sticky line locks?

B

Billmanweh

Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
606
I've got a few knives with really sticky liner locks. Not that slight little *tick* as it disengages, but where your thumb is sore after opening and closing a dozen times. Is that typically a design flaw, or something that can be tweaked a little and fixed?
 
Some knives on the less expensive (and sometimes more expensive side) are just sticky as you describe.

You can try pencil leading (graphite really) the knife blade tang where the lock rides. That might help.

If I paid more then $30 or $50 for the knife I'd send it back to be fixed.
 
Emerson and other makers seem to have the philosophy that sticky locks are ok and will break in over time. Most of them that I've bought from EKI have been as you describe when new. I had one, a CQC14, in for a little work last week that was such a knife. I have a well callused thumb and could barely close it. When very little of the lock is exposed to get a thumb purchase on and the lock sticks it just compounds the problem. After just three or four openings and closings of the blade on that particular knife my thumb lost skin. Graphite or lead can help by drawing with it on the lock interface where the blade contacts the lock. This is usually only good for about 20 to 50 openings and will need to be reapplied.

Some guys spine tap them to set the lock better. I've done this but be aware that the blade may close on you so keep your fingers out of harms way. There may be good reason why it sticks. It may be all that holds the blade opened as I've found that sometimes once they stop sticking then you can close the blade with simple spine pressure.

I don't mind a sticky lock so long as I can get enough thumb on it to close it. Its the ones that are barely there to begin with that bother me the most. Just one of the reasons I've always preferred lockbacks as my first choice in lock types but not the only one.

STR
 
The problem is you shouldn't need to put up with sticky, it's not need for a strong lock.
 
What brands of knives are they? What level of quality would you guess they are?

Like someone said, the cheaper knives are usually the culprits (though not always just them). I've got a cheapo or three that don;t even have washers between the blade and frame, as far as I can tell. One is made in China (Christmas gift from nephew one year) that has a slotted screw to adjust the blade, no washers. Now, the slotted screw isn;t necessarily a sign of cheapo, but this one's a joke. I use it in the woodshop and don;t worry about how stiff it is. I have tried to adjust it though....it's so cheap I gave up.

You might have some gunk in there. Try a cheapo soaked in mineral spirits and take it apart if you can. Clean it well. Then reassemble and try that dry lube graphite.

If these are decent knives, I think you have to be careful about taking them apart. I don;t mess with my good ones, other than mild tweaking..... I'm a wuss in that regard. But you can clean them and inspect under a good magnifying lamp.... see if something's binding.

A washer might be scratched up and binding (I'm guessing now). Maybe you need those teflon washers mentioned in another sub-forum (The Toolshed: Knife Care, