Front flippers, what's your take on them?

[GearedForwards]

In general, I'm not a fan of flippers, frontal or lateral.

I had one flipper that was a pain to open without using the flipper. Naturally the time you need to use your knife is when there is a group of small children standing nearby eating ice cream cones. Because it only opens by flipping, you use your best Bruce Lee impersonation and flip it out with a very audible 'snap'. The overly protective nanny screams because some crazy-looking, knife wielding maniac is surely about to go berserker on her young wards. The startled children drop the precious balls of ice cream off their cones onto the pavement and then start to cry. Maybe you cry a little, too,...because it's wrong to waste ice cream.

No. Not a fan.

I think 'snapping' a knife open is bad practice in general, leading to excess wear. And you look like a silly-tool, not a tool-user.

Except.....

I do like the Buck Vantage.

(Image removed from quote.)


When I got my small Vantage, I had not realized that it was a flipper. I just saw the little flipper as being a small guard. But it didn't take me long to start using the flipper feature to open the knife about 1/2 way, then using the thumb hole to slowly open it the rest of the way. And it can be opened one-handed with just the thumb hole (albeit a bit awkwardly).

I like the small Vantage well enough that I got the medium. Once again, I was surprised that it was a flipper design. ( I guess I had just become used to the small's flipper and used it unconsciously. ) However, I generally just open the medium Vantage using the thumb hole.

In my mind a flipper design is a negative feature, but, as in the case of the Buck Vantages, sometimes I can overlook that.

And avoid opening my knives around ice cream parlors.   

Maybe too late to change your opinion, but you don't have to flip a flipper, you can place your thumb on the spine of the blade and depress the flipper. That breaks the detent without actually flipping it, then you can slow open it with your thumb on the flat of the blade. 

[pfrsantos]

I like them, they're really not as awkward as they seem once you handle one and try it out a few times. I have the Boker Exskellibur (spelling likely not correct) and I really enjoy it. I want to pick up some more when funds allow, the Civivi Mckenna looks nice for example.

I'll upload a pic of mine in a bit 

Let me help you with that:

[pfrsantos]

I looked at one recently, I think it was the Boker Wasabi?  But, anyhow, it was marked as UK legal as it has a non-locking blade length that complies with UK law. I was not sure, however, whether the UK Police would share the view on legality as they are certainly not keen on one haded opening blades.

You're not the only one with those doubts. However, there are no mechanisms to help deploy the blade. In an automatic knife, you can open it by just pressing a button. You can do it even with the knife standing on a table, you don't have to be holding it in your hand.

This, you need to be holding it to open it. You can even pause at anytime, between fully closed and fully opened. This is another way of proving this is no automatic knife. You can do the same with thumstuds. Just because you can open it real fast, that doesn't make it an automatic knife.

[sak60]

My MKM Raut.
https://youtube.com/shorts/LCTu8zrIbcs?feature=share

[pfrsantos]

My MKM Raut.
https://youtube.com/shorts/LCTu8zrIbcs?feature=share

Great action. I love how awl of the front flippers I've seen so far have such a smooth closing, after you unlock the blade.

 

[sak60]

It took a while to master and the Raut blade has probably a bit more weight to move than others.
I like the lines of front flippers when open as there’s no tab sticking out.
It’s quite natural now and after the Spyderco hole would be my next favourite opening.

[pfrsantos]

From the ones I've seen so far, I'm very inclined to this one: Civivi Exarch. Sleek, slim, elegant, affordable. The only thing I don't love about it is the screws on the pocket clip not being flushed with the scale.



 

[comis]

I am neutral on front flippers, just another way to open the knife. 

Compared to regular 'flipper', front flipper usually is a little more awkward to operate but the upside is 'cleaner' aesthetics.  I own a few front flippers, and my general feeling is due to the mechanics/geometry, front flipping action is even harder to get right than regular flipper.  I would recommend to watch a lot of youtube(read a lot of reviews) or even try it out in store before getting one.

[pfrsantos]

I am neutral on front flippers, just another way to open the knife. 

Compared to regular 'flipper', front flipper usually is a little more awkward to operate but the upside is 'cleaner' aesthetics.  I own a few front flippers, and my general feeling is due to the mechanics/geometry, front flipping action is even harder to get right than regular flipper.  I would recommend to watch a lot of youtube(read a lot of reviews) or even try it out in store before getting one.

General Feeling!

 


 

So, what brands/models do you have?

[RF52]

General Feeling

Sent fra min M2002J9G via Tapatalk

[comis]

I have two:

1) Kizer Cutlery Ki3499 Justin Lundquist Feist Front Flipper.
I like the aesthetic on this quite a lot, but the smaller handle and geometry needs some getting used to.  It is one of those "if you get it, you get it, too bad if you don't"

2) Pena X Apache Front Flipper. 
I fell in love with the Pena X knives after I got a Bronco, though it's more expensive than most 'modern traditional', but the design/execution/aesthetics blows every Boker/Lionsteel modern tradtitional I owned out of water(that's another story for another time).  This is my second Pena X, and quite glad I got it.  Not the typical modern traditional, but kinda a hybird and the flipping action is great.

[pfrsantos]

I have two:

1) Kizer Cutlery Ki3499 Justin Lundquist Feist Front Flipper.
I like the aesthetic on this quite a lot, but the smaller handle and geometry needs some getting used to.  It is one of those "if you get it, you get it, too bad if you don't"

2) Pena X Apache Front Flipper. 
I fell in love with the Pena X knives after I got a Bronco, though it's more expensive than most 'modern traditional', but the design/execution/aesthetics blows every Boker/Lionsteel modern tradtitional I owned out of water(that's another story for another time).  This is my second Pena X, and quite glad I got it.  Not the typical modern traditional, but kinda a hybird and the flipping action is great.

Here's some visual aid for those two:




They both look great, but I think I prefer the Kiser. It's more minimalistic.