Locks...

Loki

Loki

Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
740
For the last 10 years or so in playing with folding knives I've used lock backs, liners, axis, and compression from the various manufacturers. There's much talk about how the latest locks are so much better and reputed failures of others. Now granted I've not used my folders exiting a downed helecopter, skinning a domestic auto, opening a 55 gallon drum, or knife fighting, but I've never had a lock fail. No failed lock backs or liners locks. Am I just "lucky" or is talk of lock failures over blown? Any body had a lock fail in use? :confused: :rolleyes: :cool:
 
I've never had a lock fail under its own weakness. I have had locks fail from the lock slipping (liner locks). More than anything, I have had locks which I accidentally disengaged. Accidental disengagement can sometimes simply be user error, but sometimes it can be a bad design coupled with user error.

Never had a cut from a lock failure.

And no, before someone says so, I don't try to cut things with the spine of my folders :rolleyes:
 
I've never experienced a lock failure either.

I tend to favor the Axis lock, quality liner locks, and framelocks.

I'm not sure what people do to make their locks fail, but in my opinion, if I need to do something that may cause my knife lock to fail, I'll go get the right tool, and put my knife away.
 
The first lock that ever failed me was the liner lock on an old two blade electricians knife. It had developed enough play to close the blade on the wrong side of the liner.

More recently, I had bought a cheapie, imported, S&W "Cuttin' Horse" and these have such a flexible "frame" that you can disengage the liner lock while doing heavy cutting. I had bought it as a cheapie to cut corrugated and tape, used it until I discovered the fault. It now resides in the hall of shame category.

I have used a BM-330 variant for about three years for the same tasks and this ti version of the "Big Spender" has never hinted at lock failure. The pivot is just starting to show some signs of wear (I beat the be-jeezus out of it). Well made frame locks should nevr present a problem, most will actually engage more, under pressure.

Lockbacks have failed me only when I've neglected to keep the notch free of pocket lint and you can always tell when they're plugged up, something just doesn't sound right.

I know many swear by spine whack tests but I've never been convinced that the test is one of great merit when compared to general use.

Cheers

GC

edited for various typos
 
Loki, As this thread winds on I think you'll find
that NONE of the major knife brands(i.e. well made)
will fail in normal to mildly extreme abuse usage.

As an example....
The only locking folding knife I've ever had fail
me was a cheap spanish made POS. Any other locks
that were "loose" were well worn.
 
I have been collecting and using knives for over 30 years. I have never had a lock fail under normal use. I have had a slip joint close on me once, because I lost my mind for a moment. My mind came back as soon as metal hit flesh LOL. I have also had one liner lock fail the infamous spine whack test, which IMHO borders on abuse. For what it's worth.

Richard
 
I have had a liner lock fail in use, but not without some sort of warning first. I had a Camillus EDC that failed, after I beat it up and abused it daily for the better part of a year. I should also say that I lost the stop pin screw, and used the knife for a fair amount of prying and any other kind of abuse you can think of. All that considered the knife held up extremely well. The lock started to get very loose and I knew it would fail way before it actually did, no big surprises resulting in lost fingers or anything of that nature.

Other than that all of my knife locks have been great. I do have another liner lock that I can cause to fail if I do a spine whack in a certain way, but don't believe that it would fail in actual use.
 
Originally posted by Tightwad
Loki, As this thread winds on I think you'll find
that NONE of the major knife brands(i.e. well made)
will fail in normal to mildly extreme abuse usage.
Click to expand...

Tightwad, I'd disagree strongly with that statement. The majority of liner lock failure reports are during what I'd consider regular use, not even particularly hard use. Examples such as pruning or cutting cardboard where a little spine-to-edge stress is inevitably introduced, and the lock fails. What we don't see a lot of is failures due to strength. It's almost always other reliability factors, such as a lock slipping under spine-to-edge stress, or lateral stress, or the hands accidently engaging the lock.

I don't know how this particular thread will go, but if you've paid attention over the past 6 or so years, you'll see plenty of failures of certain lock types during normal, moderate use.

Joe
 
I've had Benchmade, Kersahw, CRKT, Outdoor Edge and others fail. None of this was heavy use. All except one were a liner lock. The other was a lockback.

I haven't had an Axis lock fail. It certainly could though.

No lock is foolproof.

Phil
 
The only lock that failed on me (and left me with a scar) was a CRKT Hammond Grey Ghost Mirage. And yes, it's a liner-lock.

I simply refuse to buy any more liner-locks. There are so many better locking systems out there.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
I haven't had my locks fail yet, though I have had pilot error disengagement. That's only because nothing's foolproof and I wouldn't be a knifeknut if I wasn't a fool.

Of course, being a lefty, most of my folders are lockbacks or axis locks, so that may have a lot to do with it.
 
The only lock that has failed for me has been the liner lock on a CRKT M16. It failed due to a machining error. I own many Benchmades, an Emerson, an Al Mar with liner locks and have had no problems with them so far, but I also don't go twisting them all willy nilly while cutting either:D
cheers
--Dave
 
I can't remember any of my locks failing me, but then I usually carry an Axis lock. I have some liner locks and they just make me nervous, and they made me nervous before I read all these stories about them failing. Frame locks make me a little nervous as well. Just something about the way the metal springs in to lock the blade. It seems like it could just slip back off. I'm more comfortable with lock backs and the Axis lock.
 
i have a bunch of lockbacks, as well as 2 liner locks. none have failed me. one linerlock is a benchmade pardue, an old model with a pretty thin liner, & not the most positive-sounding engagement. i'm not too sure if i'd rely on this for survival/combat. no failing of a spinewhack test though.

my other linerlock is a custom (duncan aftershock) whose liner is thick as hell & machined flush with the choil. this makes it impossible to disengage with a tight grip & a twisting motion, as is a possibility with framelocks & linerlocks whose liner is exposed laterally. not only that, but the tang of the blade is cut at a slant, so the contact between the liner's surface & the tang is flush. there is no space surrounding the tang for the liner to fall into disengagement whatsoever. i have NO IDEA how i could make it disengage if i was paid to do it, outside of somehow applying force that rips the handle in half (?!)

properly made linerlocks are as strong as any other locks on the market, period.

i really feel sorry for you guys who've been disenchanted from linerlocks because of purchasing lemons (trust me, i've seen some flimsy linerlocks, & it's a pretty sad sight). you're just gonna miss out on absolute badass pieces of engineering by duncan, emerson, terzuola, and many others. guys afraid of linerlocks usually don't own customs ones made by the aforementioned craftsmen.
 
I have had a Puma lockback open due to a low grip and a worn lock. Solved it by adding a Boye detent. I have had a Coldsteel lock back open during use due to an extended grip. I have had a Spyderco Starmate liner lock get so loose that it would close 1/2 way with pressure on the blade spine; this was fixed by the manufacturer.
 
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