Are liner locks unsafe?

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kozak6

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Dec 28, 2005
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In this thread, almost everyone hates liner locks.

My experience with liner locks is rather limited, but I didn't like what I saw. My brother had a cheap Chinese one. When it was new, it was stupidly difficult to unlock. When it wore out after a month, it wouldn't take much pressure on the spine at all for the lock to fail, especially if there was any twisting at all. It wouldn't even fail predictably either.

I suppose it probably doesn't make a big difference as long as you are using your knife safely to begin with, and that poorly made Chinese knives can be dangerous regardless of lock type, it's just that seeing it let go like that was terrifying, and poisoned me against liner locks.

What about you guys?
 
Any cheaply made lock is going to fail eventually- the problem is not limited to liner locks- though I will say that the quality of cheap imported traditional style knives is usually better than that of tactical models. Unfortunately, that image has been passed on to better quality liner locks as well. While other locking methods may be able to take more abuse than the liner lock, most EDC knives are not the subject of perpetual abuse. Knives aren't pry tools, and I can think of no real person that torqs knives in a bench vise as actual use activity.
 
I don't think they're completely "unsafe." Like anything else, you have to use reasonable caution. But I really don't like having fingers in the path of a closing blade.
 
I think they're not as reliable as others, but they can still be good depending on the quality (and by that, I usually mean brand).

My S&W "special tactical" models have liners that go all the way to the other side. They still lock up tightly with no vertical bladeplay, but I don't think most people would like this. My S&W "extreme ops" has a thick liner, but it is also starting to go all the way to the other side.

My CS Ti-Lite seems to have a better liner than the aforementioned knives. It has 3 dimensions rather than just 2 (it's kinda L shaped rather than | shaped), and it doesn't go over to the other side. That shape allows it to contact the tang with more surface area.
 
I prefer "axis" style locks or the like. But, a well made knife from a reputable manufactuer or knifemaker with a liner lock is usually pretty good.
 
Liner locks can very don't trust one from a bad company, like usual. you can be sure a liner lock from Spyderco or Cold steels', with the Axis lock.
 
Liner locks are fine, but IMHO are not the best type of lock. Sure, some are very well done, and some of the higher end ones are plenty sturdy, from what I hear.

But if you plan on doing any cutting where the knife handle may twist in your hand, you may want to reconsider any exposed liner lock.

I sold my Lone Wolf Harsey T1 because the liner lock would disengage easily if you twisted the knife by the blade while gripping the handle. I don't believe my model was defective, and lockup was stellar otherwise.

I've just had the same experience with multiple liner locks, and therefore do not trust them.

Is it possible that I'll handle a knife in the future that I really like, with a great liner lock that will change my opinion? Sure. But I'll still always be skeptical of liner locks until proven otherwise.
 
On many days, the only knife I carry is a slip joint. But when I use a locking knife, I want to trust that lock.

A well made liner lock will do the job under most circumstances. It’s just that better locks are available. I had two liner lock knives unlocking during use. It happened both under very specific circumstances but I’ve never had a similar problem with a back lock or a frame lock.

One of the knifes, even though it was made by a good company, was simply not put together very well (I got the occasional lemon). So I discount that incident. I twisted the knife and the lock disengaged.

The other knife got an unintentional spine whack while I was cutting in a confined space.

I have only one knife with an axis lock and haven’t used that one much, but I did test it and it held up fine.

In general I prefer a back lock on my knife. Tried and tested over a long period of time and the system has never failed me.

Rafael
 
I used to be a Lockback-only guy, but unheeded pocket lint can cure you of that real fast. I think a well-made liner lock is just fine. My $30 plus dollar Kershaw Skyline has an excellent liner lock, stays put, no play. A slightly more expensive Kershaw Avalanche had an excellent liner lock, I would trust it implicitely. I"ve previously had Benchmade liners that were fine too. Just depends on the knife, I believe.
 
