Frame locks

do you mean, does your hand disengage the lock and the blade collapse on your fingers?

if so, i have several frame locks and have never had the lock fail, disengage accidentally, or slip.
 
I am asking the possibility of the framelock letting go, on its own, upon engagement of force, versus other locking systems.
 
never experienced anything like that. i used to have a strider sng. was wearing it clipped to a drop leg pistol holster. reached down, and......ouch! the blade had opened about a 1/4 and sliced my thumb. never carried that knife again and didnt go near a tip up for a while.

not what you describe, i know, but the closest story i have.
 
Any of the standard locks, properly manufactured, will hold up under normal working conditions. Lockbacks, axis locks, and plunge locks are pretty reliable themselves. I personally like the simplicity and strength of the framelock. I believe it will hold up under conditions under which some other locks might fail.
 
IMO a well made framelock is a very secure way to lock a folding blade. I've never had one fail on me.;)
 
Frame locks are less likely to have a problem vs liner locks. They are inherantly more reliable particularly in white knuckle grips because you actually cause the lock to engage in further and prevent it from moving to disengage.

The only fault I have found in frame lock designs is in the lock relief. I've seen countless knives in my shop and it makes absolutely no sense to me to have a knife with a lock .150 thick, 0125, or .100 thick only to see the relief where they make the lock bend machined down to thinner than even a weaker liner lock folder would be at its thinnest point. For one thing you can find evidince that very nice liner locking folders are being made with .065 and .070 thick locks that are bent with no relief whatsoever in them and these are easy enough to push to release as is with no great effort or thumb wear or the need for a lock stablizer to keep from overextending the lock and rebending it out the other way, athough there is nothing at all wrong with this stabalizer idea. Even the thick locks can be rebent so its actually a good one that other makers should adopt with frame lock folders IMO, since they don't have that liner or handle scale behind it to keep it from going too far the other way when its released.

For me these are reasons enough to simply never have to take a lock relief down to some of the sub .040 thinneses I have measured on what are otherwise massive heavy duty knives. To me that is the weakest link in the chain and the inevitable fail point or fold and defeat point to watch out for on any frame locking folder. In my own testing to failure this is indeed where they folded in and defeated under extreme pressure.

If I can literally push the lock on a frame lock downward when it is engaging the blade and with very little effort at that, I simply won't have it in my EDC routine. Case closed. If you already have one of this type, hopefully its one with a great warranty. Most of these companies do cover their work so if there is a plus to this area for improvement thats it I guess.

I will spare you the list on this public forum for some of the so called heavier duty frame locking tactical folders I have seen this weak point on. Most of that crowd doesn't want to hear it or admit there is room for improvement on one of their proven knives anyway, and thats fine.

I just call it like I see it from the stand point of knowing knives inside and out and what I say is not personal or directed at anyone maker. Its just my own observation. Take it for what its worth but don't read it as me saying I don't like liner or frame locks. I am just very picky as to the ones I own but I love frame locks and its my most owned lock type folder. For what its worth, I walk the talk with these folders and make them myself, and some I've done have been tested to failure so my opinions are not based on anything but facts as I see them from my own tests and from those I've discussed with others that make them, as well as comments from Sal Glesser on the test results he has seen on the ones they have tested at Spyderco.

I make a pretty good bit of spare change improving knives for folks and like to think I have a pretty good grasp of things to know what can or cannot improve a folder and what works or doesn't work but admit readily I am no where near knowing it all. When I'm wrong I admit it and apologize if I was. I just think I'm right here on this issue and thats all I'm saying about it. There has been a great deal of discussion here about liner and frame locking folders which is enough to warn anyone to watch out for weak spots. Some say the whole locking system is weak no matter and I do not agree with that at all.

If you disagree with me, please no more nasty PMs telling me so or calling me a integral lock hater. I've probably heard it already anyways and my inbox is too full most of the time now. :D

STR
 
Frame locks are my personal favorite. I have NEVER had a problem with one closing on me or any other type of problem.
 
I had a framelock fail. It taught me that a frame lock must be properly made to be safe. But that's true of any lock. I trust the framelocks on my Sebenzas completely.
 
The most trust I have in a folding knife is either an axis of a frame lock. I did throw a cqc-12 one time and have it slip openned though. However, the blade was looser than it should of been. Also, when your hand is right there squeezing the lock, it's never going to give. My top 3 knife locks are frame, axis and a butterfly. I've never had a liner fail while I was using it, but I can't bring myself to trust them as much as the others. These big lockacks like on a manix/chinook seem pretty good too.
 
A friend of mine's framelock failed (Kershaw Storm) once. It didn't have very good lockup from day one though, should have seen it coming.
 
I have been playing with my Warren Thomas karambit with a framelock today, and have not yet had a problem. This is my first folder in many years since my old Benchmade liner lock Emerson CQ. I appreciate the feedback and like reading about it all.

Thanks
 
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