New Knife for Overseas Deployment: Axis Lock or Back Lock?

Of the ones mentioned My vote is the PM3. I have an original Para in D2 and the lock up is just as good as the day I bought it over 10 years ago. The compression lock is insanely durable and secure. The design is as low maintenance as a liner lock only more secure. I love my Benchmades but there are way to many springs that could break or foul rendering the lock useless. I'm guessing over there it would be near impossible to fix a broken omega spring.

However, I would also suggest looking at an Emerson for ease of maintenance. My Mini CQC 15 is without a doubt the easiest to maintain and uses really common tools to disassemble.
 
fishface5 said:
I'm gonna be that guy and ignore the posted choices and suggest cold steel. I hate back locks and love the axis, but if I were a grunt in the sandbox or anywhere I would want brute force in a folder and go CS all the way
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Just beat me to it. If lock failure is his biggest concern, he should really look at the Tri-AD lock...something like the Recon 1, AD-10, or American Lawman.
 
Honestly, if he is going over seas now, he is probably going to a regular base, so its going to be a moot point. If he was with an ODA, I would tell him to go with whatever the rest of the team guys use. Weight and bulk may be a factor regardless of what he does, so that is something else to think about. The blade in his pocket while he sits all day is different than the blade he wants on foot patrol all day.
 
Stickgunner said:
Nope, a folding blade is often quicker to access and used more often. Multitools aren't great for blade work, and a fixed blade lives on your gear. Which means your pocket knife is used quite often.
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Understood…Since that’s the case I’m going to agree with fishface5 fishface5 , a Voyager would be my suggestion.

*add…what fixed blade will he be carrying?
 
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The simplest is the back lock and Spyderco does a good backlock. I would without a doubt go with the Spyderco Native.
 
Of the 3 choices, I'd go Spyderco. Take the possibility of breaking a spring out of the loop. I'd even suggest a Delica, Endela, or Endura to save a few $.

I was going to suggest Cold Steel too. The Range Boss might be a good choice. Slim, light, and around $45. I didn't serve, but one thing folks have mentioned on previous threads of this nature is be careful of buying anything too expensive, they can get stolen.

Two possible cons of a low(er) cost CS: I have no experience with that blade steel and if might be difficult to open one handed if you have gloves on. I'm not sure if that is a consideration or not.
 
I can’t count the number of men in military service who carried a Buck 110 or 112 from decades ago and still have and use them. I’ve seen several that had been re bladed 20 + years after they ran out of blade to sharpen. With a forever warranty and a spa service to re new it or reblade for a minimal charge is so worth the under fifty dollars to start. No screws to worry about getting loose or falling out. Then pass it on to your grandkid and let them use it for decades.
 
It depends on what your friend is doing, but I suspect if he was in an "outside the wire" role, he would already know what does/doesn't work for him from being out in the field for training.

That means he's probably going to be using it for more EDC type taks, like most of us who aren't on the front lines. In that case, I'd be less concerned about lock strength and reliability, and more concerned about it growing a pair of legs, as nice equipment is prone to do. My personal opinion, look at something that's less than $100. There's some nice Spydercos, Cold Steel, Buck, and plenty of other quality brands under $100, and it won't be a huge loss if it goes missing.
 
One to use, one to break, and one to take home. I guess the military and industry have that in common.

....Or, for somebody else to take home.
 
The problem with a lockback is that it doesn't take much crud to gunk up where the lock engages, preventing it from locking all the way. Sandy dust isn't really a problem on its own, but add in the oil or whatever lube, and a mess can build up pretty quickly. I'd say that a frame/liner or compression lock would be the best. Of course, a small fixed blade would beat all, if it's allowed.
 
Your three knife choices were all good choices.

However, as indicated earlier, a Cold Steel Voyager is about 60 bucks and had a lock that is easy to operate with gloves, and won’t fail.

For a few dollars more you can get a Recon 1.

I am a farmer, not in the military. I frequently subject knives to dirt, mud, water, heat, abrasives, steel on steel, wood, and meat. For days that I know my knife is going to take a beating but I still need reliable performance, I grab a Cold Steel.
 
