Disadvantages and longevity of the compression lock

John E Woven said:
No

In a liner lock, the liner is what takes all the force.

In a compression lock, the force is transfered to the stop pin.

In the Nagara, the push button just activates the liner lock. There is no stop pin action going on.
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This is incorrect. The nak lock is a compression lock with a button, that transfers forces through a metal tab to the stop pin.

Edit: Here is a link to a drawing from the Benchmade website although it is hard to make things out:

http://www.benchmade.com/about_knives/locking_mechanisms.asp

Edit 2: I am incorrect. It does not transfer forces to the stop pin. I thought I remember it touching the stop pin but it does not. However, it is not a liner lock. Instead of the lock bar being in compression like a normal liner lock, which can cause it to buckle, the lock bar is being pulled on and is in tension. I really thought it wedged between the tang and stop pin but must have looked at it wrong originally. I have even made the comment before that it is a compression lock with a button so I have been wrong about this for a while now. :foot:
 
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does the locking arm contact the stop pin? if not, then it does not function like the compression lock

photobucket image found on messerforum
IMGP2245.jpg
 
I have the paramilitary 1, and of the 6 types of locks I have on other knives(Liner, frame, back, compression, axis, cage ball) the compression is my favorite. :thumbup:
 
Blop said:
I suport this. Bladeplay can be solved by screwing the pivot screws. Don´t know how, but this was done in a para passaround some years ago.
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That depends on how far gone it is. I purchase a used Yojimbo some time ago with vertical play. When I tore it down and checked it over carefully, I found the following problems.

1) The stop pin had a flat hammered into it by blade impacts.
2) The stop pin had a second flat hammered into it 90 degrees from the first, apparently from spine whacking.
3) The holes in the liners for the stop pin screws had been hammered into ovals.
4) The stop face of the blade had a groove pounded into it from hitting the stop pin.
5) The locking tab was mushroomed on top where it contacted the stop pin and on the bottom where it contacted the blade.

No amount of screw adjusting was going to remove the play from that one. But in spite of the damage and the vertical play that resulted, the lock was utterly reliable, snapping into place every time and preventing the blade from closing against any amount of force I could apply without a cheater bar. It took some work, but that knife now locks up just a solid as a new one.
 
I have a Manix 2 and it's a breeze to close. I can inertia open and flip closed one handed just like my axis locks...I think it's a great lock, locks up solid as a rock..:thumbup:
 
sensei78 said:
I have a Manix 2 and it's a breeze to close. I can inertia open and flip closed one handed just like my axis locks...I think it's a great lock, locks up solid as a rock..:thumbup:
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The Manix 2 has a caged ball bearing lock not a compression lock.
 
I like the compression lock & one advantage is that it's ambidextrous vs a liner-lock &/or a frame-lock.

I don't think blade-play developing is inherent in the design. From my experience (Admittedly, only a few ATRs, a few Para Militaries, & a couple Yojimbos), they don't seem to have the early lock-up that a liner-lock, &/or frame-lock can have.

Another advantage is that I think it's awefully hard to accidentally disengage the lock, compared to a liner-lock.
 
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The only disadvantage is having to get used to the new way of closing your knife. The compression lock is a fantastic locking mechanism.

The compression lock is superior to the liner in strength. Familiarity with beams and bending moments would allow you to quickly calculate and prove this to yourself.
 
i edc a Ti ATR some w/a compression and like it a lot, my fav production folder FWIW, and really the only production i ever edc anymore, imho the compression lock is a good one, more like a frame lock vs a liner lock, i havent had any problems with mine at all, IIRC some of the early ATR's had some detent issues but thats been taken care of yrs ago.
 
i've got 3 ti ATR's and 1 SS ATR and the SS has a bit of verticle, not too bad, none of the Ti ATR's do though FWIW.
 
All of this "talk" about the compression lock caused me to start carrying my waved Yojimbo.

I like that it can be used with either hand easily.
 
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