Best flipper knife ($300-500)?

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wildolive

Joined
Nov 13, 2007
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Hi there! Been awhile since I've posted on here...I used to dabble in Busse stuff when I worked more in the outdoors, but now I'm more city-based. Learned of the Busse and SRHR here, which I used for years working in wilderness Ed.

Anyway! Today is a significant day for me, being 10 years in remission, and I wanted to buy a special knife for myself, one that I would use a lot, see, and be reminded of my good fortune (I believe positivity can beget positivity). I've been really curious of flipper knives, which are pretty new to me. Used to have a Spyderco, but I don't really get into the tactical look and I'm in MA and that can be a little sketchy here.

Could anyone recommend a great flipper in that price range? I want something 3"-ish blade-wise. I like the Kizer Feist, Skaha, and the Grimsmo are super nice, but a little expensive for me! I'd appreciate any suggestions, and if there are ads on here I'm missing, please point them out. Thank you for reading! Luke
 
How much money do you want to spend? If you're looking for an economical flipper go with a USA made Kershaw. If you have enough funds get a ZT flipper knife. The Protech is about the same price so the options are plenty. Hope you find what you're looking for. a lot less than $500 and a lot more than $3
 
Vlade said:
Hey boss for some reason the Protech Malibu is not available, at least it's not available at KC. I wonder why? They look nice I'd like to have one as well
Click to expand...
They are very hyped and sell out quickly.
 
Congratulations on your 10 years in remission! That's awesome. 💪

My favorite ~3" flippers are the Hinderer XM-18 3.0, Shirogorov NeOn NL, and Pro-Tech Malibu. The XM and Malibu are in your price range new, and the Shiro will be if you buy used. All can be hard to track down, but if you keep an eye on the BF Exchange you'll catch one eventually. :)

For Sale: Folding Knives (Individual)

www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

Alternately, if you don't know whether you'll enjoy flippers or not, get something like a Kershaw Link or any CIVIVI flipper for a good combination of value and quality, and then jump to a higher price bracket if you enjoy it. (Some folks really hate flippers.)

And finally, there's a 10-year thread all about small flippers which is packed with knives that will tempt your wallet. :)

Small Manual Flippers with 2.25-3.25 inch Blades

Looking for more manual/unassisted (no torsion bars) flippers with blade lengths of about 3 inches. I'll start off with the ones I have (blade lengths in parentheses): Spyderco Domino (3.13") Benchmade 300-1301 (3.18") CRKT Ripple Blue (3.125") CRKT Eros (3") CRKT M16-01T (3.125")...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

This thread needs more pics!

XM-18 3.0
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NeOn NL
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Malibu
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I just ordered a Reate K-1. It looks ultra buttery and the reviews are great!

EDIT: I see the blade might be a little too long for your preferences. The K-4 might be a bit closer to what you're into.
 
Hi Luke!

The Protech Malibu is probably my favorite flipper & a great recommendation all-around.. finding one in stock can be tricky, but if you're a patient man, they are worth the wait. The North Arm Skaha II has about the smoothest action & crispest detent of any flipper I own, and the contoured handle & overall craftsmanship are impressive as h3ll.. another great choice & easy recommendation.. like the Malibu, obtaining one will require patience. All of the Zero Tolerance flippers I own work really well and ZT has some of the most consistently good fit & finish of all the brands I've tried.. if any of those appeal to you, they are easy recommendations on my end..

I'm also in MA & I've carried any/all of the above without issue, for what it's worth.. Good luck in your search!
 
Vlade said:
How much money do you want to spend? If you're looking for an economical flipper go with a USA made Kershaw. If you have enough funds get a ZT flipper knife. The Protech is about the same price so the options are plenty. Hope you find what you're looking for. a lot less than $500 and a lot more than $3
Click to expand...
Sorry - I should rewrite that to 300-500, which is how I meant. That was probably confusing..I'll see if I can edit it. Thank you
 
ricklikesknives said:
Hi Luke!

The Protech Malibu is probably my favorite flipper & a great recommendation all-around.. finding one in stock can be tricky, but if you're a patient man, they are worth the wait. The North Arm Skaha II has about the smoothest action & crispest detent of any flipper I own, and the contoured handle & overall craftsmanship are impressive as h3ll.. another great choice & easy recommendation.. like the Malibu, obtaining one will require patience. All of the Zero Tolerance flippers I own work really well and ZT has some of the most consistently good fit & finish of all the brands I've tried.. if any of those appeal to you, they are easy recommendations on my end..

I'm also in MA & I've carried any/all of the above without issue, for what it's worth.. Good luck in your search!
Click to expand...
Thanks for all that info! Very helpful. Everyone here is super helpful fwiw. Good to know about MA....The only strict law I'm aware of here is auto knives, and I have no need for that, but one-hand opening is good because I rock climb a lot.

There's actually a Skaha I tagged to purchase here on the forum, but looks like the guy isn't checking (recent posting). I think I need to be a gold member to send PMs, no? May have to make that happen to acquire one of these
 
I guess I'll vote for a rick hinderer. Chances are if you look into them you'll find one you'd like. Most of the xm line has choils but there are some without. It's probably quickest to look through his website n see if there's any you like. A lot of the times when none are available you'll see the speacials he does that cost more than a regular off the line knife.
 
Welcome Luke, congratulations on your remission. That's quite an accomplishment and speaks volumes to your character!
I love flippers and have Protech's, Hinderer's, Shiro's and as of late an Arno Bernarnau iMamba.
Although I really like them all, for the price, I think it's hard to beat a Protech Malibu. The action is great, blade steel is awesome with CPM20, very safe closing with the button lock. If needed Protech's customer service is second to none and basic models can usually be found here on the exchange for around $200.
IMHO they are hard to beat
If you just want to spend at the upper end of your budget, look hold out for a plain AB iMamba. They are fantastic!
 
Another vote for 3” XM. They make many blade shapes. Also, Hinderer just dropped a Batch of jurrasics and half tracks not long ago, there will be some on the market here periodically. They usually go quick tho
Edit
I believe USA made blades still has Les George flippers for sale, the ESV I think it’s called, 2.75”
 
Virtually any flipper in the $300-500 price bracket would be worth buying.

Just depends on what type of knife that you like but there are too many factors to consider to ever begin suggesting one, w/o knowing what you consider important in a knife. So, I"m not going to bother.

I own over 360 knives and a lot of them are flippers in this price range BUT I am NOT going to suggest one over another. They each have their pluses and minuses and my choices have NOTHING to do with yours.

Let your fingers do the walking and searching on the Net to find the knife that YOU like best.
 
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Synov Synov nailed it. The Gemini is a fantastic knife designed by Ray Laconico. It has snappy action. It is a compact size but feels good in hand. There are also a bunch of different versions if you look around. Looking at what is currently available, my favorite budget version (first pic) runs N690 with a dark burlap micarta theme (Mojave Outdoors exclusive). My favorite premium version (second pic) runs S35VN with titanium and wood inlays (Kizer website exclusive).

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