Lockbar-how far is too far over?

colubrid

colubrid

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Us Emerson enthusiast are always asking how far the lockbar is over when buying a knife. Not just Emerson afficiandos, but basically all knife enthusiasts have a thing about the percentage of how far over the lockbar is on a new or used knife.

My question is when buying a used Emerson how far over is to far over for a lockbar for you?

Usually when we purchase an Emerson the lockup is at about 50% of the locker on the bottom of the blade tang. Then when it moves over after a few opening to 100% and stay there we seem to be happy. More than that and we worry the knife will not last as long before it reaches 100% and have to be sent back to Emerson for a new Ti liner.

I have had some brand new Emersons where the lockbar moved over to 150% (basically in the middle of the tang and only 25% left before) and I tend to think of those as a shorter lifespan. So just not as happy with the 150% lockup on a new Emerson than one with a settled in 50% or 100%.

Also if you have some pics. Post them ! Post some pics of lockup you think are "okay" and ones concern you.

Of course real older Emerson are expected to have later lockups. It is mostly the new ones when you open them 100x and the lockbar moves over to 150%. Are you concerned with that?
 
It's too far when it develops up and down bladeplay. I've never had that happen to any of my knives though, but if I see a lockbar getting close to the opposite liner and it hasn't settled in yet, I'll send it out to get carbidized. If it's too far gone in a used Emerson that's for sale, then I'll probably send it out to get customized or have a framelock conversion done to it.
 
If you are unsure, I will recommend you contact Emerson customer service. They can and will replace the liner on your knife under warranty, provided your knife isn't pimped out. Sometimes we worry too much about what we perceive as a problem, yet it is not. That is why the knives come with a pretty darn good warranty.
 
RevDevil said:
If you are unsure, I will recommend you contact Emerson customer service. They can and will replace the liner on your knife under warranty, provided your knife isn't pimped out. Sometimes we worry too much about what we perceive as a problem, yet it is not. That is why the knives come with a pretty darn good warranty.
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Yes I agree. As long as one does not try to fix the problem themselves as that voids the warranty.
 
gooeytek said:
It's too far when it develops up and down bladeplay. I've never had that happen to any of my knives though, but if I see a lockbar getting close to the opposite liner and it hasn't settled in yet, I'll send it out to get carbidized. If it's too far gone in a used Emerson that's for sale, then I'll probably send it out to get customized or have a framelock conversion done to it.
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These are 3 knives. All new (or fairly new)

This is the one is question. Opened maybe 40x in the first day and moved over lightening fast . Its started out at 25% and moved over to where it is now at almost 150%. I am thinking it is not far over enough yet for Emerson to fix. But I want a worry-free knife, so I will probably sell this one. I don't have to send it in, in the future. Heck, I want a knife to last a bit.

IMG_1870.JPG
 
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Here is a brand spankin new Emerson Journeyman which is at 100% after about 300 openings. Which I like where it settled in.

IMG_1872.JPG
 
and finally here is an Emerson which I must have opened over 3000x times because I love playing with this knife. And the one reason I do play with it is because I am not worried about the lockbar moving over because it is still so early. Other Emersons which the lockbar moves over fast I don't touch to play with .

As you can see this charm is at 25% and is also ROCK solid. I love this knife because of that lockbar.

IMG_1871.JPG
 
All I care is that the lock functions as it should and keeps the blade open. Where it sits...doesn't matter to me as long as the lock works as it should.
 
jbmonkey said:
All I care is that the lock functions as it should and keeps the blade open. Where it sits...doesn't matter to me as long as the lock works as it should.
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It matters though when you resell a Emerson.
 
The lockup of that one you posted in the first pic is fine, imo. I actually prefer my lockups to eventually end up around there when finally settled in. You could try loosening the body screws (including the pocket clip) on that one, and re-tightening them in sequence while the blade isn't locked open. See if that changes anything.

Here's 4 that I have with different degrees of lockup:
20131124_195026.jpg


The first one on the left is the A136 that I just got. I opened and closed it until it developed some stickiness, then disassembled it and wiped down all the pivot & washer surfaces and put it back together dry. It's silky smooth now, and will usually remain that way like my other Emersons, unless something gets in the pivot area. The lockup is still as when I first got it, and very early where the full thickness of the lockbar hasn't fully engaged. I expect this to settle in over time and move farther to the right, as it gets used.

