Failed Lockbacks?

K

Kool

Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
37
Please forgive me if this is a terribly naïve question but what are people doing with their folding knives, of any locking mechanism that exerts enough back pressure to cause the locks to fail? I have only been a collector for about 2 years but I’ve carried a knife since I was a kid a small lockback for EDC and a Buck 110 for hunting and camping and I have never had any occasion in which I needed to exert more than slight pressure against the back of the blade. I'm just curious.

Thanks
 
Sometimes a faulty construction of the lock could cause it to fail prematurely with less pressures.
I haven't seriously encountered one except that I konw my CRKT KFF's liner has a tendency of slipping at times.
 
Lockbacks will sometimes also fail if they get dirt or grit in them. Mine have never had this problem, but I have heard of it from others.
 
I have only seen one lockback fail, a cheap 110 ripoff. The backspring broke when the knife was dropped. I've only had one lock of any type fail on me...a CRKT KFF. Lockbacks can be affected by dirt, but this has never been an issue for me.
 
You know I've kinda wondered this myself...although I was thinking more of the liner-locks though...

I have an EKI CQC7 with a liner that moves slightly when back pressure is applied and it does bug me but I wonder if it will really make a difference. It's not like I intend to put any kind of major pressure on it anyway...
 
A properly made lockback will cycle many more times than
the average liner lock. The main reason being the way the tang
engages the blade. This engagment notch is also sensitive to
dirt / mud when closed. However, a well made lockback will
seldom fail it's owner up to the breaking point. That is why
most work knives are lockback......inexpensive and reliable.
:D :D
 
I can't imagine the lock on my Spyderco Chinook failing as it has a pretty massive lock, with alot of steel involved.
 
My oldest folder is a FRN Spyderco Endura lockback (10+ yrs of age) and I guarantee you that a lockback will outlast a liner lock. I trust it completely and have never had it come close to failing despite next to zero maintenance. This knife has been cycled many thousands of times and still locks up as tightly as the day I bought it.

I have an EKI CQC7B that is only about 2 years old and it's gonna need to go back for warranty service since the thin flimsy Ti liner has already moved more than 50% over the tang, and upon disasembly shows severe wear. When I grip the handle tightly I get up and down play. This is a "hard use" knife that cost 5X what the Endura did so it really makes one wonder... I wish that Spyderco would bring back the G-10 police in a good steel (NOT that rust and stain if you breathe on it ATS-55!!! :barf: ) Then I'd buy one and quit production folders for a loooonnng time!!!

PM
 
Thanks for your responses calyth, tarsier, ElectricZombie, BOK, Tightwad, glockman99 and mr44.
 
yeah, I'm not a big fan of liners.

My Buck Goliath though has been a user for years, still solid lockup.

FWIW, if you have screws that are stripped out so you can't unscrew them, the back of a Goliath works great as a hammer(use it closed) to strike them from the side and break them off. ;)

Handle scales are roughed up on back, but it still works great.
 
I had a Spyderco Zytel Goddard model fail on me once. In all fairness though, I was trying to saw thru a 4" cardboard tube over 1/4" thick and was nearly standing on that knife while sawing. The Zytel scales parted and the lock went to one side allowing the blade tang to slip past the lock-bar thus allowing the blade to basically be bent over backwards. The good news though is it all worked fine after I reset the blade to it's proper position.
Of course, Zytel folders have limitations and it's foolish to exceed those limitations.:o
 
I'm with Glockman, the Spyderco Chinook is bulletproof!
 
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