Ever been cut by a folder whose liner lock failed?

F

Folderguy

Joined
Jun 26, 2010
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There are not a few threads about folks getting cut by their knives.

Here's my question: have you ever had a folder's liner fail on you and cut you badly?

How did it happen?
 
Can't say it's ever happened to me, not yet anyway.

I'm sure my time will come. :D
 
I was goofing around and stabbed a Junglee into the side of a bundle of cardboard. I was gripping it really hard which probably had a lot to do with it.
 
Yep. Several years ago I ended up with wicked gash across my finger when the lock on a CRKT K.I.S.S. gave way. Actually, the lock didn't fail, it was a faulty design that a hard grip on the knife could cause the lock to disengage.
 
I often wonder if liner lock failure actually happens as much as people talk about it or if it is matter of much specualtion and urban legend amongst the knife community?????
 
I've still got a healing cut from a week or so ago. I have a cheap Chinese folder that I keep around as a beater (not because it's strong...it's not, but because I don't care if it falls apart). I was cutting up some boxes for spare bits of cardboard. I'm not really sure what happened, but one second I was cutting normally and the next the tip was cutting into my palm and the knife was shutting mid-cut. The liner lock is pretty thin and easy to disengage, so it was probably only a matter of time. Luckily, the cut was shallow so I only had to deal with a little plain.

Safe to say I'll be retiring that knife.
 
Full failure? No. But, like some of the comments here, I've noticed that some liner locks will loosen the engagement when gripped firmly due to frame flex. Specifically, I noticed that on an AFCK that I was about to do some hard cuts with. If you hold on to an AFCK and squeeze you can see the frame flex and the liner partially disengage to the point you can move the blade. I've thought about creating an extended back spacer to see if it eliminates the problem, but never got around to it. I think this is one of the reasons some perceive that liner locks are weak, inadvertent disengagement rather than actually liner failure, spine whack test not withstanding.
 
Yeah, a cheapo chinese folder closed on my when I was cutting with it. Dunno what happened, I must have put some pressure on the spine.
 
There was a company several years ago named Delta Z that went out of business. I picked up an olive wood liner lock knife as they sold out their remaining stock. It started failing almost right away with just the slightest of pressure. I think the ramping on the tang was too steep and since it was a steel lockbar it slipped instead of galling like ti would. Knowing it was sketchy I used it as a letter opener. One day I was tearing down some thick boxes and it was sitting right on the edge of the desk so I grabbed it. I knew better but while pulling out of a super thick piece of cardboard it bit me. Not to bad but a nice enough cut to get your attention and take a few days to heal.
 
Bimmer1 said:
I often wonder if liner lock failure actually happens as much as people talk about it or if it is matter of much specualtion and urban legend amongst the knife community?????
Click to expand...


Wonder no more it actually happens and even with the best made ones. Sometimes it's for lack of quality control and others for unknown reasons.

I have seen some fail constantly and then after a few spine thrashings (bangs) work flawlessly.


I have seen them fail randomly a few times and never again.

I have seen the most well centered tightest lockups (by appearance and feel anyway) just fail some over and over. I have also seen some extremely hair edge early lockups on thin liners refuse to fail even with good spine thrashings.

I have seen cheap chinese thin liners hold through hell and back (deliberate attempts to break them) and high end top dollar ones with quality materials (yes even titanium liner locks) fail and of course more vice versa.

Most of them were not abused until after they initially failed under light use after which one became curious as to how much it would take to cause them to fail.

No they were not white knuckled, they were not accidently disengaged, squeezed, or whatever some ones "well it must have been" train of thought may lead them to believe. They just failed period. Live with it. Watch out you may find out too.


Don't ask me why I don't know but now you know why I am nervous about them.
 
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My milli lock failed on me a few times while doing some light batoning for kindling(kinda suprised me) but i wasn't cut thank goodness !!
 
Boozoo Chavis said:
Yep. Several years ago I ended up with wicked gash across my finger when the lock on a CRKT K.I.S.S. gave way. Actually, the lock didn't fail, it was a faulty design that a hard grip on the knife could cause the lock to disengage.
Click to expand...

Seems to me the designers could fix what appears to be a serious design flaw...
 
Bimmer1 said:
I often wonder if liner lock failure actually happens as much as people talk about it or if it is matter of much specualtion and urban legend amongst the knife community?????
Click to expand...

Much as I like my folders with liners and frame locks, I'm cognizant of the possibility that baby can slip, and so I almost always check to make sure the purchase on the blade is adequate.

Although I've not been cut by a failing lock, every so often one of the knives' locks will fail to really engage, and having seen that once, I instinctively check it if the sound when opening isn't what I expect to hear.

One knife in particular had an issue where the lock didn't engage at all. It is a CRKT Ripple 2, with the stainless steel frame lock. Must have gotten a tad bit of dirt on either the lock or the back of the blade. How'd I "fix" it? By whipping it open several times, not just flipping it open, but whip flipping it open. Fixed the problem. As I keep that knife razor sharp, having cut, ground and reprofiled the blade, I sure don't want it to have some lunch at my expense.
 
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