Folders that don't fail lock-up, serious replies only please...

...I grabbed a palm tree by the 'neck', and using a 'hammer' grip, I rammed my Endura into its 'gut' with as much force as I could...

When my hand contracted, the 'ball' of my thumb depressed the lock.

If you have medium to large hands, you can try this at home, sans palm tree. Simply squeeze the knife hard, and you'll see the lock lift.

If I was to ever ram a knife into someone using this method, it would be with extreme prejudice, and all my well thoughtout 'saber' grip plans would probably go right out the window...

Ergo, in my opinion, it would have a high probability of lock failure.

Now, if you've read any of my other ramblings about the Spyderco Endura, you'll know that I love the knife dearly, and have been using mine daily for roughly 8 years...

It's a beautiful knife design, but it 'will' fail under stress.

I'd like to know if there is an inexpensive folder, (<$100, my words), that won't...if not, then bump it to $200...after that, I'm going back to my little Anza skinner in Kydex for <$50...
 
Have you taken a serious look at the Camillus EDC? It offers a 2.9" blade and a very tough frame lock. I never saw any indication of give in mine and I have not heard any reports of lock failure from other EDC owners. Like the Sebenza, this is a simple design where there is very little that can go wrong.

The EDC also looks stylish and it comes in at well under your price limit. I would avoid the original 420HC version, but the 154CM is only a little more and it gives you a lot of bang for your buck. You can also spend more and get D-2 or even Talonite blades.

This seems like the perfect knife for your purposes. I should admit that I have traded mine, not because of any problems, but just because I really prefer a longer blade. My regular carry these days is a Sifu. :)

I hope that if anyone has actually had a lock failure with the EDC you'll post about it here!

--Bob Q
 
I would say Sebenza, TNT by Tom Mayo and the Apogee by Darrel Ralph. You get what you pay for. If you think that those are too expensive you might want to consider how much a plastic surgeon would charge to re-attach your finger. But seriously, rolling in the dirt and rib sticking? And for less than $100? I think that someone around here is way out of touch with reality. Maybe you could find a fixed blade in that price range that would do the trick. Rolling in the dirt?:barf:
 
...thanks for your comments, and for bringing me back to 'reality'...

I had almost forgotten that our 'tactical' folders were for fingernails, letters, and show only.

Thanks again.
 
Sorry Shelly, romoved that goof.

Back to the knives. Tried Two benchmade pinnacles, both failed miserably. One Pre-Production variety and another regular production. They weren't much harder to fail than a small afck actually. I have only ONE mini-afck that has never failed, but it is NIB except for the whack tests, an m-2 variety.
I thikn the afck and pinnacle failures have something to do with the angle the tang (lock contact surface) is ground at.

JC
 
My first thought was "good luck" after reading the hints (;)) that you wanted it to be smaller, under $100 and rock solid.

Personally I don't see the Chinook or SERE meeting your needs because while both are nice knives they are basically boat anchors.

Given your requirements and desire for lock strength I would look at a Spyderco Vesuvius which has the new compression lock. It's relatively small with a nice sized blade and the lock is a rock.

Personally I don't think any liner lock is right 100% of the time (customs included) so I would rule them out all together. It's really a crap shoot if you get a good one or not.

I had a SERE that would pass the wack test and one that would fold from a tap on my leg... you decide...

Short of recommending a Sebenza which is no where near your price requirements I would stick with Spyderco Compression locks or their lock-backs, which you may not want either.

If you really want a gorgeous knife and would go an extra $50 - $75 dollars I would also highly reccomend a MOD CQD MKII. It has a button lock that is wonderful with a secondary safety that is almost automatically engaged in a hard use scenario.

Good luck :)
 
...(seriously) thanks for your comments and suggestions. I agree, if I'm reading you right. Also, whereas I don't personally have have a set price point in mind, and have spent waaayyy too much money on high-end, high dollar knives in the last few years, my point was...

I simply wanted to know if such a folding knife, (low cost being one factor), existed. That's it, that's all.

Being that I'm really not really into the whole folding 'thang' from personal experience for use as a 'hard use' knife, I'm a little out of that loop....so I asked for feedback.

And, being that most of our fellow forumites, myself included, would like to have a good reliable 'solid' folder at a reasonable cost...I asked for recommendations using that as one factor.

Importantly, I don't necessarily equate the amount spent on any item as the 'be all, end all' solution...

