Folding knives do I really need a lock?

[flyingbavarian]

When I was around 9 i got a swiss army knife or a knockoff of an sak I dont really remember. It was my first knife and taught me a few lessons on how a folding knife should be used. Like not using the tip to pry with because it will bend or break. The one thing that really stuck with me though, once while trying to stab a hole in something the knife folded on my fingers. Luckily the knife was very dull and while it did cut my fingers it really wasn't that bad. From that point on I've always thought about how a knife might bite me while I use it.

Typical things i use my pocketknife for might be slicing food, cutting rope, opening boxes, cutting tape, whittling a piece of wood, the list goes on and on. But the thing is for a folding knife I am 100% comfortable doing just about any of those task's at hand without a locking blade. Although I do carry and use locking blades all the time, some of my favorite pocket knives are SAK's and they are carried more than any of my other folders.

I see debates about which type of lock is strongest which lock is best you get the idea. In my case it doesn't really matter the only type of locking knives i have used are liner, frame and lock back. and to tell you the truth they were all more than enough lock for me. Are locks just peace of mind knowing that there is little to no chance of being bitten, or are you using it in ways that you have to have a locking blade. The only thing I can really think of for me to really need a lock for would be self defense. I rarely carry a knife with that mindset of needing to defend myself with it of course i hope to never need to

So some questions. What are some lessons you've learned with folders? What tasks do you absolutely need a lock? Are you comfortable carrying a non locking blade? Its not a debate over which is better locking or non-locking as I love both. Just some thoughts I have had lately.

 

[Rupestris]

No problem with non locking knives here. I use SAK's, traditional slip joints, and non-locking modern knives regularly. Keep the business end (edge) facing the task at hand and all is good.

Check in over at the "Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades" sub-forum for more support.

 

[bladerique]

My Grandfather did quite nicely for a lifetime w/out locks, but for making hole in things with the tip, and God forbid, a thrust attack, the lock is useful.

 

[KennyB]

I don't like to use a non-locking knife for any kind of task that the blade may bind in the material for. I have too much of a habit of wiggling the handle up and down to get the blade out of tight spots like this and have folded blades on to my knuckles doing it. I suppose the easier solution would be to keep the knife from binding or pull it straight out, but sometimes I like to let my tools do as much of the work as possible, so it's nice to use a locked or fixed blade in a task like that just so I don't have to worry about it.

 

[Mephtyrm]

I'll say Locks are part of the industry.
Almost everyone has their own designs.
It's part of the knife, not required but appreciated if you ask me.

 

[Ed Schempp]

I used up many Swiss Army Tinkers. I loved the knife, a blade for every purpose in my world.

When I started carrying only one bladed knives I preferred the lock-backs. This was because I protected my sharp edge and would often use the back of the blade as a scraper or for light prying. With non-locking single bladed knives this resulted in multiple cuts to my index finger..Take Care...Ed

 

[Chocula]

the blade may bind in the material

That. Even using a tool the way it is meant to be used does not remove all danger.

I agree that a lock is unnecessary, but it is a nice safety mechanism and I dont think it will ever get in the way of operating the knife (unlike a gun safety).

 

[yablanowitz]

I don't like to use a non-locking knife for any kind of task that the blade may bind in the material for. I have too much of a habit of wiggling the handle up and down to get the blade out of tight spots like this and have folded blades on to my knuckles doing it. I suppose the easier solution would be to keep the knife from binding or pull it straight out, but sometimes I like to let my tools do as much of the work as possible, so it's nice to use a locked or fixed blade in a task like that just so I don't have to worry about it.

That's what locks are for. They let you develop unsafe knife handling habits. Those habits then result in injuries when your safety device fails to protect you from the consequences of your unsafe habits.

 

[Artfully Martial]

That's what locks are for. They let you develop unsafe knife handling habits. Those habits then result in injuries when your safety device fails to protect you from the consequences of your unsafe habits.

You really think locks were designed to sort of lull people into a false sense of security in a sort of long-term effort to injure them?

The percentage of good locks used in non-abusive manners that will fail is essentially non existent, and likely much lower than the percentage of people who (admittedly rarely) get their slipjoint bound in cardboard and cut themselves pulling it out.

For virtually all axis lock owners, for instance, there will be no failure for the lifetime of the knife.

That said, to answer the OP's question, no, they're not necessary, especially when flippers and finger choils are used as secondary means of protection. The Spyderco UK Pen Knife is a great example.

I don't think I've ever cut myself as a result of an unintentionally folded slip joint.

 

[Klok]

for anything small enough a good slip joint will work fine... long as you don't smack the blade into anything you shouldn't cut yourself too bad... for a larger knife i prefer the best lock i can find... axis locks are a favorite for ease of use.

 

[Phydeaux]

I had a similar experience with my Buck Stockman knife when I was young. I still have the scar on my index finger. For my self, I do not need to have a lock on a folding knife. Getting bit by my Buck knife made me think about how I am cutting and where my body parts are if the blade slips. A lock is nice safety device, but if you are careful you shouldn't need it.

Ric

 

[KennyB]

You really think locks were designed to sort of lull people into a false sense of security in a sort of long-term effort to injure them?

The percentage of good locks used in non-abusive manners that will fail is essentially non existent, and likely much lower than the percentage of people who (admittedly rarely) get their slipjoint bound in cardboard and cut themselves pulling it out.