The second one is a Journeyman that I am the second owner of, and I've used it a lot. The entire thickness of the lockbar is fully engaged, and has stayed this way. BTW, the way I determine the degree of lockup is where the leading edge of the lockbar is on the lockface (0% being no lockup, and 100% being all the way to the end of the lockface ramp). I'd say the Journeyman is at around 40% looking at it dead-on.

The 3rd is a 7V with the new, thicker linerlock which is fully engaged at about 30%.

The 4th one is an older 7B with the thinner linerlock which is also fully engaged at around 40%. It's had some customization done, but not because of the lockbar.

All of them except for the A136 (since I just got that and haven't really used it), have had their lockbars settled in, for the most part. They haven't moved any further.
 
Personally, I like the lockups in your first two pix. The tan Emerson in the last picture is the one I'd be "working" some to see if I could get it to settle in a bit farther over. Same with gooeytek's pix. That new A136 on the left is the one I'd want to settle in some more. The others all look great to me.

With liner and frame locks, I like the lockbar to be fully engaged. As long as it isn't touching the other scale, I'm pretty good with wherever it decides to settle in on the blade tang.
 
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colubrid said:
These are 3 knives. All new (or fairly new)

This is the one is question. Opened maybe 40x in the first day and moved over lightening fast . Its started out at 25% and moved over to where it is now at almost 150%. I am thinking it is not far over enough yet for Emerson to fix. But I want a worry-free knife, so I will probably sell this one. I don't have to send it in, in the future. Heck, I want a knife to last a bit.

IMG_1870.JPG
Click to expand...

That is a great lock up. Leave it!
 
colubrid said:
and finally here is an Emerson which I must have opened over 3000x times because I love playing with this knife. And the one reason I do play with it is because I am not worried about the lockbar moving over because it is still so early. Other Emersons which the lockbar moves over fast I don't touch to play with .

As you can see this charm is at 25% and is also ROCK solid. I love this knife because of that lockbar.

IMG_1871.JPG
Click to expand...


this one I'd be wary of until it breaks in further to look like the other one I like. These can be precarious until broken in. They may be solid but lots of folks think that. I could show you a thread now with sutures from not being wary of a lock like this but you get the point. Break it in like the other one then its ready to absorb whacks and taps much better. Its easier to shear the lock when connected the way yours is here. I've seen it rarely, usually on test knives in thicker slabs but I've seen chunks missing from liner locks also. To the locks credit it stayed in place but there was not enough of it to really prevent the blade from having its way with only a fraction of the lock behind the blade to support it.
 
STR said:
this one I'd be wary of until it breaks in further to look like the other one I like. These can be precarious until broken in. They may be solid but lots of folks think that. I could show you a thread now with sutures from not being wary of a lock like this but you get the point. Break it in like the other one then its ready to absorb whacks and taps much better. Its easier to shear the lock when connected the way yours is here. I've seen it rarely, usually on test knives in thicker slabs but I've seen chunks missing from liner locks also. To the locks credit it stayed in place but there was not enough of it to really prevent the blade from having its way with only a fraction of the lock behind the blade to support it.
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I hear what you are saying.. ha ha..

Actually that is a mini. If it was a different model I would be considerably concerned.

I just sent back a Horseman to Emerson that had an early lockup and was slipping right off the tang when pressure by the hand was placed on it. They replaced the ti liner and I got it back last week. Well as soon as I took it out of the box I put only 2lbs of pressure on the blade and it closed again. I told the them they needed to look at the tang angle, which was crazy steep. But the response was that tang angles are different for every model, so they dismissed my help. So I guess with that attitude they never checked the knife and now I had to send it back again. They should get it today.. But I had to spend money on 2 shipments back plus $250 insurance and more time without the new knife I just received. I just wish they would have listened to me about the tang angle and I guess they never even looked at it.
 
dalefuller said:
Personally, I like the lockups in your first two pix. The tan Emerson in the last picture is the one I'd be "working" some to see if I could get it to settle in a bit farther over. Same with gooeytek's pix. That new A136 on the left is the one I'd want to settle in some more. The others all look great to me.

With liner and frame locks, I like the lockbar to be fully engaged. As long as it isn't touching the other scale, I'm pretty good with wherever it decides to settle in on the blade tang.
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I agree that they are early but the tang angle is what I look at. If it is fairly flat like it is on the tan CQC-mini I have. It will not slip off that easy.

If the tang angle is steep..or super steep, then the % does not matter and it can slip off. I have seen it with the Horseman I sent back twice for this issue.
 
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