Opinions on liner locks

If you use a knife as a knife (cutting with the edge rather than smacking with the spine) then a liner lock is every bit as secure as any lock out there. Locks shouldn't need to be strong enough to support body weight without failing, the only reason anybody cares about lock strength is because of an irrelevant test that some people think actually makes a knife more or less desirable.

I have favorite locks but that's all based on ease of disengaging them, not strength; All locks are strong enough for proper use, else slipjoints wouldn't be so popular.
 
I too prefer framelocks over liner locks. It is pretty much due to the perception that liner locks are weaker even though I know good ones will hold up. I also prefer the tactile feel on the lock that I have with frame locks. It has less chance to disengage with my fingers on it when gripping the knife. I do feel for the person who mentioned that being a lefty, the pressure is on the frame lock and thus wears down the lockup
 
I'd prefer a Framelock with a steel insert over a liner lock.

Why?: Easier use sometimes, Less wear with a steel insert (not many makers use a liner with a steel insert), preference.

Although if you want two show sides a liner lock is always a choice.
 
I love ti frame locks and I own many. This time I'm going to give a liner lock a try.

I like the KW exclusive Military with dark green G10 and 204P.

I also like the "blurple" G10 & S110V version. They call it dark blue G10 but it looks purple to me.
 
PURPLEDC said:
I think a liner lock has every bit the potential that a frame lock has with one exception. And that is with a frame lock your grip reinforces the lock where as with a liner lock the scale usually prevents your grip from doing this. But a properly cut lock doesnt need it. If done the right way they are pretty much equal in my book. When you look at most frame locks the point of contact it makes with the blade tang is much less than the actual surface area available. And most times the lockbar cutout on a frame lock is just as thin and in some cases thinner than many liner locks. So imho there is very little difference aside from a more beefier appearance going to the frame lock. But in reality they use about equal amounts of real estate in regards to contact points.
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I find this whole "grip reinforcing a framelock" thing to be largely a myth. First of all most of my framelock knives when I grip them the handle design means I am hardly putting any extra pressure on the lock bar. Even if I am putting pressure on the lockbar it is certainly not my full grip strength. First of all who grips a knife with their full grip strength when cutting? Secondly the handle design often means that it is not designed for your full grip strength to be falling on the lockbar. With both these factors in play I find it hard to believe any force that would pop a frame lock open or cause the lock to fail would be stopped by your hand gripping the knife.
 
Not a fan, most are flimsy and it really is a primitive way to lock a blade, just a cheap easy option for makers. Still waiting for some innovation in the knife lock world, Andrew Demko has done some good work, same goes for the axis and there's nothing wrong with CRK's frame lock for standard use. The only 2 liner locks i think are well done and would trust are Spydercos Military and Gayle Bradley.
 
lock strength, lock life, lock failure, lock ergonomics etc...

I think it's mostly in favor of frame lock. I've seen failures of liner locks on many cheap knives when I was younger. its not pretty. ive got a few titanium liner locks that use too thin a lock bar, too springy, and possibly poor carburized lock faces, they don't last me a year of flipping them open.

overall if a manufacturer makes a really well designed liner lock with good quality, it will be as good in all those factors as a frame lock. and if you use a knife just for cutting small stuff you shouldn't have any issues at all (well unless you buy one from the gas station).
 
The liner lock's poor reputation is mostly due to so many people who love knives encountering a knife or several knives throughout their lives with very, very bad liner locks in them. It's an easy, cheap lock to make, and it's an easy lock to make poorly. That's a bad combo. There are probably hundreds of thousands of liner locking garbage knives out their of flea market tables, in gas stations, in pockets, and everywhere else keeping that bad rep alive. It's a legit bias. There are a ton of shitty liner locks out there, some every made by recognizable brands with some reputation to them.

That said, a well made liner lock is all the lock you need for pretty much any folding knife task. Is it going to hold up like a Triad? Hell no, but the Triad is so strong that it isn't even needed. It's like putting a rock collection in a bank vault. A folder doesn't need that much lock strength. A liner lock like one found on a Spyderco Military, or ZT, or Microtech, or any other outfit that gives a damn is going to be not just fine, but impressive as hell.
 
I've never really had any cutting tasks where I actually needed a locking folder, so any form of locking mechanism at all is strong enough for me.
I can't speak of the strength of a liner lock, but I can say that I don't like the original / tl29 type that sticks up, they're fairly convenient, and aren't impossible to use as a lefty. I do however not like them as much as a lockback as they are considerably better for a lefty and have the constant force when opening which I like
I really don't think that liner locks are better or worse than anything else, and would never pay more for a frame lock thinking it's better.
 
Any blade lock can be made poorly or well. There are crappy frame locks, crappy back locks and crappy liner locks. If you need a lock to keep the knife open, you are either using the knife incorrectly or need to use a fixed blade. I am not worried about a well made liner lock.
 
jill jackson said:
The owner of Spyderco said there's no difference in strength between, the liner lock Military and the frame lock Military.
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Is there a frame lock Military? I've never seen one, but I usually don't look at the Military models. They're too large for me to EDC.
 
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Love these types of threads. Everyone can chime in with their opinion with no resolution or real answer. No right, no wrong just a lot of folks with opinions which leads to lots of posts. Eventually everyone who wants to express his or opinion about liner locks does so and then the thread is dead.
 
sharkattacksw said:
Is there a frame lock Military? I've never seen one, but I usually don't look at the Military models. They're too large for me to EDC.
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Yes... if you can find one. IIRC, they aren't currently made, but there are Ti Militaries with frame locks that pop up on the exchange every so often.
 
Aldebaran said:
Any blade lock can be made poorly or well. There are crappy frame locks, crappy back locks and crappy liner locks. If you need a lock to keep the knife open, you are either using the knife incorrectly or need to use a fixed blade. I am not worried about a well made liner lock.
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That's definitely true, if a folder closes on you you're doing something wrong. If you use your knife as a knife, and use it properly it pushes itself open.
 
As stated above. a hardcore lock isn't needed if the knife is being used for slicing or light piercing. Liner locks are fine, easy to use, and I like the more integral aspect compared to frame locks. If pure function is your concern, lock type doesn't matter. As long as it is something you like.

Like personally, I would never get a frame lock, looks too makeshift and belongs on cheaper knives. Button locks all the way. If CRK came out with a button lock Sebenza, I would buy that instantly.
 
The Military is liner lock perfection. I've never had issues with any of mine.
 
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