I talked about this many times with makers regarding the cut out. There are two threads here now covering frame locks and have a lot of my feelings on this very subject. I could really get going on this subject. In answer to your question though, yes, I feel a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and this translates to the parts of the system that come together to make up a folder.
Many so called heavy duty folders are in fact folders with some heavier duty parts in the system that come together combined with some light duty parts they want to think is enough to justifiy bringing up its strength rating.
For examples lets look at any typical Emerson thin liner locking folder. Also keep in mind that when I read "hard use" I expect to see hard use components making up the system. Ok go ahead shout to the roof tops that you wish I'd shut up but hey, the guy asked.
What does the system of the EKI liner lock consist of?
The system consists of a massively strong 1/4" pivot barrel with 3/8" heads.
Most of the productions today have 3/16" stop pins but in the past some of the early ones were between 3/32 and 1/8" ones.
The liners are Westinghouse G10 which is special made for Emerson and quite strong by itself and fairly rigid but more so in conjunction with the titanium liners makes for a strong folder mostly. However it still flexes so thicker stock would make it even stronger and less likely to flex. The blade is a thicker grind 1/8" stock of a quality steel and since they are thicker primary grinds and more obtuse in the grind technique for both V and the chisel grinds, the blade is also going to be thicker cross sectionally. So what you have are all the tell tale obvious signs throughout the system that strength is being made a priority in this folder.
Then we come to the lock. Which in this system is the obvious weak link in the chain. In fact compared to the other parts of the system the lock is a real puzzle to me. Why do that? You've gone all this way toward making a complete strong folder and then this??? The longer the knives are, (and many Emersons are longer) the more leverage you can get on the handle which adds up to more pounds of pressure on the contact for the lock and pivot area and more flex laterally.
The contact ramp or interface is steep on EKI knives and many slide off the lock after a certain pressure is reached and most defeat easily with simple flex and wrist torque. I've seen and had folks write me about it a lot over the time I've been working on knives and many contact me for rebuilding them just for something that occurred making them hate the lock or at least no longer trust it. The problem for most is that they get addicted to Ernie's grips which are hard to find equal to. The thickness is no more than we see on non tactical gentlemans folders and flies in the face of everything else in the system that is above and beyond expectations. In fact in typical Kershaw thin liner locks and Spyderco's Military which are the same thickness they surpass the Emersons in strength by quite a bit because these are hardened steel and not titanium locks. Not only do these wear better but a .040 stainless lock is as strong or stronger than a titanium one of .075 thickness. So even a Kershaw gents liner lock that is non tactical will have what I'd call a better lock suited to better balance in this system than the one currently used.
For these reasons the folder is only as strong as its weakest point. On the Emersons: The pivot barrel may as well be 1/8" diameter and the stop pin also. No need for a Ti liner on the non lock side at all since the liner there now is basically just adding weight. In other words to my eye the knife would be more balanced as a system that way than it is now which is so out of balance its surprising so many accept it. But even made as I've said here in this paragraph the lock would still be the weaker part of the system.
The point is, harsh as it may be that all this overkill in other areas of the system combined with a gents folder lock doesn't make a heavy duty folder. This is especially true when you can look at other competitive products and find other more balanced stronger knives overall for less money. The JunkYardDogII for example is much stronger and much more balanced overall as a system.
The Manix, Mini Manix, HK34/14200 and 14205 and 14210 are all superbly balanced systems that are all on par with each other where the lock is as strong as the pivot which is as strong as the stop which is as strong as the body and liners. For the money these are (to me anyway) the bigger better deal comparison wise. I feel Ernie's HK knife the now designated CQC10 would still be availabe as the HK if he just made it more balanced and a frame lock calling it the HD10 but apparently he lost the line from them for the more balanced HK line from Benchmade. The Strider SnG is a far more balanced stronger knife and so is the Emerson HD7 and CQC12 even with their far too thin lock relief cut outs.
Truthfully its debateable and would be an interesting test to see if the lock of a Buck Strider 880 liner lock held up better than any of these thicker frame locks with the lock relief cut so thin. What happens is on most of these though is that the lock slides off the contact long before enough pressure is reached to kink or fold in the lock. Not always. On some that go all the way over you'll see them fold. Strength is not the frame locks forte'. In conversations with Sal Glesser this is why he doesn't make that many. They didn't impress him in testing. Reliability though they are high and in my opinion stregth wise well, so long as the lock stays on the contact they are still stronger than even a muscle bound high speed operator so they are one of my favorite type locks.
STR
