Can I trust Spyderco lockback?

[chococrazy]

That's just untrue.

Most buy a locking knife to lock open and if it fails to perform the task, the knife is a failure. Locks are not "safeties", locks are an integral part of the functioning of a knife designed with one.

And you had better be able to stop your car with its emergency brake - else what good is it?

As to the original poster's comments, it appears you have an exception since Spyderco has a well deserved reputation for it's lockbacks - send it back to Spyderco for repair after emailing them.

BTW - linerlocks fail regularly for no apparent reason; so if you buy one, test it regularly. It's your flesh at risk. The lockback is generally more reliable than the lockback.

Might wanna edit that last part.
Also, that persian was a fluke spyderco should fix it right up better than new!

 

[sizzler]

Might wanna edit that last part.
Also, that persian was a fluke spyderco should fix it right up better than new!

Not a fluke. In any large manufacturing process the rate of defective products can be calculated mathematically. Spyderco has brought that % of defects down commendably low. In fact, quite excellent. But, that small percentage still exists and is expected.

 

[Loneriderz]

So far so good on all my lockbacks from Spyderco. It is my preferred locking mechanism as I can actuate it better than a linerlock being a lefty and all.

 

[J85909266]

I have used Spyderco lockbacks exclusively aside from my Sebenza for five years now, and have never had a single one show even a sign of failure. Its a fluke.

 

[Leftoverdj]

If you need to put trust into a lock, your using the knife wrong and probably should use a fixed blade. Locks are a secondary safety mechanism, not something you intentionally put pressure on. Intentionally forcing a lock is just as dumb as stopping with your emergency brake in your car for a stop light.

I'm with Thalestin. I never carry anything but lockers of some sort, and I never intentionally rely on the lock. It's there in case I screw up. Never had one fail badly enough to hurt me, either.

I've had a lot more trouble with lockbacks than linerlocks. Crud tends to build up in the backspring notch, and I have never found a way to clean it out other than putting it in the ultrasound tank. Fortunately, I have an ultrasound tank.

 

[sizzler]

I'm with Thalestin. I never carry anything but lockers of some sort, and I never intentionally rely on the lock. It's there in case I screw up. Never had one fail badly enough to hurt me, either.

I've had a lot more trouble with lockbacks than linerlocks. Crud tends to build up in the backspring notch, and I have never found a way to clean it out other than putting it in the ultrasound tank. Fortunately, I have an ultrasound tank.

brake cleaner will fix you up.

 

[greater]

Liner locks that I have had fail on me and one lock back


1) Buck Crosslock the blade would sometimes bounce right back closed after trying to flick it open it also failed spine wacking and the liner on it engaged almost all the way to the other side.

2) An old G10 titanium liner Kershaw starkey ridge same thing bounce back when flicking and spine wack failure. In addition to spine tapping I one day gave this thing a SPINE POUNDING it didn't fail and the lock slipping problem was fixed after that. Great lockup too go figure who says spine pounding is useless.

3) Agrussell City knife I really love the shape and ergos of thing guess what bounce back when flicking open and spine tap failure it sits in pieces. I tried to fix by taking it apart the locking liner snapped when I tried to bend it. I would love to have this in the button lock version if has better lockup I have never seen another knife design and shape like it. It would probably be my choice of edc.

4) Russian Kizlyar Bars folding knife good grip but a POS from the get go. This liner was always slippery and failed often. My attempts to fix it made far worse.

5) My knife kits liner lock failed. I tried filing metal off the liner to try to fix it (to get more liner tang engagement) I filed too much now the blade has noticeable vertical play but a lockup that I can't get to f####ing fail no matter how hard I pound the spine, tap it or twist it. It still will unlock fine when I unlock it. I have also noticed this wonder in POS knives with wobbly blades too. Do rattling blades that have liners engaged fully to other side actually have the best lock up?

6) My Beretta Airlight Black Zytel handle LOCKBACK failed during use and failed light to moderate spine taps. Increasing tension in the lock back spring by bending fixed the problem.

