Quick Question About "Lock Up"

C

Cutwater

Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
40
Howdy, I've just gotten into some folding knives and reading through the forums quite frequently to pick up some general info on folders (maintenance, oiling, opening techniques, etc.). Now there's one thing that everyone mentions that I have no idea what they are talking about, and that is "lock up"

Now I've figured you use the term for, well when the knife locks up. But I noticed people talking about 50% and 30% lockup. And I don't really know what they mean.

Are they saying that their knife only locks up 50% of the time? That's what I can surmise on my end, but then I'm thinking, "why would they be praising knives that only lock half the time?!?"
 
It's referring to the distance the lock bar travels over on the tang of a liner lock or frame lock. If the knife locked up at 50% the lock bar would make contact with the middle of the tang. 10% would barely catch and 100% would go all the way over.
 
It refers to liner/frame locks as to how far they travel on the blade tang when locked.
 
Here is a picture showing lockup on a Spyderco Military I used to own:

smil5.jpg


I'd say it's showing ~30% lockup.
 
And early lockup is preferred because blade play can start to show after the lockbar wears and makes it way all the way to the right. The earlier the lockup (safe lockup) the longer the assumed life of the knife is . . .
 
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