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[wrathlord]

Yes I know the whole point is the flip,The Idea is to have an assisted opening mech (coil) to facilitate the initial deployment.Say upon releasing the latch,the handles would separate like 1/3'd the way.For the expert flipperz that may not be necassary,but may help with beginners looking to carry a bali,but lack the skill for instant deployment. Coments???

[tonyccw]

It won't work. For one simple reason. With a typical assistant opening device, the handle remains in the hand of the user, and thus locks the pivot to a common fulcrum. Once the energy has exhausted itself the blade stops travelling, thus accounting for the 1/3 blade travel. For this to work on a balisong, one of the handles has to be semi-fixed, or at the worse, require the user to hold the bali at the pivot, which is at the opposite end of the latch.

Whereas with a balisong, the handles are free swinging. Which allows you, when you hold both handles in the verticle position, and release only one handle, it travels the complete 180 degrees of motion. In that regards it out performs the assistant opening by quite a bit.

[sjtinkerer]

Not to mention that the assist mechanism would cause resistance in closing.
Any motion in which the blade was to come back into the handle would face the tension of re-setting the spring assist. In theory, it might be a quick opener, but would be useless as a flipper. A switch is a switch, a bali is a bali!

[wrathlord]

A coil spring with 2 opposing ends,like a hand exerciser,would offer resistance while closing yes,but it would not interfere with the free swinging of the handles. Closing the knife would compress the spring,creating the tension to assist the opening.There is no need to make it like a pushbutton,That isn't the point,The spring ends can be inside each handle at the pivot point,so the only modification over a conventional bali would be a small machined slot(s) to accept the spring inside the handles.

[tonyccw]

Originally posted by wrathlord
would offer resistance while closing yes,but it would not interfere with the free swinging of the handles. Closing the knife would compress the spring,creating the tension to assist the opening.

Those two very acts are contrary to the actions required for manipulation, where closing the handles are as much a part of the flipping as opening. If the handle is not where the practioner expects it to be, it'll require a whole new learning curve, and relearning of the manipulations. Not counting the fact that it's design would dictate a single flip to open, and a a two handed process for closing.

[ghen]

I've thought of this myself. I never considered an assisted opener, but just thought of a spring between the handles to assist in opening. I think the idea has some merit for a using knife you need open quick. I don't really flip a whole lot (except when Darrel makes me do arials to see if something is balanced right).

It may be the perfect marriage between the speed of an auto, and all the benefits of a balisong...but it won't flip at all.

PEACE,

GHEN

[ExamonLyf]

Originally posted by tonyccw
In that regards it out performs the assistant opening by quite a bit.

Yup.., and far more dependable...

[nybble]

Heh, I agree with Tony - I think it'd be very difficult to flip for what I don't percieve to be too much gain. You'd still have to essentially to a windmill opening but you'd save the wrist flick - that's the easiest part of the windmill! But all the same, I'd like to see one. If the spring was strong but short, you could probably still manage single handed closing.

[wrathlord]

As far as flippin,that would be true,unless the momentum of the handles is enough to fully compress the handles in the closed position regardless of the spring.Even then it would still have a rebound effect.Again not good for flipping.Perhaps a technique can be adapted to do it ,but I'd have to build one first,then give it to someone to try so It aint me that says weather it works or not(and I don't get hurt,need my digits ya know)

[tonyccw]

Even if you successfully design the assisted spring, having to exert additional effort on the handles to defeat the spring's compression, or having to extend the digits a bit more to encompass the widened handles in order to close it, adds to the fatigue of the hand, and will lead to a disruption in the flow of manipulation. Both are negatives from my view point.

If you could design the spring to be strong enough to automate th windmill, or the latch drop, which is essentially the windmill in a upside down verticle position, it would have a distinct functional advantage. The drawback is that both move requires the spring to move the handle the full 360 degree of motion. In this regard, you can compensate for the lack of flipping, as you are now migrating that process into a mechanical advantage. Of course, legalities aside....

[wrathlord]

ok ok ok I give

[nybble]

wrathlord - no need to give. We aren't in a competition and I, personally, enjoyed this thread - an interesting idea that was hashed around for a bit. Even though, I sort of agree that it probably isn't overly practical, this is the sort of thread that can maybe work out issues or start people thinking down tangential paths, etc.. I'd love to see someone actually try and rig something like this up, just to put a little practice into the theory, but my meager skills don't allow for it. Ah well.

[ExamonLyf]

Butch Vallotton made one actually..., and called it the "Viper"... ..., but he forgot to put two handles on it.

Realizing this error.., he simply enclosed the blade in a chamber rather than handle channels, attached a smallish "Slinky" inside.., and made an OTF out of it...

[twekermaggio]

i don't like the idea of a automatic bali. it takes away the respectability of the knife. not to mention the need for skill.