Raccoon, I think you are going about this all wrong. I got into knifes more in depth recently too, but had a Tac force for ages (look on amazon). After getting into it more recently I’ve learned that you actually need to have some dexterity developed to open knifes the way they are designed to be opened. Yes there is such a thing, not even talking about flicking your wrist. I only know so because my cheap knife to >$100 knife all can open fast and quick in my hands using different styles. I’ve only learned this possibility recently, and further started to “adjust” knifes and also lubing them. It is a lot of fun. And I don’t know if I would ever discover any of this if I expected every cheap knife to magically open fast and not even knowing the nuances of opening style.
It’s hard to describe the dexterity bits with your fingers unless you watch tons of video or have someone just show you in person. Even a flipper can be used wrong surprisingly. Many pull the flipper, but you can also press “IN” the flipper, and depending on the knife it makes a difference.
Most cheap knifes can perform well, especially in trained hands and or with some “tuning”. But expensive knifes will probably open fast by someone that don’t even know what they are doing.
Non-assisted flippers tend to have their own character. It’s a matter of geometry, detent, and action. Some knives work better with the “light switch” method of flicking the tab downward. Some work better with “push button”, where you press your finger into the tab to build tension and then break it with a slight downward shift. Some knives work well with both but all tend to have their own particular feel. This isn’t a feature of price or quality in my experience. What you should get from a higher end knife (in addition to nicer materials, better steel, workmanship, QC, etc.) is a better flipping experience overall.
That said, you should never need wrist action for a flipper knife. You should be able to “flip” or “snap” the knife open with the movement of one finger alone. If you can’t, and you’ve tried different techniques, then the knife either needs work or was poor quality in the first place.
So now that you’ve gotten into it a little, what knife has given you the best flipping experience? Which one makes you smile every time you snap it open?
I don’t have a favorite honestly, I don’t have that many knifes, laser, flashlights etc to have a favorite. They are just all different (part of the reason and how I buy them). Yes I have a hoarding problem. I do like the sharpness of my s35vn, which doesn’t flick at all. I like everything else that flicks too for the fact that they flick or carry and look nice. I do wish if any lesser steel be as sharp as s35vn, then I might have a favorite
S35VN is a super steel. It’s also more expensive. Lesser steels can still perform well depending on the design, blade geometry, heat treatment, etc. I’ve been happy with decent budget knives in VG-10, 14C28N, and lately 9Cr18Mov. The latter taught me just how different the same steel can be.
I had tried 9Cr18Mov in a couple of cheap knives and had not been impressed. I know it’s more stainless but in terms of performance, I didn’t notice much difference from 8Cr13Mov. Then I tried out the Baklash and Naja from Civivi. The difference is night and day. Both of those knives are wonderfully slicey and they hold a decent edge. They also have excellent action and are under $50.
yes, the thing with steel types is that it can only mean so much. Even if the vendor meant well (not trying to scam consumers) every steel process isn’t equal, nor is the manufacturing process of the final product (sharpening the same quality steel can still yield 2 different result). s35vn isn’t
exotic, its nice, but its just not that common and thus comparatively more expensive because of it. Its also harder to sharpen compared to more common steel.
Civivi is a new brand to me, but they seem to cost nearly as much as their primary brand, which seems silly to me. Of course, I realize there IS a price tier difference, just not how it tiers for me right now. I am looking for a cheap knife, that has nice action, stays sharp, and looks nice. Yes, its a good time for many EDC things, e-commerce made these things possible, this is the golden years, so far anyways. We all need to practice some self restraint
Civivi has a bunch of different knives but at least in the United States, I think they are all under a hundred bucks. Civivi is the budget line for WE. WE knives are usually over $100 and can easily cost more than twice that. I did an advanced search over at Blade HQ to pull up all the Civivi knives that cost around $50 or less. There might be a few they don’t have but here are a bunch.
The Naja has become my most carried knife since I got it in March. I paid $42.50 for it. I’ve lightly stropped it a few times but it still has the factory edge. It still slices like a dream.
Hi.
If that 9cr18 steel is as good as some say.
It’ll be a nice step up on the 8cr13/14. AUS8. Maybe even the 440C. (my fav for working blades)
Depending on the heat treatment.
Don’t like that blade shape though. Might save up for the Sheeps Foot blade.
I allow myself $10 per week for toys ($520 per yr).
Missus says all in one, or weekly?. I went weekly. Helps give more anticipation.
The saving for different items. Try it sometime.
It is an independent test by Luv Them Knives on YouTube. He will test the Rockwell hardened and the type of metal used. It is continuing updated as new knives are tested for all subscribers to his channel.
He will conduct a test for you send your knife for him to test but they are backlogged.
