Lockbacks/linerlocks - yes or no?

NativeCraft said:
Oh good Lord - really?
I thought it was only thumb studs and pocket clips that were non-traditional. I recall seeing liner-lock trapper style knives many years ago.
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Never mind, now that I think about it there was a form of liner lock being used as far back as ww2 on the camillus folding machete and many traditionals do have brass liner locks ( I wouldn't want one though as that big brass tab looks very uncomfortable )
 
The "Walker Lock" liner lock that was designed with no back spring and a stop pin, for use on one hand opening knives, is a modern lock. These usually include a thumb stud or Spyder hole etc, and many also have pocket clips.

The liner locks on the TL-29 and similar slip joint knives are recognized as traditional. Just to clarify...
 
NativeCraft said:
Do you'd like lockbacks or liner locks on traditional knives - yes or no
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Well, I was going to comment on whether linerlocks were traditional, but Gary beat me to it.:thumbup::thumbup:

Since that's been taken care of I'll answer the original question by saying, "I prefer having neither, but if I have to have a lock, I prefer a lockback. I find them easy to close one-handed."
 
My two most recent purchases are both GEC #72's. One in grizzly cut bone, the other in green canvas micarta. The easy opening and firm lockup of the blade, along with the medium size make this my favorite GEC pattern. But, I always have either an old Case medium stockman or my recently purchased Case Peanut in my left front pocket.
Had to have a Peanut after reading Jackknife's Tales.
 
A survey of my traditional shelf reveals the following locking knives:

MAM Tipica
MAM Douro
Mercator K55K Black Cat
TL29
Buck 110
RR Swing Guard
RR Dogleg Jack
Opinel
Okapi/Kudu
 
Certainly do like a decent lockback, and I like the backspring/linerlock on Traditionals as well.

It may be a minority answer, don't care:D as some people might sneer at locks as being redundant 'if you use your knife correctly' etc. There have certainly been situations when I've been very grateful that my knife locks. I also like the precision of a lockback and the ease of opening, they have been around since the 1880s or possibly before so they are a longterm fact.

Moki certainly makes a really impressive smaller lockback, the precision and finish are way ahead of American traditional manufacturers, no gaps, no brass, no play and almost seamless mating between tang and spring. Just a pity their jigged bone is such rubbish (flaky, garish colour, cheap looking on my red one) I've never got into the big Buck 110 an important knife certainly but far too heavy and just too much brass for my liking (it stinks) other smaller Bucks with NS bolsters are much more to my liking. GEC's 83 is I think a wonderful small LB with excellent handle materials, my favoured Drop point and very good lockup and finish, their 99 is another quality item but a bit square in feel. I like the 73 with the addition of a liner tab, a very secure knife for cutting through tough plastics which can 'grab' you blade unpleasantly. So too is Queen's linerlock Teardrop a big favourite of mine and their compact but very sturdy Copperhead - a fine work-knife. As for Opinel, well the locking ring and lack of backspring is sheer simplicity and genius, this light knife is capable of nearly anything and it does it well. Finally, I'm a big fan of Fontenille-Pataud's discreet and clever lockback Laguioles - more precision masterclass.

In full, I like locks!

IMG_3501.jpg
 
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NMpops said:
I have a few lockbacks but prefer liner locks if I'm going to have a lock. Many traditionals have liner locks such as the Schrade 194OT & 108OT (I think), the TL-29 and even a few SAKs.
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That 1940T was exactly the knife I had in mind.
 
Lock backs were my introduction to traditionals when I was a kid. My dad always carried a Klein lock back that he got through his work. I have a few lock backs, and I really enjoy them. My Buck 55 is one of my most carried knives. I'm a bit bummed that I missed the last run of 83 lock backs from GEC.
 
I have a couple lockback traditionals and I like them just fine, although it's not something I actively seek out in a knife. I have a Smith & Sons Mudbug (GEC-made lockback sodbuster) that is really quite something. The ease-of-opening that some of you have pointed out is certainly a positive, and a locking blade is good to have. I don't particularly like the liner lock traditionals, though, mostly for the reason Hickory n steel pointed out here:

Hickory n steel said:
… many traditionals do have brass liner locks (I wouldn't want one though as that big brass tab looks very uncomfortable )
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NativeCraft said:
Do you like lockbacks or liner locks on traditional knives - yes or no?
Personally, I like lockbacks if they have more than one blade. However, I don't like being limited to only a single blade in a small pocketknife like a Mini Copperlock.
I'm trying to envision when I actually need a locking feature on a knife that's small enough that I can put in my pocket and I can't really think of one.
Please discuss.
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Locks first...

I sometimes make piercing cuts with my pocket knife. Separating frozen burgers or precut frozen bagels. I also use my pocket knives in the garden and while moving and working, I've hit the spine on a branch or rock and have been glad the blade was locked. As see it, there are 3 levels of protection: non-locking folder, locking folder and fixed blade. IMO, a locking folder is closer to a non-locking folder (folder being the operative word) but there is definitely a difference. So, I almost treat my locking folders like slip joints and I keep my fingers away from the well when poking and piercing, but I'm more comfortable making those cuts with the lock rather than without.

A story from many years ago.. We had a bad nor'easter hit the coast in late September and by my bro-in-law hadn't pulled his boat yet so I helped him move from a moring to a dock and we made line covers out of some old garden hose which required me to make a piercing cut in a form of an X to pass a line through. I had a small Schrade 5OT and keeping my fingers out of the well, I was able to tap the tip through no problem. Not something I would want to do with a slip joint.

