Liner lock knife in any high stress life or death type situation

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reflex_Lin

Joined
Feb 11, 2004
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I am curious to know what is your opinion in above topic. Many high-end tactical folders are still made by liner lock. Do you 100% trust your liner lock knife in the life or death type situation?
Thank you for your opinion!!
 
it depends on the liner lock, a liner lock by a good manufacturer (ie emerson/pat crawford/etc) is good enuff imho, i certainly trust my emerson spec war and crawford folders 100%, of course a CRKT/etc, who knows, ya gotta check them occasionally imho, by LIGHTLY tapping the top of the blade on wood/etc to check the engagement, most of the better knives i have (ie spyderco/emerson/BM/buck/etc) pass regularly, others dont, and ya can have probs w/any knife.

that said i think the axis lock is better, though the inventor/designer of the BM AFCK made a pretty good case against the axis for a SD folder in the tac forums, so if ya want ya can sharp shoot any of them. frame lock is good too imho, but same deal, also the lockback is good. dont even get me started on the rolling lock by REKAT, lol.

but a well designed well executed liner lock by a reputable maker is hard to beat in my experience, ie a custom folder, a BM/spyderco/etc will have to be watched as they wear some..

greg
 
reflex_Lin said:
I am curious to know what is your opinion in above topic. Many high-end tactical folders are still made by liner lock. Do you 100% trust your liner lock knife in the life or death type situation?
Thank you for your opinion!!
Click to expand...

You might want to run a search on this topic. You will literally find a week's worth of solid reading on this subject. I find that some liner locks that I own seem a bit better than others. I don't think you can ask if "liner locks" are trustworthy. Some are, some might not be. Depends on who made it and the design. Kind of like asking if "cars are fast?" Some are, some aren't.

I fully trust most of mine, as I try only to buy well made knives.
 
A liner-lock?...No thanks!...The only lock that I trust MY fingers to 100% is a Benchmade Axis-lock.
 
Hey Guys...

For SD I still prefer a fixed blade...
Even a small fixed blade in my opinion is better than any folder with any lock...

ttyle

Eric...
 
How is the spyder Compression lock, a variety of liner lock?
Does anyone has experience with it?
 
Normark said:
Hey Guys...

For SD I still prefer a fixed blade...
Even a small fixed blade in my opinion is better than any folder with any lock...
ttyle
Eric...
Click to expand...

Eric: You are 100% right. No folder can compare, in strength, to a good fixed blade.
 
Just FYI, the compression lock really isn't a liner-lock variant, the way it works and is implemented is totally different, though on the surface it looks similar.

In a life or death situation, I'd prefer a fixed blade first and foremost. Then a balisong. Then maybe the AXIS-lock or compression lock, followed by a lock-back (among the more popular lock formats). A production liner-lock would be lower on the list, although reliable production liner-locks certainly exist.

Edited: Completely forgot about balis.
 
I agree, a fixed blade will be the better solution. But if I have to use a folding knife, I widely prefer a frame-lock mechanism. My own fingers are putting the scale/lock in closed position, and I'm able to feel if it goes away.

I also will trust an axis lock system. I don't like complex mechanisms (difficult maintenance and more there are parts in a mechanism more probable is the possibility something can break) but since the axis-lock uses two omega springs it seems to be reliable and the principle itself gives a strong lock. ;)
 
The potential for failure is there with any folding knife, regardless of mechanism. Trust any of them 100% with your life?
Not hardly. That would be stupid.
 
OwenM said:
The potential for failure is there with any folding knife, regardless of mechanism. Trust any of them 100% with your life?
Not hardly. That would be stupid.
Click to expand...
But if I'm someplace that won't allow me to carry a pistol or a fixed-blade knife, an Axis-lock Benchmade (805) is still better than a sharp stick or a rock.:).
 
