Firsts? Who invented what in the knife industry?

[ToneGrail]

Thank you for the explanation. I completely overlooked the backspring. I now see the distinct difference.

I had a Camillus Cub Scout knife that had this type of tab lock.

 

[hardheart]

Of course it can. The tab that wedges from the top of the liner. It just slides in when the blade is in position, like a puzzle peice.http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?29211-Compression-Lock
Look at post #8 flip it upside down, the peice that fits in between the blade and stop pin doesn't have to be released from above, it could be from the bottom as well.

the stop pin can't be on the bottom

 

[silenthunterstudios]

in its current form, michael walker

thank you!

 

[Maddogg774]

You wouldn't have to move the stop pin, in fact you wouldn't have to move anything except have the thumb tab stick out the bottom instead the top.

 

[BlackKnight86]

Emerson invented the Wave

With all due respect to Emerson for his design and the uniqueness of the function of it, a blunt extension on a blade to open it against the edge of a pocket was used by the one-armed John Wesley Powell.

I say this not to disparage Emerson at all; but to illustrate the difficulties of answering the OP's question. What, exactly, should we count as a "first"? Do we count evolutions of existing concepts? Because those certainly are innovations that have advanced the craft, as Emerson's Wave illustrates.

 

[hardheart]

okay, thought you were thinking the mechanism could be flipped upside down to the position of a liner lock. anyway, the important thing is that the rat trap was a liner lock. Busse had their own lock patent, something like the bolt action, d.o.g., and ram. afaik, they never made a folder with it.

 

[Maddogg774]

Yea I remember that, I was getting excited about a Busse folder....
I am just wondering what Cliff reviewed...I'm sure he knows the difference.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

I read somewhere that Spyderco invented serrations. Is that true? I've seen bread knives with serrations ever since I can remember. Did they invent them period, or did they just invent a certain form of them?

 

[killgar]

I was wrong, some people can be convinced. I have never before seen anyone who thought they were the same change their point of view.

What can I say, I'm an original . I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong.

What's funny is that I've owned several of those TL-29's (still have one), and I own several liner-lock knives, and the issue of the backspring in the TL-29 never occurred to me. Live and learn.

 

[akthor]

I guess I meant more than anything who brought what as in made it common usage in knives. Like flippers weren't really invented by Kit Carson but he made them popular and used a lot that kind of thing.

But it is cool to hear the actual history of the inventions as well.

 

[wwells20]

I have a CRKT that uses the thumb stud as the lock, not like Kershaw's Stud lock, but a single stud that compresses into the blade. locks open and closed. I think the knife is a design of Allen Elishewitz.