Whether you or your grandma know it or not, we’re living in the age of the flipper.
Grandma voice: “My favorite dolphin, other than Jessica Fletcher”.
While this may not make sense to average people with Area 51 raids and the new Yeezy’s to
think about- to people who watch these sort of Google server fillers- they get it.
You know the flipper, they were cool for a while but then people started bitchin.
(Knife reviewer voice) I just can’t get excited about flippers anymore.
Well it is a damn knife.
So the people who’ve complained about pocket peckers for years got their wish.
The front flipper.
I know front flippers have been around a while, but let’s pretend like they’re new.
Like the real steel Metamorph G5 version 2 sprint run, with G10 and N690 steel exclusive
to Indiana Knives.
Who sent this for review.
Grandma voice: “2018 called they want to know how it feels to get cut by their knife”
Did I ever tell you about the night I went back to a hotel room with Andy Griffith and
Angela Lansbury.”
So let’s look at the overall length and weight.
How was your fourth of July.
Blade length and cutting edge.
Did you finally blow it off this year?
drink too much- I hope so.
Handle size and grip area.
If you didn’t do those things you’re letting America down.
Spine thickness, handle thickness, behind the edge.
I’ve let America down, I haven’t even gotten a real sunburn yet.
Knife tallness.
Normally I’m peeling puss-y blisters off by mid may- like I love my country.
The Metamorph is designed as a compact, yet not small, lightweight every day carry knife
with a very slicy blade.
The exclusive sprint run seen here upgrades the Sanvik steel to Bohler N690, a sorta VG10-ish
steel with good edge retention and stain resistance.
Not a super steel, but not a budget steel either.
A good Centrist steel.
No Centrist is s30V.
The blade is thin, pointy, and came razor sharp out of the box.
Ok, so the front flipper.
The only other front flipper I have is the $220 HEAdesigns Hunter.
The Hunter is a smooth deployer because that and the $60 Metamorph both pivot on a bearing
system, because that’s the standard now to avoid complaints.
Although I’m not expert, what you do is save the bearing for the “updated version.”
The Metamorph is kind of long and thin, and there’s a small learning curve to consistent
deployment- before you take a video and upload it to Instagram with the Juno filter.
To be fair though, most front flippers are like this.
I generally flip with my thumb.
Comparing it to the Hunter, there’s a little more to grab on to and hold the knife because
of the pocket clip…
The Metamorph has less in the tallnesseseses department and a smaller pocket clip so it
isn’t quite as easy to deploy consistently.
For me the ultimate fidget locks are broken in spyderco compression locks or Benchmade
axis locks or similar ripoffs.
There is an art to deploying a front flipper, but social media and Youtube comments telling
the reviewer how to improve their form is your canvas.
The handle is G10 over smaller stainless steel skeletonize nest liners- some of the older
versions are aluminum- and it gives a decent amount of texture- and had plenty of room
for my average guy hand.
Lockup is via a liner lock.
Blade centering isn’t quite perfect, and after using it for a few weeks I did have
to tighten up the pivot because it had loosened, which improved centering
The pocket clip.
Deep carry, and a decent amount of tension.
I don’t really have a whole lot of opinions about it, other than it seems to do the job
fairly well.
Slides in and out of the pocket nicely.
Comparisons.
First The Metamorph.
A pretty nice every day carry.
Front flippers aren’t generally my preferred method of deployment.
I don’t have enough experience with them to have a favorite or must have.
As a standard slim EDC knife that gives you a decent amount of blade and handle, but also
keeping it light and small in the pocket the Metemorph does it’s job.
You could feasibly carry other things in the pocket without worrying about it.
Now the Benchmade Fact.
I know this sounds weird but I think the Fact is probably my favorite Benchmade.
Probably not weirder than hearing a grandma voice in a knife video though,
I don’t know why or how, that doesn’t mean it’s the best bench made, I just like
the footprint, and handle and blade size to weight ratio.
It and the Metamorph are small footprint knives with a useful blade size for me.
The Fact is about a $200 knife though.
How about the HEADdesigns Hunter.
A smaller and fancier front flipper.
Fit and finish are close to the same, but the Hunter is made from fancier
materials.
I like the hunter, but don’t carry it much because it’s a little smaller than I like
in an EDC.
Now the Bugout.
Is this benchmades most appealing knife?
I used it here because it’s blue, and it has a great size to weight ratio.
Deployment isn’t quite as snappy as I remember it.
Finally The Para Military 2.
This is probably Spydercos best knife- I have spydercos I like more but it’s hard not
to like the Para Military 2.
I like Every day carry with a larger than 3 inch blade and a 3.5 inch grip area or larger
at around 4 ounces or lighter.
Wrapping it up.
Thanks to Indiana Knives for sending this to me for review.
It’s a pretty good knife- not perfect- but a good small footprint yet longer bladed EDC-
it fits my ED requirements, even if I’m not the worlds biggest front flipper fan.
Out of curiosity is anyone favorite EDC a front flipper?
If you’d like a chance to own this knife for free, Look for me to give this away on
Instagram soon- follow me there if you haven’t.
And if you watch this review a month down the road don’t expect the giveaway to be
live idiot.
Go follow me there now.
Also T-shirts and stickers and mugs are now available in the description.
With some artwork I made from various video stills.
TeeSpring does them- and the sticker and shirt tuned out well- if you’re into the exploitation
horror poster style.
If you’re not I get it.
I’m wearing a large in the premium version, and I have a gut that I suck in for the reviews,
if I remember.
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Sign up for a small Patreon donation if you’d like, unless your this guy who can suck it.
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