Demko Scorpion and Shark Locks Not Original

[unwisefool]

That's a good point.

That's what I do

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

I swear I posted something on this subject previously, but I can't find it. Anyway, the Superlock is not that mechanically similar to the Shark Lock.

The Superlock functions very similarly to a regular old back lock like a Buck 110.
The difference is that instead of pushing the lock bar down at the butt end of the blade pivot the front of the lock bar off the tang, you are manually lifting/pivoting the front of the lock bar directly.
Here's a video (in Russian) that shows the Superlock (the inset).

The Shark Lock is sort of a cross between the Axis Lock and a Triad Lock.
Instead of a sliding bar, it's a whole assembly that looks very similar to the locking end of the Triad Lock's lock bar.

US10632632B1 - Arm blade engagement lock for folding knife - Google Patents

A folding knife having a blade pivoted from a closed position to an open locked position with a combined self-activating sliding release and locking arm. The sliding locking arm is mounted within the knife handle on dual fixed guide and pivot pins within respective arm openings being spring...

patents.google.com

 

[unwisefool]

I swear I posted something on this subject previously, but I can't find it. Anyway, the Superlock is not that mechanically similar to the Shark Lock.

The Superlock functions very similarly to a regular old back lock like a Buck 110.
The difference is that instead of pushing the lock bar down at the butt end of the blade pivot the front of the lock bar off the tang, you are manually lifting/pivoting the front of the lock bar directly.
Here's a video (in Russian) that shows the Superlock (the inset).

The Shark Lock is sort of a cross between the Axis Lock and a Triad Lock.
Instead of a sliding bar, it's a whole assembly that looks very similar to the locking end of the Triad Lock's lock bar.

US10632632B1 - Arm blade engagement lock for folding knife - Google Patents

A folding knife having a blade pivoted from a closed position to an open locked position with a combined self-activating sliding release and locking arm. The sliding locking arm is mounted within the knife handle on dual fixed guide and pivot pins within respective arm openings being spring...

patents.google.com

So what you are saying is that OP basically called out Andrew Demko over nothing, as both locks are mechanically different from what they were being compared to.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

So what you are saying is that OP basically called out Andrew Demko over nothing, as both locks are mechanically different from what they were being compared to.

OP asked a question, and I provided some relevant sources to inform an answer...
At least with the Shark Lock and Superlock, I think they look similar on a superficial level, with both having a little lever on the spine of the knife that unlocks the blade, but how they work seems to be very different.

 

[unwisefool]

OP asked a question, and I provided some relevant sources to inform an answer...
At least with the Shark Lock and Superlock, I think they look similar on a superficial level, with both having a little lever on the spine of the knife that unlocks the blade, but how they work seems to be very different.

He asked a question in a somewhat accusatory manner. And the title of the thread seems a bit definitive for someone searching for answers. But maybe that's just what happens when nuance is lost on the interwebz

 

[Blues]

He asked a question in a somewhat accusatory manner. And the title of the thread seems a bit definitive for someone searching for answers. But maybe that's just what happens when nuance is lost on the interwebz

I took it that way as well...fwiw.

 

[jbmonkey]

He asked a question in a somewhat accusatory manner. And the title of the thread seems a bit definitive for someone searching for answers. But maybe that's just what happens when nuance is lost on the interwebz

I took it that way too.....

 

[DocJD]

I took it that way too.....

Me too !

And my overall long-term impression of Demko ,from his Cold Steel days, has been very positive .

I could be wrong , but he seems like a "straight shooter" to me .

 

[kniveslikethese]

The difference is that instead of pushing the lock bar down at the butt end of the blade pivot the front of the lock bar off the tang, you are manually lifting/pivoting the front of the lock bar directly.

Thank you for posting the video. You're right that it is possible to lift the front end of the Superlock piece like a back lock, but that is not how it unlocks. The Superlock piece unlocks by being moved up but a little more in the direction of the butt of the knife. This disengages it from where it was wedged between a slot in the tang and a pin in the handle. The lifting of the lock bar so that the lock surface is visible shown in the video is a feature for cleaning. The Shark lock is unlocked by moving primarily in the direction of the butt but also up. This disengages it from where it was wedged between a flat spot on the tang and a pin in the handle. A spring in a slot at the back of both lock pieces pushes the lock piece towards the tip of the knife. It is clear that the Shark lock is shorter than the Superlock, but I think the big difference between these locks is that the Shark lock has a closed loop of steel around the pin that the lock is wedged against, but the Superlock only has a piece of steel under that pin.

About both the AGR Frontlock and the Scoropion lock and the Superlock and the Shark lock I think that you could argue that one is a refinement of the other or a better execution. I don't think these are the same designs, but I think they are the same basic idea.

 

[greater]

The whole Demko craze has baffled me in general. The dude is importing knives for dirt cheap from foreign manufacturers, made with the same materials you get on gas station knives, and charging equivalent to mid range US producers. His "designs" are definitely not original, though he unfortunately may have been the first to claim them as such. The shark lock is essentially a less practical, less ergonomically friendly axis lock and is very similar to the snecx in it's design, and yea looking at the scorpion lock I'd have to agree it's almost identical with the AG Russel frontlock.

He is importing them from foreign manufacturers that are known to make high quality products. Zytel like plastics, stainless steel liners, and AUS10A steel, may not be as high end as G10, titanium, and 20CV but to compare the precision made knife with ball bearing washers and one of the strongest locks available it to gas station knives usually made of cheap plastic that breaks easily, with soft liners, and blades that are so soft they can't be sharpened well is just not true.

Zytel plastics with stainless liners and AUS10A steel was not too long ago considered high end merchandise. I will argue that even today these are perfectly good quality materials that work well for most applications. The price is on the high end and I will hand it to you value for money can be a good argument.

I do not see anything that suggests his "designs are definitely not original." The shark lock is nothing like the axis lock in design.

This video shows the internals of the shark lock as well as the etching on the box the knife comes in.

I will hand it to you that SNECX super lock looks very similar to the Shark Lock but I would like to see a video of it's parts to be sure. So far I have not been able to find any the knife seems to be hard to find. Apparently after reading other posts here it seems the superlock is also mechanically different from the shark lock and only looks the same on the outside.

The Scorpion lock is very different from the AG Russell front lock.

The AG russell front lock is basically a lock back knife with a plastic tab placed on the front that allows you to open the lock in the same way one unlocks an Italian pick lock knife. https://agrussell.com/AGR-Frontlock

The Scorpion lock is a large part of the handle, uses a pivot pin as well as a coil spring and and is a very strong lock on it's own that is even stronger when you grip it. the lock incorporates a steel pin that falls into the locking notch of the blade.

This video shows lock failure at some point but no damage and only with extreme abuse under certain conditions.

 

[insta9ves]

Gonna debunk some misinformation about sharklock here. Demko has been working on Sharklock many years before Snecx Tan’s Superlock. In fact Sharklock was designed before his own Scorpion lock.

Snecx just prefers to share his stream of consciousness on IG to show everyone his design and process, while Demko prefer to actually make knives and let his products do the talking.

Demko showed a very early prototype of the Sharklock during one of the podcasts where he talked another how he got to sharklock. The prototype was circa 2014, and the handle designed eventually got adopted to coldsteel SR1, which again predates Scnex Tan’s design.

Finally, Sharklock is nothing like the Superlock under the hood. The only thing similar is the protruding tabs on top to disengage the knife. The lock engagement on Sharklock uses the 2nd stop pin, not the one the blade contacts with when opened.