Maybe not as bad as I thought.

Jack Black said:
There are locks on revolvers now (I haven't owned or fired one since the late 1980's)??!!! :eek:
Click to expand...
I believe there was a law in 1994 in the US that required a locking mechanism on revolvers. Smith & Wesson put theirs on the sideplate behind the cylinder latch. Just a gaping hole that could be locked with a key. Really stupid idea. And ugly. I don't know if it is still the law; it may have expired after ten years, but I won't buy a revolver with one. Can't say much more without getting political! :eek::p;)
 
I bought my first Opinel about five years ago. When did the lock ring change? Can anyone please post old-ring and new-ring pics? Thanks!

-Tyson
 
Tyson A Wright said:
Prester John Prester John Jack Black Jack Black S&W added locks due to a deal they made. Ruger and other revolver manufacturers never did. Details in this RevolverGuy article.

-Tyson
Click to expand...

The new lock ring has a rectangular dimple on the back side, directly opposite the gap. The dimple engages a groove in the bolster which limits the rotation of the ring and discourages the ring from sliding up if you try to open the blade with it locked shut. On the front side, there is a single locking ramp on the right side of the gap, so you can only lock the blade open by turning the ring clockwise.

The older ring has ramps to lock the blade open on either side of the gap in the ring, so you can lock the blade by turning the ring in either direction.

A search of this subforum will turn up several threads dating back three or four years that discuss the changes, and the simple modifications which will address the perceived problems with the new ring. I don’t think there is a single date for the change in the lock rings. I first encountered the new setup on a couple of 7s. Subsequently, I bought a couple of 6s and a 10 that still had the older style. They may have been old stock rather than current production.

The two 7s that I bought worked just fine with the new rings, and I suspect that most of them do. A few owners reported that the limiting stop prevented the ring from turning far enough to snug the locking ramp up against the bottom of the blade, the result either of wear or of a poor fit from the factory. I went ahead and modified mine anyway, not because they needed it but because I prefer the old action, and because I wanted to see how difficult it is to do.

I see that I replied to the wrong post. This response was intended for your second post, #23.
 
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Tyson A Wright said:
I bought my first Opinel about five years ago. When did the lock ring change? Can anyone please post old-ring and new-ring pics? Thanks!

-Tyson
Click to expand...

Old vs new ring pics.
92tB7mR.jpg


hKVmFAk.jpg


2uKk5gH.jpg


So far, the new locking ring has been a non issue. Seems to actually be a bit more secure when whittling. I spent a few hours carving little chips cross grain on a Hickory handle that I am making for a forged knife. The new lock wiggles a bit less, and seems to stay locked a little longer. Once the ring wears in, and I want to turn it further, we will see. Seems to lock up just fine so far. But it will be much harder to remove without split ring pliers now. No more just turning the closed lock position, and forcing the knife open and launching the ring off.
 
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Bigfattyt said:
Old vs new ring pics.
92tB7mR.jpg


hKVmFAk.jpg


2uKk5gH.jpg


So far, the new locking ring has been a non issue. Seems to actually be a bit more secure when whittling. I spent a few hours carving little chips cross grain on a Hickory handle that I am making for a forged knife. The new lock wiggles a bit less, and seems to stay locked a little longer. Once the ring wears in, and I want to turn it further, we will see. Seems to lock up just fine so far. But it will be much harder to remove without split ring pliers now. No more just turning the closed lock position, and forcing the knife open and launching the ring off.
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Thanks for this - I see that I've only ever had the new ring. Maybe I just don't know what I missed with the old ring, but the new one has always worked great for me.

-Tyson
 
r8shell said:
I prefer having the option of locking by turning the ring counter-clockwise. It's more comfortable that way.
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That makes sense to me, but half the time I don't even lock it open - I mostly like the lock for keeping it shut in my pocket. But I can see how someone used to the old version would be disappointed in the new one - they actually reduced the options for users in the new design, which does seem odd.

-Tyson
 
Prester John said:
I believe there was a law in 1994 in the US that required a locking mechanism on revolvers. Smith & Wesson put theirs on the sideplate behind the cylinder latch. Just a gaping hole that could be locked with a key. Really stupid idea. And ugly. I don't know if it is still the law; it may have expired after ten years, but I won't buy a revolver with one. Can't say much more without getting political! :eek::p;)
Click to expand...

Tyson A Wright said:
Prester John Prester John Jack Black Jack Black S&W added locks due to a deal they made. Ruger and other revolver manufacturers never did. Details in this RevolverGuy article.

-Tyson
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the info guys :thumbsup:
 
Tyson A Wright said:
That makes sense to me, but half the time I don't even lock it open - I mostly like the lock for keeping it shut in my pocket. But I can see how someone used to the old version would be disappointed in the new one - they actually reduced the options for users in the new design, which does seem odd.

-Tyson
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's not like the new version is unusable, but my hand is used to turning the collar the other way. I also wonder how it will lock after years of wear.

"There are only two things I hate:
The way things are, and change."
;)
 
scrteened porch said:
Neat trick.
Click to expand...


Launching the ring with the blade was an unforeseen consequence of the introduction of the closing notch at the bottom edge of the ring. Before 1990, there was nothing to keep the blade closed but the friction of the pivot, which worked flawlessly, in my experience. A knife that had dried out enough that the blade could flop open simply had to be carried tip down. A lock to hold it closed was the answer to a question that nobody had asked.
For me, the Golden Age of the Opinel ran from the introduction of the Virobloc in 1955 until the introduction of the closing notch in 1990. The notch created the opportunity to launch the ring, which in turn led to the subsequent “improvements”. The elegant simplicity that first drew me to the Opinel was gone.
 
Tyson A Wright said:
Prester John Prester John Jack Black Jack Black S&W added locks due to a deal they made. Ruger and other revolver manufacturers never did. Details in this RevolverGuy article.

-Tyson
Click to expand...

Tyson, I just wanted to thank you again for the link to that very comprehensive article. I read US gun magazines for decades, but since I'm no longer able to shoot here, I rarely do so now. Thinking back, I do remember hearing about the S & W controversy. I enjoyed the article :thumbsup:
 
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