Spyderco Forums

I find I slow roll most of my knives now. For the reason navin mentions (public attention), as well as in my incessant flicking days my wife wanted to murder me for the click/clack every so many seconds while we were watching tv.

Hi Maximelt,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

You just need practice. The stretch was one of my first spydercos and I remember it seeming harder to flick.

After enough practice I can flick almost any spyderco. The only one that I still have trouble with is the backlock manix 2.

maximelt wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:52 pm

Is there a way to make my Stretch 2 easier to spydie flick open?

Brother, you NEED to get better at Spydie flicking. Do it for no other reason than to trigger the hoity-toity people who insist that they're more noble and that flicking is for ignorant hooligans.

First thing, make sure your pivot is adjusted so that the blade will swing freely. Whether you flick your knife open, or open it two handed like the less-dextrous among us, you want the blade free. Another thing you can do is decrease the spring tension on the lock bar. It's just a bent piece of metal that you can straighten/bend as needed.

Your Spyderco isn't going to break, bend, deform, or peen, as a result of your opening it abruptly. It just won't.

Have fun playing with your Stretch 2.
Rusty "Ignorant Hooligan" Iron

To each their own, but flicking a knife depends as much on your personal anatomy as it does the knife. I have non-sausage finger XL hands and some knives there is just no way I can make the physics work. I'm not big on flicking personally as it isn't necessary and draws more attention in public. Most of my knife fidgeting is done at home or in the car and I would put a backlock on the low end of my fidget scale.

I just want to know one thing. Why?

@TkoK83Spy I agree.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:30 am

I just want to know one thing. Why?

@TkoK83Spy I agree.

Please read my previous post on this for details , see here
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=94325#p1695717

Not a necessary skill, but faster (sometimes an advantage), to me more comvenient and a tiny bit safer.
Just another way of opening a folder, not better or worse than others resp. with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:30 am

I just want to know one thing. Why?

@TkoK83Spy I agree.

And, Doc, you are one of the members I respect the most here (as is Rick / TkoK83Spy), but why ask "why" on this forum?

I mean people here collect models without really or ever using the best of those, enjoy tiny variations in handle shape and material and so on... in comparison I don't think it is weird to (sometimes) prefer a totally comvenient and faster method of opening.

And as always: I think in order to being able to judge whatever knife aspect one should have real experience with it themseleves.
Nor talking bout YOU particularly, but I think folks who don't flick their Spydies open can not really weigh in (much like I could not on sharpening Maxamet for example).

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:30 am

@TkoK83Spy I agree.

I briefly owned a Phoenix reissue. It is still on teflon washers (the horror!). I have to say, I really enjoyed the action of that knife. Sure, the YouTube knife community would wail and gnash their teeth, but it was so smooth. Slowly rolling it out with your thumb was a real pleasure. I guess every model is different, but there are some (I'd put the new Ayoob in this category as well) that are just fun to slow roll.

... and I think much of the bad rep "flicking open" has comes from that youtube "reviewers" who frantically flick a folder 500 times during a vid.

Completely different thing to flicking as a valid and comvenient way of opening a folder, and the latter is what I am talking about.

Flick, don't flick, whatever. Just accept that others may feel differently from you and in the grand scheme of things it does not matter. Not at all.

JRinFL wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:59 am

Flick, don't flick, whatever. Just accept that others may feel differently from you and in the grand scheme of things it does not matter. Not at all.

Exactly what I mean and said several times already !

Everyone should enjoy their knives as they like, in every aspect.
"Not flicking" is perfectly fine, "flicking" not necessary at all, but who does not,(have real experience with it) can't really weigh in imo.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 9:18 am

JRinFL wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:59 am

Flick, don't flick, whatever. Just accept that others may feel differently from you and in the grand scheme of things it does not matter. Not at all.

Exactly what I mean and said several times already !

Everyone should enjoy their knives as they like, in every aspect.
"Not flicking" is perfectly fine, "flicking" not necessary at all, but who does not,(have real experience with it) can't really weigh in imo.

Yes, we are often in agreement. I just run out energy and cut my responses short.

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep trying.. I can flick a compression lock no problem like most I would think. Need to do some finger exercises like Farmer E maybe lol.

maximelt wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:01 pm

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep trying.. I can flick a compression lock no problem like most I would think. Need to do some finger exercises like Farmer E maybe lol.

If you really want to flick backlocks:

Again, focus on moving your thumb parallel to the scales (which may feel counterintuitive, since one actually wants to push the blade "sideways" out of the handle, and not shoot it out the front of the handle, but that´s what you should imagine), on speed / acceleration of the thumb and removing it early enough from the hole

Have fun! ... but also keep in mind: Slow rolling is as good of a method and certainly a bit better for your knife in the long run.

It's all in the grip and technique. Here's a vid that helped me, but have to use a different grip than the creator does. (I curl my ring and pinky fingers under the handle while he lays them flat) https://youtu.be/UFQmFzuhzI8

I can flick all of my lockback Spydies save my stainless Delica.

I prefer to use the index(pointer, first, etc,) finger. I find I get a more secure grip on the knife. Also if you're having trouble with finger strength a slight flick of the wrist will help.