Any idea on his MOS ( military occupation)? branch ?
a knife is a cutting tool , and a truck driver, Artillery man , or grunt have different types of needs , any mos IMO a liner lock or back lock in a tough steel , I would go with a spyderco tenacious serrated S35vn or similar equivalent , like native 5 , or LC200 Caribbean, pacific salt
 
Silent H said:
It depends on what your friend is doing, but I suspect if he was in an "outside the wire" role, he would already know what does/doesn't work for him from being out in the field for training.

That means he's probably going to be using it for more EDC type taks, like most of us who aren't on the front lines. In that case, I'd be less concerned about lock strength and reliability, and more concerned about it growing a pair of legs, as nice equipment is prone to do. My personal opinion, look at something that's less than $100. There's some nice Spydercos, Cold Steel, Buck, and plenty of other quality brands under $100, and it won't be a huge loss if it goes missing.
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Yep his mos would help make a better decision, spyderco S35vn tenacious, or raven2 BD1, buck in 420hc 110 slim lite , can all be found under $100 , and imo fill any inside the wire mos , if sweaty or coastal conditions maybe upgrade the steel to LC200
native 5 or caribbean serrated edge
 
Based upon your writings, I would pick the Spyderco Native.

I would also consider an Endura or Delica.

When I was in uniform, Buck, Victorinox and what ever the local base exchange stocked were always popular. So was the “Demo knife”, an issue knife similar to the Victorinox Pioneer. The Pioneer is a much better knife.

Multi-tools did not exist when I first enlisted. I carried a CRKT M16 Tanto or their Prowler model with decent results.


I do like the full-size Griptilian. However, if I had to do it again, I probably would carry a Utilitac or something similar. A RAT1 comes to mind.
 
Nephron44 said:
Hello all!

Another one of my buddies is getting deployed to the Middle East, and he is looking to get a new folding knife (he already has a nice multi tool and fixed blade).

We went to our local knife store to try a few out, and he narrowed it down to a Benchmade Griptillian with G10 scales, a Spyderco PM3, or a Spyderco Native 5. His biggest concern was the lock mechanism failing, so I thought I’d ask here.

Of the three locks (axis, compression, lockback), which would be the more robust and maintenance free mechanism? I know the axis lock is favored for strength, but I figured it would be more prone to sand getting in and wreaking havoc on the omega springs. Being out in the desert, he wants something that will hold up to a abuse with little maintenance since warranty service is nonexistent in the sandbox.

He likes each knife equally I guess, so it comes down to which lock will be the more worry free while overseas.

Thanks!
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PM3 if your friend is a righty.

Back Lock for a lefty. Generally the spring in that is beefy enough that I’d never worry about it breaking.

to be fair, I’m a spyderco fanboy. Some has concern for the omega springs in the Axis. Though I think a folding knife is strictly a tool in that context, and anything super critical would be down to the fixed blade anyways.
 
Nephron44 said:
Hello all!

Another one of my buddies is getting deployed to the Middle East, and he is looking to get a new folding knife (he already has a nice multi tool and fixed blade).

We went to our local knife store to try a few out, and he narrowed it down to a Benchmade Griptillian with G10 scales, a Spyderco PM3, or a Spyderco Native 5. His biggest concern was the lock mechanism failing, so I thought I’d ask here.

Of the three locks (axis, compression, lockback), which would be the more robust and maintenance free mechanism? I know the axis lock is favored for strength, but I figured it would be more prone to sand getting in and wreaking havoc on the omega springs. Being out in the desert, he wants something that will hold up to a abuse with little maintenance since warranty service is nonexistent in the sandbox.

He likes each knife equally I guess, so it comes down to which lock will be the more worry free while overseas.

Thanks!
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If I were serving again I would not take an axis lock. The springs break on occasion. The Compression lock of the PM3 is strong and it is easy to clean. The back lock is the strongest and is okay cleaning, but is not flow through like the PM3. I would choose either the PM3 for gunk proof operation and still has a strong lock, or the Native for a stronger lock. I favor the Native's lock, but the PM3 has a lot of merit for a knife that might get sand, dirt, mud, etc. in it.
 
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