Spyderco Forums

I've got several Spydercos, and I like them. But I kind of want a better flipper than I have.

Here are the Spydies I currently have:

• Delica 4, VG-10 gray
• Walker, AUS-8
• Kapara
• Spydiechef
• Squeak
• Native

Here are the flippers I currently have:

• Kershaw Chill:
  
• Buck Vantage Pro Small:
  

The Kershaw has a nice action, but by the time the action is nice and smooth, the blade centering is off; pushed to the side by the locking liner. It's nice and slim, and the blade length is just about perfect for me. Steel is 8Cr --> meh.

The Buck has a tight action; requires some wrist action or a very deliberate flip. Also, its grip only accommodates 3 fingers. Nice little knife, but we're connoisseurs here. "Good enough" is actually NOT good enough for us.

What I want is something:

• in the 2.75" 3.5" blade range
• Good flipper action; no wrist needed
• Good blade centering, even when the pivot screw is loosened a bit for smooth easy opening
• Good detent; neither of my current flippers have a detent that is strong enough that it just flies open the way it should.
• Price: < $200, preferably closer to $150.

I'm considering the Mantra 3, Sliverax, Mantra 2, A.G. Russell Ti flipper and the ZT0450

Things that make me hesitate about each of them:

Mantra 3 - has the cheesy laminate CF. I'd might rather have plain ol' G10 or even smooth G10 than laminated CF? Same size as my Delica; would be a bit of overlap.
Mantra 2 - Odd blade shape, might not be good at slicing, due to how narrow and wedgy it would be? Should be slim in the pocket though...
Sliverax - Odd shape handle, but looks comfy and the Spyder hole wouldn't be protruding oddly; slim in the pocket
A.G. Russell - They don't like to really use top class blade steels, (9Cr is their best) and they're made in China. (although with good QC)
ZT - Everything looks good on this, only it's not a Spyderco.

Sorry for the long post; thanks to those who got through it.

Thoughts?

By the way, anyone in northern/western/NW Chicagoland have any of these? If so, maybe we could meet in person. I'll buy you coffee and we'll talk knives...

Have you considered the used market? Dice, Domino, and Positron models all are interesting flippers. The Positron is kind of a project as it has some kinks they didn’t work out before production, but it’s worth it.

The Spyderco Amalgam

I just got one, my first Spyderco flipper.

The ZT 0450 is a three finger knife for me. The CF laminate over G10 turned me off from the Domino and Dice for a long time. Now that I own both, I can tell you that they're awesome knives. The red/black and blue/black laminate CF are brighter than I've seen in the same colors with solid CF, plus they have a nice silver strand woven in that makes for a cool subtle contrast. I'd get one before they're gone. You can usually find them for $200 or a little less on eBay. Use the make an offer combined with a coupon code to get an even better price.

Sliverax or Mantra 3

I like my Mantra 1, I'll be buying a Mantra 2 one of these days.
It's funny that I like this knife, yet I hate flippers and framelocks... it's a nice knife.

Crux wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 08, 2018 5:32 pm

The Spyderco Amalgam

I just got one, my first Spyderco flipper.

That's beautiful, but too big.

ugaarguy wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 08, 2018 5:46 pm

The ZT 0450 is a three finger knife for me. The CF laminate over G10 turned me off from the Domino and Dice for a long time. Now that I own both, I can tell you that they're awesome knives. The red/black and blue/black laminate CF are brighter than I've seen in the same colors with solid CF, plus they have a nice silver strand woven in that makes for a cool subtle contrast. I'd get one before they're gone. You can usually find them for $200 or a little less on eBay. Use the make an offer combined with a coupon code to get an even better price.

I don't like it when there's a handle scale only on one side. Otherwise, I would have gotten a domino before.

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 08, 2018 5:55 pm

Sliverax or Mantra 3

Which one?

Sliverax.

the only one i have is the positron. great fit and finish, real carbon scales. Not cheap though. But a nice slim knife if you want that.

The only Spyderco flipper I have is the Advocate, but it's pretty expensive. Nice knife though.

That Kershaw Chill looks familiar. It's what I carried and used for years doing construction. Nice knife, although it feels terribly flimsy now compared to my Spyders. :)

Mantra 3 or Amalgam

That 0450 isn't good at slicing. Been there and did that. The hump at the end of the handle is a major issue.

I would try the Amalgam or Sliverax

Depending on how soon you want something, the Smock looks very interesting.

The Sliverax is the only flipper I have in my EDC rotation. I like it that much. It has the newest design ball bearing washers so the action is great.

For Spydie flippers I’ve got a Mantra, and Domino. The Domino is the better flipper of the two, not the best flipper I’ve got but very good action and outstanding F&F. I’m waiting for the Smock as I’ve got the custom SK23 and it is by far the best flipper I’ve got or ever tried.

The only two I own are the Mantra and Domino. I really like the Domino, smooth, snappy action. The Domino got some bad press with stories about gritty and/or notchy action but it seems like that was remedied by Spyderco. Mine is as smooth as any of my ZT flippers after a little bit of break-in time.

Hold out a bit more for the Smock.

I didn't even know about the Smock before. It looks good, if a bit on the large side. I find myself not carrying my larger knives, these days. (Desk job)

That has me leaning more toward the Mantra 2 and 3.

The Mantra 2 had the slimmer pocket profile, but had some issues, which I'm not sure will ever be worked out. Can anyone confirm?

So I think it's down to the Sliverax or Mantra 3 now.