Blade Locks: Which ones are excellent?

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453
There are new kinds of locks being introduced into the Knife World in recent years.

Axis, Integral, liner lock, rolling lock, etc.

All these have been tested to the extreme. Some are more reliable than others. Some are fancy, others simple but effective.

Is there anyone one among the lot that stands above all the others?



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
The integral, or frame, lock if done right is probably the strongest lock possible. On cheaper knives, frame locks sometimes leave a wobbley blade.
Liner locks also suffer from inconsistency. Most expensive ones have a tight lock up and, if the lockup in general is done right, the mechanism is plenty reliable enough for most knife users.
The rolling lock and axis locks are a little similar, and both are very strong. The axis lock is also about as smooth as anything. It is an excellent mechanism.
 
We've done this thread before.

The strongest and most reliable lock available in a folding knife is the balisong. When a well-made balisong is locked open, it is as close to a full-tang fixed-blade as you're gonna get. Lock failures, which have been reported in every other lock mechanism on the market, are unheard of in quality balisongs.
 
Integral, by a good maker.

Sorry Chuck, but I have trouble seeing a Balisong as a daily working knife. Might just be my narrow mind, or my limited experience with a Bali. My viewpoint just the same.

Brandon
 
There's a bunch of great ones out there. Proven to have the best combination of strength and reliability, in my opinion, are the axis and integral lock. Rolling lock isn't far behind. Promising-but-unproven, or still under evaluation, are the compression lock and arc lock.

Regarding strength, don't listen to anyone telling you that, say, the arc lock is stronger than the integral, or vice versa. No one I know of has tested a well-done integral lock (like the Sebenza) against a well-done axis lock (like the 710). My opinion is, both are incredibly strong, easily strong enough for what I'd need them for.

On reliability, the integral's only weakness is that it can be susceptible to counterclockwise torquing (on right-handed models; clockwise on left-handed). That's been proven. The axis has a theoretical reliability problem in that someone might accidently hit the button, but at this point that's a fantasy, it's not happening to anyone.

All these locks are excellent. It's a fun mind game to determine which is "best", but it's so much intellectual masturbation. Once the knife has a good lock format, like any of the ones I mentioned above, it's time to stop worrying about tiny advantages of one over the other, and instead start looking at other features of the knife.

Joe
 
One of the little extras that the axis lock offers is complete ambidexterity. It's the one thing I like about my BM 730 Ares better than my Sebenza.
 
I have more confidence in my Axis lock than any other lockup I own. When I'm using my BM 721, I'm thinking: "Fixed blade? I don need no stinkin' fixed blade."
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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
I second Gollnick. Give a well made balisong a spine whack test, and clock/ counterclockwise torque, flip open / close durability test, etc. Nothing will happen. The latch is a unique security system that keep the blade closed against unintentional shock. I've never seen this kind of security other than balisong and large Opinels.
No worrying about patent cuts down the cost, adds some value for $$$ to it.

A balisong demands a certain training. But it's a knife! You have to learn how to use a knife of any kind.

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Otokohadaremo yumenofunanori.
Shonennohinoakogare shinutokimade wasurezunidaiterumonodayo.
 
I've been real happy so far with my Dozier Buckhunter and its tab-lock mechanism. Although a lot similar to a liner lock it supports the entire blade tang, doing away with the traditional stop pin. The tab-lock liner is nested within a very thick titanium handle to give it support. It occurs to me that for a lock like this to work the maker needs to know his "stuff". Bob Dozier knows his "stuff"!

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Art Sigmon
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
Php. 4:13

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword"
Heb. 4:12
 
barrel lock on all the opinels.

that and the good ole liner lock.i have only had one failure,and crkt is fixing that right now.the liner on my afck is tough as nails.it aint going anywhere.
 
A slip joint folder!
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No lock= you treat it with respect!

Seriously, the frame lock followed by the axis.

I prefer the frame lock as I can see exactly what is happening. My Sebi failed to lock up once due to fluff from pocket getting in the way. In an axis, would this have been as noticable? Could an axis lock up, but only just? I own a number of frame locks and one axis lock (710 M2 Pre Production model).

Strange this is, a lot knock the liner lock, but in my blades like the Military and LCC I have yet to have one fail, even the spine whack test. Still it does make me think, that if I had to use my Military for a full power insertion into a person, and missed and hit a brick wall, would the lock fail and lose me my fingers? I mention combat as I can't think of a normal situation that would involve sufficiant force to cause a failure or cause me to thrust like that with an upward strike. It's not something I want to think about, but... Who can say, it is very hard to test any knife this way at home, without risk or damaging the knife.

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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
Huh..I guess I may have some misconceptions and need to be educated (as ususal
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). I thought you had to have a grip on a Balisong type knife for it to be locked.

Please excuse my ignorance.
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Steve-O
 
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