Remember when "lock stick" was a good thing?

Carboniferous said:
Let's be honest here, yes they are. At least one person has explicitly said that, in their mind, that's the only reason. The general consensus is, "Anyone who cares about that stuff is a wimp, there's no other explanation." Actually that's not quite true, some others have gone with, "The only reason is because they don't use their tools as tools should be used."

It's really disingenuous to say, "Well they're just pointing out that men are wimps nowadays, and that people nowadays like these features, they aren't AT ALL implying any kind of causal relationship between those two TOTALLY UNRELATED ideas."
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You can discuss the macro level of a society without discussing the micro

When I was 10 I gave up the guitar because the strings hurt my fingers. I wish I had made them bleed and learned to play.

Buy, use, keep, collect do whatever you want to do. It's your hobby. I just think some get caught up on the small stuff but then again, who am I to say it's small for someone else I suppose. It's their hobby. I get both sides of the coin here. I still stick to my first post
 
jstrange said:
^
It could be argued that those people did not correct anything. They simply changed the design to emphasize a different attribute. Basically they made it easier to open, because that was important to them. Doing so may have compromised the ultimate reliability of the lock, but to them, comfort and convenience was more important than making sure a lock could not slip. I wouldn't say either is better than the other, but I also wouldn't say it "corrected" some design flaw.
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Very true. That's why I said "might've." My point was that "design intention" does not equal design perfection or "correctness." The last sentence was just me being snide.;)
 
I don't remember lock stick being a good thing but didn't get into knives until about the turn of the millennium.

I guess I question why a frame lock is so popular in the first place?! After having multiples close when I didn't want them to close as well as one travel to the other scale to the point of vertical play that rattled when shaken back in forth, I'm just not a fan. Being a mechanical engineer I see nothing but lots of potential problems and a design based on compromises and not strengths. But that's just my opinion and since there is no patent and makers can make a one handed lock with no royalties to be paid and it looks good even if they don't understand all the nuances, and now they are very popular with consumers because Ti is sexy and people will buy things that look good or that everyone else is buying.

I still don't get why Chris Reece gets Credit for the frame lock when it's just a liner lock without a scale. Or a liner lock with a titanium scale. I wouldn't have the nerve to look a person in the eyes and tell them I 'invented' it, much less try to attach my name to it. But whatever, again just my opinion.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I guess I question why a frame lock is so popular in the first place?!
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My impression is that the answer to that question is "it's easy to design and build."

As to why it's so popular with consumers is a tougher nut to crack, in my mind, that includes a lot of variables.
 
Only knife I had that truly had a bad sticky lock was my DPX HEST. But that also developed vertical and horizontal blade play after a day. Took quite a bit of effort to disengage the lockbar even though I work with my hands for a living.
End of the day, knife enthusiasts will always find something to complain about on what is supposed to be a perfect knife.
 
I often wonder if all my good luck has been reserved for that part of my life which is the only part to have any good luck: knives. I see all the threads complaining about lock stick, sharp edges on holes and on vg-10 scales (!), hard to use clips, actions that aren't smooth...and I think how truly lucky I am to never have problem knives.
 
SpySmasher said:
Very true. That's why I said "might've." My point was that "design intention" does not equal design perfection or "correctness." The last sentence was just me being snide.;)
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Gotcha, probably went above my head ;) It's been a long week!
 
I am old enough to know that each new generation derides the previous ones for some percieved wrong, as do the older generations fault the yonger ones for their alleged imperfections. The good news is that I see both positions as a load of horse plop.

On to lock stick. If I bought a new Mercedes and the driver's door stuck closed, I would be plenty pissed. If I bought a new Volkswagon and the driver's door stuck closed, I would be plenty pissed as well. Some smooth talking salesman/person might try to convince me that the sticking door was a safety feature so I didn't accidently fall out, or that if I continued to struggle with the door that it would eventually 'break-in' and become smoother. Who knows, some might even call me a wuss for complaining.

The point to the above, is that it is not unreasonable to expect a product to perform as advertised, regardless of the price. If I get a sticking lock on a knife, I am going to be pissed off and I don't care if I paid twenty-two dollars or twenty-two hundred dollars. If we are guilty of anything today, it is putting up with crap and not holding manufacturers feet to the fire.
 
Jamesh Bond said:
I saw the Spyderco hole thread too, and was reminded for the gazillionth time that I am ashamed to be associated with the same group as the complete wimps that are taking over our country.
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What, about dulling it a bit when it's too sharp?
I'm not a millennial (unless 40 year olds are ;)), but when the hole is sharp enough that it cuts through the callous on my thumb and I bleed, damn straight I pull out some high grit silicon carbide paper and make it less sharp.

