Cold Steel's Atlas Lock Test featuring the new Engage 3.5"

[dogboye]

That’s not good, the spring is too soft. This is why the shark lock is less prone to failure, since the lockbar has to move back and then up in order for it to fail, while Atlas is straight back.
I’ve seen tests of axis lock(specifically the contego) failing the same way when its glass breaker was being used.

Ooooh.... never thought about that! Never had to use the glass breaker, though. And the M390 version I have doesn't even have a glass breaker.

 

[Jordan@DLT]

That’s not good, the spring is too soft. This is why the shark lock is less prone to failure, since the lockbar has to move back and then up in order for it to fail, while Atlas is straight back.
I’ve seen tests of axis lock(specifically the contego) failing the same way when its glass breaker was being used.

They were testing the glass breaker with the blade open?

 

[dogboye]

Be just my luck if I tried that, the blade WOULDN'T fold, and I'd stab myself in the face.

 

[DocJD]

IDK if this has been posted already ,but seems like a pretty fair and thorough review :

At this point in my (old) life , I'm much less the early adopter of unproven "new and improved" stuff ...just because it's new and different .

An innovative product must be demonstratively and significantly BETTER , overall .

Thus far , the Atlas lock as seen on the Engage , does not impress me as improved in any way important to my uses .

In some ways it seems to be clearly inferior to the best of the Tri-ad models . So far at least .

The Engage does not come off as a well perfected product . Too many details have been left at a prototype stage , IMO .

GSM is trying to rely on hype and BS to push this thing forward half-baked .

Unless I see one really cheap , I'll just wait for a more mature version of this lock system ...if at all .

 

[dogboye]

The more I see of it, the more I think it is inferior to the Shark Lock, which it seems to be mimicking closely. Only being different enough that they don't get a patent infringement issue (assuming Demoko has the patent). As someone pointed out above, the Shark has to be retracted AND lifted for the blade tang to clear the lock surface, whereas this thing only has to move in one direction, back. Seems much easier to accidentally defeat, although I could still believe it is stronger statically than the Shark Lock, since it rides on two pins. Dunno. I'd just as soon stick with the Tri-Ad, or the Shark Lock.

 

[paul brown]

I think with the weaker detent its gonna act closer to a liner lock. Some may welcome that, some won't. One video reviewer said it developed a little vertical play after one testing. To me it doesn't look like there is a robust enough "wedge effect" built into it.

 

[DocJD]

I think with the weaker detent its gonna act closer to a liner lock. Some may welcome that, some won't. One video reviewer said it developed a little vertical play after one testing. To me it doesn't look like there is a robust enough "wedge effect" built into it.

Nice weak detent is desirable for a fidget knife , NOT for a "hard use" like Cold Steel is expected to make .

The market is flooded with great fidgety folders , but few really tough ,hard use, functional folders, at any reasonable price .

I'm not too surprised that GSM made this non-Cold Steel type thingy , but I am deeply disappointed .

 

[JeremiahWeaver09]

i think ill stick with my spyderco police

 

[elasmonut]

Im glad that someone out there is testing the strongest locking mechanism... I cant count how many times I've hoisted an engine block or slab of concrete and wanted to suspend it all weekend....lucky I didnt use a folder with liner lock!!
I'm all for maximum potential in a pivot or lock...but some of these tests are a bit silly!?
I dont want a knife to shut on my fingers, but....I wouldn't expect a fixed blade to do this....not one with geometry for cutting anyway

 

[DocJD]

Im glad that someone out there is testing the strongest locking mechanism... I cant count how many times I've hoisted an engine block or slab of concrete and wanted to suspend it all weekend....lucky I didnt use a folder with liner lock!!
I'm all for maximum potential in a pivot or lock...but some of these tests are a bit silly!?
I dont want a knife to shut on my fingers, but....I wouldn't expect a fixed blade to do this....not one with geometry for cutting anyway

You are unclear on the concept of "hard use folder" , or maybe you just don't feel the need ?

That's OK , but that doesn't mean others can't need, or at least want , folders that rival fixed blades in strength .

If you don't make fun of my beastly folders , I won't make any tiny SAK jokes .

 

[dogboye]

You are unclear on the concept of "hard use folder" , or maybe you just don't feel the need ?

That's OK , but that doesn't mean others can't need, or at least want , folders that rival fixed blades in strength .

If you don't make fun of my beastly folders , I won't make any tiny SAK jokes .

Speaking only for myself, I've never had a need to suspend an engine block with any kind of knife for even a few minutes, let alone a whole weekend. That being said....

I guess the hard-use folder COULD fold after several hours, even if it survived initially. But still....

 

[Corn Knife]

I used to use an engine hoist, but ever since I saw the Cold Steel videos I switched to using a gambrel, rope and a couple pulleys and an Espada XL. No turning back now...

 

[DocJD]

Speaking only for myself, I've never had a need to suspend an engine block with any kind of knife for even a few minutes, let alone a whole weekend. That being said....

I guess the hard-use folder COULD fold after several hours, even if it survived initially. But still....

I used to use an engine hoist, but ever since I saw the Cold Steel videos I switched to using a gambrel, rope and a couple pulleys and an Espada XL. No turning back now...

So if hard use is a joke , why are you even here on this thread ?

Hard use , survival ,emergency stuff ...not your everyday , sitting in your cubicle , fidgeting with your weak@$$ folders .

