "lip opener" and the second "front flipper"?


Miso
Click to expand...


Front Flipper, because the flipper tab is in front of the pivot.

AVHA2WARRIORtc.jpg




Lip Opener

2832-2.jpg



The lip opener was never designed to be a "flipper", but can be manipulated as such. Same as a thumb stud or thumb hole. The front flipper was designed to be able to flip. Does that make sense?
 
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