A new language to learn...

D

Daniel Morgan

Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
5
I'll begin by apologizing for being a n00b to this forum.

I've carried and used knives for 40 years and thought I knew a thing or two, well we know how far assuming gets you!

My question is all the new (to me) terminology, is there a list put together?

I see about lockup percentages and such and would like some enlightenment.

I've searched the forums for a while to no satisfaction so feel free to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance.
 
Well i learned a new way to type newb (nOOb) so I'm already learning stuff from you.
I was going to say I don't pay any attention to lock up percentages and feel just fine.
Then I tealized I actually know what that means.
It is about liner or frame locks and how much over lap there is at the mating pars when the blade is deployed. Pretty much if you aren't at 100% you are good unless you spend a whole bunch of your day just flipping and closing your knife. In that case maybe look at knives with a different lock type.

There is a list here of acronyms maybe that would be one place to look or just google knife terminology.

Forty years carrying a real knife here and I can barely remember what a recauso is.
Actually at pressent I don't remember but I'm sure after a few more sips of espresso it will all come rushing back to me.
 
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First of all, what kind of knives are you into ?

Traditional or modern ?

With modern folders there are a lot of terms to worry about, but with traditionals much less if you're not a collector.
 
Well, you can find "parts" of a knife pretty easily on the Web, and many things we discuss here are pretty easy. Of course, I've been here for a bit, and I realize that I've spent a lot of time in the "confused" lane.
 
Lockup percentage refers to liner and frame locks. Both frame and liner locks bend inward to engage a surface of the blade. Lockup percentage refers to how far along the blade it engages. 50% would be halfway. A small percent of lockup means it might not be engaging enough surface, or with enough tension to keep the blade locked (ie: it'll slip off), whereas a high percentage might mean that lock surface might be too warn and the knife is past its prime.
 
"Smatchet" is an inside joke.

"Kool-Aid" is the advertising hype that some companies build up around their knives. It's somewhat based on opinion and context.

Asking about "hard use" knives is guaranteed to get you a.... diverse.... set of opinions.
 
10% lockup or less is unsafe as it could easily become unlocked.

Other than that you want earlier lockup on liner locks because if they go 90-100% lockup that could be unsafe on a liner lock.

Also on liner locks the lockup can wear. So it may begin around 20% lockup and travel to 90% over time if the knife is poorly designed. It will fail the closer it gets to 100%.

If a frame lock goes 100% I don't think there is much issue for most knives. But it does show poor lock geometry in the design.

Otherwise do not worry about it.
 
Lockup percentage and "jimping" are the knife equivalent of "Is this gluten free?" It means you don't want them at the barbecue.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
Lockup percentage and "jimping" are the knife equivalent of "Is this gluten free?" It means you don't want them at the barbecue.
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I went through that with my wife’s friends. They were adamant that gluten was awful and that they felt better all around when they didn’t eat bread. I laughed while thinking to myself that it wasn’t the gluten. It was all the processed crap they put in the bread like sugar and overly processed wheat that was messing up their systems. Processed food isn’t food. Jimping is similar. You don’t need jimping, you need a knife that isn’t crappily designed. :D
 
Shotgun said:
I went through that with my wife’s friends. They were adamant that gluten was awful and that they felt better all around when they didn’t eat bread. I laughed while thinking to myself that it wasn’t the gluten. It was all the processed crap they put in the bread like sugar and overly processed wheat that was messing up their systems. Processed food isn’t food. Jimping is similar. You don’t need jimping, you need a knife that isn’t crappily designed. :D
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I mean, I'm all for eating healthier, but I heard a lady at my favorite barbecue place ask the elderly woman that owns the joint if the brisket was gluten free... The look on her face was priceless.

Healthy isn't hard: Did this food or something similar exist 5000 years ago? If the answer is no it's probably not good for you. Pizza is delicious though.
 
I was wrong, and I am here to ask forgiveness:

The Smatchet is mighty. Learning to use it properly takes time.
 
As for all the odd lingo the OP might feel the need to get the swing of, just read through the threads on here for about a month or so, and you'll pick up on pretty much all of it. :)
 
First off, I do not own a liner lock or a frame lock knife. I don't need one hand opening, so I tend to stick with back locks, like the Buck 110 or Old Timer 7OT.
Please educate me.
I do not understand why 90 ~ 100% lockup on a liner lock is "bad" and can fail, and 50% is "good" and (allegedly) cannot fail.
Are you saying that at 90 ~ 100% lockup the liner lock can slip between the blade and the opposite liner, or somehow lose contact with the blade tang?
 
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