The only "lock" I trust is a fixed-blade. See, it is so strong that literally u can't close the blade back to the handle. ;)
 
Got to agree with the fixed blade theory as the best. Course if you don't carry a fb then a folder is the next best thing. Like Greg said it boils down to the manufactuer of the liner lock. There are many liner locks out there but not all are equal! The geometry of the lock is the most important part on a liner lock and a framelock. When done correctly the liner lock will hold up to a lot of stress, the problem with the liner lock comes when when you twist the knife as it may cause the liner to disengage.....no matter how well it is built. The framelock suffers from the same thing but not to the same degree as the tighter you grip the handle on the framelock the more you reinforce the lock area. I know that some folks don't subscribe to that theory, but I do. Axis lock is probably the least likely to be affected by the twisting.

My $.02 worth, and as usual probably only worth about $.01!! :eek: :D :grumpy:
 
i trust my Spydie Military about as much as any folder, but if i at all possible i'd have a fixed blade.
 
Normark said:
Even a small fixed blade in my opinion is better than any folder with any lock...
Click to expand...

I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree. Obviously everyone has different priorities, but here's my reasoning...

I think the best of the folders available now are far stronger than any stress they're likely to encounter, even during blade-on-blade contact during a fight. Once strength stops being an issue I would rather have the much greater reach that I can get in a folder of any given length.

The Camillus Aftermath I carry every day is only 6" long when closed. The closest fixed blade I have to that size is a Microtech Medallion necker at 5.75", although it is actually longer and bulkier than the Aftermath when you include its sheath. The Medallion has a 2-1/2" blade, no guards, and falls just short of a full 3-finger grip. The Aftermath has a 5-1/2" blade, dual guards, a full-hand grip, and a striking pommel. When I compare the two in my hand the Aftermath actually has over 4" more reach than the Medallion. In a defensive situation I would much rather have the Aftermath.

I actually favor small to medium fixed blades for utility and backup, but large folders are my primary defensive blades.

--Bob Q
 
OwenM said:
The potential for failure is there with any folding knife, regardless of mechanism.
Click to expand...

The potential for failure is there with any knife, fixed blade or folder. Folders have more possible points of failure because of their greater mechanical complexity, but meaningful risk analysis is a lot more complicated than that.

I trust my life every day to a semi-automatic handgun that is vastly more complex than any folding knife. Is a knife therefore always going to be a better weapon to rely on than a handgun? You have to take into account a lot of factors when making decisions like this and many of them will vary with the person and with their environment.

--Bob Q
 
As others have said, depends on who made it, so far, the ONLY liner lock I own that i would trust 100% is made by JW SMith, no matter how you grip it, it stays put, this because, first, the geometry is dead on, sounds easy, but in reality, many makers, even highly regarded ones, dont always get it right, second, JWS gives the liner lock bar a VERY strong bend to the right. this makes it very secure, I generally dont like a liner or framelock that has a bar with a relatively weak bend. I have heard makers say they dont give the lock too strong a bend because the lock will stick, or get stuck, and yet, JWS has as strong a bend as you'll find, with literally zero sticking, other makers would do well to study his techniques, and angles I think. :)

As others said, framelocks generally dont suffer from inadvertant disengagement, and I have several I trust completely, a Strider SnG, a Sebenza, all of my TnT's, a Tighe, and others.
 
I've yet to see a slip on any of my Spyderco and Benchmade liners. I don't personally know of anyone having a failure. Don't know that there is much data on slips in life or death struggles. Would I trust the lock on a Military or AFCK if faced with an ugly situation - YUP!
 
Loki said:
I've yet to see a slip on any of my Spyderco and Benchmade liners. I don't personally know of anyone having a failure. Don't know that there is much data on slips in life or death struggles. Would I trust the lock on a Military or AFCK if faced with an ugly situation - YUP!
Click to expand...

i have had liner probs on both BM and spyderco, though i must say its a rare prob w/BM, as far as my experience. of all the BM knives i have had (lots of them, 20+) only 1 has had liner issues, while a couple of spydercos have, still pretty good though imho. lots better than some.


greg
 
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