Knives for fidgeters?

[ladybug93]

I dunno, this is a sad thread in my opinion...

Sorry everyone. End rant

Well, for me the word "fidgeting" is dumbing it down quite a bit. For me the knife hobby is as much about engineering and design as it is about steel and edges. I enjoy locks and pivots, so the "fidgeting" is a way of enjoying those things, and is in my opinion very much a type of use. By just opening/cutting/closing/putting away a knife, I'm not spending much time at all "using" the lock and pivot, and seeing how the lock works and how well it engages and how smooth the pivot turns is a big part of the experience for me, it's the other side of the "use" coin.

I never used to understand collector's much the same as you don't understand fidgeting. To me, "use" meant cutting things up but I've come to understand that a knife can be enjoyed just as much to some people just by handling it. There is a type of art behind the design, just like a painting doesn't exactly DO anything, you just enjoy admiring it. I try to get as much of all of those different kinds of enjoyment as I can, I feel like it maximizes my time and further justifies my purchase.

^this

i’ve tried spinners and other fidget toys, but they aren’t as satisfying as a well-machined tool. plus, there’s no other purpose for them, so it’s just another thing you have to carry. with a knife, fidgeting is a secondary or tertiary purpose.

i do agree that there’s an element of danger though. i cut myself at work one day and it wouldn’t stop bleeding, despite being a very minor cut. i’m looking into getting a nice pen that i can enjoy the same way i have enjoyed my knives. it probably won’t be a total replacement of knife fidgeting, but it can at least reduce it a bit.

[Evil D]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

[ladybug93]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

[Mushroom]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

The Baliyo sounds like it could be a great alternative for you! :spyder:

[Evil D]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

Get a comb! Then it really has function.

[ladybug93]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

Get a comb! Then it really has function.

sadly, not for me.

[Wartstein]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

Get a comb! Then it really has function.

Said in my previous post that working up to flicking a backlock with each finger and getting familiar with various one handed closing methods is a bit like learning balisong tricks...

Now I have (rather cheap) balisongs too, a "balisong comb" and a "balisong spoon" (both the latter just for training). I am not good at it, but still know some tricks and like to play with balisongs from time to time...
In some way just the proportions are shifted: While my balisongs are almost exclusivley for "fidgeting" and very rarely for cutting (though they are sharp), my backlock knives of course are mainly for cutting and just occasionally for fidgeting...

[Evil D]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

Get a comb! Then it really has function.

sadly, not for me.

I'm bald as a baby's bottom but I comb my beard :cool:

[ladybug93]

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

Get a comb! Then it really has function.

sadly, not for me.

I'm bald as a baby's bottom but I comb my beard :cool:

can't have a beard either. my kids have two mums.

[ladybug93]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

The Baliyo sounds like it could be a great alternative for you! :spyder:

i have an aversion to blue ink. i really wish these were made to accept actual refills instead of having to get them from the website. and why aren't they on spyderco's site? that's weird.

anyway... sorry to derail more. i may get one just to try it out, but it seems silly to carry a pen i'll never write with.

[Evil D]

I wonder what the naysayers think about balisongs? Literally designed for flashy fidgeting lol.

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

The Baliyo sounds like it could be a great alternative for you! :spyder:

i have an aversion to blue ink. i really wish these were made to accept actual refills instead of having to get them from the website. and why aren't they on spyderco's site? that's weird.

anyway... sorry to derail more. i may get one just to try it out, but it seems silly to carry a pen i'll never write with.

Don't they just use Fisher Space Pen cartridges? They come in black, medium and fine point.

[Tucson Tom]

When I feel the urge to fidget with something, I always reach for a running chainsaw.

Just sayin'

[Naperville]

I have 10 folders of all different size from all different manufacturers on my desk under my screen. I mess with them once in a while and rotate them out with other folders that I find more interesting.

My biggest kick is just going through the majority of my 100 knives, which are primarily fixed blades....taking them out, handling them, drawing them out of their sheaths, resheathing them, and setting them back down. I do that about once a week.

Even after all of these years, except for a very few knives, I would happily buy them all again. There are maybe one or two in the collection that I would not buy again.

[ladybug93]

i’ve been considering getting a trainer. balisongs are illegal in hawaii though, so i can’t get a real one right now.

The Baliyo sounds like it could be a great alternative for you! :spyder:

i have an aversion to blue ink. i really wish these were made to accept actual refills instead of having to get them from the website. and why aren't they on spyderco's site? that's weird.

anyway... sorry to derail more. i may get one just to try it out, but it seems silly to carry a pen i'll never write with.

Don't they just use Fisher Space Pen cartridges? They come in black, medium and fine point.

the expensive one comes with a space pen ink cartridge, but they have molded plastic around them and are proprietary. you can’t just use any space pen refill.

[BornIn1500]

When I feel the urge to fidget with something, I always reach for a running chainsaw.

Just sayin'

That's funny. I fidget by pulling a revolver in and out of a holster. Currently looking for the smoothest one. :D

[PoisonedPizza]

Bradley beat me too it and said exactly what I was thinking

Just looked it up, the smock looks dope! On a side note, my PM2 hd a pivot screw strip, anyone know if spyderco's warranty covers this? Between this and my dragonfly, I've had the worse luck with screws, gonna pick up some Wi-Ha bits and see if they help.

[PoisonedPizza]

It might be surprising but I've often found myself fidgeting with the Squarehead. It can almost function as a "worry coin" for me, in the sense that it's small and easy to handle. Even the slow roll open is enough to keep my hands busy.

Really? I'll have to look into it, a good small fidget knife would be good, it might eliminate the fear factor.

[PoisonedPizza]

Do you want bigger or smaller than the PM2?

Yojimbo is my personal favorite, but the Lil Native compression lock is also excellent.

Most of Spyderco's knives feature excellent ergonomic design and can be opened multiple ways.

The Compression lock is the one that lets you flick and swing open best IMO. Golden USA models are slightly better at free-swinging (without side-to-side slop) than most Taiwan-made models at this point, though the latest Ikuchi is no slouch.

The BBL has a "ramp" that makes the resistance less crisp, though it's an excellent lock design in terms of what it's made for.

I prefer not to "fidget" with liner locks/frame locks, since you can close the blade on your thumb if you're not careful enough.

bigger for home, smaller for public lol.

[ChrisinHove]

+1 on the Baliyo. It takes real dexterity and I’m rubbish at it still.

[Wartstein]

+1 on the Baliyo. It takes real dexterity and I’m rubbish at it still.

I think I want one... which one do you have resp. recommend?
As far as I can see there is the (very cheap) lightweight, the heavy duty and the "wing"... guess the winged one would be the easiest to manipulate (I already have basic balisong skills)