Frame lock moving during use?

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Peakbagger46

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I’m fairly new to frame locks. Today I was using my ZT 0460 to whittle and noticed the lockbar moved in a substantial amount due to my grip. Is this normal? First picture is position of the lock upon opening, second picture shows how much it travels in when the knife is gripped with a bit of muscle.

https://imgur.com/gallery/L4gF7Mh
 
It can happen and it's not a sign of quality.
If you complain you can probably get it replaced.
Is there any vertical play when the lock bar is in the first position pictured?
 
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The three Kershaw Knockout’s I have do that.

The locks had never failed though.

I think when you bear down hard, late lockup is inevitable.

I don’t own many frame locks though. I imagine with more precise engineering it should not be so prevalent.

*still saving for a Chris Reeve*

:)
 
It's a known problem with a few ZT models so I'm not surprised to see it on the 0460. It's not a normal thing to see on framelocks and it means the lock geometry could use some improvement. I've just learned to live with it on my 0452CF.
 
You can probably force the lock bar in on a lot of framelocks out there but yours is going in way too far. Like, it shouldn't be touching the other scale. Yours looks like it almost does and the knife is pretty new...
 
My ZT 0850 moves from roughly 25% to about 50-70%, depending on how hard I'm pushing the knife.
 
My 0450 cf moves the harder I press on the lock bar or how hard I bear down on the knife. Normal lock up is maybe 15-20% but 70% when pressed. Haven't experienced any lock failure at all.
 
Yep and I don’t like it either, had an xm18 “hard use” folder move around like that, which was a well made knife.
But also why i don’t do frame locks any more either. I’ve had multiple brands of multiple models do this.
 
Apparently this is not uncommon with ZT framelocks; I dug up this old thread about a 0452 and quite a few folks reported similar findings: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/zt-0452-lock-up.1304657/

As mine can be easily disengaged with one hand after the bar over-travels, I’m inclined to see it as a non issue. It likely even makes accidental closure when using the knife hard less likely.
 
I will give an alternate perspective. This is actually a good thing. Why? Because it shows when force is applied to the framelock, the angle of the framelock causes it to move inward, and not outward preventing lock slip/failure. While it can be annoying/concerning, I do find after more use the framelock will break in and settle in, limiting the amount that the framelock will move during use. As long as the when the framelock moves inward there is no rockslip (vertial blade play), the lockup isn't compromised.
 
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I find carbon scaled on one side ti on the other side more prone to this than
all Ti construction. It is normal...the lockbar can flex like a spring (bow) and shrink
in overall length...causing late lockup. Framelock is not the best type of lock
for beating the crap out of a knife...but it sure makes for convenient light
edc pocket swords. I think framelocks are fine for all normal folder use.
But if you are using it super hard and the lock moves a bunch...and it
bothers you...great news! There is a world of epic fixed blades to explore!!!!

I don't want to come off as being a dick here...I did not like frame locks for
a very long time because of this. Then I got realistic about what lock behavior
was ok and how various locks respond to heavy use VS what I actually use a knife for.
I would not use a frame lock for whittling. I would use a slippy or a lockback because
I find when carving I can squeeze the hell out of the handle...especially on knots.
And that will make the lockbar travel...and bow. I prize framelocks because all of mine
are flippers that deploy like lightning. Great for cardboard, opening boxes, self defense.
So what you see is perfectly normal...with great force you can over travel it.
Just don't do that!
 
It's not a bad thing... It is pretty normal for frame locks with steel inserts. The angle must be ground shallower than with ti which can allow this to happen. Shirogorov's do this as well, they just have a tab to prevent it from traveling to 100%.I wouldn't worry about it.
 
It's definitely not a good thing, and here's why...

Over time the lock will wear from the thousands of openings (especially if it's a flipper opener, because flipping usually induces more force than using the thumb stud), and as the lock wears it will move farther toward the non-lock scale (it's designed to do that).

But if it's already touching the non-lock scale, what will happen when the lock wears down over time?
Blade play and lock slop!
 
I observed my new Shiro HatiOn Lite to move from its normal 10% to 50% under prolonged use. An exposed tension bar is asking for pressure to be applied depending on the grip I'm using from whole handle to a scalpel hold. But it's nowhere near the CF scale side.

My linerlocks (F3 and Cheburkov Strizh) can't do it because the lock is inside and inaccessible under normal usage.
 
It doesn't happen on my Sebenza, Ziebas or CRKT Ti Eros. Sometimes it happens a little bit on my beat to hell Buck Mayo, but Buck says it can't be fixed since there are no parts to fix it. Buck says it's safe though and offered me MSRP in credit.
 
allenC said:
It's definitely not a good thing, and here's why...

Over time the lock will wear from the thousands of openings (especially if it's a flipper opener, because flipping usually induces more force than using the thumb stud), and as the lock wears it will move farther toward the non-lock scale (it's designed to do that).

But if it's already touching the non-lock scale, what will happen when the lock wears down over time?
Blade play and lock slop!
Click to expand...

Hmm... Seems like this one may need to go back to ZT.
 
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