Locking blade knife, need help

textoothpk

textoothpk

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Hi guys. Have a friend who works in a Mental facility / hospital who needs a knife. Something that not only locks open, but closed as well, in case a patient grabs it. 2 1/2" to 3" blade.

Any good ideas?

Thanks,
Phil
 
Well, balisongs are legal...

Probably not the best choice though.

The only knives I know of with a switch/safety thingy that keeps it closed are automatics. Looking at MI's laws, I don't think a de-activated switchblade would be legal.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
 
Locking closed would slow a patient down, but not necessarily long enough to matter.

I have a large Opinel that locks closed with the ring, maybe they have a smaller one, but you can defeat the lock -- Collucci did! :)

Didn't Blackie Collins design a locking hunter for Marbles?

The Paul knife locks open and closed. You have to know how to grip the big pivot and turn it, I think.
 
The Paul knife would probably be a good choice. It requires 2 coordinated actions to open (push down on pivot and then turn) and there are some very nice looking models -- gent's knife rather than tactical in appearance.
 
My old man has a small Boker that locks closed and open. The only problem is that it's a POS.
 
Seems possible that if you work in an environment where you have to worry about a mentally ill person potentially grabbing your knife, then you shouldn't be carrying one around. At least not carrying it around in a manner that would allow someone to grab it. What about having the knife attached to a stout lanyard that's attached to his belt? Or maybe one of those clip-it(?) knives, I think Spyderco makes them, that have a built-in clip at one end of the knife. Clipped on the belt loop and lying in the pocket, it'd be tough for someone to grab it off you quickly. Yeah, so I guess it seems to me the solution to this problem is not a knife that locks closed, but one that is fairly securely attached to the person. Gives you more options, what with so many knives having lanyard holes, shackles and clips. Let us know what he decides on.
 
Phil,
You might check CRKT' s site for the production version of Blackie Collins' old Rolox design. The blade is only 2 1/4", but everything else looks like it could work OK.

There are several locking types on the site.....Van Hoy Snap Lock, Lake P.A.L., that might also work. They can be found almost anywhere for a competitive price, as well.

Not afilliated, just trying to help. ;)

Bill

Oh yeah.....

http://www.crkt.com
 
The Kershaw assisted openers have little sliding blade locks. Maybe a leek? I agree with Ritt though - maybe he shouldn't be carrying a knife if he's concerned about a mentally ill person taking it away. A lock on the knife would probably only give him an extra five seconds or so before the patient gets the knife open.
 
What does he need a knife for? Would a Benchmade Rescue Hook work for him? A patient could get hold of one of those and it would do him no good as a cutting weapon at all.
 
The SOG Flash locks open and shut.

Several of the various LAWKS knives from CRKT will lock open and shut too. Sort of depends on the variables in the manufacturing though.

Phil
 
To me, if you need a knife, you usually kind of need it NOW, not after fiddling with it. If time is not of the essence, why not keep it in a locked cabinet or something?

The rescue hook makes a lot of sense.

The other solution would be to carry a decoy knife that actually delivers a stun charge or meds when opened...
 
Esav... great minds think alike. The first knife I gave him to try out was the Marbles/Collins MR80806. Yes, the blade is a bit longer than 2 1/2" , but within the restrictions set down by the hospital. No good, though.

The problem seems to be that he wants a 'tactical' type pocket clip knife. I think this is one of those occassions where you just can't always get what you want.

I'll check out each and every one of you guys' suggestions.

The point was raised about why he even needs a (quick-deployment) knife and I sorta agree there. The only thing I can say in my friend's defense is that well, most of us like such a knife, and all of us find many, many uses for it.

Frankly, I think a good ol' traditional pattern pocket knife would be perfect.

Many thanks
Phil
 
a good ol' traditional pattern pocket knife would be perfect
Click to expand...

I have a few traditional knives that are difficult to open quickly, and remain firmly open until deliberately and carefully closed.

One is an A.G.Russell Texas toothpick with a 4" blade :eek: and another is a very similarly shaped knife, a 3" Laguiole. I also have a Laguiole offshoot, called a Colibri, similar blade but a curvaceous handle. The blade is 3+7/8" and extremely stiff to open.

For that matter, given the knife illiteracy among o many people today, I would imagine a typical small stockman would be hard for a lot of people to open.

Here's a good one. I forgot all about it until you mentioned that magic word "traditional"! I got it here, so look: the Hanwei Quandong Folder . You have to push firmly on the left side of the pivot to open or close the lock to release the blade.

Broad, sharp, 3" blade. Excellent bail on the butt of the knife for a lanyard -- or a pocket watch chain, considering how beautiful the inlays and the workmanship is.
 
Benchmade's 310 Benchmite. The levitator lock locks the blade open and closed, the knife comes in an attractive and compact form, its very comfortable and it has a lanyard hole.
 
Talk about a wealth of knowledge. You guys always amaze me. Thanks again, all suggestions are being taken under advisement.
Phil
 
I don’t know how well one of those locks would work. My wife says I’m crazy as a bed bug, but even I can figure out how to unlock a knife.
 
Isn't the Spyderco Meerkat a scale release? That might fit the bill. Having said that, I worked in various psych. hospitals for over 10 years, and the last thing in the world I would want to have happen is to let a patient get a knife. Not only for my safety but for his as well. There are tremendous liability issues there and I would be surprised if the hospital would even allow a knife on unit. Most "sharps" are rigorously accounted for. But, I also hate when people ask one question and get another answered, so I'll stick with check out a Meerkat.

Jack

Edited to add that upon reflection I think the Meerkat scale release is for closing the blade, not opening. I guess making it harder for the crazy person to close the knife isn't such a good idea.
 
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