EDIT: The first Protech manual buttonlock was the Cambria model. I apologize for the inaccuracy. This is (as I say in the video) their 3rd manual buttonlock, including the FFKW/Drop Mordax.
I own the Protech Cambria with the burl wood inlay and I absolutely love it! Thanks for a better look of the Malibu and what the production version of this knife really looks like. I look forward to purchasing it.. I really like Protech great company/products but due to anti-auto laws haven't' gotten to purchase many of their knives.. this model solves that problem.
Update: I got the reverse tanto version with black handles. It's absolutely perfect. Nicest production knife for the price and style. It's a great flipper!
Man, if this thing was about 3 1/4” closed, I’d buy at least two tomorrow. I hope Pro-Tech will make another couple manual button locks soon in a couple other sizes. I think I’ll get one of these for when I need to dress presentably, but 90% of the time I carry a Leatherman Free P4 in my main pants pocket, and therefore need my dedicated knife to fit comfortably in my watch pocket. This knife, with like a 2 1/2- 2 3/4” blade in a 3 1/4” handle would be my perfect forever knife. My favorite pocketknife of all time is the Para 3, of which I own three (S30V, S110V, and Maxamet), but they’re way too big for my watch pocket now that I carry my Leatherman daily. I’ve been carrying a Pro-Tech Sprint for about a year, which is a FANTASTIC knife that I’m extremely impressed with, but a bit tiny and I honestly prefer a manual. Here’s hoping Pro-Tech expands their manual flipper line!
What an absolutely perfect knife, in every regard. If you've ever taken apart a manual flipper Protech, you'll notice that the detent is effectively determined by the strength of the spring. It would be nice to see them offer alternative options on spring strength to have perhaps a little stiffer detent, without detracting from the free-swing close. That clip is perfection.
I LOVE, LOVE Protech's button lock flippers! They are soooo smooth and action is phenomenal! I must say my Protech Cambria is my favorite. But this model is amazing as well... Devil's in the details... and just so clean. Thanks Doc! Keep up the great vids!
Protech also made a limited edition TR4 for the Minuteman Watch Company which was a manual thumb stud knife with a buttonlock.. There were only 40 made. I own both this knife and the Cambria.
Great review as always - think I need to add one of these as I really like the practicality of a well done button lock flipper. I'd like to see what their variants will look like!
I really want protech to make a button lock flipper similar to the newport. I would buy that instantly. This one looks really good though. I also think that this method of locking a knife is a far more elegant solution than frame or liner locks.
Maybe I wasn't clear with my first comment. I was thinking of a cartridge style insert in which the blade, pivot, lock and stop were captured. Then that could be placed in a carbon fiber handle or any other material for that matter.
Do you know who is going to get the limited mirror finished run? I thought BladeHQ was going to get it since it had mirror finish on their website but they replaced it with satin and stonewash when they came out. That mirror one at shot show was nice!
Newbie to the knife community and learning a lot from your channel. In terms of all around utility for this particular knife, would you recommend the Wharncliffe or Reverse Tanto? Thanks!
The only reason I was into the design was the swedge on the prototype. Also, protech has been selling a manual button lock flipper since 2018 called cambria.
Why doesn't anyone use a zt for size comparison? 0450 instead of para 3. By all means para 2 for size comparison, I love my para 3 but the 0450 is slimmer and preferred small knife.
Doctor Frunkey Thanks for answering! Will they make a variant with hollow grind? It seems like it on BladeHQ’s website. www.bladehq.com/item--Protech-Malibu-Plunge-Lock-Flipper--106831
Doc, great video 😊👌 just one thing, I know that this has nothing to do with the video but I just want to know if swapping out the clip for a deep pocket on my newly acquired para 3 is going to give me any problems getting the screws out without stripping them? I've heard some stories about permanent loctite and the para 3 and want to know if this is the case for the clip screws? Once again, thanks for the video 👍
I have done dozens of clip swaps on Spydies, esp P3's. The screws are good to go. Just use a good T6 torx bit and slow but strong rotational force. Make sure to push into the screw head a bit to prevent slipping. Spyderco changed to less aggressive loctite in the last 3 years or so. Shouldn't be an issue at all!
It can help if you heat up the screws first, this will loosen any loctite. I recommend using a hairdryer for a minute or so. Some knifemakers boil the knife!
I spoke to protech on Instagram and It sounds like not for a long time, the mirror finish edition actually already launched as a consumer prototype for $500 MSRP back a few months ago. Heres exactly what they said. "We will have some some time in the future. To mirror polish a blade, it must be hand ground & then hand polished. This essentially makes it a fully custom blade, & it's therefore priced at one. The only model with the mirror polished hand ground blades were the first prototype models, whose MSRP was $500 due to those blades. The reverse tanto will be stonewashed or 2-tone stonewashed with satin flats. We unfortunately just don't have any blades to send out for mirror polishing an this time. Most custom maker's will not polish high carbide steels like 20cv, so we have to send out 154cm blades - this is due to how they finish. High carbide steels take hours to polish each blade, & the cost is crazy. so the issue is that we have no 154cm blades. We cannot simply cut a few, as they must be done in groups of several hundred. Once we run some more in the future, we will send them out & offer them again. Though it might be awhile before that can happen."
Bonjour, Vous nous montrez jamais l'alignement de la lame dans le manche et vous ne prenez jamais le manche dans votre main, cela nous permettrai de voir la position des doigts sur le manche donc le confort Et la tenue dans la main. Cordialement
dude who cares !! you are not a collector anymore , you lost your reviewing rights :P but seriously, nice flic and a quite interesting knife, take care and hope all is right with you Doctor Frunkenstein xD
Pretty damn cool knife, but I could never afford it. I'd catch hell from the wife if I even thought of spending anything close to $100 on a knife, lol :\
