NeoClassic
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 389
First time posting in this subforum.
I'm considering creating a mid-lockback folder for my own personal enjoyment and am researching what are the most critical components within the mechanism to prevent lock rock (i.e. talking more up-and-down movement than side-to-side bladeplay, though I'm certainly intent on avoiding the latter as well).
I assume the face of the lock-bar itself has to be among the most important aspects. But beyond that, here are some questions I've had:
- How crucial are tolerances for the pivot-point on the lock-bar and the blade pivot itself? Do they have to be infinitesimally engineered or is there some "leeway" in terms of the level of decimal points or thousands one needs to watch for these components?
- In regard to the above, how does one balance enough clearance to allow the lock-bar (and blade) to pivot freely enough for ease of use, versus making it as "tight" as possible for better lockup?
-Is a mid-lockback more challenging in regard to avoiding lock rock than a traditional lockback?
-What role does handle and pivot-pin material (and heat treatment of those) play?
I understand introducing a stop pin such as on Cold Steel's Triad Lock greatly improves the integrity of the mechanism. Short of that, I'm curious what can be done preemptively in a traditional lock-back's construction to ensure that lock rock/bladeplay does not develop over time (or worse, creep in from the outset).
Maybe I'm overthinking this, but my line of inquiry stems from various posts on different forums about users claiming to have encountered lock rock on a variety of lockback knives from reputable manufacturers, including Buck, GEC, and Spyderco, to name a few.
I realize these are topics that could fill many a dissertation, so I'm not expecting full-on data dumps here. Rather, I'm just hoping to get some general guidance and be pointed in the right direction for what to focus on.
Any insight is welcome and appreciated, as are recommendations for books on this topic.
Thank you for your time and interest.
I'm considering creating a mid-lockback folder for my own personal enjoyment and am researching what are the most critical components within the mechanism to prevent lock rock (i.e. talking more up-and-down movement than side-to-side bladeplay, though I'm certainly intent on avoiding the latter as well).
I assume the face of the lock-bar itself has to be among the most important aspects. But beyond that, here are some questions I've had:
- How crucial are tolerances for the pivot-point on the lock-bar and the blade pivot itself? Do they have to be infinitesimally engineered or is there some "leeway" in terms of the level of decimal points or thousands one needs to watch for these components?
- In regard to the above, how does one balance enough clearance to allow the lock-bar (and blade) to pivot freely enough for ease of use, versus making it as "tight" as possible for better lockup?
-Is a mid-lockback more challenging in regard to avoiding lock rock than a traditional lockback?
-What role does handle and pivot-pin material (and heat treatment of those) play?
I understand introducing a stop pin such as on Cold Steel's Triad Lock greatly improves the integrity of the mechanism. Short of that, I'm curious what can be done preemptively in a traditional lock-back's construction to ensure that lock rock/bladeplay does not develop over time (or worse, creep in from the outset).
Maybe I'm overthinking this, but my line of inquiry stems from various posts on different forums about users claiming to have encountered lock rock on a variety of lockback knives from reputable manufacturers, including Buck, GEC, and Spyderco, to name a few.
I realize these are topics that could fill many a dissertation, so I'm not expecting full-on data dumps here. Rather, I'm just hoping to get some general guidance and be pointed in the right direction for what to focus on.
Any insight is welcome and appreciated, as are recommendations for books on this topic.
Thank you for your time and interest.
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