Thsi topic comes up from time to time and there are even a few current threads throughout the forums discussing the security of specific locks. However, since not everyone reads all forums & because we have so many new members who may not be aware of the issue, I thought it would be worth talking about folder lock safety here.
The very nature of folding knives is also their inherent weakness -- they fold. This, of course, it what makes them so easy to carry but it is a problem if they can close unintentionally.
If you think your folder is safe simply because it is "sturdy looking", think again. One of the most notorious cases of lock failure was the Gerber Applegate Fairbairn Combat Folder. The part of the liner that engaged the tang was practically the width of the tang itself. The lock engaged with a loud vault-like clunk... and, in many cases, could be disengaged with a moderate whack on the spine.
Likewise, if you think that you don't have to worry because you have a high-end "brand name", it's also time to think again. Search the various general forum archives and you may be surprised at what you find. I have had five high-end "brand name" knives fail the Liner Lock Tests , by A.T. Barr and Joe Talmadge, in the last year or so. No, I won't tell you which ones here because I don't want this thread to degenerate into a bashing of specific brands. What invariably happens when makes or models are mentioned is that some people will go into tirades about QC while others will rise in defense of their favorites. If you really must know which ones failed for me, send me an e-mail & I'll tell you privately. The point that I am trying to make is that appearances & reputations alone are not a substitute for testing your own individual knives.
Some folks challenge the validity of the spine whack test, saying that such forces would not be encountered in real-life use. I disagree. The way I perform this test is to hold the back of the knife with my fingers out of the path of the blade (usually
) & to strike the spine against two mouse pads stacked on my desk. Since my hand is not wrapped around the handle, I can't give it an extremely hard hit without causing the knife to go flying out of my hand. Social situations aside, it is easy for me to envision at least this much force being generated during use if I were to move my hand carelessly & inadvertently hit the spine against an immovable object such as a table leg, shelf, tree limb, etc.
Lock safety is not an issue for just liner locks. Mike & Spark tested some knives a couple of years ago & two lock-backs failed the spine whack test.
Another bit of advice: keep the actions of your knives clean. It is easy for pocket lint to find it's way into a lock-back mechanism preventing the lock from fully engaging. Also, lubricant on the tang ramp can cause an otherwise secure liner lock to fail.
Does all of this mean that we should abandon older lock types in favor of fixed blades & newer mechanisms such as the Axis & Rolling locks? For me, the answer is no. I still have several liner locks in my daily rotation. I feel I can count on them because I test them. As to the newer style locks, I've never had a failure but I still test them too.
The preceding has been a public service announcement.
Remember, paranoia is just a heightened state of awareness.
------------------
Cheers,
Brian
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
The very nature of folding knives is also their inherent weakness -- they fold. This, of course, it what makes them so easy to carry but it is a problem if they can close unintentionally.
If you think your folder is safe simply because it is "sturdy looking", think again. One of the most notorious cases of lock failure was the Gerber Applegate Fairbairn Combat Folder. The part of the liner that engaged the tang was practically the width of the tang itself. The lock engaged with a loud vault-like clunk... and, in many cases, could be disengaged with a moderate whack on the spine.
Likewise, if you think that you don't have to worry because you have a high-end "brand name", it's also time to think again. Search the various general forum archives and you may be surprised at what you find. I have had five high-end "brand name" knives fail the Liner Lock Tests , by A.T. Barr and Joe Talmadge, in the last year or so. No, I won't tell you which ones here because I don't want this thread to degenerate into a bashing of specific brands. What invariably happens when makes or models are mentioned is that some people will go into tirades about QC while others will rise in defense of their favorites. If you really must know which ones failed for me, send me an e-mail & I'll tell you privately. The point that I am trying to make is that appearances & reputations alone are not a substitute for testing your own individual knives.
Some folks challenge the validity of the spine whack test, saying that such forces would not be encountered in real-life use. I disagree. The way I perform this test is to hold the back of the knife with my fingers out of the path of the blade (usually
Lock safety is not an issue for just liner locks. Mike & Spark tested some knives a couple of years ago & two lock-backs failed the spine whack test.
Another bit of advice: keep the actions of your knives clean. It is easy for pocket lint to find it's way into a lock-back mechanism preventing the lock from fully engaging. Also, lubricant on the tang ramp can cause an otherwise secure liner lock to fail.
Does all of this mean that we should abandon older lock types in favor of fixed blades & newer mechanisms such as the Axis & Rolling locks? For me, the answer is no. I still have several liner locks in my daily rotation. I feel I can count on them because I test them. As to the newer style locks, I've never had a failure but I still test them too.
The preceding has been a public service announcement.
------------------
Cheers,
Brian
He who finishes with the most toys wins.