If you like opening holes to make you bleed, then you are an Emo. :D
(Goths are too busy writing sad poetry about the darkness of their soul to post about how awesome it is getting cut while opening their knives)
 
Oh yeah, and I don't care about lock stick.
Lock stick just means the knife wants to stay locked, which is okay with me.
 
A little lock stick still is a good thing. Theres just a group of knife owners who treat their folders like toys instead of tools and lock stick ruins there fun.
 
Personally I prefer a bit of lockstick, makes the knife lockup feel more secure. Probably just a psychological placebo, but I like placebos.

Only knife I've had which I'd say it was an issue was my medford 187rmp which required both hands to unlock for a couple of days. After that it was perfect.
 
Jamesh Bond said:
Actually, speaking as a Millennial, that statement is PURE fact. Men are not men anymore.

I saw the Spyderco hole thread too, and was reminded for the gazillionth time that I am ashamed to be associated with the same group as the complete wimps that are taking over our country.

There are no words.
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You carry folders for EDC. Makes you an unmasculine wuss. Us real men carry broadswords.
 
I will agree that a knife that opens smoothly and is well built is a joy to use. In my opinion function out ranks the smoothness of action. On the other hand, people who don't use their knives won't know what a sharp handle does to the hands after a while.

Everyone's expectations vary greatly. I think that if I have trouble unlocking a one hand opening knife with one hand it has failed to do what it was made for. That being said a little drag is not harmful and can keep the lock from slipping.

I think that in the modern era we have so many different locks and designs that everyone can find something that works for them. I don't need a hard use folder everyday and I can't have g10 grinding my nice pants in an office setting, but I need that in the woods for grip and retention. Sharp edges create hot spots but they also create grip to an extent, this goes back to what the knife is made for.

I won't insult anyone for not liking something, but I will say its not good for someone to be insulting because they disagree.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
You carry folders for EDC. Makes you an unmasculine wuss. Us real men carry broadswords.
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Pffft, real men use their teeth and manly claws to tear the world into submission.
We laugh at the wintery cold, wearing but mere loincloths to keep our genitals from becoming frostbitten (that's the only anatomical bit that real men care about frost bite on :D).
 
I worked in metal fabrication and leaving sharp edges is big nono. Talking about the hole here. I like to flick it open using my nails and don't like to see cut marks on them. Have you purchased Taichung Spydie lately? Sharp edges is just unfinished product and is annoying. Same shitty half ass manufacturing style demonstrated by cabinet makers nowadays who bult my kitchen set. Put you hand in there without paying attention and you get cut. I really beleive people took better care back in the day contrary to this macho bullshit I'm reading in here.
 
Sergeua said:
I worked in metal fabrication and leaving sharp edges is big nono. Talking about the hole here. I like to flick it open using my nails and don't like to see cut marks on them. Have you purchased Taichung Spydie lately? Sharp edges is just unfinished product and is annoying. Same shitty half ass manufacturing style demonstrated by cabinet makers nowadays who bult my kitchen set. Put you hand in there without paying attention and you get cut. I really beleive people took better care back in the day contrary to this macho bullshit I'm reading in here.
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Sorry about your nails. I do agree people took better care of their stuff back in the day. Who is being macho by the way?
 
Whoever is implying someone is a wuss, while assuming they don't like lock stick due to not being strong to operate one. If you know what I mean. Maybe I'm a little bit all over the place. It's Friday I'm tired and don't like typing on the phone to better elaborate
Ps gonna carry my 110 for the weekend it's never heard of these here issues
 
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FYI, both Mercedes Benz and Vw have factory recommended motor break in periods. Moving parts wear after being machined. It isn't out of the norm for a hand tool that isn't anywhere near the level of precision of an MB motor to have a break in period. Period.
 
Sergeua said:
Whoever is implying someone is a wuss, while assuming they don't like lock stick due to not being strong to operate one
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I was just joking about your nails by the way, but you had to see that coming.

I agree the OP came on strong, but I believe his point has validity at the big picture. There is a large amount of complaining about what some, especially users, consider small. In may not been expressed as sensitive as needed or as all encompassing as he made out, but it is somewhat true.

I use a slip joint 90% of the time so I dont even use a lock, but I use my knives. Some here really just collect and take "edc" pictures (not that there is anything wrong with that. Said in my best Seinfeld voice.) I think he was just talking about the coming and going of fads and ideas in the hobby. I could be wrong though.

Edit: Dont you all hate typing on phones. Im grabbing a beer and letting this thread go. All the best to whoever reads:thumbup:
 
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