Most proven folder locking system that's not CS.

Spydercos caged ball bearing lock and compression lock are great. But if you're doing things that can cause a lock to fail get a fixed blade.

Still don't understand the spine whack tests...if the knife locks up solid and doesn't close when you try to force it you're good. Spine whacking will just damage the lock and possibly cause it to fail because it's been damaged.

Just my opinion.
 
soc_monki said:
Spydercos caged ball bearing lock and compression lock are great. But if you're doing things that can cause a lock to fail get a fixed blade.

Still don't understand the spine whack tests...if the knife locks up solid and doesn't close when you try to force it you're good. Spine whacking will just damage the lock and possibly cause it to fail because it's been damaged.

Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
IMO, the only real purpose a spine whack test serves is for marketing.
 
Well, since it’s certainly been overstated at this point that lock failure paranoia is just paranoia (as long as you use a knife like a knife), I suppose I’ll just answer the question as stated.

The Axis lock is very strong, as it puts a steel cylinder between the blade and the handle.

Many button locks operate in a similar fashion. Hogue makes some good ones.

Flippers are a good option, since most flipper tabs would stop against your index finger.

SOG’s Arc-Lock is basically an axis lock.

Spyderco’s Caged Ball Bearing lock is yet another steel-object-preventing-closure. Also, the Compression lock works a bit differently from a linerlock and is exceptionally strong.

I mean, really, if there’s some guy in your area going around hitting the spines of other peoples’ open knives, then just stay away from frame and liner locks. Otherwise, you’re probably fine.
 
GIRLYmann said:
it is unfortunate that the flipping latch knife
is not without legal impiications for edc.
but i would like to think that its a safe
locking system besides the possibilities
of material failure as with any folding knife.
Click to expand...

Ironically, the balisong is probably the style of knife that has caused the most accidental injuries to the user, but not through failure of the tool.
 
danbot said:
IMO, the only real purpose a spine whack test serves is for marketing.
Click to expand...

I have had a few nics and cuts over the years from locks failing. Negative pressures or jolt on the spine.

My brother had fo have surgery on a tendon in his thumb (severed) from the same brand and model of knife that had cut me 2x from lock failure). Similar situation piercing, and negative spine pressure.

I was opening a box of frozen meat. Poked the box from side, just below the top, to cut the box top off. Point made contact with frozen meat, and blink, cut finger. I was about 10 boxes in, with wet cold hands when this happened. The freezer i was pulling meat our of was -28 I believe.

Brother was piercing and cutting heavy rubber. We both stopped carying that same knife.

I have another liner lock that I was using, cutting water line hose in very tight quarters. I was stuffed up in a cubic hydraulic press, cutting at an awkward angle, and the knife suddenly cut through and forward. The point/ spine hit solid steel (the press weighed 40 tons) and the knife snicked closed on my finger) not a bad cut, but annoying while covered in sweat and 68 weight hydrollic oil, and powered stone grime. That knife lock never worked correctly again. Light thumb pressure would cause it to fail after that. I've had similar situations with both liner and frame lock, where light pressure would cause lock failure.

I still carry liner locks and frame locks...and back locks, and slip joints. But occasionally, I'll check on liner and frame locks with light pressure.

I don't do spine wack tests, as a general rule, because it ruins the locking mechanism. But I have a few kives retired very early in their lives for this issue.
 
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Bigfattyt said:
I have had a few nics and cuts over the years from locks failing. Negative pressures or jolt on the spine.

My brother had fo have surgery on a tendon in his thumb (severed) from the same brand and model of knife that had cut me 2x from lock failure). Similar situation piercing, and negative spine pressure.

I was opening a box of frozen meat. Poked the box from side, just below the top, to cut the box top off. Point made contact with frozen meat, and blink, cur finger. Brother was piercing and cutting heavy rubber. We both stopped carying that same kife.

