Liner Locks Slipping/Failing?

Buckaholic

Buckaholic

Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
4,352
There is a recent thread that has just been started about the 889SBMF liner lock.

Here are some of my liner lock Bucks. I also have a few Alpha Folders that I was too lazy to walk to the closet and get outta their coffins. These were either on me (889SBMF) and 298GY, or on my desk.


In order:
172 BM TNT
298GY
Rosie Dorado 270
889 SBMF
298GY

All of these were opened "normally" and w/o any assist by me pushing on the liner lock once the blade was deployed.

Question: Has anyone ever had the liner lock on a Buck slip after it was deployed?
Look at the TNT below...that as an example of "hmmm, this pup might fail".
.
130220007-M.jpg
 
I'm still trying to figure out why pressure is exerted on the unsharpened spine of the blade, causing the knife to fold up, if the liner lock is faulty. If you're cutting up,down, or side to side, the pressure is against the sharpened edge of the blade, forcing the knife to remain open, even if the lock totally failed.:confused:
 
Good point Buck_110. I think you should be promoted to Buck_Agent_119...at least.
It is indeed a frame lock. DOH!!!
celeb005.jpg


Scott...I'm thinking if during some wierd contornist movement of the hand it may cause the lock bar to slip just enough to fail...on those knives that are hanging on a thread and just push the bar a bit to side and there ya go. Like the 270 and 889 in the pic above.
 
I don't know if you can disassemble the TNT, but on my kit knives, if I had one like that, i'd give the back of the blade a few swipes on a file to allow it to engage positively. If you do this, be very careful to match the angle of the grind on the back of the blade. If you make it steeper on the close side, it will result in a lockup that is MORE likely to fail.

I also have found that if I put a bit of oil on the pivot, it allows the blade to swing out a bit smoother, and ultimately ends up with the lock engaging slightly more positively. You can also see this same behavior if you flip the blade out instead of just opening it slowly. The lock bar typically will engage further across the blade the faster the knife is opened.

schiesz
 
O.K. Goose, I dont have a tripod and I think I had one too many Buddy weisers, but I think you guys can get the general idea, the one on the right is the G-10 handled model it appears to be slightly thicker in the liner lock dept :D
 
Buckaholic said:
Question: Has anyone ever had the liner lock on a Buck slip after it was deployed?
Click to expand...

Actually yes, both mine and my nephews Buck 186 Odyssey's would fail just from being pushed on with your hand.

They are the only Bucks I've had so far that I won't carry.
 
wh4f said:
O.K. Goose, I dont have a tripod and I think I had one too many Buddy weisers, but I think you guys can get the general idea, the one on the right is the G-10 handled model it appears to be slightly thicker in the liner lock dept :D
Click to expand...

What's the model numbers Jim?
??? and 889 on what side?
 
Last confederate,

I have a drawer full of Odyessy's and they all work just fine, If you don't want yours let me know...

I have EDC carried the 181 ats 34 buck for 9 years, never had it fail, use it a hundred times a day as a contractor/cabinetmaker.

To me a lock back by the very nature of where your hand supplies the pressure to the handle when pushing is far more likely to let go. The harder you squeeze the more likely it is to let go.

A liner lock is just the opposite, the hard you squeeze the harder you are jamming the lock over behind the blade
 
Well my Dads 882 is like a bank vault when it locks up. And I have never had any problems with any of Bucks liners or lockbacks either.
 
Guntotin_fool said:
Last confederate,

I have a drawer full of Odyessy's and they all work just fine, If you don't want yours let me know...

I have EDC carried the 181 ats 34 buck for 9 years, never had it fail, use it a hundred times a day as a contractor/cabinetmaker.
Click to expand...

Don't know if it makes a difference, but both of these were the cheaper versions, you could hold them in your hand and push the back of the blade with the palm of your off hand, just like a slipjoint, and both of them the locks would slip right off.

Could of just been a few bad ones, if memory serves they were both bought at the same Wal-Mart within months of each other.
 
My SBMF failed on a light spine whack so I sent it back (from New Zealand) and the blade was replaced - but sadly it still fails and sending it back again is just too costly.

There are just too many reports of liner lock failure to suggest they come from one batch - sounds like a tolerance issue.

When I saw "light" spine whack, I mean the weight of the knife alone hitting my concrete garage floor causes it to unlock.

It's my beater knife now and defeinitely not treated as a locking knife.
 
I only have one Buck liner lock (an Alpha Dorado) and have had no trobule with the lock failing. Although I much say it seems thin and overly clunky to work compared to a CRKT liner lock that I have.

Goose: does the lock on your TNT engage more if you push it over? I'd be worried about it failing too.
 
Messersmith said:
I only have one Buck liner lock (an Alpha Dorado) and have had no trobule with the lock failing. Although I much say it seems thin and overly clunky to work compared to a CRKT liner lock that I have.

Goose: does the lock on your TNT engage more if you push it over? I'd be worried about it failing too.
Click to expand...

Yes Messy, it will go almost to the middle. But it requires a good push and then it stays put :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top