"Your" Best Flipper?

aleforme

aleforme

Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
2,130
This might have been asked before but just wondering. Not looking for advise on "who makes the best flipper" and not even looking for a flipper to buy. I have a few. Although, who knows, I might get some ideas for future purchases.

I'm just curious what "Your" best flipper is? I see lots of posts asking who makes the best flipper(s) or which specific knife is the best flipper? I know some companies excel at flippers but there are so many other knives out there that flip amazingly. Curious to see what people feel is their best?

It can be a $25 Rat or a $3000 custom. Again, I'm just curious what everyone considers to be "their" best flipper.

Something you actually own or have owned.

And please post some photos!
 
I’ll start it off with mine.


It’s a Brian Nadeau Cyclone. This thing flips perfectly every time and just seems to float out on buttered glass. Falls shut as well. Nadeau’s detent ramp is something really special.


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i currently only have a single flipper
spyderco domino - its been my EDC for about 8 months now with no signs of that changing
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prior to that, carried a Kizer Velox2 for a few months - no issues with it at all, but I passed it on once i got the domino.
both flipped well, but the domino is definitley smoother

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I have two that I'd consider my best flipper: my Holt Specter and my Luma Sentry.
 
I think I only own two flippers. Two US made Kershaw Zings. One black, one orange. The orange is my favorite but I rarely carry it. I told my wife that I want it buried with me when I die. Can't take a chance on it being lost before I croak.

My offering is pretty boring compared to what you guys have posted.
 
Bestech Paladin - as close to zero friction as I have. Flips open with authority (even push-button on the tab) and falls shut, even with the pivot tightened up.

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As much as I love my Keens, the best action I own is the best I’ve handled in anything short of an Andrei Sander Contra:

Real Steel Megalodon 2017

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(I still favor the Keen!)
 
Seeing a lot of Keens mentioned. I have one as well and it's a great flipper. Just not my best.

Really enjoying seeing the diversity in knives so far.

Keep em coming!
 
aleforme said:
Although, who knows, I might get some ideas for future purchases.
Click to expand...

If you're interested in more ideas this is a list of 3" to 4" mostly FFG folders on my personal short list. The EZC may become available to me this week, the Impinda this summer, and the Skaha next winter. All wait lists. The last two are harder to find. Two Real Steels already mentioned, the S571 is another worth looking at.

CRK Impinda (hollow grind)
Laconico EZC
Northern Arms Skaha II
Boker Exskelibur Skellern Ti
Emerson A100/Mini A100 (chisel v grind)
Holt Specter
Sander Contra
 
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My best flipper. It makes nice sounds. Can open it slow or fast. Blade drops freely when closing. It's worn in now and i modified bar tension a bit also.
 
I have a lot of flippers that flip really well, dozens of them, to the point that just "always easily snaps open" mostly isn't enough to make one stand out.

There a few that do, though, for one reason or another. I have a love/hate relationship with IKBS. I love the way IKBS knives operate, but I hate taking them apart and putting them back together. This Jason Clark custom with IKBS is smoother and faster than the handful of Thorburn and Shirogorov knives I've owned. It's as close to resistance free as anything with a lock bar can be, I think:

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An inexpensive knife with bafflingly good action is my Steel Will Modus--the action on that knife is amazing. I have the carbon fiber + M390 version and that think hammers open and falls shut at the slightest tilt.

Another standout is the CKF Milk. Big knives usually suffer a bit, action-wise, because a long, heavy blade is harder to get moving than a smaller one, but this >4" bladed knife flies out with amazing speed, flipping hard every time, and again, goes into free fall at the slightest incline from vertical when closing it:

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I have a bunch of CKF knives with fantastic action. I'm really partial to the action on my favorite Olamic Swish; it doesn't fall shut, but the detent is stiff enough that I can't wrist flick it open and yet it still never fails to flip and I can middle finger flick it with casual ease:

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The usual suspects are all great, though. Thorburns, Shiros, CKFs, customs, etc.--what's more impressive to me, though, is how great the action on a lot of inexpensive knives has become.

I'm also partial to finding a knife on washers with crazy-good action; my ZT 0850 is smoother than my CRKs and it's fun to middle finger flick it, despite it running on washers.
 
Narrowed it down to 4, I like each for different reasons:
Dendra Typhoon – has the most satisfying “thwack” on lockup.
CRKT Graphite – Inexpensive and fun to flip. Never a partial lockup with the Klecker lock.
ZT 0456 – Strong detent so it fires like it has spring assist.
Guardian Tactical Helix – Just smooth as silk.

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i am waiting for a massdrop gent to arrive but for the moment I have to say I like my Kershaw atmos à lot
IMO the best flipping action I have experimented so far and that has surprised me a lot from a budget knife

Second will be my ZT0350, but as it is a assisted I guess it may be kind of out of the scope of the OP

So I will have to give the second place to my 0801blk... great action and I like the blade shape/grind on this one.
 
my Thorburn L51 is the smoothest and best flipper that I personally own.
But that massdrop Buc is a superb flipper as well.
Still breaking in my green olamic 247, so Im undecided on that.
 
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