liner lock o.k. ?

R

rprocter

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this is my first attempt to post pics., so i hope it works (i.e., that i can do it).
i recently purchased a spyderco BG-42 military and a lone wolf harsey T1. the liner lock on the T1 does not come over enough to be fully under the base of the blade (only ~ 1/4 of the liner is engaged under the blade). is this adequate? i can push it across with my thumb, but it won't go there on it's own.
 
I personally think it's not right for the liner to move after the blade is locked open. I would send it in.
 
it may take some time for the burrs to wear down and the liner to engage more fully.

even partially engaged, it would be difficult to get the liner to fail in general use.
 
Liner locks are great but only when proper fit and finish brings them to full lock up. I send any problem with a LL back for repair right away.
 
I recently purchased the Emerson CQC -14 Stubby (or Snubby) and the liner engages like the one on your Lone Wolf. I got with the folks at Emerson and they feel like the functionability of the liner is fine and that it will wear in properly. I have tested the lock and it seems to be rather secure -- even with only part of the liner engaging the tang. I decided to not send it back...at least not yet.

The lock up on your Spyderco is beatiful...don't you agree. I do like Spyderco knives...they may not be pretty, but they are good, hard working knives.
:)
 
That Spyderco lock is outstanding! Both the thickness of the lock and how they've radiused the tang to keep a tite fit if any wear occurs is brilliant.
 
Spydercos ARE preety in their own way and a tremendous cutter.

Liner lock on my Buck Alpha Dorado one of the best I've seen, but got a German Böker recently through the post and the liner looks lethally weak, not a cheap knife either.

Great 1st time pix by the way.
 
Top pic, no.
Bottom pic, yes.

Don't use it until it goes to that bottom position EVERY time you open it.
If it won't, it needs factory adjustment.

:eek:
 
I love liner locks. Unfortunately the only liner locking knife I ever had that locked up worth a damn was a Junglee (sells for under $20 at most places now, if its the same quality as it was back when I had one, its easily as good of a deal as the Byrd line, if not better).

Every other liner or frame lock I've had has failed (quite easily) the spine whack test. Of course, they were on the cheap end too... But I'd say if it passed the spine whack test then don't worry about it.
 
I generally stay away from liner locks, but my friend's Millie has impressed me, and the Zero Tolerance 0200 I checked out last night impressed me a lot. The lock bar was huge (almost like a framelock, it even has a cutout in the lockbar like a framelock), and the pivot was Heavy Duty to say the least, along with great fit and finish. I look forward to handling one in the passaround I am signed up for. I think my main issue with liner locks, assuming you get a high quality one, is accidental disengagement from twisting. I've personally never had it happen, but it is a possibility, and Spyderco has me hooked on lockbacks so I haven't really given many liner locks a serious look lately.

Mike
 
I have never had lock with Lone Wolf...and I can tell you that is NOT right. The tang should never engage like that and it can indeed be a hazard.
 
I have a Blue Almite Walker and the liner lock engages just like that photo of the Military's lock. Spyderco does indeed do a good job on liner locks.
 
Does it want to come back to 1/4 engaged when you push it further across the tang? If so the liner doesn't have the proper bend to it.
 
The Military's "mating" of the locking bar and tang seems superb.

I've generally sworn-off liner locks after my Smith and Wesson SWAT (yes I know waht POS's they are now but I didn't at the time in '99) failed and nicked me in the pinky. But after I held and closed, with two hands at that, a Black Hawk Crucible, I'm beginning to reconsider what a WELL-MADE one can be a good knife as well.
 
It might wear in.

But it does point out the difficulty of liner lock manufacture. It has to be spot on every time - almost custom fitting, just like the inventor Michael Walker, who hand fit each one on his custom knives.

I don't see it as a good design for mass production because too few "knife engineers" understand the working concepts and enforce the hand fitting operations necessary on the assembly line. The bean counters take over and ship marginal work. Sal Glesser obviously keeps his in line, but others knuckle under to the profit gods.
 
I don't go by looks alone. I have had knives with a liner lock that moved all the way across the tang, and still closed easily (no spine whack needed just some hand pressure). I have also hade some that looked like maybe half way endaged which were rock solid. So test and see if it locks up tightly or not and make a judgement on that.

If it locks good then you are good. If it doesn't then send it in for repair. However just from the phot it seems as if it is just barely catching an edge of the tang and could be unreliable.
 
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