Liner lock?????

[Mandragore]

I would like to have your opinion about the liner lock system. I must say that this kind of lock seems to me a bit strange and not really secure. What do you think about that?

 

[stjames]

I think that there is a good three years worth of threads about the subject on this forum, try a search with "liner lock" as the in the subject heading. After you spend a few days reading all that you might have found an answer to the question.

 

[Steelwolf]

Mandragore: Sorry that there probably won't be a good answer coming through. There are alot of threads devoted to this topic, and comparison topics of liner lock vs. back lock vs. axis vs. blah blah blah.

The quick and dirty summary of opinions is this:
Some are good, some are crap. It depends very much on the actual implementation (is it cut away like the BM AFCK or Emersons, or is it fully exposed like in Spydie Viele) to determine how easily it can be compromised by your hand placement.

Then you also have to watch out for which company or maker is doing it and how much quality control they put in to it. It is a strong lock if done well, but can be compromised if not executed properly. It has some advantages over the other types of locks which make it worthwhile in some knife designs to use a liner lock instead of say an Axis lock.

Look at thickness of the liner being used, together with the length of the portion being used as the lock and whether there are any serious cutouts in the portion being used as the lock which might compromise the strength. Remember, if it is too thin and long, it might buckle under use. Also, where along the thickness of the blade tang does the liner engage it? Just engaged, middle of the blade, gone all the way to the other side? Check the angle of the mating faces as well. Too angled and it might slip, not enough and it may not engage properly.

Yikes... this is starting to sound like a discourse on the topic instead of a summary. I'll end it here and you can look up all the past discussions and form your own opinion.

 

[Firebat]

Originally posted by Mandragore
I would like to have your opinion about the liner lock system.

It's better than no lock at all.



Firebat

 

[Paul Work]

Some are better than others. Liner thickness is a major consideration.
Generally, the easier the liner is to access, the less secure it is.

Paul

 

[Paracelsus]

Liner-lock is the trademarked name of the blade-lock popularized by knifemaker extraordinaire, Michael Walker. This mechanism is probably the most common lock seen on modern production and custom folding knives today. It allows for easy one-hand opening and closing, hence its popularity.

It is not the strongest, best, or easiest to make lock for knives. It may suffer from premature wear if the liner is titanium. If you are terribly concerned about lock strength, the axis-lock and the frame-lock are both probably better mechanisms for one-handers if you must carry a broken knife. I still like the old fashioned lock-back and no-lock slip-joint folders.

You will find about 15 gazillion terabytes of information on knife locking mechanisms here in the BFC forums and archives by using the search function at the top of this page. Learn what the 'spine-whack' test is and how to do it without loosing any fingers. Have fun!

Para

 

[Alarion]

I like it.
Easy one-hand open and close. If well made offers all the safety needed from a knife for normal tasks.
ANY folding knife has a discontinuity between handle and blade with a device to create a temporary bond between the two. As any mechanical device it can and, eventually, will fail.
So, you need an "unbreakable" lock? Buy a full tang knife.