Buttton locks and their holdings

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Vicarious Reality

Joined
Apr 9, 2008
Messages
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All the button locks i have are surrounded by steel

What happens longterm if you put the buttons in Titanium or Aluminium?

I can not imagine putting hardened steel grinding up against 6061 for decades would be a good idea
 
Button locks have been put into aluminum for years and years, take the Bechmade AFO, solid and lasts a lifetime easily.

Protech uses a button lock in all their models, and most handles are also made from aluminum.

Either way, an upstanding company would warranty any long term issues, but I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I believe the discontineud 105mm Victorinox Adventurer which has a side lock button would be considered a "button lock". The button is made of plastic, but I have never had one fail and I have been carrying and using this particular knife for about 15 years every day and using it every day. No failures.
 
Yo Mama said:
Button locks have been put into aluminum for years and years, take the Bechmade AFO, solid and lasts a lifetime easily.
Protech uses a button lock in all their models, and most handles are also made from aluminum.
Either way, an upstanding company would warranty any long term issues, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Click to expand...

You have used one hard for a lifetime? Somehow i doubt that.

I worry when you put Moh 7,5 load bearing material in sliding contact with Moh 2,5 material
 
Have there been issues that you've heard of or experienced? If not, I would say you're probably borrowing trouble where none exists. Many, many side opening automatics have a button lock set into aluminum scales.

Edit: Actually, I just remembered the Ratworx MRX. They did a torture test video in which a side opening auto with a button lock and aluminum scales was cycled something like 100,000 times (I could be wrong about the number, it was something absurd.) I would say that goes a long way towards demonstrating that a button lock set in aluminum scales should hold up just fine if properly executed.
 
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I've been issued an M4 that has tens of thousands of rounds fired through it. The whole thing is made of aluminum-on-steel interfaces. An AR als has steel rubbing against aluminum with a lot more energy and friction, not to mention grit, than a folding knife is likely to experience. and they hold up just fine. I've also owned button-lock folders in aluminum that didn't have any noticeable wear. Food for thought.
 
Vicarious Reality said:
You have used one hard for a lifetime? Somehow i doubt that.

I worry when you put Moh 7,5 load bearing material in sliding contact with Moh 2,5 material
Click to expand...

attitude much?

Doesn't matter, lifetime warranty with any reputable maker. Seen tons of AFOs still doing fine, that are a lifetime old. I have 5 button lock folders surrounded by aluminum handles. I don't think the makers would be in business long if it was a problem.
 
Total non-issue. There are so many knives, firearms, etc that have aluminum on steel contact and it works without issue in the long term.
 
Vicarious Reality said:
You have used one hard for a lifetime? Somehow i doubt that.

I worry when you put Moh 7,5 load bearing material in sliding contact with Moh 2,5 material
Click to expand...

You're pretty brutal for someone who is incorrect. There is plenty of empirical evidence to show that in a quality knife, the button can handle it. Come over to the auto subforum and you will see lots of hard use button lock autos that are old and still working. With a POS knife, who knows.
 
Just to throw another quality manufacturer into the mix. William Henry has button locks set in titanium handles, and I would not hesitate to put one to a lifetime of use.

As a point of mechanics, if I think about it, (but I may be wrong), most of the contact that a button lock would experience would be between the button locking portion and the cut-out in the blade. This is steel-to-steel. Any lateral force against the button is easily dispersed to the handle by the huge amount of surface area in contact between the button and the hole in the handle, at least for a quality knife.
 
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