new spyderco fan. ball bearing lock & p'kal opinions please.

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Hi guys. After never liking Spyderco knives, I fell in love with the Yojimbo 2. Love the aesthetic, great fit and finish. I just found the P'Kal and LOVE the look. I was about to order it, and checked a bunch of reviews and such. I am curious about your thoughts on the ball bearing lock and the knife. Is the ball bearing lock "like the BM axis lock"? I know any folder can fail, but I personally don't like the little wires having the potential to fail. Is the ball bearing lock in the spyderco any different??

Thanks so much everyone!
 
The axis uses a pair of omega springs to keep the sliding lock pin in place. The ball bearing lock uses one straight coil spring to accomplish this task. I have both and like both. All four of my Benchmades have the Axis and it works well.

I also have a Spydie Manix 2 and like the BB lock. It both opens and closes with a reassuring click of the ball. The Manix is the most "mechanical" knife I've handled and really like the feel of it. It's smooth and locks tight.

Both locks can fail I suppose. I EDC'd a Benchmade 940 for about seven years straight before getting into knives. The Axis lock never failed me.

If you treat a decent quality knife with some care, it should last a long, long time. I was a BM fan for years and only recently began to appreciate Spyderco. They make some great knives.
 
They're both strong locks. The coil spring on the Spyderco version shouldn't snap like the Omega springs, but Benchmade's Axis lock is smoother and more refined feeling than the ball bearing lock.
 
Thank you both! I only use my knives for cutting so it won't be taking much abuse at all. The whole thing about Omega's that had me worried were several reports of failures out of nowhere. Was curious if any of you heard anything about such things happening with the ball bearing lock on Spydies. I don't mind it being less smooth than an Axis lock.
 
As far as lockup and design, the Ball Lock is just as good as the Axis. However it can be harder to use since there isn’t as much to connect with.
If your hands are sweaty, greasy or wet, it can be hard to get a purchase on the ball bearing.

I like Spydercos lock, but not as much as Benchmades.
 
No opinion on the Pkal, but the BBL/CBBL I have handled plenty of (Manix 2 in my pocket right now). It may look like the axis/arc lock from pictures, but is very different in real life. It is much stiffer, and more difficult to disengage. It has a stronger detent too. I usually close my CBBL knives with 2 hands and my axis lock knives with one hand.
 
As far as lock designs go , it's very strong and will work fine. The P'kal doesn't open as smooth as an axis lock knife, but the knife was designed around the "wave" opening.

I should also mention that the wave bar catches the front of the pocket and not the back, it's backwards to a right handed person.

Check out youtube for some videos of the P'kal, it's what sold me on the design.

And even though it was designed to have a specific purpose, it can be used as a utility knife .
 
minimize said:
Thank you both! I only use my knives for cutting so it won't be taking much abuse at all. The whole thing about Omega's that had me worried were several reports of failures out of nowhere. Was curious if any of you heard anything about such things happening with the ball bearing lock on Spydies. I don't mind it being less smooth than an Axis lock.
Click to expand...

Haven't heard of any springs failing on the ball locks.

bearcut said:
As far as lockup and design, the Ball Lock is just as good as the Axis. However it can be harder to use since there isn’t as much to connect with.
If your hands are sweaty, greasy or wet, it can be hard to get a purchase on the ball bearing.

I like Spydercos lock, but not as much as Benchmades.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you're talking about the old ball bearing lock? I agree that it's hard to get a grip on those, although they do look pretty cool. The new one encased in polymer like on the Manix 2 is pretty easy to grip, I think.
 
JPD1998 said:
As far as lock designs go , it's very strong and will work fine. The P'kal doesn't open as smooth as an axis lock knife, but the knife was designed around the "wave" opening.

I should also mention that the wave bar catches the front of the pocket and not the back, it's backwards to a right handed person.

Check out youtube for some videos of the P'kal, it's what sold me on the design.

And even though it was designed to have a specific purpose, it can be used as a utility knife .
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! Glad to hear from an owner. I have watched all the youtube vids on it. I was puzzled by the flipped clip for a second. I am actually think of carrying it in pocket and losing the clip and wave.

Glad it can be used for everyday tasks too. I was a bit worried about that. A youtube vid was saying it wasn't good for those tasks.. that it was a self defense only.
 
Tsujigiri said:
Haven't heard of any springs failing on the ball locks.
Click to expand...
AWESOME! Thanks. That was one of (if not the) biggest concern I had. I know with an axis its rare to happen.. but it does happen at a higher rate than I like. If used as a slicing tool, I am hoping that the ball bearing lock doesn't have such a failure rate.
 
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