7) My Benchmade Panther's liner lock slips and flexes even though I can't get the lock to fail this makes me uncomfortable.

8) Kizlyar Biker has a thin liner lock that barely engages the the edge of the blade tang. This is another one I can't get to fail but am uncomfortable with.

There may be some more I can't remember but of all my knives I spine slammed, all type of locks, (I went on a frenzy after the starky ridge failed) The Benchmades, Kershaws (with the exception of the Starky Ridge,) and Spydercos had locks that refused to fail.

Locks are locks a lock blade is not a slip joint with a safety they should never fail without significant force or a good reason that being said I do not trust locks like I do a fixed blade and it's what I advocate for anyone who regularly puts their knife to hard use.

I do like the security of a balisong but you have to handle those with care when opening lest you cut or stab yourself however when opened they should make an excellent utility blade. I would not like to be stuck trying to open a balisong in a high adrenaline self defense situation though.

 

[sizzler]

Locks are locks a lock blade is not a slip joint with a safety they should never fail without significant force or a good reason

:thumbup:


Edit - NOT a fluke. Just a manufacturing defect of which the occurrence is statistically predicted to be acceptably low.

 

[The Mastiff]

I've been carrying Spyderco lockbacks since 92. My first one is still carryable and going strong. It just keeps getting smoother and smoother.

 

[idaho]

My Spyderco police works great for about 10 years, my friend's since about 1988. There is no almost no difference with factory new police.
I don't think that production grade linerlocks will work dependably for such long time - after all they are friction based locks.

 

[J85909266]

I have a regularly used 80s model Hunter that is still rock solid that I carry weekly. Concern in Spyderco's midlock reliability is sorely out of place.

 

[A.P.F.]

I have never had a failure with any liner-lock on a knife that I have owned. Spyderco uses them, Buck uses them, Emerson uses them and many others as well. It seems that if you use a knife properly, even a slip-joint won't fold by accident, at least that has been my reality for, oh, 45 years.

 

[J85909266]

It has nothing to do with proper use, liner locks fail regularly on many factory knives.

Every single liner lock I have used aside from the cream of the crop companies, and sometimes even them, have shown failure.

For the record, there is no such thing as lock up failure for a slip joint unless it is just miserably put together, and the comparison to locking folders should never be mentioned.

 

[elkins45]

Let Spyderco fix it and then you can go on about your business cutting things for many years. I wouldn't be surprised if Sal offers you a new knife so he can keep your old one to study how it failed.

 

[NirreBosse]

I trust my backlocks and my Spydercos seam very good. Never any falures in the locks.

 

[kungfucowboy]

if it worries you that much carry a fixed blade.

 

[yablanowitz]

I always kept in mind it was a folder. The spring came out of position which kept it from even opening properly the first time after the failure. I don't like tools that fail, especially without warning.

Be prepared to dislike much in life. I've broken a crowbar by prying with it. I've broken shovels by digging with them. I've even seen a guy break an anvil by pounding on it. None of those things gave any warning. Life isn't perfect, people aren't perfect and the tools we make aren't perfect either.

 

[Fred Sanford]

Absolutely you can. I would trust a lockback more than most (if not all) liner locks and even some frame locks.

The only locks I trust more are the compression lock and the ball lock (caged ball lock).

 

[Kbrasmodeler]

...And you had better be able to stop your car with its emergency brake - else what good is it?...

I have to comment on this. The emergency brake on your car is next to the gas pedal. What everyone calls the "emergency brake", whether operated by hand, or by another pedal on the left side of the steering column, is actually the "parking brake". It is not designed to stop the car, in the event of an emergency, and most of the time, if the actual "emergency brake" fails, the parking brake will no longer function either. Rant over.

Whether a knife locks or not, if you use a folding knife properly, it will not fold on your fingers. If you need to stab something, fixed blades are better. I personally have never had any lock fail on me, either lock back or liner lock. The lock is a backup. The real safety feature should be between your ears.

 

[catspa]

The real safety feature should be between your ears.

That needs repeating (not only in regard to knives), and I put it in bold for extra emphasis.

Parker