In my experiences, the type of locking devise on a knife depends on what you expect from it. A Buck lockback is probably nowhere as strong as a Benchmade axis-lock, but, what are you doing with it? I watched the Cold Steel DVD with a guy using a knife to support his whole weight and this form of an axis-lock, apparently, would move the world.
A frame lock is probably stronger than a linerlock, so you might be interested in one of them. I have a Camillus TL-29 that had a terrible screwdriver blade, which was the linerlock, and put a tanto point in it. This thing is a real workhorse. The tanto with a linerlock will easily poke a hole in a 55 gallon drum or a car hood and I never worry that it won't hold open.
I have way more slipjoints than locking blades and as long as I don't do anything crazy, I don't consider cutting fingers off to be an option.
 
diamdave said:
I used to be a Lockback-only guy, but unheeded pocket lint can cure you of that real fast. I think a well-made liner lock is just fine.
Click to expand...

This is actually relevant to me, because I often carry knifes loose in the pocket of my jacket. I have one back lock that is more susceptible to this problem (during testing, one time when I used it), never had a problem with the others.

And even with the back lock knife that is more susceptible, I'll know it hasn’t locked properly so I can address the problem before use. The problem with a liner lock is often that it is, or seems, properly locked and than fails.

If I really like a knife with a liner lock, I’ll still buy it. But I test all my knives, so I know what to expect when using it.

Rafael
 
I used to argue vehemently against all liner locks, as they do have a bad track record. However, after carrying the Spyderco Military for nearly a year I have to say I've changed my mind. Not all liner locks are accidents waiting to happen, just most of them.
Liner locks are the cheapest and easiest lock to make, I'd steer clear of anything but the most reputable brands, and even then you have to check each individual one as they tend to have a higher failure rate than most.
Emphasis on "higher" failure rate. Any lock can fail, these just need a little more attention.
The thing that other locks still have on the liner lock is that they won't wear in nearly as fast. Many of them have rotating parts, more contact surface, etc...
After having one good experience with a well made liner lock I am more willing to use them, though still much more cautious with them.
 
I am sure that I have used at least a hundred folders with liner locks. This from all different makers. I have yet to see any of them even start to think about failing. If you have trouble with liner locks, you are doing something wrong and you best not even think of using a slip joint.
 
kozak6 said:
In this thread, almost everyone hates liner locks.

My experience with liner locks is rather limited, but I didn't like what I saw. My brother had a cheap Chinese one. When it was new, it was stupidly difficult to unlock. When it wore out after a month, it wouldn't take much pressure on the spine at all for the lock to fail, especially if there was any twisting at all. It wouldn't even fail predictably either.

I suppose it probably doesn't make a big difference as long as you are using your knife safely to begin with, and that poorly made Chinese knives can be dangerous regardless of lock type, it's just that seeing it let go like that was terrifying, and poisoned me against liner locks.

What about you guys?
Click to expand...

In the thread you cited, not everyone hated linerlocks. Look at who hated them and who did not.

As so many have already stated, linerlocks are often found on cheap knives. When there are failures, people assign blame to the lock type, instead of to fact that it was a cheap knife.

Linerlocks from high end companies that I have used have been reliable.
 
I test all my knives so that I can trust their locks. I've had only two failures - one was a cheap linerlock, the angle at the back of the blade wasn't ground to the correct angle. One was a Benchmade Eclipse lockback, and it would pop open under only moderate pressure. Not sure what was up with that one. My Spyderco Military will disengage if I torque it counterclockwise with a firm grip, but that's the fault of the large handle cut out exposing the liner lock, not the lock itself. But I have a lot of trust in a well made and personally tested linerlock. (That said, I trust framelocks more than any other kind of lock)
 
I use to hate a liner and frame lock because they just wore out so quickly with me. Then I used a sebenza for a while....that cured me from frame locks and recently I purchased a handmade knife with a TI liner lock. There is no bladeplay sideways or up and down, the liner is hard to disengage accidentally....So that cured that. A liner and frame lock made from the right material from a good maker and good quality control is very important in this area!
 
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huugh said:
In this test linerlock withstood more than lockback. Let the flamewar begin :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I don't cut with the spine of my blade... :p

I guess it's understandable if you're doing a test applying force against the spine. But does that translate to real world use?
 
knarfeng said:
When there are failures, people assign blame to the lock type, instead of to fact that it was a cheap knife.
Click to expand...

That is true, liner locks are commonly associated with cheap knives. I've never had a problem with liner locks
 
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