Let Me Know Your Opinion? Frame Lock, Liner Lock, Flipper, Thumb Hole?

Niall88

Niall88

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Aug 29, 2022
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I really want to hear from others who have owned and used many knives. I have bought, sold, owned and used, Medford, Hinderer, Reeves, Spyderco and many others. Sure, they are all fun and have their specific uses, and variety is the spice of life. However, when I ask myself, how many knives do I need or want? What is it I am looking for in a knife? And when I finally force myself out of the seduction of getting new knives for my collection, and ground my thinking down to ultimate practicality for EDC use, here is where I end up...and I am wondering what your opinions are as well? After all the knives I have owned, I have to admit, if I were forced to only keep two knives in my collection for EDC use, it would be the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 (3.5" blade) and the Military (4" blade). What it came down to for me was this...do I really want to carry and use a $500 or $600 knife with titanium scales and how am I going to feel if I drop the knife on the cement and bash up those scales? In addition, another factor that came to me was this...if I have to pull a knife out of my pocket to protect myself in an emergency, I want that knife to open easy and efficiently. If I drop the knife or beat it up, it seems like I would not be brokenhearted if I beat up G10 scales a bit. Also, In an emergency situation, I dont want to be putting pressure on a frame lock and not be able to open the knife quickly. My conclusion, after all the knives I have owned is that the two Spyderco knives I mentioned above just seem to fit perfectly into practical EDC use. So, aside from enjoying being a knife collector, and speaking strictly in terms of practicality, daily use, not worrying about trashing a knife from hard use, I have come to be in deep appreciation of the two Spyderco knives I mentioned above. Your thoughts?
 
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I fall into the category of buying folders in the $20 to $150 range. In fact, most of my fixed also do, with the exception of a Carothers I just purchased used from a member here. (I have read so many good things about them, I thought it was worth trying one).

I don't focus to much on deployment speed, as much as I do in lock integrity and hand comfort.

Due to this, I seem to gravitate to back locks and thumb studs/holes. I enjoy flippers but in my uses the tab sorta gets in the way more often than not. I also don't care for frame locks as much since they just don't seem as comfortable in my hand as a liner lock can be.
 
MolokaiRider, yes, I agree, that is where I have ended up in my perception of knife reality. And unwisefool, you are way more enlightened than I am! Not sure how I would feel about dinging up titanium scales!
 
No, you don't want a Medford or any of that. You want a good, slicey Spyderco, that has many aftermarket scale options and factory scale options (got one in beautiful Ti, but my micarta Cruwear is a fantastic carry, or my dye-able blue FRN K390 knives, or aluminum, or milled copper, Carbon Fiber, etc etc,), there is a steel for everyone, a material, a combo for everyone in Spyderco.

The knives are not so expensive you will not use it, but are still very beautiful. My closest knife to a Strider is a Shaman, like $250 for micarta and CPM-M4, shaved hair after beating the knife into hard wood making a walking stick and shoving it into trees to find the sap (factory edge!), it is amazing.

What do you want to do and what size do you want to do it in? Do you like the usual S35VN, M390, 20CVs or something like Rex 45 or K390, cause all of that is readily available. You can get an easier to sharpen steel like Cruwear or XHP, standard production, or wait a bit or do some searching and get a good deal on an exclusive! If it isn't out, it came out or is coming out again. Want some stain-free steel? H-1 or LC200N and the coming Magnacut. Want some pretty much stainless steel? The standard S45VN or BD1N, use the latter as a kitchen knife steel.

You can do it all with Spyderco, I feel. They have kind of destroyed a lot of other brands to me, and the framelock is overrated.

View attachment 1914974

20220829_175548.jpg

Notable combos include
CPM-20CV wharncliffe in the form of the Yojimbo 2
Carbon Fiber and XHP in the classic Chapparal
Engraved and anodized titanium that costs less and looks better than a Strider
Steels like Rex 45 and K390 in a simple, FRN lightweight package
 
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Spyderholes and compression locks are my favorite users but variety is the spice of life. I have flippers and studs & nail nicks also along with frame and llinerlocks plus back locks and slipjoints.
 