For virtually all axis lock owners, for instance, there will be no failure for the lifetime of the knife.

That said, to answer the OP's question, no, they're not necessary, especially when flippers and finger choils are used as secondary means of protection. The Spyderco UK Pen Knife is a great example.

I don't think I've ever cut myself as a result of an unintentionally folded slip joint.

I think I've had it happen twice. Both times I was being hasty and impatient, both in the actual cutting and in the way I tried to remove the knife. If I absolutely had to use a slip-joint I probably would, and would just try to administer as much extra care as I could. However a lock is a nice saftey; not so much a saftey against the knife, but against my own stupidity.

I mean, I see what yab is saying and I do agree with it, I just think that rather than enforcing bad using habits, the lock just implements a level of safety. I mean, with a slip-joint, say you're cutting along, the blade binds, and you start wiggling it without really thinking about what you're doing. How long do you really have until the thing cuts you? First fold? Second? Third? I mean, suppose it only takes just one fold and you've just crushed your finger in between the blade and the handle; you're cut before you even realize you've made a mistake. If you had a lock you would have had that much extra chance of going, "Oh, wait, this is dangerous," before you hurt yourself. You can't really blame the lock if a person goes, "Oh, well, I've got a lock, this is no longer dangerous," and keeps on about it and just hurts them self some other way; that logic is true even in lock vs fixed-blade arguments because generally, if you're doing something that's going to break a lock, you've got a lot of risk hurting yourself anyway.

I mean, people still avoid accidents even though they have seat-belts and air bags in their car. They don't see it as, "Well, I can drive like a maniac because this will save my life," they're just safety devices. Though I think casting that analogy may be a little dangerous since it's like comparing apples to oranges, but I'm just saying that using a locked knife instead of a slip-joint is kind of like buckling up when you're heading down a really scary looking mountain road or something. It doesn't mean you're going to barrel down the road as fast as you can, just means you want a little more safety.

 

[yablanowitz]

You really think locks were designed to sort of lull people into a false sense of security in a sort of long-term effort to injure them?

No, it just works out that way. I believe there are two kinds of knives, folding and fixed blade. If what you are doing could cause the folding knife to fold up, you should be using a fixed blade. Locks are nice for saving one from the occasional lapse in judgement, just as seatbelts are nice for preventing ejection during a car accident. I'd rather drive carefully and defensively than rely on those seatbelts, just as I'd rather use correct techniques to prevent my knife from folding than rely on a lock. Other people would rather text while they're driving and rely on seatbelts and airbags to save them, and some people would rather rely on their lock to protect them than learn how to use a folding knife safely. As long as you don't involve me or my family in your accident, frankly I don't care what you do. Just don't come crying to me when your latest, greatest, state-of-the art lock fails and you get cut.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I think it's mostly for stabbing. But nonlocking knives also don't open as fast or easily as some locking knives. You need to put pressure on the tang to hold the blade open, after all.

 

[shecky]

I think of locks the same way as a manual safety on a firearm. It's there to add a degree of security in the event of accidental mishandling. But to rely on it as compensation for poor handling technique is kinda asking for trouble. In this way, lockblades can be much more dangerous than a slipjoint or friction folder. The latter you know will fold whenever you handle the knife in a certain way. Lockblades, on the other hand, sometimes fool the user into a false sense of security. Locks do not routinely fail. But they sometimes do fail randomly. There's really no prediction about when this can happen. It happens to cheap knives, and to expensive knives. Search the archives and you'll find instances of failure in just about every brand, every level. And the devastating thing about lockblades is that when they do fail, it seems to happen suddenly and without warning.

 

[Dorito Monk]

I think of locks the same way as a manual safety on a firearm. It's there to add a degree of security in the event of accidental mishandling. But to rely on it as compensation for poor handling technique is kinda asking for trouble. In this way, lockblades can be much more dangerous than a slipjoint or friction folder. The latter you know will fold whenever you handle the knife in a certain way. Lockblades, on the other hand, sometimes fool the user into a false sense of security. Locks do not routinely fail. But they sometimes do fail randomly. There's really no prediction about when this can happen. It happens to cheap knives, and to expensive knives. Search the archives and you'll find instances of failure in just about every brand, every level. And the devastating thing about lockblades is that when they do fail, it seems to happen suddenly and without warning.

Extremely well put. :thumbup:

 

[marcinek]

.... If what you are doing could cause the folding knife to fold up, you should be using a fixed blade. ....

Kudos. Well put. :thumbup:

 

[Tripton]

Who uses knives for cutting?

I just use mine to go into the basement, stick em in a vise, and hang as many Marcy grip steel weights from the handle to see how much pressure the spine can take before the lock fails.

Thats the most important part of a knife, right?

 

[jackknife]

Kudos. Well put. :thumbup:

:thumbup: :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I remember growing up, the outdoorsmen I saw all had two knives. A regular pocket knife for the small stuff, like a barlow or small jack, and a small sheath knife.

Right tool for the job. I have seen two bad accidents where a lock failed. Both times the young man was confident the lock keeping him safe.

Carl.

 

[marcinek]

Who uses knives for cutting?

I just use mine to go into the basement, stick em in a vise, and hang as many Marcy grip steel weights from the handle to see how much pressure the spine can take before the lock fails.

Thats the most important part of a knife, right?

No, silly. The most important part is spine whacking.