Lockback Question

[AFAustin]

I have noticed that with some lockbacks, when the knife is closed, you can press inward on both the blade and the lock and there is some "give" or bounce. With others, there is no movement.

Can someone please explain the difference in construction that makes this possible, and what it says, if anything, about the quality of the knife.

Thanks very much.

Andrew

 

[yablanowitz]

It usually is a function of where the kick of the blade hits the lockbar. On a long lockbar knife like the Buck 110, the blade kick hits the lockbar between the lockbar pivot pin and the locking notch. When you press in on the closed blade, the kick pushes the lockbar up, letting the tip of the blade move inward, often letting the tip hit the backspacer. On a short lockbar knife like the Al Mar Falcon, the blade kick hits the lockbar on the release side of the lockbar pivot. When you push in on the closed blade, the kick tries to lift the release end of the lockbar, but the latch end is resting on the blade tang, so the lever can't move.

 

[AFAustin]

Thanks for the reply. However, on my lockback knife that has movement, when you press on the closed blade the lockbar actually moves inward towards the blade.

I should add that when the knife is open, the blade locks up tight with no play.

Andrew

 

[yablanowitz]

Which end moves in, the latch end or the release end?

 

[pinnah]

Generally speaking, you can push the blade in because the kick is (correctly) holding the edge off of the bottom of the well. That is, it's designed to hold the blade off the bottom.

This is not a matter of quality, imo.

 

[yablanowitz]

Try to forgive the non-traditional knife, I had it in my pocket and it works to illustrate what I was saying. On this side, the kick of the blade contacts the lockbar about where the arrow shows. I can push the blade tip in on this blade.

On this blade the kick contacts the lockbar on the other side of the pivot screw, as shown by the arrow. I can't push the blade tip in on this blade.

It is just a function of the lock design, it has nothing to do with the quality of the knife.

 

[AFAustin]

Which end moves in, the latch end or the release end?

Yes, I see that I misread your earlier post. The release end moves inward; the front end moves outward.

Andrew

 

[AFAustin]

Thanks, pinnah, for your comment.

Thanks, yablanowitz, for the pics and explanation. It all makes sense now.

Andrew

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I got the FRN version of that knife Jack, one of my favorite EDC, great explanation, sorry now back on track.