Have you seen your lockbacks fail?

Never had a Buck 110 fail.

But, I did have a Gerber EZ-Out fail. The knife was not used much, but the lock failed during regular use and light pressure. Didn't even do a spine whack test or abuse that knife.
Threw it away along with another EZ-Out - couldn't ethically sell them to anyone with such poor locks...
 
After years of hard use my Buck 110 is very lose, the blade retention when folded is almost gone, however it still locks and wont fold. its just loose.
 
bchan77 said:
Count me old-fashioned, but I like lockbacks. I haven't seen my lockbacks fail, but I would like to know the experiences of others. Have you seen your lockbacks fail, and under what circumstances? (I have no intention to start a debate on the relative merits of the various locking mechanisms).
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and you should continue to like them and use them:thumbup:
If it folds it can fail, right tool for the right job... if you are prying or poking and using alot of force you shouldnt be using a folding knife of any kind unless its an emergency, etc.
all this spine whack non sense isnt needed if you grew up carrying slipjoints:D
You misuse it it bites you and if you are smart you dont repeat it.
Spine whack your new knife, screw it up and then tell the manufacturer what you did to screw it up see if they cover it, i doubt it.
ivan
 
I've been using a Byrd Robyn really hard. It had a few spine whacks, a couple drops and just general hard use and it hasn't had a single problem with the lock. I've always felt confident with lock-backs...
 
I've never had a lockback fail. Of course, I've never had any lock fail and I don't go easy on my knives.

There are at least nine Buck lockbacks in my collection, and the 110 is my favorite design by any maker ever. The oldest 110 I have is from 1972 and it locks up solid with no play and no hint of possible failure. The newest 110 is from 2005 and it's just as solid. I also have a relatively new (2005) 55 that's solid, a 501 from 1991 that's solid and an old 503 (not sure of the date, micarta scales and 440C blade) that's solid.

I've never spine whacked them. I've never had a reason or desire to spine whack them.
 
I've never had any lock on my knives fail. I know what jobs fixed blades are for. ;)
 
bchan77 said:
Count me old-fashioned, but I like lockbacks. I haven't seen my lockbacks fail, but I would like to know the experiences of others. Have you seen your lockbacks fail, and under what circumstances? (I have no intention to start a debate on the relative merits of the various locking mechanisms).
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Hi Bchan,

Lockbacks, like any lock, can fail in certain circumstances. The most common is, as mentioned, a build up of lint in the well of the lock in the tang which stops the "hammer" from fully engaging.

I have seen locks fail from very hard spine wacks. We call that "death by spike wack". Many knife buyers don't realize that locks are tiny bits of precision, heat treated metal parts that are carefully fitted together. Not made for "hammering".

Lock geometries are challenging to get right and the lock-back is one of the more difficult.

While it may sound like a sales pitch, the company that makes the knife really has to pay attention to the details in lock manufacture. We Lightly spine tap each knife in manufacture through out the process. We also add long "kicks" or "finger choils" to most of our models for that "extra" bit of safety. The kick or choil will hit your finger instead of the edge. We also have breaking strengths attached to each model, which are regularly checked by breaking them with a special machine that measures the force to break the lock.

I think that it is important to regularly clean out the lock well with a toothpick or pin. I also think it's a good idea to lightly tap the spine tip occasionally. you are not tryng to see how strong tht lock is, just see if the lock is holding. If it's going to slip, it will do it on a light tap.

sal
 
cheap lockback when i was nine. i could hold the blade and let the handle fall with just its weight
 
Never but I use them as folders. I have a five year old Gerber EZ in my pocket right now that has been used a lot with no problems at all.
 
Spine whacks mean very little in my book. If someone's holding a knife, and someone else whacks its spine, there's still an excellent chance it won't give even if it fails spine whacks against a table. The reason is that when held, the hand acts as a bit of a shock absorber. When whacked against a table, it's actually getting a more direct blow. That's why it's very rare to see a decent lockback fail.

In a combat situation, lockbacks are generally acceptable by most experts like Massad Ayoob and Eugene Sockut. A fixed knife obviously will be better, but the whole idea is to avoid blows coming anywhere near the spine of the knife, where they're just as likely to knock the blade out of your hand.

For stances and dirty tricks, I recommend (with great aversion) books by Marc "Animal" MacYoung. He's a guy who, right or wrong, has been in the wrong place at the wrong time innumerable times and has seen all sorts of low blows and assaults. Entertaining reading, albeit he's the kind of guy you might see on a Jerry Springer show. Still, he adds insights that others often lack.
 
well, it seems kind of silly to me to put unnessasary force on the backside of a blade, that is not what they are designed for. I would be pissed if I put a lot of pressure on the CUTTING edge and it failed but not the back edge.
 
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