Experience with failing sliding button lock on their Victorinoxes?

U

Ultraman

Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
1,083
Hi everyone,

Just curious: has anyone experienced (accidentally or on purpose) failure on their sliding tab/button, locking Victorinox knives? (example: Adventurer, Rucksack). I was just wondering how well they hold up to the type of stresses that would cause the lock to fail.

Thanks!
 
i only have the liner locking vic knives but i doubt anyone has had a problem with the locks failing. if any, very few. firstly it has the support of the backspring. secondly, i don't think sak users would typically depend on or abuse the lock since most saks don't have locks. third, it's a vic. that means quality.
 
I have never experienced or heard of anyone having problems with lock failure on Vics.
 
I have an old Centurian that I picked up when they first came out. Used it as a groundskeeper for around three years daily w/o a hitch. I didn't really baby it, but I've never tried to make a knife fail on purpose. Still works great although I don't EDC it anymore (too big for my current needs). Never had a failure of any kind.
 
Thanks Bartleby. I have an adventurer, I guess it's about 17 years old now, still going strong, including the sliding lock. Still closes with a decisive "click"! and the lockup is still great (not really used hard, though).
 
My only gripes about the lock had to do with the way the button is almost flush with the scale. It is hard to work with sweaty hands in the summer and gloved hands in the winter, but you can work around that for the most part.
 
Ultraman said:
Thanks Bartleby. I have an adventurer, I guess it's about 17 years old now, still going strong, including the sliding lock. Still closes with a decisive "click"! and the lockup is still great (not really used hard, though).
Click to expand...
Ditto for my Rucksack. 16 years and still part of my EDC.

Bartleby said:
My only gripes about the lock had to do with the way the button is almost flush with the scale. It is hard to work with sweaty hands in the summer and gloved hands in the winter, but you can work around that for the most part.
Click to expand...
I've never experienced the same problems you have. I actually find the sliding lock much easier to use than the liner lock. Could be just me though.
 
Hi Ultraman,
I have several of the large Vic's with sliding locking button and I have never had any of the locks fail. The list includes a Hercules (8 years old), Rucksack (5 years old), 2 Hunters (4 and 3 years old) and an Outrider (2 years old). They have not been heavily used/abused but for everyday cutting they work well and the lock has functioned flawlessly. I used to carry the Hunter as an EDC (great minimalist large Vic), but it resides in my briefcase in a mini survival kit in case I need it during the week and is my "go to" EDC on the weekend. I had tried a "mild" spine wack test to see if the lock would fail on my Rucksack, and it didn't with the force I hit it with (not sure how hard I hit the blade but it was not full force). Anyway, I hope you find this helpful.
Sincerely,
Neil
 
Eyegor, I agree and in fact, my gripes were really about me not bothering to take gloves off or wipe off my sweaty mitts before trying to close the knife more than anything else. At about the same time, I had an old Gerber Bolt Action that worked along the same lines that was easier to use in these situations. However, I liked the Victorinox better as it had a choice of tools (and besides, the longer blade came in handy cleaning out the mower decks).
 
I assume the original question of this thread had something to do with the fact that since Vic. changed to linerlock, there might have been a problem with the sliding button. I have wondered the same thing myself. I collect Vic. and Wenger knives, but I have only used the Vic. liner lock versions. If anybody out there has a clue as to why they changed, I would be very interested to know. From the above replies, the original sliding button lock seems to be reliable and durable.
 
The sliding button lock is a lot more trouble to make with small parts that need to be fitted to closer tolerances compared to a liner lock. Also for a while it seemed everybody and their uncle was making some form of one handed liner lock. Ease of manufacture and popularity are probably the main reasons for switching. The sliding button lock is pretty stout, so it sure isn't about effectiveness.
 
eyegor, mouse: I am considering a Rucksack, it looks ideal for the trail.:thumbup:

PaulSAK: I myself don't know the reason, but in a different thread someone mentioned how much stronger the linerlocks are, but I honestly don't know how they compare.

I kind of like how the slding button just blends into the handle, but like Bartleby said, it is somewhat inconvenient to close due to its unobtrusiveness.

What I like about the locking models is the handle shape, blade strength, and for some reason the long spearpoint blade seems to be my favorite blade pattern. It just looks nice to me.:) Hey thanks for populating this post with replies!
 
Bartleby and Ultraman: thanks for the info - the change makes sense to me now. As to the original question, I guess we have no knowledge of a sliding button lock failing. I would have been surprised if Vic. had released a lemon to market.
 
I have two 111mm SAKs, a OH Trekker and a Rucksack. I bought the Trekker first and the Rucksack later. I love both, i love the one handed opening of the Trekker but like the Rucksacks button lock better than the Trekkers liner lock. The Rucksack i bought was off ebay,fairly old and used but the lock is still very solid. Personally i find the Rucksack grip a little more comfortable because it doesn't have the liner lock mechanism which flares/extends a little beyond the regular contours of the 111mm grip shape.
 
It is a minor point but as a southpaw I find it almost natural to hit the slidelock with my thumb. I know lefties all over have learned to work a traditional liner lock as second nature. I haven't mastered it yet.

I don't believe Vic has abandoned or "switched away from" the slide lock. I believe both are still in current production.

BTW Ultra., If you are thinking about getting a Rucksack, but prefer a liner lock, take a look at the Forester. It has the same tools and layout as the Ruck but with liner.
 
I have an old Victorinox Cowboy with the sliding lock and never had a problem with it. I also have what used to be called the Vic Trailmaster (almost same as one-hand Trekker but regular spear point blade w/nail nick). IMO, Victorinox liner locks are also extremely solid and very reliable. Also, because they lock/unlock opposite of most liner locks (almost a lefty design), makes it harder to "accidentally" unlock. It really takes a conscious effort to unlock it, which is good.
Jim
 
James Y,

I just got a new Cowboy, hard to find, but I found one after searching the web a bit - and paid a good bit for it. Wondering if my slide lock is not right or if the Cowboy slide lock works differently than other Vic slide lock 111mm knives.

Mine looks like this when opened: http://calibanblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/cow3.jpg

Other slide locks seem to slide all the way up to the stop when opened like this: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/gajinoz/BFC/alpine1.jpg

Curious, what is your Cowboy slide lock like? Do you have any other Vic's with slide locks and are those different?
 
You are aware that the last post in this thread is seven and a half years ago?
 
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