Dumb question about keeping folders open

C

Cooper

Joined
Mar 9, 2000
Messages
111
I was talking to a friend of mine that told me that he keeps his folders open when they're staying in the house. His reasoning is that he wants to keep the liner locks from becoming fatigued over time, wich he says will happen if you always leave them closed.

Any thoughts on this?
 
WTF?? I'm not expert, but I seem to recall that the liner lock is stressed more when it's trying to keep the blade open. Is my recollection of folder mechanics correct? Besides, storing a knife with the blade open makes it a safety hazard. Hope he doesn't have kids, or at least if he does the knives are stored out of their reach.
 
I doubt that this has happened in anything but the cheapest crap liner locks. Most people store their knives with blade closed; from the lack of failure reports, I'd assume that the locks aren't fatiguing.

However I have heard that owners of automatics will store their knives in the open-blade position to reduce stress on the springs. This seems to be a bit more reasonable.
 
I think what he ment is that when the knife is closed and the liner lock is pushed aqainst the body, it will in time not move over as far when you open the knife.

Anyway I'll show him these posts so that he knows I'm not the only one who thinks he's nuts.
 
I really doubt the steel would have such a poor memory that leaving it in the closed position would cause the liner to not move as far over to the right when opened. Maybe someone has had experience with actually trying to screw up a liner by bending it over to the left (that's your cue, Cliff Stamp). But I bet it will take a lot of bending to the left before the liner will have a memory for that position.

Originally posted by w feazell
i leave the toilet seat up to keep it from getting fatiqued
Click to expand...
Haven't you heard of ToiletSeatForums.com? This is a big concern for toilet seat nuts. :) Strider toilet seats, highspeed lids for hardcore individuals. I could go on all day.
 
Originally posted by AlphalphaPB
Maybe someone has had experience with actually trying to screw up a liner by bending it over to the left (that's your cue, Cliff Stamp). But I bet it will take a lot of bending to the left before the liner will have a memory for that position.
Click to expand...

I actually did this inadvertently to a knife recently.

On a very fast and hard open, the framelock bar locked up so tight I wedged a screwdriver in there to unlock it. Pulled the lockbar less than 1/8" away from the "closed with tension" position, and the bar bent sufficiently that it barely locked up, and definitely not securely (less than 1/32" contact of bar with tang, lots of blade play.)

So just take some caution -- while the "rest" position is probably set just right so extended period of rest doesn't cause any damage, moving the bar -away- from the blade (i.e. to a position it should never be in) is highly detrimental.

Mind you, this is a titanium framelock.
I believe my experience is a result of the fact that titanium has a much lower elasticity than steel (i.e. much more brittle.)

-j
 
Titanium actually has a fantastic memory and that is one reason why it is used as a liner lock spring. The memory for titanium is better than that of steel. Either way I agree with the living forever statement. Unless that is the plan........and it is for me, just not here!:D........then the folders he has, as long as they are decent quality, should not be affected by being stored open or closed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top