Are "traditional" liner-locks on the way out?

misque

misque

Joined
Jul 9, 1999
Messages
3,316
The Liner-Lock spine whack thread got me to thinking about this, so I got out all the folding type knives I've been buying in the last few months to tally them up by lock type. Here's the breakdown:

5 Lockbacks (SOG TiNi Autoclip, SS Native, G-10 Police, Calypso Jr. Lt.wt. and Spyderco Pegasus)
1 Axis Lock (Pardue)
1 Rolling Lock (Sifu)
2 Liner-Locks (SOCOM and Boker Brend)

Judging by my recent acquisitions, I would have to say the "traditional" Liner-Lock is on the way out for me.
I did not even conciously realize it, but when I go to the knife shop nowadays, I find myself looking for new and better locking mechanisms, and kind of mentally shying away from the LL folders.
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A bit of a conundrum, as I can't really come up with a reason why. Perhaps it's Liner-Lock burnout.
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How does this type of lock fair in your recent acquisitions?
Do you feel it's here to stay or is it going away?

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My new bumper sticker:

Let me tell you about my SIFU!

[This message has been edited by misque (edited 02-26-2000).]

[This message has been edited by misque (edited 02-26-2000).]
 
There's so many new and "exciting" lock mechs. coming out, that the tradition liner lock has taken a back seat for me. I want variety in my "collection" and cool mechs. are my thing.
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Can't wait for the new Spyderco lock that Sal's been trying not to talk about, and that new Kershaw Ken Onion lock that Ken's been hinting about!
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~Mitch
 
I agree. Liner locks have always made me nervous, and I'm excited about the new lock versions out, as well as those on the horizon. I've found myself carrying fixed blades, lock backs, and an Axis -- almost never a liner lock.

Tom
 
I really love liner locks. The way they work, the ease of 1 handed opening and closing. But...I stopped buying them (with the exception of the small Sebenza I ordered which is similar to a liner lock). I think they CAN be rock solid but unfortunately often are not. And how can you tell? Price of knife doesn't always guarantee the knife will pass a spine whack test.

And then there is the issue of wear. Some seem to wear more quickly than others.

I dunno. I feel more comfortable with different locking mechanisms. I really like the Axis lock and wish there were more different types of knives with this lock.

An interesting note. I have quite a few lockbacks, some fairly pricey. I checked them the other day and all of them had some kind of play in the lock.



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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
I still like liner locks. As was said earlier, many are not well executed and the price of a knife is no guarrantee of quality. I say always check out a liner lock before you buy or if youorder, don't be afraid to send it back,
 
Hey Misque, I've got lock-back burn-out! I've
gotten rid of all my LBs, saving only a sweet
little bone-handled Case, and a Buck 110
that's over 30 yrs. old. To me, the liner-locks are the lesser of evils. I demand the
one-handed operating feature, and most of
the better factory knives are LLs. I really
like my frame-lock 750, as well as my Axis
Pardue. But I can't part with my M2 Stryker,
or my Wegners, or my Kershaw/Onions, or my
mini MT - just because they're LLs. I use my
knives (alternate carry), and so far the
wear factor, my only concern about LLs, has
not been a problem. I would buy a Rolling-
Lock if REKAT would produce an acceptable
product, or someone else acquired rights to
the lock. I'm sure that many new - and I hope
better - locks are soon to be introduced.
 
In all honesty. I still love the LinerLock.

Of course, this would explain why the majority of my folding knives have the LinerLock!

And, from past experience, I've done the spine whack test on a few lockbacks and found out this isn't a viable test for a locking knife after numerous LB failures.

Just throwing my opinion out there.

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Life is NOT a spectator sport!!
 
Are the CS knives LL? If not do they know something we don't know?

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RayField Clement Jr.
rayfclement@yahoo.com
 
King,
The majority of CS knives are fixed blades; Which is probably what we should be using if we intend to load stress on the back of the blade. The Cold Steel folders though are Lockbacks (voyager series, hombre, vaquero), some have a twist lock (twistmasters). But, none have liner locks.
 
Not2sharp:
Cold Steel has one liner lock, the Scimitar, which has a titanium liner lock. The only CS folders I own, though, are lockbacks.

I have both LL's and LB's, and I use/carry both, but more often I use LB's, esp. Spyderco's.
Jim
 
Misque,

lets just say that from now on - I will want to whack test it first
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and yes - I do feel less secure about them now...
 
I agree with AT's comments. Folders are folders, and that's what makes them both easy to carry and less robust than fixed blades. I still carry my M2 mini-AFCK everyday. I use it all of the time. I'm just careful not to use it in situations that really demand a fixed blade. I carry one of those for just such occurrences, too.
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AJ
 
I have seen some beautiful folders since I have been a bonafide knifenut
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but I am a die hard fixed blade fan.
Nothing against folders, in fact I have my eyes on a Carnivore and perhaps another of REKAT's line here in the future, I just prefer and feel safer with a fixed blade.
Take the CRK fixed blades for example, purt near indestructible. My idea of the (perfect) knife....
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Talk to you later.

Roy
 

Do you believe that newer locking systems will turn the Liner-Lock into a thing of the past? In the not-too-distant future, will we look back at the LL with a kind of nostalgic whimsey as we play with our "wonder lock" folders? Is the Liner-Lock headed the way of the slip-joint folder?

------------------
My new bumper sticker:

Let me tell you about my SIFU!
 
I have to say this: some of the knives that I have seen fail are supposedly "fighters" - therefor making the fail even more unacceptable.


 
Hey guys - my guess is that there will continue to be LLs and LBs and "bolt-actions" and all the other lockups that we all have come to love in addition to the new and as of yet undiscovered means of making the blade secure against closing in the handle... I am personally not going to divest my collection of any mechanism -but build an addition to the closet to house all that neat new stuff that is to come !

the still make candles. don't they ?
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Guys remember locks of any type are nothing more than a safety device.

Most of these came about because people were too stupid to use a knife properly (kinda like the guy who sued Windex because when he cleaned his contacts it hurt his eyes. What he neglected to tell people was that he left the contacts in his eyes when he cleaned them! DUH!

I learned as a 7 year old Cub Scout to always push the knife blade away from you when cutting. If we all were to use the knife as intented this would, lock failure would not be a problem.

While I understand (well ok not really), why you would want to whack the back of your knife blade on a table to show the lock is secure.

Exactly when does this use come up in real life? Now for myself I have only been using a knife for about 34 years. I can honestly say I have never done that to a knife in the course of daily use.

Please dont say it tests the lock, guys its a thin piece of Titanium. It flexes under the pressure, but does not disengage. Even it if does, you are not being fair to the knife. It was not engineered to address this issue.

If you are going to use the knife for other than its intended purpose then yes, much like Mr. Windex you can expect a little pain in your life.

As for the popularity of the liner lock fading. No that is not the case.

Remember, the lock is a safety mechanism. If you are using the knife for it's intended purpose you should never have any kind of lock failure, Liner, Lock, Axis or Rolling.

Les

 
Well said Robertson ...IF and that's a big IF the knife is used as it is intended there should never be a problem - but there have been times while using a blade as intended and in the safest way a non-locking folder has begun to close on my hand - It can happen - My interest is in seeing what our human minds can come up with by way of engineering and design.. sure that brass "half moon" on a cub scout knife was a good idea.. my son lost mine years ago - but if I'm not wrong - Schrade used the same feature on a single blade jack .. I have one very old knife with a "sort of lock" pressure on the closed small blade releases the main blade - but that knife is over 100 years old.. it's got a right to "slop and slip"

Knife collectors are Sharp people
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