2013 Flippers

Welcome to 2014! I hope it’s been treating you well thus far, and that it will continue to treat your edged addiction well, too.
Seeing as it’s a new year—and Flipper Friday—today seemed like a good opportunity to revisit some of the awesome flippers that came out in 2013.
This isn’t meant to be a complete list of the flippers that were released in 2013, but it is a compilation of some of our favorite flippers from last year. What was your favorite flipper from 2013?

Zero Tolerance 0801

This knife has received lots of praise for its smooth, fast action. In fact, many people say that the action on the 0801 is better than many spring-assisted knives. ZT’s KVT (Kershaw Velocity Technology)—which is somewhat similar to the IKBS system—makes this possible; with KVT, ball bearings surround the pivot and provide some seriously fluid action. The Elmax blade also has awesome edge retention, corrosion resistance, and overall strength, and the blade has an extremely strong detent.  All of these things aside, the 0801 also has a really sleek design that is appealing in and of itself.

Spyderco Domino

The Domino is only Spyderco’s second knife to feature a Kit Carson-inspired flipper, but this flipper has such good action, you’d think Spyderco specialized in flippers. Seriously, the Domino has all of the traits and great quality we’ve all come to expect from Spyderco. The only thing different about this blade is the fact that in addition to the Spydie hole, it also has a flipper, and what’s not to like about that? The Domino has really great, smooth flipping action and a strong detent, but it also has a Chris Reeve Integral Locking system, which adds solidity to the entire knife.
For those of you who don’t know, the Southard was the first Spyderco to feature a flipper. The Domino is a bit smaller than the Southard (7.68” overall as opposed to 7.96”) and a tad slimmer, which might make the Domino a more suitable EDC for those who prefer smaller blades.

Benchmade 300SN

Flippers appear to be a fairly recent addition to quite a few companies, because Benchmade recently released its first flipper, too: the 300SN. This knife has a really solid build, and it has Benchmade’s AXIS lock that is renowned for its solidity and ability to take abuse. The 300SN has a 154 CM blade, which holds an edge well and is a hard steel (58-61 RC), too. Overall, this is a fairly rugged blade that is solid, easy to use, great for everyday carry, and even great for camping or hiking.
(If you really know your stuff, you might be thinking, “Hey! This came out at the end of 2012!” And right you are, but this knife is still considered to be a 2013 release.)

Cryo II

The Cryo II was definitely one of the most anticipated blades of 2013, from what I observed. Do you agree?
I won’t go over the specs tons, since the Cryo II is virtually the same as the original Cryo. I will say, though, that the Cryo was a very popular Kershaw blade, but lots of people wanted a larger knife. Thus, the Cryo II was born. The new version of the Cryo has the same great functionality as the original version of the knife, and it’s still an amazing bang for your buck.

Zero Tolerance 0566

Zero Tolerance always impresses with their flippers, and the 0566 is no exception. Like the 0801, it has an Elmax blade. The 0566 is a more compact version of the 560/561, and it has really nice action and gripping. Another nice trait of this knife is the frame lock that provides some solid lockup.

Which flipper from 2013 was your favorite?
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