I have another liner lock that I was cutting water line hose in very tight quarters. I was stuffed up in a cubic hydraulic press, cutting at an awkward angle, and the knife suddenly cut through and forward. The point/ spine hit solid steel (the press weighed 40 tons) and the knife snicked closed on my finger) not a bad cur, but annoying while covered in sweat and 68 weight hydrollic oil. That knife lock never worked correctly again. Light thumb pressure would cause it to fail after that. I've had similar situations with both liner and frame lock, where light pressure would cause lock failure.

I still carry liner locks and frame locks...and back locks, and slip joints. But occasionally, I'll check on liner and frame locks with light pressure.

I don't do spine wack tests, as a general rule, because it ruins the locking mechanism. But I have a few kives retired very early in their lives for this issue.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a lot of bad luck there! :eek:
Some jobs are best left to fixed blades for sure.
 
danbot said:
That sounds like a lot of bad luck there! :eek:
Some jobs are best left to fixed blades for sure.
Click to expand...

More tired carelessness. The job with the hydrollic press was 12 hour graveyard shifts followed by full time university classes during the days. It was often hard, dirty work. But good pay, and meant I got full medical and dental, and 68% reimbursement for books and tuition. Great company. When the machine blew up, it meant significant loss in parts and lost production. Making diamond drill bits for oil and gas drilling (and also diamond bearings, etc). The faster you could get it back on line, the less the loss to the company. So often you would not extricate your self to go get the proper tool. Jump suit, and tight quarters meant a fixed blade on a belt would be harder to reach. Occasionally I would get so wedged in, I was stuck, so the knife had to clip in the breast pocket to be reachable, and often then it was still hard to get to.

It was often like fixing a car, designed by someone who was small, and did not care about designing the engine or parts to be easy to fix!! Always busting knuckles and scraping bits, especially if a hydrollic line blew. 150+ gallons of hydrollic oil, spraying out at 6800 to 10,000 psi!! Press exploding at over 1,000,000 psi internally. Shards of hyper velocity tungsten carbide anvils zipping arround. It was heart stopping!!!
 
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Bigfattyt said:
More tired carelessness. The job with the hydrollic press was 12 hour graveyard shifts followed by full time university classes during the days. It was often hard, dirty work. But good pay, and meant I got full medical and dental, and 68% reimbursement for books and tuition. Great company. When the machine blew up, it meant significant loss in parts and lost production. Making diamond drill bits for oil and gas drilling. The faster you could get it back on line, the less the loss to the company. So often you would not extricate your self to go get the proper tool. Jump suit, and tight quarters meant a fixed blade on a belt would be harder to reach. Occasionally I would get so wedged in, I was stuck, so the knife had to clip in the breast pocket to be reachable, and often then it was still hard to get to.

It was often like fixing a car, designed by someone who was small, and did not care about designing the engine or parts to be easy to fix!! Always busting knuckles and scraping bits, especially if a hydrollic line blew. 150+ gallons of hydrollic oil, spraying out at 6800 to 10,000 psi!! Press exploding at over 1,000,000 psi internally. Shards of hyper velocity tungsten carbide anvils zipping arround. It was heart stopping!!!
Click to expand...
:eek:
You know what they say. "Safety Third"!
 
danbot said:
:eek:
You know what they say. "Safety Third"!
Click to expand...
Yup. They had chain hoists to lift the parts (6 tungsten carbide anvils, and 6 back up anvils behind those). If you used the chain hoist, it could take hours and hours longer. We would lift them in by hand. Some of the parts were 200lbs. But it saved time.....

Wonder why my back goes out??
 
The Cold Steel Luzon has a liner lock with an extra locking mechanism, to hold the liner in place.
The clip on the Luzon feels like the same material as the handle, the slide button to lock it open I hear jingle when the knife is closed (not loud) . I know I’ve seen other cold steel knives with that feature, in case that knife isn’t the shape for you.
 
Hey guys how's about a bit of understanding. Most fears and paranoia are irrational and not based on facts - that doesn't stop people having them.


Iots of great suggestions will follow them all up.
 
Any balisong will do. The lock won't fail on you. Most proven locking system I ever saw.

If you fear folding knives with any lock but CS, then maybe you should have others cut stuff for you.

Or hey, stick with the good ol' Triad lock and live fearlessly. Lynn Thompson will thank you.
 
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