Hashishiin said:
No, you don't want a Medford or any of that. You want a good, slicey Spyderco, that has many aftermarket scale options and factory scale options (got one in beautiful Ti, but my micarta Cruwear is a fantastic carry, or my dye-able blue FRN K390 knives, or aluminum, or milled copper, Carbon Fiber, etc etc,), there is a steel for everyone, a material, a combo for everyone in Spyderco.

The knives are not so expensive you will not use it, but are still very beautiful. My closest knife to a Strider is a Shaman, like $250 for micarta and CPM-M4, shaved hair after beating the knife into hard wood making a walking stick and shoving it into trees to find the sap (factory edge!), it is amazing.

What do you want to do and what size do you want to do it in? Do you like the usual S35VN, M390, 20CVs or something like Rex 45 or K390, cause all of that is readily available. You can get an easier to sharpen steel like Cruwear or XHP, standard production, or wait a bit or do some searching and get a good deal on an exclusive! If it isn't out, it came out or is coming out again. Want some stain-free steel? H-1 or LC200N and the coming Magnacut. Want some pretty much stainless steel? The standard S45VN or BD1N, use the latter as a kitchen knife steel.

You can do it all with Spyderco, I feel. They have kind of destroyed a lot of other brands to me, and the framelock is overrated.
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Excellent response. Thank you!
 
I like button locks, liner locks, nail nicks, etc.

I'm kinda over frame locks. I have this quirk where I like to have both sides of the handles to look the same. I don't care for "show side" where one side is really nice and the other is plain Ti or whatever.
 
I'm typcally not concerned about the self defense thing. I dropped my Inkosi 12 foot onto some concrete one time and it barely scratched it. It hit hard too it was a bad fall.

Honestly, Im starting to like the idea of a three blade traditional folder for practical use. Keep one or two blades razor sharp and have a beater blade all in one knife. Maybe the old guys had it figured out.

PM2 is a great knife. I like mine alot too!
 
Danke42 said:
Spyderholes and compression locks are my favorite users but variety is the spice of life. I have flippers and studs & nail nicks also along with frame and llinerlocks plus back locks and slipjoints.
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Yep, variety seems to keep us humans from getting board!
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
I like button locks, liner locks, nail nicks, etc.

I'm kinda over frame locks. I have this quirk where I like to have both sides of the handles to look the same. I don't care for "show side" where one side is really nice and the other is plain Ti or whatever.
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I think I am kinda over frame locks as well. It took a while, but I think I have arrived.
 
For me if I had to keep only 2 from my collection, SAK aside since I will always have one of them, it would have to be my ZT 0562 (flipper) and my new Hogue Ritter. They are very similar in size, material, weight and shape. All things I look for in my EDC folders.
 
Niall88 said:
Excellent response. Thank you!
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Edited my post to show a smattering of various Spyderco options, from top-steels like K390 on lightweight frames, to S45VN on anodized engraved Ti, and all in between, by the way. :) But, even the variety there is just my taste and there is a LOT more to be had.

Two other thoughts that I had that might be relevant for you here:
1. After using knives with a Spydiehole for a long time, and switching to a knife with studs for a bit (the Buck 110 LW being what I am thinking of here, cutting bread loaves), the stud started to seriously annoy me with the way it was hindering the cutting some. It is not a big deal, just a small comfort thing, but it's nice to have no protrusions there. Small knives (eg, not a huge Cold Steel where you have a ton of length) with a thumb PLATE are the worst for hindering cutting, though. Nothing against studs, just... holes are good.
2. The framelock, some like it, some do not, but the fact is, the back-lock and compression lock are just more reliable and stronger than a framelock through testing done (even Spyderco's liner-lock held up in testing above a framelock, and the CBBL lock is very strong, like a better Axis lock). Many safer locks than a framelock.

Hope you get a ripping awesome new knife! Also, in relation to the post above me, I have never looked back from Swiss Army Knives, you can bet I always have a nice, strong Spyderco and a Swiss Army Knife on my person, every day! :)
 
mmyron1 said:
For me if I had to keep only 2 from my collection, SAK aside since I will always have one of them, it would have to be my ZT 0562 (flipper) and my new Hogue Ritter. They are very similar in size, material, weight and shape. All things I look for in my EDC folders.
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I looked at the ZT 0562 and the Hogue Ritter, I see why you like them.
 
