SMKE Wariy Front Flipper knife at the rope . ( Review )

[old4570]

A) SMKE Wariy front flipper knife ( 14c28n ) from AliExpress
B) I have been fidgeting this knife since the day I got it
C) I don't like it .... It's in my opinion a one trick pony !

So many things not to like about Front Flippers ( this one ) . It needs to be held just so , to flip properly . Hold it wrong or not tight enough and you may cut yourself ( I paid the blood price ) . The front flipper has nothing to offer over the regular flipper . In fact the regular flipper is vastly superior in every way . My opinion after fidgeting the knife for a week or more .
And how did it go on the rope ? We are talking dumpster level performance here ( as in throw it in a dumpster ) . The knife failed at 50 slices of rope , making the performance this time around pretty much bottom of the barrel .





Aaaaargh? Yeah !!!!!
The liner lock is cutting a grove into the blade steel on account how hard the blade steel is ?

Anyways ! I have ordered those removable thumb studs .. And I will put one on this knife , maybe ? Just depends on how rubbish the next rope slicing session is ( wet stone grinder edge ) .

Front flipper knife = Not Loving It ! ( not at all ) ....

Sorry , there is so much to complain about .. And I have only scratched the surface .. I would issue a Warning about this knife ( as in best avoided ) ..

 

[old4570]

Wow , 14c28n ?
Fail was @ 150 slices .. Stropped back strong !

Now let me count the other Fails !

1) Grip was a square slab , and the edges were painfully sharp ( Beveled all the edges )
2) Because the grip was left un beveled , the grip was blocking the flipper tab
3) The grips are poorly designed and block the front flipping tab
4) Lock / blade poorly set up / aligned .. Tighten a little too much and the blade does not lock open ( will need work )
5) Knife can roll in the hand when flipping the blade , this can result in injury .. You need Gorilla Grip 2000 when flipping
6) You need to concentrate when flipping , it's like doing a math problem . Very easy to get it wrong .
7) I have have been flipping for a week or more , and it just stresses me out now . It's not intuitive / fun / or easy .

This knife offers nothing that would make me want to recommend it to anyone !

 

[Randall]

Front flipper knife = Not Loving It ! ( not at all ) ....

yeah, if you want an easy reliable knife, the standard flipper (or folder / thumbstud) just works. I like front flippers - I think it is because of the skill involved, like using chop sticks.

Perhaps it's just a bit of human nature. I know many things like this. People who shoot become proficient with modern rifle and scope - then start hunting with muzzle loaders, from compound bow to recurve, whitewater kayak to whitewater canoe (that's a huge skill, strength and balance requirement), mtb with a huge amount of gears to a single speed hard tail. Most knife dudes on youtube are amazingly proficient at different opening styles - middle finger flick for example. And many of them talk about the fidget factor. I do like the lines of my exarch though - only possible because it's a front flipper

Just looking now at the exarch below I've realised another quite significant benefit of the back flipper - safety; when it is open the finger tab serves as a guard that should stop your hand slipping onto the blade in adverse conditions (wet or bloody)!

 

[old4570]

They got those new hidden flippers ...
When you flip and the blade opens and locks .. The flipper folds out of the way .. ( Cant be seen )
The flipper is separate from the blade ( it's own mechanism )

Also = Cross Bar Lock ... ( Axis Lock )

And maybe not all front flippers are the same ... ( Some being better than others )

 

[Randall]

And maybe not all front flippers are the same ... ( Some being better than others )

definitely. My first front flipper was the worst one for a beginner. I left it on my desk for months, just practising every now and then - now it's easy.


The civivi exarch, real steel metamorph, and civivi McKenna are easy and satisfying.

My most challenging knife right now is a folder (thumstud), the cjrb ria - the indent on that is stiff and the opening of it is geared high (short movement of the thumb to open it as opposed to a long movement).



Just looking again at the knife you tested - such a pity; it is nice looking and simple. All that time and energy designing and manufacturing and they let it down on the heat treat - or maybe they lied about the steel?

 

[old4570]

Hmmm , when the liner lock is cutting thru the blade steel ... It's not a good sign !