Chris Caracci on Liner Locks and Emersons.......

Brigadier

Brigadier

Joined
Nov 2, 2000
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Chris Caracci, designer of the BM AFCK, has his own forum here, as you probably already know.

Here are his thoughts on the AXIS lock and on liner locks, and Ernie is mentioned too:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171286

Quote:

Bench-who?
Wild Bill,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to such a juicy question.
I will however restrain myself otherwise I will give my friend Mr. Prisco a heart attack!
I am not totally sure what the axis is but I believe it is the button that slides in a groove/cam.
I do not stay up with benchmade products, lets just say, I should have been born in the old west when people were their own law.
I was shown this design at some show by some guys who were benchmade dealers and they wanted my opinion. After handling the knife for less than 30 seconds I told them,"you don't want to know".
Needless to say they did so I took them away from their table and very easily pointed out why the knife could close by accident in a knife fight!

If you all haven't caught on yet let me make this perfectly clear, I am not a sportsman. I live in a different world I guess, and if a tool is not practical and reliable in the worst case scenario than I have no use for it!


__________________
CJC

AND:

Quote:

"Locks
Guys I need to see pictures of these locks, it is the only way that I can be sure of what you are all talking about.
As I said before I do not always look for latest greatest.
I am a user not a collector, therefore if a liner lock is made properly it will always be my favorite for a combat folder.
The lockback for sure is inappropriate for fighting, and if the Axis is the one they showed me then you can bet your LIFE it can easily close by accident by your fingers inadvertently hitting the release.
I do not mean these locks fail under pressure they fail by your hand or fingers inadvertently hitting or depressing a release.
Blood is an excellent lubricant and grip is paramount in use of the knife.
Before I designed the AFCK I have never seen a liner lock that was completely cut away as a finger groove. That was essential as far as I was concerned.
Even Mr. Emerson politely but truly unnecessarily asked if I minded him copying the idea.
What other kind of locks does Mr. Emerson use?
I wonder why? He uses the liner lock, because for real operators there is nothing better, yet.
That is why real operators like his product.


__________________
CJC "

There you go. From a real operator! Nice to hear reassurance like that.
 
If you all haven't caught on yet let me make this perfectly clear, I am not a sportsman. I live in a different world I guess, and if a tool is not practical and reliable in the worst case scenario than I have no use for it!
Click to expand...

You just gotta love this man!
 
You love this, right? Hahaha...man oh man...the forecast is for seizures and bouts of diarrhea from those statements.

I have said it before, the only lock with a spring in it that I would use is a plunger lock or some Marfione creation because he knows what he is doing when it comes to extreme exotica. On those knives that MT makes that do not have a plunge(r) lock, they are OTFs and the blade would collapse and not hurt you anyway.

I made an exception lately and I obtained a Kershaw Boa with a SpeedSafe, however, it is a liner lock with a section of piano wire for the "Spring Assist" that has zero to do with the lock. I wanted that particular model because it had a Flipper on it as well. I don't care for the other "SpeedSafes" from Kershaw because they require "reprogramming" of the operating thumb because if you "follow" the thumb stud on a SpeedSafe, you run the risk of filleting the operating thumb as your thumb will be behind the speed-motion-curve. [My term]

In other words, if I open my Boa the same way I open my Sebenza, I might screw the pooch...so to speak.

I have owned knives that have complicated locks, if people wish to own them, that is fine. They can talk all sorts of nonsense about how much more reliable, consistent, strong, wonderful, sexy...they are. Whatever term they want to use. They can also have them. I'm not arguing with them anymore. If they wish to believe in The Tooth Fairy, they are free and clear to believe that as well and I'm sure they feel the same way about people like me.

I sold my high-tech "superior" spring-based locks.

The only "new" lock that shows any promise in my opinion, that has the capability of taking the place of a well-executed liner lock is the Spyderco Compression Lock on The Gunting.
 
Hey Don! Just got one of those Boas myself. If ya can't get a custom version, go with production. :D

Good to know about the Speedsafe vs. thumbstud thing. Wouldn't have thought of it, and diced my thunmb good. Think I'll take the stud off as soon as it gets here, so I don't forget.
 
Humm if the wave was invented by another knife maker, how come Ernie got the patent? But the idea of using it a bottle opener is a good one - do you think that the warrenty covers that?

Regards,

Ed
 
I actually tried to w/ a Comander, the tip of the wave was too think to wedge between the apron of the cap and that glass lip the apron covers.
I think I will continue experiments this evening and post my results.
 
Originally posted by Don Rearic

...you run the risk of filleting the operating thumb as your thumb will be behind the speed -motion-curve. [My term]

[/B]
Click to expand...

