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Cold Steel Triad lock? Ease of closing?

jsp

jsp

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Joined
Jun 6, 2007
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370
I haven't bought a Cold Steel folder since the early/mid 90's and I've been thinking of giving Cold Steel a try again with their newer Triad locks. I did handle one of my friends Recon 1 Tanto with the Triad lock and I needed two hands to close it. Are they that hard to close or will the lock break in over time? Can they be closed with one hand like Spyderco lockbacks by pressing the lock and letting the unsharpened part of the blade fall forward and catching it with your index finger?
 
The Voyagers can close one handed.

It's really easy and fast, they are very smooth if you adjust the pivot correctly. The Large 4" size is easier to close that way that the Medium 3-inch size since it has a heavier blade.

Not sure about others but I would guess so.
 
That's the price you pay for the ability to spine whack the heck out of your knife with impunity!








I kid..I kidd
 
Mine is still pretty stiff. I dont thing it will ever close as easy as my Spydercos, but Im also getting an extremely tough and tight lock up. Its a trade off that Im ok with.
 
What knives are you two above using?

It worked great closing that way on my Voyager.
 
Mine is a Recon 1. Great knife but a little stiff to close. Mostly you really have to depress the lock back completely to release the lock.
 
roncunningham said:
Mine is a Recon 1. Great knife but a little stiff to close. Mostly you really have to depress the lock back completely to release the lock.
Click to expand...

This what I had noticed when I handled my friend's Recon 1. I had to use both hands to try and close it safely.
 
Some have a break in period and are harder than say the axis lock.

After the break in close against your leg or hip as said above
 
The only one that takes some serious effort (can still do it with one thumb) is my Spartan. The rest require a deep push, but not all that much power.
Of course, if you compare them to a lockback, they are almost impossible to unlock. Then again, if you try to unlock a liner lock like a lockback, you also are going to be disappointed! :D

It's caused by the self-adjustment mechanism of the lock. It requires a deeper groove. It's not just simply a reinforced lockback.
 
I've owned a decent number of Tri-Ad Lock knives at various points in the past -- American Lawman, Recon 1, Spartan, Rajah I, and Espada G-10 XL -- and the last two were the only ones on which I found depressing the lock took a lot of effort. Those two also required two hands to close safely, although that was more due to the sheer dimensions of the knives than the difficulty of depressing the lock (which could still be done with one thumb).
 
They all take a lot of effort but I use one hand and a downward motion to swing the blade half closed where my index finger hits the tang.
I don't mind the lock travel or spring tension. What I do mind is a sticky lock and this can be a problem with the Tri-Ad lock. I returned a Voyager because the lock was sticky. My mini Recon also has a sticky lock. Not as bad and it has gotten better with use. The others - Recon, Lawman, Mini Lawman and Spartan - do not have sticky locks.
 
I have the AK47 and I used to have a spartan, I don't have a problem closing them with one hand but that's just me. I hold it with the blade edge towards me and position my thumb just under the dull part of the blade, press the lock with my index finger and when it's stopped by my nail I remove my fingers from the blade's path and just give it a small flick to close it.
 
I also have a AK-47 (first ever knife) and to this day after 1 year, its still a little stiff, nothing difficult but im unable to close it with 1 hand.

the lock is superb, very strong, no blade play up or down / side to side ... but again in terms of 1 handed opening, I guess you got to practice like I assume SubDisease did.
 
Hmmmm strange...

I misplaced my Voyager :p so I can't give a video demonstration, but when I depressed the lockbar that blade just fell down smoothly. And the pivot was tight.
 
Search this site for "Modified Rajah 2". I posted a video showing the ability to release a Triad lock with one hand. I have adjusted the spring tension on all of my Triad locks for one-handed opening and closing. Just remove the one scale on the side with the pivot screw head, use a marker to identify the contact point of the leaf spring tip on bottom of the lock bar or trace out the leaf spring location on the liner as a reference. Place the leaf spring in a vise and remove a bit of tension -test fit/function the new lock to your liking.
 
I've got an American Lawman, and while it's far from being my smoothest folder I can close it one handed more or less like any other of my lock backs.
 
the scariest CS folder to close is that dang Pocket Bushman!
PocketBushman.jpg
 
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