Spyderco is probably my favorite knife maker overall. CRK would be second but lately their prices have been turning me off.

I like thumb studs and holes. Hate flippers

I like almost every type of lock out there. Titanium frame locks being at the top of the list. Liner locks , compression locks , back locks , Ball Bearing/Axis cross bar-type locks are all great too.

I’d like to try out a Medford but I’m hesitant to drop $800 on a single knife. But ya never know.

I’m not a slip joint fan but I do have a slight obsession with SAK’s. Love ‘em.
 
Hashishiin said:
Edited my post to show a smattering of various Spyderco options, from top-steels like K390 on lightweight frames, to S45VN on anodized engraved Ti, and all in between, by the way. :) But, even the variety there is just my taste and there is a LOT more to be had.

Two other thoughts that I had that might be relevant for you here:
1. After using knives with a Spydiehole for a long time, and switching to a knife with studs for a bit (the Buck 110 LW being what I am thinking of here, cutting bread loaves), the stud started to seriously annoy me with the way it was hindering the cutting some. It is not a big deal, just a small comfort thing, but it's nice to have no protrusions there. Small knives (eg, not a huge Cold Steel where you have a ton of length) with a thumb PLATE are the worst for hindering cutting, though. Nothing against studs, just... holes are good.
2. The framelock, some like it, some do not, but the fact is, the back-lock and compression lock are just more reliable and stronger than a framelock through testing done (even Spyderco's liner-lock held up in testing above a framelock, and the CBBL lock is very strong, like a better Axis lock). Many safer locks than a framelock.

Hope you get a ripping awesome new knife! Also, in relation to the post above me, I have never looked back from Swiss Army Knives, you can bet I always have a nice, strong Spyderco and a Swiss Army Knife on my person, every day! :)
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I think Spyderco just nailed it with those spydieholes. I feel naked without my 4" Military in my pocket. And I keep trying to fall in love with other knives, but my Military just seems like it has naturally become the EDC I grab all the time.
 
Niall88 said:
I think Spyderco just nailed it with those spydieholes. I feel naked without my 4" Military in my pocket. And I keep trying to fall in love with other knives, but my Military just seems like it has naturally become the EDC I grab all the time.
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Ha, yeah, my knife carry has evolved quite a little bit, and I am totally in line with you there - my perfect space is about 4" of blade, on a good, user, do-it-all pocketknife, + a SAK, sometimes with a smaller "gentleman" knife. But that serrated Police 4 is my EDC, with the plainedge Native Chief as my backup. My pefect sweet-spot to not feel under-knifed, and those two models are quite friendly to the public due to their appearances (teal and orange), I have smaller knives that look scarier, my 2" Microtech, for example!

I used to carry a purpose-built SD folder at all times, along with a smaller pocketknife like the PM2 as a user, and then I thought I would just consolidate both of those things into a larger knife (Military, Police, Native Chief) and it has worked swimmingly. Still feel better with my wave attachment, though :) Even though I never use it, always open the knife slowly and consciously in public.
 
I’m a framelock guy, the Reeve lock is just what I like. I have flippers, thumb studs, hole and detent/fuller. I like them all.
 
Thumbstuds would be my least favorite. Really don't like them.

I've owned a decent amount of everything. Yhis weekend I handled a lot of different knives. Finally got to try a thumbdisc, didn't care for it either.

Spydie holes and front flippers are my favorite, followed by flippers.

Only thumbstud knives I like are my Southern Grind Spider Monkey and Demko ad20.5.

Just picked up a Biryukov front flipper as well as a Cheburkov one that has a stud and can be front flipped.

I don't like plain Ti, or framelocks, though I own a couple. I like a non-temperature sensitive handle material on both sides.

I like the Spyderco compression and cbbl locks, demko shark lock, liner locks.

Don't care for axis locks, or Benchmade in general.
 
For me I like flippers, thumb studs, well designed front flippers and the spyderco holes
I am fine with all locks other than back locks, also have no problem with an edc that is fairly costly, I think I really have only one or two that I am hesitant to carry
 
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