You just described the "old" me...or what used to regularly happen with my thumb; sliced. I used to carry an AFCK regularly for many years. Then to a BM cqc7. both OK. One has an opening hole an the other a thumb DISK. Both have plenty or room to appy your thumb with room to slide on the blade. When I started playing around with the other type of thumb STUD's like BM 710's & 705's...presto! No room to slide the thumb and your thumb is behind the speed motion curve (your term but I know what you mean...boy do I!). I stick to thumb disks, Emerson of course!, so as not to have to retrain myself. A thumb hole would be my next choice.
 
CommanderFan,

The first knife that ever filleted my thumb pad was a Gerber Applegate/Fairbairn folder. And it went right across the serrations, the thumbpad. Took FOREVER and a DAY to heal. It hurt like 17 sonsabitches too.

The Boa was my choice because the Flipper eliminates the potential for that happening, and that "curve" we speak of, the arc, is even more pronounced because of the Spring Assist of the SpeedSafe.

The Flipper also acts as a great guard. Not only does the knife index well for slash and thrust, the Flipper in the open position provides even more of a guard. A WIN-WIN in my opinion.

I don't care for the other SpeedSafes because of what I cited.
 
Hey Don,
Boy am I glad you linked that BM Forum. Now I know that all my Emerson Knives are crap and all I have to do is buy BM's.
All kidding aside, I do agree that the pivot screws do come loose but hey I that was really cause for concern then I would have gotten rid of my BM AFCK a long time ago.
Call me crazy but I'll take flat head screws over Torx ANY day although its nice to know that BM offers a torx kit to their knife owners. Back when I bought my first AFCK I ended up having to speak with someone on BM's production floor to get the specs on those little screws.
 
ExMB--

Actually, it's pretty easy once ya get the hang of it...now back to working on that technique...(hiccup)....:D

SGT Fitts
 
If Benchmade's screws don't work loose, and it voids the warranty to disassemble the knife, why would you possibly want to pay extra money for a set of Benchmade Torx-drivers?
:confused:
 
Hey Rearic! I looked at the Caracci post, and the pic - the top knife DOES look like a Civilian, you ingorant bastid. Open your damn eyes!! :D
 
Ken,

I am sure that the BM Torx kit is for display only, and not intended for actual use (see inclosed disclaimer for addtional details).
In keeping with this let me make it perfectly clear that my interest in this product is purely "academic" in nature and should no way imply that I would actually use the kit on my BM AFCK as it would void my warranty, especially since the torx screws never need adjustment as clarified by posts at the above mentioned link.

P.S. By that rational may I then assume that my AFCK is defective thus entitling me to a NEW AFCK?

Probably not.
 
Arkansas Ham Drifter!
;)
I'd send it back and ask for a replacement if I were you.
Apparently Loc-tite is an unauthorized modification too.

Chris,
BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA!!!!
See? I told you Rearic was a blind bastid!
:D
 
Don:

Normally I would tend to agree with you because I don't want you crawling all over my cute Filipino a$$, (even though some might suggest that you would like it). ;)

But in this case, I think Chris and Ken have something going here. I borrowed a buddy's Civilian today just out of curiosity, and I have to admit there are some pretty close similarities. I even went so far as to hold it up to the pic to compare. Too bad there are only three in existance. Wouldn't you sh*t your pants if you ever came across #3 at some remote garage sale! Crazier things have happened!

Just how much do you think that "lost" #3 is worth?
 
Number 3 would be worth quite a bit considering it might afford me the opportunity to watch Harry Humphries stomp the stuffing out of the guy that stole it from him!

I'd pay GOOD money to see that!
:D
 
That is now three folks (including me) that think CJC's design has more than a passing resembalence(sp) to the Civilian.

Sure the blade is a chisel grind but the lines are there. The blade/handle angle is different, but that is not the point.

:pDon

:D
 
Some have chosen to state that the Axis lock can easily close on one's fingers. Boy, would I love to see this proven. It can't.

Are the chances actually realistic that one would disengage an Axis lock by moving one's thumb upwards and then gripping the button enough to pull it backwards? The chances of a finger or thumb completing this movement appear sensibly less than your fingers just naturally over-extending the "hilt" on any folding knife.

It would, however, be much easier to prove how unsafe many liner locks tend to be....especially when the spine on one of them hits a bat or a baton. Bye bye fingers.

The Axis lock is a superior design to the liner lock in combat situations. To me, this is simple to understand.
 
Ken,
Arkansas Ham Drifter here. If I were of the same mindset as those who posted about how crappy Emerson Knives are for loose pivet pins then I probably would have piched a fit with BM and and sent the knife back via a one way ticket.
Instead, I simply gave the pivet screw a twist and the knife was none the worse for it. Of course it would have been easier if the screw had been slotted instead of Torx... But then again I guess that's making things too simple for the end user like me to fix without a special kit or a trip back to the BM shop.
Whew... I need to find something to do with my time. Sorry for the rant.:o
BTW I love my M2 AFCK. Just wish it had a WAVE!:D
 
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