Why aren’t “mini flipper” knives more popular?

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Dr Heelhook

Joined
Jul 24, 2007
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Long ago Kershaw released a folder collaboration with Steven Seagal (I know). No big deal, regular recurve liner lock similar to many Kershaws at the time, but the thing about it was that it had a really small flipper, just a few millimeters sticking out the back of the handle. The purpose of this was obviously not to flip the knife open, but just to push the blade past the ball detent, so you can wrist flick it open. It also makes for a leaner profile than if you have a big flipper sticking out. I’m not sure if I’ve seen this design on any other knives though, are there any? I came to think about this reading about these “front flippers” that seem to be popular right now.
 
Sounds like you answered your own ?-They don't flip well without wrist action.
No help on finding similar knives.
 
I like the idea. Everybody loves wrist flicking their knives anyway. I'm not planning on getting one, I was more thinking in terms of a possible business opportunity.
 
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I think this is the knife being referred to. It just looks like a poorly designed flipper to me...
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I dislike small flipper tabs because they're easier to miss and overall require higher dexterity to properly operate. Honestly, many flippers I wouldn't mind if slightly larger. I live in a cold climate(reduces dexterity), often wear gloves while work etc and large flippers are extremely easy to operate in these condtions. The smaller the flipper tab, the easier it is to miss, or a failure for completely deploy the blade. Not to mention larger flippers work as a forward guard also if the lock fails the large flipper tab will hit your finger and not the blade. So large flippers provide two very important safety features. So in my opinion, small flipper tabs really remove the majority of the perks to having an actual flipper.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
Everybody loves wrist flicking they're knives anyway.
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Actually, many of us prefer to Not wrist flick our knives. On top of that, wrist flicking is one of the first reasons that we often don't lend out our knives to others...

I do not wrist flick my knives. Either they are a quality flipper that doesn't need the help, or they are not a flipper, and thus shouldn't be flipped.
 
Gideons said:
I dislike small flipper tabs because they're easier to miss and overall require higher dexterity to properly operate. Honestly, many flippers I wouldn't mind if slightly larger. I live in a cold climate(reduces dexterity), often wear gloves while work etc and large flippers are extremely easy to operate in these condtions. The smaller the flipper tab, the easier it is to miss, or a failure for completely deploy the blade. Not to mention larger flippers work as a forward guard also if the lock fails the large flipper tab will hit your finger and not the blade. So large flippers provide two very important safety features. So in my opinion, small flipper tabs really remove the majority of the perks to having an actual flipper.
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Again, the purpose wouldn't be to flip the blade open, but to just bypass the ball detent, so you can wrist flick it open. I am aware of all the other advantages of a big flipper tab. Here you would then trade them for having a sleeker profile, with less stuff sticking out and being in the way. Probably more suitable for a more elegant knife not meant to be used with gloves. I don't know, it's just an idea, doesn't have to be for everybody.

One drawback might be that we're possibly moving closer into gravity knife territory. Then again Benchmade and Spyderco have pretty much invaded that already with the Axis and compression lock.
 
NJBillK said:
Actually, many of us prefer to Not wrist flick our knives. On top of that, wrist flicking is one of the first reasons that we often don't lend out our knives to others...

I do not wrist flick my knives. Either they are a quality flipper that doesn't need the help, or they are not a flipper, and thus shouldn't be flipped.
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No, I don't wrist flick my knives neither actually. So, EVERYBODY was obviously a rhetoric exaggeration on my behalf, sorry about that. It does seem many people do like doing it though. Michael Janich is one person who advocates using inertia to open a knife if it needs to be done quickly, so it seems there would be a market of sorts. You do hear sometimes that flicking is not good for the construction, but maybe one could build the knife in a way that could handle it better? Again, I'm just playing around with ideas.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
No, I don't wrist flick my knives neither actually. So, EVERYBODY was obviously a rhetoric exaggeration on my behalf, sorry about that. It does seem many people do like doing it though. Michael Janich is one person who advocates using inertia to open a knife if it needs to be done quickly, so it seems there would be a market of sorts. You do hear sometimes that flicking is not good for the construction, but maybe one could build the knife in a way that could handle it better? Again, I'm just playing around with ideas.
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If you end up making some of these, spend your marketing dollars with NutnFancy. He trains his followers to wrist flick everything.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
I like the idea. Everybody loves wrist flicking they're knives anyway.
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Lets fix this "Everybody" = NYPD & "they're" = your :D PS it should have been their don't worry I'm no better.

But on a more real note I do like flipper tabs like on Liong Mah GSD that are more inline with the handle shape and hide when opened.
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Hickory n steel said:
Because where small knives are concerned traditionals will always reign supreme.
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Can't say I've seen too many traditional flippers.. And I don't think the OP meant small knives, just flipper tabs. At least that's my interpretation.

I like the looks of the smaller tabs, it does a lot for the aesthetics, but function is more important to me. If someone designed it like that Liong Mah above where it's at a better angle to get your finger on I think we'd see a lot more of them. The problem is that most flippers follow the same design, sticking out at 90 degrees off the frame. I'd like to see some new ideas for placement, and there have been a lot that tried(and succeeded), but I couldn't name them off the top of my head. Not like the 0450 or a XM-18.
 
Most of the time I prefer a slow, controlled opening to a speedy opening with a a thwacking flip or wrist-flick. A flipper without an option for controlled opening doesn't interest me. I do have a Buck small Vantage Pro that I usually open using the hole in the blade -- but sometimes open exactly as the OP suggests, with a combination of pushing on the unobtrusive flipper tab and a slight wrist flick. I'm satisfied with this combination of options for opening.
 
McFeeli said:
Can't say I've seen too many traditional flippers.. And I don't think the OP meant small knives, just flipper tabs. At least that's my interpretation.

I like the looks of the smaller tabs, it does a lot for the aesthetics, but function is more important to me. If someone designed it like that Liong Mah above where it's at a better angle to get your finger on I think we'd see a lot more of them. The problem is that most flippers follow the same design, sticking out at 90 degrees off the frame. I'd like to see some new ideas for placement, and there have been a lot that tried(and succeeded), but I couldn't name them off the top of my head. Not like the 0450 or a XM-18.
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I thought he meant small knives with flippers.
For a small knife a traditional knife will probably cut better.

For knives with small flippers, I'd assume that while they eliminate some issues of flippers they're also probably to small for easy use most times.
 
Kershaw Chive and Scallion, though they are assisted. The Leek from the same family has a very small flipper tab, but is also assisted.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I thought he meant small knives with flippers.
For a small knife a traditional knife will probably cut better.

For knives with small flippers, I'd assume that while they eliminate some issues of flippers they're also probably to small for easy use most times.
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?
 
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