I wish there was a stainless 0560.

Dan57 said:
If a titanium framelock has good geometry and is carbidized or carburized, it shouldn't experience any perceptible wear after it's broken in. The only real advantage to a stainless lock is price.
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The fact that some of us like the feel of stainless frame locks is real, too. :D
 
jimmer_5 said:
It's intersting that you guys bring this up - I have been thinking about this basic idea for some time - the stainless framelock part.

I am making NO promises here, but I have always wondered if people would buy a ZT knife with a nice, cleanly machined stainless framelock. I think there is a belief that stainless framelocks belong on sub $100 knives. But look at an 0350 - the MSRP is $175. I'm not even sure if it makes sense for us, but would people pay $200 for a cool knife wit ha stainless framelock?

The other side of this is that titanium has a magical sort of cachet - it's just really cool, and always seems to add value.

I will be curious to see how people respond to this topic.
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I would definitely get on board with this. I absolutely love a good, strong stainless framelock. One of my biggest gripes with them is that a lot manufacturers incorporate them into their bargain choices rather than their high end lines. One of my favorite knives to come out in the last few years was the OD-1. Great stainless framelock with a blade steel that I love and a G-10 non-locking scale. That's another thing I feel is lacking the current knife market, high quality stainless framelocks with a G-10 or FRN non-locking scale.

That being said, yes, I would definitely pay a premium price for a stainless 0560 (or 0350 or any other knife) with a high-end stainless framelock.

Now, that being said, let me pitch an idea. I got a Cryo a couple months ago. I purchased (although haven't received yet) a carbon fiber non-locking scale from gatorscales to try out. This got me thinking about a couple of additions to the Cryo line-up. I think that there should be two additional Cryos. The Cryo 3 & 4 (provided neither of those numbers are already taken) should be US produced Kershaws with 14C28N, with a stainless framelock on the locking side and G-10 and an aggressively milled (a la 0550 and 0560) stainless liner on the non-locking side. The blade should have the same stonewashed finish that the Knockout carries. Their sizes should mirror the Cryo 1 & 2 respectively. I think, given the current Cryo's success, that these would sell like hot chocolate on a cold day.

Now, with all of that being said, I think there is one thing out there that could kill my love of the stainless framelock. That innovation is the sub-frame lock. I haven't been able to keep my Knockout out of my pocket since I got it earlier this year. I'm carrying two knives (three counting my SAK) because I can't leave the Knockout at home but need to give one of the other guys pocket time. I think that if the sub-frame lock is incorporated into more knives in the Kershaw line-up, I'll be hard pressed to still love my full steel framelocks as much. The lightweight/high strength combination offered by the Knockout is just unbeatable, IMO.
 
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You know, I'd be satisfied with something exactly like an OD-1 but with a regular flipper rather than the OD mechanism. Maybe a slightly beefier tip while I'm dreaming. :D

And yes, I love the OD-1, but I like the guard that a flipper provides for some uses.
 
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