Do You Think The Frontlock Is Outdated?

V

Vivi

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There have been many new locks developed over the past two or three decades. Compression locks, Axis locks, Ball locks, Framelocks and so forth. The lockback has been around much longer, receiving updates to the design that make it more suitable for one handed operation and safer during hard-use.

That said, do you think this lock type should be phased out in favor of the new breed?

Lockbacks, or frontlocks, have a long and reliable track record and Spyderco has some of the best execution of this lock style in my experience.

On the other hand, some of the new locks are very promising in strength, reliability and prevention of accidental release.

Personally, I find the new locks exciting, but the frontlock for me as done by Spyderco is a simple and reliable lock that has given me no problems outside of lint getting in the lock once or twice.
 
it has a proven track record. other than having quite a few parts compared to some others I really like it. That being said I will only carry a frontlock from spyderco.
 
yablanowitz said:
I think it is just as outdated as the wheel.
Click to expand...

I am in complete agreement, many of my customs and production are front locks, I like them and do not think they will ever completely go away. The newer locks are fine, but not all of them have stood the test of time as long as the front lock.

James
 
Hi Vivi,

While front lock-backs are admittingly harder to make consistently reliable, there are advantages to the hammer-lock" design.

1. More pressure can be applied to the cam on the tang and this makes them self close more reliably than liner or frame locks and they are less likely to open when dropped.

2. This also makes them much harder to "flick" open. "Flick" knives are not legal to carry in most states.

3. They can be made very well without liners. Axis, Arc, Rolling and Compression locks require liners.

4. Many people are familiar with them so there is no new learning curve to a new lock.

5. They are ambidextrous.

6. There is a definite "talk" when they lock open which is reassuring to the user.

Just a few reasons to keep them around.

sal
 
Besides the strength of the Spyderco "mid-backlock," I also prize my Spydies because every lockback model I own can be CLOSED one-handed, too (by putting my index finger on the choil, depressing the lock with my thumb, and pressing the blade against my thigh).
 
Front lock is my favorite lock by far. Very left-handed friendly, and easy to close one handed on a Spyderco. I like how other locks like the liner lock allow for an open back on the knife, but I still prefer the front lock for sure. Ball lock on the D'Allara is pretty nice though.
 
I like the backlock for the reasons offered by Sal, and others in this thread.

I also like the framelock a lot.
Recently bought a titanium framelock and was very pleased to see that it can't be "flicked open".

Because I live in one of those many places where knives that can be "flicked open" are considered illegal gravity knives.
 
I love the Spyderco front/lockbacks.
And as Spyderco has shown with the Salt series, a good reliable lockback can be made that is light, compact and rust resistant. I don't know how a ball lock, liner/frame lock, Axis lock, Compression lock, button lock, etc...all great locks...would fare any better in a folder meant for use in and around the corrosive salt water environment.
Jim
 
people still carry slipjoints and it would seem they are technically a few steps behind the frontlock.......all a matter of preference as i see it
 
I like lockbacks myself ! Sal, is it possible to have the lock even closer to the front of the handle( as close as can be designed) so it it is easier on the thumb to push and not reach farther back to the handle?What I mean is, most of the lockbacks are located in the middle of the handle back, can it be designed further up the front ?
 
I know it can be, a few models have been in the past and a few still are. The shorter the lockbar is, the trickier the engineering is to get everything right, though.
 
alejandrino said:
I like lockbacks myself ! Sal, is it possible to have the lock even closer to the front of the handle( as close as can be designed) so it it is easier on the thumb to push and not reach farther back to the handle?What I mean is, most of the lockbacks are located in the middle of the handle back, can it be designed further up the front ?
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I have a Spyderco Worker which is about the same size as the Delica, and the lock release on it is just a bit closer to the blade. I like it a bit better than the placement on the Delica. If you look at some of Al Mar's knives you'll see that the release can be quite a bit further forward. I think the "mid lock" is a nice balance between convenience and safety. . . I can see a greater (though still pretty remote) possibility of unintentionally releasing the lock if the release was too close to the front of the handle.
 
Spyderco's back lock is quite great. It is strong and quite reliable. The only shortcoming is the problem of pocket lint getting in the way of the lockup. This has happend to my Delicas a couple times. it is nothing serious but it is annoying.
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Vivi,

While front lock-backs are admittingly harder to make consistently reliable, there are advantages to the hammer-lock" design.

1. More pressure can be applied to the cam on the tang and this makes them self close more reliably than liner or frame locks and they are less likely to open when dropped.

2. This also makes them much harder to "flick" open. "Flick" knives are not legal to carry in most states.

3. They can be made very well without liners. Axis, Arc, Rolling and Compression locks require liners.

4. Many people are familiar with them so there is no new learning curve to a new lock.

5. They are ambidextrous.

6. There is a definite "talk" when they lock open which is reassuring to the user.

Just a few reasons to keep them around.

sal
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response Sal. You bring up some good points that I forgot to mention. #1 in particular was one of the reasons my Byrd Cara Cara became my first true tactical EDC. The way a lockback feels when you close it is much different than a liner lock, though the latter can still be secure, I like the overall feeling of opening and closing a frontlock more.

An interesting note is that one of the Axis locks more appreciated features, being able to pull the lockbar back and flick out the blade, can easily be done with Spyderco frontlocks. It's not how I open my knives, but I would be curious to know what the potential for premature wear would be doing this.
 
Sal Glesser said:
4. Many people are familiar with them so there is no new learning curve to a new lock.
Click to expand...

An interesting observation I have made is this:

People who have never used a folding knife before can figure out how to open and close the following kinds of locks with virtually no problem:
- Lockback
- AXIS lock
- Caged BBL
- Plunge/button lock (aka SA auto opener, without the spring)

People have problem manipulating this kind of lock, although they know how:
- Nude BBL

People absolutely cannot figure out for the life of them and usually end up trying to force it closed by holding onto the blade and edge:
- Liner lock
- Frame lock
- Compression lock

It seems like if there's something that looks obvious to manipulate, they will use it to close the blade.

It is also true that a leaf-style lock has your finger plumb in the middle of the blade closing path, which freaks the bejebus out of many people.

-j
 
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