Handle only on 1 side?

R Mac

R Mac

Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Messages
106
Could someone please explain to me the purpose of putting a handle only on one side of the frame. Some examples would be the Cryo G-10 or the Boker Plus Trance. I've never handled a knife with this feature, so I'm wondering about the grip. Also, I can't imagine having handles on both sides is going to make the knife too thick and awkward to carry or pull. I think it makes a knife look incomplete.
Thanks
 
I agree with you. I think that there is a fine line between doing it right, and doing it wrong. The few examples that I feel are done right, are knives like Striders, ZT 0560's, etc. Where the "grippy" side is placed for your fingers to rest on, while the other side of the handle is a smoother textured steel for easier placement and removal of the knife in and out of your pocket, without tearing your pant pocket to shreds.

Some knives that incorporate this design, I find very aesthetically pleasing, while others I find uglier than sin. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" though, and it really all comes down to what your personal preference is.
 
Putting a scale on the other side wouldnt make it a framelock, that would be a liner lock. Some like framelocks better because a few reasons like: dirt won't build up between the scale and the liner on a framelock, and with framelocks you usually get a thicker lockface.

I understand where you're coming from, but it's more about function rather than aesthetics.
 
I felt the same way as you for a long time. After years of ignoring them, I handled a zt 0566 in a local store. Didn't care much for the appearance, but the steel frame side with the clip on it made it slide in/out of the pocket nicely without eating up my jeans like many of my knives with g10 on both sides, and it actually felt really good in my hand, enough that I took it home. I know this sound dumb, but It bugs me to wear out the edges of my pockets after a few weeks, so this actually dictates my decisions on some of my knife purchases now. That's just me tho and to each his own.
 
I hate them too, but for the opposite reason. I wish they would get rid of that one scale and let the metal speak for itself! It makes the knife look more simple and mechanical, and I really dig that.
 
I hated the look until about 3 weeks ago, when I found the benefits starting to make sense on an instinctive rather than academic level. I am now carrying a ZT 0566. I love this when done right. Not a fan on the ESEE Zancudo or other cheap takes, though.
 
The look was sorta confusing when I first saw it years ago. As time went by, it grew on me. I like the industrial look of the frame lock design and I like the feel of G10 or CF, etc. When you put them together this way, it seems to work for most people. After owning a few knives of this design, I can say it does work for me.

I think it might be interesting to put a slab of G10 on the lock side of a frame lock knife while leaving the lock bar exposed. I know it defeats the purpose of having a slick side to the knife but it could make for a more balanced look. It might also help in the leverage department for those who have trouble opening the knife without putting pressure on the lock bar. Just sayin'.
 
What has driven me back to liner locks after liking framelocks for a while is this:

Most frame locks are designed so that they look nice with the blade closed. Everything lines up perfectly. Then you open the knife and lock it. Now the locking bar has dropped into place and there is a huge corner of frame near the picot right where your index finger goes when you grip the knife. Depending on how carefully the knife was designed, this can actually get pretty uncomfortable to actually use.
 
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