Guthrie Tungsten Insert (GTi Lock)

[SeppukuSamurai]

I think they make a slim kwaiback which could be sort of cool. Other than that I’m kind of over the whole titanium pocket brick thing. I don’t mind tactical knives per se but i just don’t understand the point of making the handles out of the thickest ti possible.

For what? The knife will fail where the lockbar cutout is and the stock is thinnest. That is assuming the lock won’t just slip off under that force anyway.

The only company I have seen doing something different with ti framelocks is Prometheus Design Werx (worx, w0rks, werccccs?) who rather than doing a standard lockbar cutout cut a semispherical hollow on the inside of the lockbar. I imagine this might distribute force better.

Lol, while reading this I was imagining a Medford owner breaking his Praetorian. All of that girth and still this....

I love the overbuilt knives. Hoback's, for me, offer the smoothness and sophistication of some more gentlemanly blades with all of the robustness of a Medford without being a Medford. I wouldn't carry anything larger, but that's me.

Sometimes I'll see new knives on channels such as Skelton and I'm a little taken back...

Either way, I doubt these blades were created with a solely pragmatic purpose.

 

[Lapedog]

Lol, while reading this I was imagining a Medford owner breaking his Praetorian. All of that girth and still this....

I love the overbuilt knives. Hoback's, for me, offer the smoothness and sophistication of some more gentlemanly blades with all of the robustness of a Medford without being a Medford. I wouldn't carry anything larger, but that's me.

Sometimes I'll see new knives on channels such as Skelton and I'm a little taken back...

Either way, I doubt these blades were created with a solely pragmatic purpose.

No they are totally a form over function thing. The Sebenza has proven that a relatively slim knife can be very strong. I have no problem with them and actually think many of them are cool.

But as I like to carry most my knives I just don’t personally desire them very much myself. I still carry my ZTs or Hinderer etc sometimes and they aren’t unpleasant. Just I realize there are knives more ideal to carry.

From a just for the hell of it perspective they are very cool. But like you said from a practical perspective carrying a small fixed blade is more betterest.

 

[Mo2]

The only company I have seen doing something different with ti framelocks is Prometheus Design Werx (worx, w0rks, werccccs?) who rather than doing a standard lockbar cutout cut a semispherical hollow on the inside of the lockbar. I imagine this might distribute force better.

I thought Prometheus just puts there logo on someone else's design that's made by someone else?

 

[Lapedog]

I thought Prometheus just puts there logo on someone else's design that's made by someone else?

No they have their own designs.

Pdw badger: see how there is no visible lockbar cutout? Instead there is a concave hollow on the inside of the lockbar that removes enough material so the bar can be bent.

If you notice a similarity to the TAD Dauntless it is because the guy who designed this also designed the dauntless.

Eta: here you can actually see it in this pic.

 

[Mo2]

No they have their own designs.

Pdw badger: see how there is no visible lockbar cutout? Instead there is a concave hollow on the inside of the lockbar that removes enough material so the bar can be bent.

If you notice a similarity to the TAD Dauntless it is because the guy who designed this also designed the dauntless.

Eta: here you can actually see it in this pic.

Interesting. It looks like Hinderer is going to collab with them on a dauntless

https://knifenews.com/hinderer-debuts-new-dauntless-collaboration-at-g10/

 

[Lapedog]

Interesting. It looks like Hinderer is going to collab with them on a dauntless

https://knifenews.com/hinderer-debuts-new-dauntless-collaboration-at-g10/

No TAD is the guys behind the Dauntless. PDW is a seperate company I believe by the guy who designed the Dauntless for TAD.

Confusing enough?

The reason you see so many makers doing a version of the dauntless is because the idea of the knife was TAD would have their own version but the design would be given to a bunch of different makers so each one could put their own spin on it. I believe no one knows who actually builds the standard Dauntlesses for TAD. They claim it is made in the USA somewhere but never disclosed who exactly.

 

[NG VI]

I'm not sure that's correct. I had assumed (perhaps I'm wrong) that the steel lockbar inserts were there to prevent wear on the titanium lockbar (as titanium is softer than steel) and so that they could be replaced when worn out. I'm sure other, more knowledgable people here will correct me if I am wrong.

In this case, the wear happens to the blade tang and not the insert or lockbar.

In that case, you have described a reverse improvement, AKA a downgrade. Replacing a steel lockbar insert is far better for the late-stage health of the knife than needing to send it away to be custom-fit with a new insert whenever it develops lock rock from the insert.

 

[BilboBaggins]

In that case, you have described a reverse improvement, AKA a downgrade. Replacing a steel lockbar insert is far better for the late-stage health of the knife than needing to send it away to be custom-fit with a new insert whenever it develops lock rock from the insert.

Perhaps you're right, although that is contrary to what the maker claims. I'm not here to defend his position. I just wanted to discuss it.

 

[NG VI]

Perhaps you're right, although that is contrary to what the maker claims. I'm not here to defend his position. I just wanted to discuss it.

Yeah I'm discussing it. It makes no sense to me that using an insert that wears away blade tang rather than wearing an easily replaced insert would be an improvement. Is there an advantage I'm missing about using a more exotic method of doing the same thing as the industry standard hardened steel insert?

The method of relieving the lockbar is beautiful and skillful though, that's lovely.

 

[Natlek]

I wonder which combination would have slower rate of wear ? Same hardness steel on steel , hard steel on extreme hard tungsten carbide insert , hard steel on softer titanium .......? Personally I would like hard to wear blade and softer adjustable/ replaceable insert .............

 

[BilboBaggins]

I don't have any idea which is more desirable. The GTi seems to be a similar idea to the ceramic ball that CRK uses on the Umnumzaan and the Inkosi, although the contact area is larger than a ceramic ball.

In thinking about steel inserts, I do wonder if they aren't more meant for ease of manufacturing than replacement. If the steel insert has worn to the point of needing to be replaced, will a manufacturer still have spare inserts for knife they may have made decades ago?

Jason also tends to use M390 for his blades. I wonder if part of the reason for materials selection was wear resistance?