 

[dogboye]

Again, speaking only for myself, I see the need and utility of a hard use knife. Even one over-designed enough to be able to hoist and engine. But it is a JOKE to say that is a useful test. My arm would break WELL before that limit in a static use. As would my leg (if I could somehow grip it with my feet. Or if I'm standing on it even. And as we've see already on the Atlas, if you use it stupidly, it can fail. So, yes, the testing presented is totally a joke, and essentially useless. The knives are not, nor the need for a heavy duty knife. That's why I'm here. But I'll keep joking about useless tests.

ETA: Actually, going back and looking at your post in #67, I think you and I are on the same page regarding the Atlas, DocJD . And, for that matter, the Tri-Ad lock.

 

[DocJD]

Again, speaking only for myself, I see the need and utility of a hard use knife. Even one over-designed enough to be able to hoist and engine. But it is a JOKE to say that is a useful test. My arm would break WELL before that limit in a static use. As would my leg (if I could somehow grip it with my feet. Or if I'm standing on it even. And as we've see already on the Atlas, if you use it stupidly, it can fail. So, yes, the testing presented is totally a joke, and essentially useless. The knives are not, nor the need for a heavy duty knife. That's why I'm here. But I'll keep joking about useless tests.

ETA: Actually, going back and looking at your post in #67, I think you and I are on the same page regarding the Atlas, DocJD . And, for that matter, the Tri-Ad lock.

OOPs ! Sorry .

I get a little PO'd when those interested in hard use folders , get ridiculed and out-shouted by the "fixed blade only " crowd or the "my SAK does everything a knife should EVER be used for " hard-liners . "Prying with a folder, or any knife, is a sin against nature ! " is another common refrain .

What constitutes a useful proof test for a hard use folder is an entirely different question .

Good , meaningful proof tests that involve practical use , even in some extreme survival emergency ,is pretty hard to come by .

The wanton destruction videos are not tests of anything except my patience , but sometime you can get some idea about toughness from them .

Good repeatable , comparable , variable controlled , semi-scientific proof tests are purely golden, but rare .

As far as the Atlas lock , almost nothing out there yet, that I know of . Post #64 video is the best I've seen , to date .

 

[NG VI]

They were testing the glass breaker with the blade open?

How else are they supposed to do it, they need to properly simulate the high speed fast tempo rapid paced thrustybapping engagements that their retail security operations entail

 

[elasmonut]

You are unclear on the concept of "hard use folder" , or maybe you just don't feel the need ?

That's OK , but that doesn't mean others can't need, or at least want , folders that rival fixed blades in strength .

If you don't make fun of my beastly folders , I won't make any tiny SAK jokes .

As a young bloke I was all about the Indestructible! It was Ti frame locks and Busse n such in A2
As Ive gotten older, Ive come to accept my tiny SAK, and am more about cutting ability now. Which Im sure seems silly to some...nuthin' wrong with silly though, silly is usually fun!

 

[dogboye]

OOPs ! Sorry .

I get a little PO'd when those interested in hard use folders , get ridiculed and out-shouted by the "fixed blade only " crowd or the "my SAK does everything a knife should EVER be used for " hard-liners . "Prying with a folder, or any knife, is a sin against nature ! " is another common refrain .

What constitutes a useful proof test for a hard use folder is an entirely different question .

Good , meaningful proof tests that involve practical use , even in some extreme survival emergency ,is pretty hard to come by .

The wanton destruction videos are not tests of anything except my patience , but sometime you can get some idea about toughness from them .

Good repeatable , comparable , variable controlled , semi-scientific proof tests are purely golden, but rare .

As far as the Atlas lock , almost nothing out there yet, that I know of . Post #64 video is the best I've seen , to date .

I think you and I are in violent agreement. I definitely see the efficacy of a hard use folder, and there really are so very few of them out there. To me, a fixed blade is cumbersome. I can carry it easily, I can use it easily, but all too often it takes more hands to secure it than a folder. And I’m just not going to be carrying a fixed 90% of the time. Whereas I’m ALWAYS going to have a folder, unless I’m in an airplane or in a courthouse. So, it is best to have a folder that can be trusted to fold ONLY when you want it to. I’m much more about it staying reliably locked than I am about it being able to statically withstand the weight of an engine block. This ATLAS doesn’t seem to have that reliability. The triad does.

AND it’s beastly strong.

 

[DocJD]

Lock failure video

Not to stir up anything but this is a concern and relates to the atlas discussion
Check out failure examples at that YouTube link.
I guess these would be considered failures in a sense. You be the judge

I'd have to do this test myself to know if this is an actual point of failure , in practical use , with my hand size and grip .

It is interesting . And obviously you can release the lock this way, if your grip is loose enough to slide backwards on the handle .

But would this be able to happen if you had a good tight grip , with no sliding around ?

Also , no real striking pommel or glass breaker on this folder , so why would you want to do this at all ?

 

[DocJD]

As a young bloke I was all about the Indestructible! It was Ti frame locks and Busse n such in A2
As Ive gotten older, Ive come to accept my tiny SAK, and am more about cutting ability now. Which Im sure seems silly to some...nuthin' wrong with silly though, silly is usually fun!

Its perfectly correct , for you to have your current preference .( Please allow me to have mine . )

But , this is the COLD STEEL forum , not the SAK forum .

Basically , the whole idea of Cold Steel is (or at least was) for hard use .

For me , this "hard use " folder stuff is dead serious , because the exact knife chosen for this purpose might mean life or death .

And to some , I'm sure that is "silly " .

PS : I have absolutely nothing against SAK . I own and sometimes carry two different versions of the big RangerGrip .

Very useful in a survival situation , but not having the strength of many Cold Steel .