Bad to aggressively flick open a liner lock?

C

Cajun93

Joined
Apr 4, 2013
Messages
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My most recent purchase was the Spyderco Chokwe. It is a titanium liner on S30v lockup. On the first I received, after flicking hard three or four times the knife became almost impossible to disengage. It almost took two hands. It was easily reproducible on most aggressive flick openings. (75% of the time I could not easily disengage with one hand)

Returned and jut got my second one.

This one locks up similarly but only really jams tight and is not easily disengaged about 30% of the time.

Should I not be aggressively flicking open liner lock knifes?
Or
Should I not be aggressively flicking open Ti liners on SS blade knives?
Or is it the Chokwe?

Both knives disengage fine when gently opening and not flicking.
 
Maybe it needs to wear in, but if its jamming when you flick it hard, but works on easier openings i think you should go with easy openings ;). I dont have a chokwe but from my experience with ti framelocks opening with extreme force is not wise.
 
most knives will stick if you flick them open hard and it will do damage over time.
 
Cajun93 said:
My most recent purchase was the Spyderco Chokwe. It is a titanium liner on S30v lockup. On the first I received, after flicking hard three or four times the knife became almost impossible to disengage. It almost took two hands. It was easily reproducible on most aggressive flick openings. (75% of the time I could not easily disengage with one hand)

Returned and jut got my second one.

This one locks up similarly but only really jams tight and is not easily disengaged about 30% of the time.

Should I not be aggressively flicking open liner lock knifes?
Or
Should I not be aggressively flicking open Ti liners on SS blade knives?
Or is it the Chokwe?

Both knives disengage fine when gently opening and not flicking.
Click to expand...

Radical advice, but quit it.



If aggressive flicking is causing your locking mechanism to stick, and become very difficult to disengage, you are likely doing damage.

I regard it as akin to taking a revolver, and snapping it closed. This can ruin the lock up and timing on the gun, and actually make the revolver dangerous.


You are flipping your knife open with much more force than needed, and shortening the life of the knife, possibly greatly.



Am I to understand that you sent a knife back to the manufacturer because when you were aggressively flipping it open, it became difficult to engage?
 
The sticking is called galling. It's when the harder steel interacts with the softer titanium. Its not necessarily a bad thing but if you do it to much the liner may eventually wear out. This happened to my Emerson. I can visually see the wear but luckily it doesn't inhibit function.

Please if I'm inaccurate someone correct me.
 
I use the Spydie hole with thumb to flick open. I've been doing it for some time with the Spyderco lockbacks and liner looks with ZERO problems. I guess over time the thumb gets strong and is able to easily flick open the knives. I just used the same technique with this knife, having problems, hence the post and information request...
 
Bigfattyt said:
Radical advice, but quit it.



If aggressive flicking is causing your locking mechanism to stick, and become very difficult to disengage, you are likely doing damage.

I regard it as akin to taking a revolver, and snapping it closed. This can ruin the lock up and timing on the gun, and actually make the revolver dangerous.


You are flipping your knife open with much more force than needed, and shortening the life of the knife, possibly greatly.



Am I to understand that you sent a knife back to the manufacturer because when you were aggressively flipping it open, it became difficult to engage?
Click to expand...

An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.
Walter Bagehot
1826 — 1877
 
Honestly I wouldn't be satisfied with a knife that does that, in fact I have 1 frame lock and 1 liner lock that do that. 1 a cheap $10 smith and wesson (frame lock) and the other a CRK m16-10z if I remember correctly, my brother has the spearpoint I have the tanto and they all lockup on a hard flick open and require at minium a coin to jam in there to pry the lock open. In my book this is a faulty knife that needs to be returned, unfortunately all mine developed this after I lost the receipt and warranty information. If you still have yours send it back and get another, or a different knife.

If a locking mechanism jams in the open or close position it is unsafe to use, return it.
 
Cajun93 said:
I use the Spydie hole with thumb to flick open. I've been doing it for some time with the Spyderco lockbacks and liner looks with ZERO problems. I guess over time the thumb gets strong and is able to easily flick open the knives. I just used the same technique with this knife, having problems, hence the post and information request...
Click to expand...

Are you wrist flicking it? If you're just using your thumb without whipping it open with your wrist you'll be fine. I had a Chokwe that I opened and closed at least 5000 times and the lock never stuck on me. I never wrist flicked it though.
 
Try putting some graphite on the lockface and see if that gets rid of the stickiness. Just a flick with the thumb shouldn't be enough to damage it, but if you're flicking it hard witb your wrist you're probably wearing out the lock a d dling damage.
 
i know i shouldn't be doing it but i often flick my g-10 military by using my forefinger underneath, which shoots the blade open really fast. but then, that's one advantage of liners to integrals. the detent is lighter so it opens faster. the ti millie has a steel insert and the tang is concaved so i don't thing there's much damage to frequent thumb flicking.
 
Harder you flick it open the further its gonna lock up and therefore its normally gonna be harder to disengage.

I found its better to just open them normally with your thumb. They will last longer for the most part in the long run IMO.
 
nuckingfuts said:
Harder you flick it open the further its gonna lock up and therefore its normally gonna be harder to disengage.

I found its better to just open them normally with your thumb. They will last longer for the most part in the long run IMO.
Click to expand...
i agree. but the thing about my digicam g-10 millie is the liner bar locks only 10% (practically flush with one side of the tang) so i might as well have fun while there's little wear. :D
 
seelow123 said:
Are you wrist flicking it? If you're just using your thumb without whipping it open with your wrist you'll be fine. I had a Chokwe that I opened and closed at least 5000 times and the lock never stuck on me. I never wrist flicked it though.
Click to expand...

Thumb only. No wrist. It shoots out quick enough with just my thumb.
 
nuckingfuts said:
Harder you flick it open the further its gonna lock up and therefore its normally gonna be harder to disengage.
Click to expand...

The nicest Strider Sng I ever had (new lockup) behaved like that. It opened and unlocked just fine, but if you flicked it open hard, you had to pry the lockbar in order to unlock it again. Not too hard to figure, when you realize that the harder you flick it, the further up the grade goes the lockbar on the tang, so will stick more likely and harder to disengage. Pretty normal behavior.
 
Cajun93 said:
Thumb only. No wrist. It shoots out quick enough with just my thumb.
Click to expand...

Damn you must have a really powerful thumb. I used to have to sage 2's that are like the chokwe and flicked them also with just my thumb and never had any issues. Maybe try to control your flicking, flick them with your thumb so they lock up gently and not smack real hard into place.
 
nuckingfuts said:
Harder you flick it open the further its gonna lock up and therefore its normally gonna be harder to disengage.

I found its better to just open them normally with your thumb. They will last longer for the most part in the long run IMO.
Click to expand...

fzla226 said:
Try putting some graphite on the lockface and see if that gets rid of the stickiness. Just a flick with the thumb shouldn't be enough to damage it, but if you're flicking it hard witb your wrist you're probably wearing out the lock a d dling damage.
Click to expand...

benchwarmer380 said:
The sticking is called galling. It's when the harder steel interacts with the softer titanium. Its not necessarily a bad thing but if you do it to much the liner may eventually wear out. This happened to my Emerson. I can visually see the wear but luckily it doesn't inhibit function.

Please if I'm inaccurate someone correct me.
Click to expand...

Yes, yes and no, you are correct. I have found that a few strokes with a Sharpie on the lock faces works wonders.
 
Cajun93 said:
Thumb only. No wrist. It shoots out quick enough with just my thumb.
Click to expand...

In you original message you did say "aggressively flick open". You now seem to be backing off that. So which is it? What is the need to open it aggressively?
 
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