Yes, I do like knives...I think they're cool, and I'll spend the money on a knife that I like, because I think it has the requisite 'coolness' factor that I desire...but the added cost doesn't make the knife ANY more reliable in my book.

Also, I don't believe for a minute that a 'solid' folder can't be commercially produced for less than $100...

...Just as I don't believe that spending high dollars should be 'the' requirement for said 'solid' folder...I just don't buy it. (pun intended)

Again, my point was simply to find out if such a solid lock-up was currently available, within reason, price being 'one' factor.

On a side, and this isn't for you cpirtle...I'm really just floored by some of the last few posts here...

Are you guys telling me that your $300-$600 'Tactical' folders are 'better' knives; and therefore more reliable within the parameters that I initially outlined, simply based on what you paid for it? (Read that part again before you answer please.)

Based on what? Your actual use of them? (Going back to the initial post again, remember...)

I think buzzbait hit it on the head with the (paraphrased) "it doesn't exist" (yet) comment...and hopefully that comment wasn't based solely on price.

Again, price was but 'one' factor...there were others listed too.

Anyhoo, thanks guys, keep the comments coming.
 
Try any of CRKT folders w LAWKS. Low price + 100% safe.

"Lake And Walker Knife Safety (LAWKS®) to provide lock security
under extreme use" (from www.crkt.com)

Dave_S :)
 
Fallkniven F1 or WSI Ranger. Small and tough as nails. :D Seriously though, a Buck Mini-Strider or CRKT Walker Bladelock both have a considerable amount of metal devoted to the locking system. They are heavy though. :eek:
 
i have 3 BM AFCK 800's (a 800S, 800BT, 800M2HSS) and all 3 have and will pas a spine whack test - go to newgraham.com and they have the 800S for like $68 - if ya really look ya can find a buck/strider for only a little over $100, and believe me, it will pass also

sifu
 
Two locking knives that I currently own that will not let you down are my Benchmade Balisong and my CRKT Bladelock.
The Bladelock is an awesome piece of engineering and it locks open and closed (so tip-up carry is no worry).
The only disadvantage is that it's only for right-handed people.

The Opinel ring-lock would also probably work very well for you. You might break the entire knife but the lock would not fail.

I would also like to echo what others have already said: you're probably expecting too much from a folding knife.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
The only Spyderco Compression Lock knife I have experience with is the Gunting; it fits all your parameters except for size, with its massive, impact-capable handle (blade is still under 3" for legal reasons). I highly recommend it.

That said, if you want a more inobtrusive carry, check out the other new Compression Lock Spydies. I don't have experience with them (yet), but they use the same locking system as the Gunting, so I believe their performance in that area would be comparable.
 
Only knives I have direct experience with and could recommend are the BM43 and Kershaw Whirlwind. Any balisong; there's almost no _way_ it will close on you, unless a handle or pin snaps, or you let go of it.

The Whirlwind; I've not done very heavy testing, just a couple spine whacks against my hand, and a table, and jamming it into a piece of wood and twisting and torquing it a bit. No failures whatsoever, except it failed to lock up (Speedsafe mechanism didn't quite push the blade far enough for the liner to engage) for the first 50 or so cycles, before it was broken in (pivot was a bit tight, prolly).

I would concur with those who have mentioned it, and say to go for the BM31. I should mention; the straight handles on balis are really a lot more comfortable than you might think, with all the lumpy, odd-shaped handles on the market (not that those aren't comfortable as well).
 
Good job with the link, Ryan.

That is a nice looking package. It even has a pocket clip.

Jameson, your search is over.
 
A used BM Pinnacle 750.
Haven't owned or handled a Camillus EDC yet, but worth a look.
 
There is no such thing as a knife that won't fail even if you paid $5000 for it. You can get knives with good locks but what happens if some other part of the knife breaks and you get cut?
 
I'd agree with Dave_S. I would check out the CRKT M18. Its a cool knife built for work and has the LAWKS system that will keep your finders safe even if the liner fails.
 
Locks, Locks, Locks... that's not the be-all, end-all. What's the weakest part of the knife? The beefy lock or the myriad small diameter stop pins, rivets, #5 Torx screws, etc? They will all fail. Enough torque will pop a rivet, screw, pivot or other component and snowball into utter and total destruction of the entire piece. Fixed blade, full tang, without scales... basically a slab of steel is the only choice for "predictable" failure. It too will eventually snap - it may take a truck and a tugboat, but there it is.
 
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