In terms of lock type... I grew up with lock backs and it was years until I saw my first brass tab liner lock. I can admit that the brass liner lock will be less likely to develop vertical play, as pretty much all lock backs I've owned do, but I still love lock back just because. They're beautiful. I'm used to them. They are what a knife is supposed to look like to my eye. Defending this is like defending why I married a red head and why I prefer eastern mountains to western ones. Matters of the heart.

In terms of single vs multiple blade... My first knives were Ulster BSA knives. My first lock back was a 110. Having tasted the simplicity and better ergonomics of a single blade, I can never go back. A single blade knife feels more natural in my hand. They make me supremely happy and multi-blade knives always frustrate my hand for the lousy feel. I prefer ale over beer and it's probably that sort of thing.

In terms of size, I own small, medium and large lock backs...

Small
Schrade 5OT & Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr

Medium
Buck 500 Duke and Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr

Buck 112 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Large
Buck 110 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Schrade 51OT by Pinnah, on Flickr


Regarding the Buck 110 specifically, I switched to right rear pocket carry (I stitch a seam 1/2 way up the side of the pocket) and have happily found the 110 to be an easy carry in this style. I've carried as much or more than my Opinels this summer.

Carl compared the 110 to a Harley and while I don't ride (or much care for) motorcycles, I think the analogy is a good one. Either the beauty of the 110 catches you or it doesn't. It has a certain something that the Opinel just doesn't. The weight is a part of it. It's a great feeling knife in the hand and the weight is utterly unapologetic. I think Buck would do well to produce a lighter, thinner version with brass liner (think Sodbuster and a 110 have a child) but the classic 110 just is what it is. It's not for everybody. It's a hard knife to recommend due to the weight. Tighten your belt and hitch up your pants and step up to it, or downsize to a smaller knife.
 
I usually prefer a knife without a lock for everyday use. This being said, however, many lock backs have very easy pulls. I love my wife's Buck 55 for its excellent pocket real estate but even more for its ease of opening. I do not need to struggle with cold fingers or wet nails working around water or in the winter. I find many slip joints come with too much snap for my liking and often modify the springs to loosen them. I like that I can go buy a Buck 55 anywhere and it is ready for use right out of the box. Maybe my nails are thin or maybe I am picky but it really irks me to have to struggle opening my pocket knife.
 
Traditionals with liner locks - I have several. First is an old Parker Frost (Schrade 194OT) single blade trapper-style knife. It's pretty much worn out and useless at this point, only reason I keep it is that it was one my first self-purchased pocket knives. The others are Case Russlocks, which are in fact slipjoints but that have a liner lock. I actually like these. They open with a lever like a friction folder but have a liner lock. Once you get the hang of them, they work just fine as one-hand opening (and closing) knives.

Lockbacks: I have an old Buck 110 in 440C that I bought in 1979, a Case Mini Copperlock, and a Case Copperlock. The Buck is too big and heavy for me to carry these days and when I want a large locking knife, I have several modern folders that I prefer over the Buck. There's nothing wrong with the Case Copperlock family. They are nice, flat knives that open easily. I find myself never carrying them, primarily because I have too many knives and my actual pool of users is relatively small, so I usually go for a stockman or jack pattern instead.

If I had a lot of specific cutting tasks I regularly did, then I'd probably be able to determine whether or not I need a locking knife. But in general the only reason I have any locking knives is that a knife I happened to have wanted came with a lock.
 
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Will Power- thank you for the comment about locking laguioles! That was a feature that had kept me away from that pattern, they're definitely sexy knives but I just wanted one that locked. The picture of that weidmannsheil is drool worthy.
Thanks , Neal
 
I always prefer a Lockback to a slipjoint myself. My EDC is a GEC model 83. That is about as perfect a knife as I ever have owned before.
 
Neal That's kind of you, much appreciated.:thumbup: The Weidmannsheil has some nice stag and an old style tab lock release towards the end of the handle, I like the stamped blade too. You get that on French and German knives quite a bit, beats etching:cool:

Here's one of my Fontenille-Patauds, a small 9.5cm Lag and very handy in the pocket. The lockbar is a continuation of the spring, this and the Bee is one single forged piece, no welding. The lockbar in no way compromises in hand feel, superb design. These are extremely well-made knives, not cheap though but quality.

IMG_1330.jpg
 
After considering the pros & cons of locking blades and looking at those I have on hand I've determined... yes I definitely do like locks on certain knives. I like lock-back knives not necessarily because they lock but because they can be opened so effortlessly. Take GEC's 72, I had been using a 73 and wanted something similar but easier to open, the 72 filled that bill. The additional safety just happened to be included. I bought a couple of liner-locks mostly because I wanted a certain model and could only find them with locks. I found they too were great knives along with their lock-less siblings but they also offered that additional safety factor. So IMO the locks did not detract from the knife but enabled the knife to open easier and at least in theory permitted an extra margin of safety.

Top to bottom GEC 83, 72, Schrade TM2 and GEC 73
 
Someday is about right! They produce beautiful work but ruin it by expecting to get paid what it's worth! The very idea...😎
Neal
 
I carried a Case Russlock for a number of years before I found out about GEC product . It is a pretty handy and secure working knife too. I have a Moki lock back and it is too much of a jewel for me to want to use . But it is a heck of a knife. I have 2 of the 83 's and they are very nice to carry when I want to carry a smaller knife . Both of them lock up very nicely. I have 2 of the new 72 lock backs reserved and I may turn one of them into my EDC because of the pattern and the size. I have a 73 Stag Liner Lock and I like it a lot. The lock is very secure . I prefer to carry 2 single bladed knives most of the time . 1 for dirty work and 1 for cleaner cuts like apples etc.
I have an old Robeson TL 29 Electricians knife that is a Liner Lock , so I think of them as being part of the Traditionals .


Harry
 
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