Do you think liner locks are safe?

[jsp]

The only problem I have with a liner lock is from my Benchmade Dejavu . It has developed vertical and horizontal blade play and the lock has moved over to the far right. It has never closed on me but I still don't trust it. This has happened in the first few months of receiving it. Maybe I need to send it back.

My Spyderco Military and Tenacious are a different story. Both have been reliable since day one and their lockup is still solid. The only thing about the Tenacious is that you have to be careful closing it because it has no finger coil to rest on your thumb in the process of closing it. Other than that, I trust it 100%.

 

[Fanglekai]

It would depend on the quality and thickness of the lock. I have gravitated to frame locks are are a variation of the liner lock and are much safer and stronger,

Evidence?

 

[Halfneck]

I used a Benchmade CQC-7 & a Emerson CQC-7B quite hard while I was in the Army. Only had one instance where the liner disengaged & it was partly me to blame. I had loosened the pivot so I could flick it open fast. I was cutting some heavy cardboard & the blade began to bind, in the process of jerking it up the lock disengaged & the blade began to close. Luckily I stopped myself before any damage was done. After that I tightened the pivot up & never had a problem again. 4 years of pretty heavy use & only 1 problem. Nowadays I don't use a knife for anything hardcore, mostly cutting open boxes, paracord, and opening envelopes. Of course I grew up using slipjoints & was always aware that a folder could close on you.

Other than Emersons, & Spydercos, I can heartily recommend the Kershaw Skyline. With the way the knife is designed, even if the lock did fail, the blade cannot close with your finger in the choil. It's blocked from doing so by the flipper tab.

 

[A. G. Russell]

It would depend on the quality and thickness of the lock. I have gravitated to frame locks are are a variation of the liner lock and are much safer and stronger,

have you handled Bob Doziers hand made liner locks? with the hand fitted locks and the 0.08 liners you have strength to spare.

 

[drillsgt71]

As a few others have said; I grew up using slip-joint knives so I have never had a problem with any "locking" knife.

 

[nightsifter]

As long as the lock is built correctly,and the liner isnt to thin i dont mind them.

 

[Ernie1980]

Good versions of any of the common lock types are safe in the hands of people who use them properly. No matter how well a knife is made it can't make up for user stupidity.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I find that the sticky locks on the Emerson knives that I have used lends an extra feeling of security.

This one makes me laugh. I hate sticky locks. I deplore sticky locks. I think sticky locks are the sign of a manufacturer that doesn't know/doesn't care what he's doing, and will just foist off any ol' thing on John Q. Public because he will buy the darned thing. I have a couple of frame locks/liner locks that unlock great (including my CQC-7) and I love 'em. I have several, even expensive ones, that have sticky locks and I hate 'em. They DON'T work the way they are supposed to. I'm not getting what I paid for. And I can't fix 'em. Graphite or oil do nothing in my experience. I'm frustrated as hell. I can't/won't even sell these things in good faith.
Rant over. I'm better now. Somewhat. Thanks.

Sonnydaze

 

[Hauling]

The liner lock on the ZT 0350 while looking relatively thin locks up like no other knife I have, feels very safe.

 

[jackrl98]

they are all very unsafe. please send them to me for proper disposal.

 

[yablanowitz]

All locks are safe, it's the users that are dangerous. If you think there is the slightest chance that the blade will fold on you, you're doing something very wrong.

 

[imbryan715]

a slip joint ( no lock) is safe if you are not a jackass. i have carried a lot of liner locks and a lot of locks in general and have had one lock fail. it was a $2 liner lock my friend has and the reason it disengaged was because the astronomical amount of blade play that could actually push the lock all of the way over.any quality knife over about $20 you will never have a problem.

 

[DougB2]

No, there's just no way you can prove to me that a good liner lock is just that, while speaking over the internet. If more people suggested knives with good liner locks, I'd look into them and probably purchase one.

If you have already decided that no one can convince you about the safety of a liner lock via the Internet, why did you ask the question on the Internet? Rather than ask such a question with a closed mind, get some good liner locks (and since you asked, Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT, Boker are some liner-lock manufacturers who make good ones, in my own experience) and use them. And then report back to the forum. Anything made by human beings can fail, but if you go through life fearing or expecting failure, you might as well stay home and crawl under your bed.

 

[klute]

SCREW those sticky Locks!

I think alot of people feel your pain Sonny, hang in there for a solution bud!

 

[Plasmio]

If you have already decided that no one can convince you about the safety of a liner lock via the Internet, why did you ask the question on the Internet? Rather than ask such a question with a closed mind, get some good liner locks (and since you asked, Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT, Boker are some liner-lock manufacturers who make good ones, in my own experience) and use them. And then report back to the forum. Anything made by human beings can fail, but if you go through life fearing or expecting failure, you might as well stay home and crawl under your bed.

I have already been suggested some good liner lock knives and my idea of a liner lock is different, I just had little experience with them. Calm down now, no need to get angry when you only read that far. I wasn't asking for someone to convince me of their safety anyway, I was asking if THEY feel that they're safe.

 

[jdm61]

Mr. Russell said the same thing the others have said. It depends on the knife. i have one of the original Benchmade AFCK liner locks in ATS 34. I got the thing at some point in the early to mid 90's in Dallas and it has zero vertical blade play

 

[Nate805]

I have never had a problem with a liner lock. Even the kershaw tremor has a very strong liner lock. I think as long as it it's designed well it should be fine.

 

[A.P.F.]

As an Emerson afectionado, I prefer a liner lock due to their ease of use. As far as closing a blade on your thumb or fingers, a bit of attention or muscle memory will prevent such an accident.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

I try and stay away from liner locks, I feel that if I move my finger too abruptly, I'll release the lock and slice my finger(s). I prefer lockback in general as I feel they're the safest, but I've heard of them wearing out.

I've never come across one that I considered good.

Excuse me, but have you ever had anything bad happen to you with a liner lock at all, or is it just some "feeling" you have? If you've never had a liner lock fail on you, how can you even judge at all if a liner lock is good or bad?

 

[Dr Heelhook]

The worst cut I've ever gotten was with a lockback knife. The design of lockback knives forces you have have some part of your hand completely in the way of the blade while closing it. I switched to liner locks many years ago upon seeing my first one and I have not used a lockback since. I have also not cut myself with a linerlock knife either until recently when I bought a new Spyderco. The Spyderco designs usually have a very wide blade and this means that the cutting edge reaches your thumb much sooner than it does for designs such as Benchmade that have thinner blades so you have to get your thumb out of the way quicker. I didn't do that and got a small cut. Liner locks do have the potential to cut you depending on how you do it so you have to do it carefully, don't try to close the knife too fast and don't fool with it if you have been drinking a lot. I find in my own use that the Axis lock is the safest and easiest to operate. Compression locks also have the potential to be safe but they force you to have a contorted grip on the knife to operate them and thus you run the risk of dropping the knife. A Paramilitary 2 stuck in the top of your foot is not a good thing.

You're doing it wrong.

Spyderco lockbacks and compression locks all have a generous, unsharpened blade-kick below the edge by the pivot, so that you can let the blade drop on your index finger as you unlock it without any sort of risk for injury. Just hold the knife normally, keep your index finger as close to the pivot as possible, unlock the knife with your thumb (lock back or compression lock) and let the blade fall with the kick onto your index finger. Your thumb should be nowhere near the edge. No need for any contorted upside down grips at all.

And I know I'm right, because I've closed compression locks and lockbacks hundreds of times this way without any sort of risk. If you've cut yourself on them, it's not the locks fault in any way, but the fact that you're using the wrong method.