Leek, Liner vs. Frame Lock

J.Mattson

J.Mattson

Joined
Sep 10, 2007
Messages
2,518
Hey I’m gonna ad a Leek to my collection and was wondering if there is any difference in strength functionality etc. between the models with the frame lock and the liner lock?
 
Framelocks are generally thought of as a more "solid" lock than a linerlock.
But, of all the Leeks I've carried, I've never had issues with any of them locking or unlocking.
And I have a lot of Leeks. :D

mike
 
Ah, the age old question as to the quality of a liner lock. Keep in mind that the following is just my opinion, based on my experiences.

At this point, most of my Kershaws are liner lock. I have found that the liner tab has always had perfect placement, which by my definition has the liner tab falling on the first third of the tang. As well, Kershaw grinds a nice radius on the tang to further improve on the safety of the lock. All of my liner lock Kershaws exhibit a perfect lockup with no play whatsoever. I have never had a failure involving a liner lock.

Now as to the relative strength of a frame lock, I am sure that few would argue as to the greater strength of the frame lock. You are dealing with a much thicker locking tab which only increases the security of the lock as your grip increases. In addition, the frame lock will tend to resist failure due to torque on the handle.

All in all, I prefer the frame lock for it's simplicity and security. That said, a well made liner lock will give many years of dependable service and I don't hesitate to purchase a good liner lock knife.

I hope that helps.
 
Thanks for your comments, what about the speed with which the blade deploys? Would the increased thickness of the lock have any effect?
 
I have Leeks with both style locks. I like the frame locks better but have never had a problem with the liner locks. I can't prove it...but my S30V/G10 Leeks seem to fire faster than most if not all of frame lock leeks.
 
I have a NIP Rainbow Leek I have been looking to trade/sell...gimme a holla if you ever interested and let me know what's on the trading block for you :-)

J.Mattson said:
Hey I’m gonna ad a Leek to my collection and was wondering if there is any difference in strength functionality etc. between the models with the frame lock and the liner lock?
Click to expand...
 
Wavester, please change your post above.
You will recieve an infraction for posting about trading/selling in a non-selling part of the forum.

Just a heads up. ;)

mike
 
It doesn't matter too much to me but all things being equal I would probably lean towards the framelock.
 
I've seen liner locks I wouldn't let my dogs play with. The same goes for some frame locks.

However, I've never had a bad lock of any type from Kershaw. The interface of the tang and lock are all within incredibly tight tolerances.

I check all of my EDC's on a regular basis, and have no fear of any lock Kershaw puts out. The older Kershaws I have that have seen a lot of use still lock up incredibly tight.
 
morrowj_98 said:
I have Leeks with both style locks. I like the frame locks better but have never had a problem with the liner locks. I can't prove it...but my S30V/G10 Leeks seem to fire faster than most if not all of frame lock leeks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and you just acquired a couple more too didn't you!?! :D
I missed the PGT. argh

mike
 
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