Attn: Jim March Re: the Liner Bar lock

T

thaddeus

Joined
Oct 2, 1998
Messages
212
Jim:

I don’t know if you have seen the new Blade magazine, but there is an ad in there on page 43 from Microtech for the new Kestrel (looks like a great box opener!).
They show your lock in close up, and if you read the caption it says:
"The Brand New 'MICROBAR LOCK', PATENT PENDING".

Not only did they take you up on your offer to use the lock, but they even kept the name!!! They are now patenting it. Looks like you should have beat them to the patent.

I am designing a new sheath, and I believe that every other person on these forums will HAVE to have one. I am going to patent it before I introduce it if that is at all possible.

Congratz to you,
thaddeus

 
I know about the Kestrel, Thad. Problem is, they seem to have used the same lock on the Nemesis, Dragon Slayer and Excaliber autos as far back as 1997. Nobody who saw the linerbar threads on either forum pointed this out, and I'd never seen those extremely high-dollar limited production pieces.

I seem to have thunk it up 11/6/98 (date on graphic file) and posted 11/9/98.

See also the "lock design" thread in Shop Talk where I included an EMail from Microtech explaining this AND somebody else confirmed that the Kestral is *not* the first "Linerbar" Microtech.

It's sorta cool that I thought of it independently, but they beat me fair and square.

Jim March
 
I read MT's reply about using something like this before and this being an evolution of something they already had.

I don't remember seeing anything like this before. Except Jim's drawing.

And I don't understand how they can say it's an 'evolution' of the liner lock.

I think it's a fresh idea.

But I wonder about the development time frame. If they did get the idea from Jim's post could they have engineered it and tooled up for it between Jim's November posting and now? I don't know. Does anyone else know?

I think we haven't got to the bottom of this yet, at least not to my satisfaction.

Maybe someone who has a Dragonslayer and the other pieces they (MT) referred to, should take look at the lock and let us know.


------------------
Regards,
Ron Knight

Yeah I'm crazy, but what do you want me to do about it

[This message has been edited by RKnight (edited 29 January 1999).]
 
Rknight, there's a post by somebody on the Shop Talk thread that confirms the previous use of this lockwork on MT's part. If it was totally brand-new with the Kestral then yes, it might have been possible for them to do a proto based on early Nov. drawings by me.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. Naturally I'd *really* like to see the Dragonslayer/Nemesis lockwork with my own eyes and see what's going on, but in the meantime I accept the idea that they beat me to it.

Jim March
 
I am not trying to start a conspiracy here, but I am suspicious for three reasons:

Number one, how come the add says that it is a "BRAND NEW LOCK"? (Their words!)

Number two, why is it "PATENT PENDING" only now and not long ago?

Number three, how come it just happens to have THE SAME NAME?

just curious,
thaddeus

Ps- reference page 43 of the April 1999 issue of Blade
 
I agree with you Thaddeus.

Just curious.

And I agree with your reasoning.

If they had it before now, we would've heard about it. Lot's of ads in mags, articles about this new break through lock, etc. We all would have known about it.

Only now are they advertising it, naming it, applying for a patent, etc. Even so, they are remarkably low key about it. There was no advance hype about it, no rumors leaks speculation, etc. here on the forum.

However, unfortunately for Jim, he did say 'free to a good home'. And he didn't apply for a patent.

Most of us here on the forum know about this issue by now.

Jeez, give the guy a nice knife. You know, fist production run, hand ground blade, whatever, something.

It could be a outstanding PR move on their part. A photo presenting him with the knife, etc.


------------------
Regards,
Ron Knight

Yeah I'm crazy, but what do you want me to do about it

[This message has been edited by RKnight (edited 29 January 1999).]

[This message has been edited by RKnight (edited 29 January 1999).]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top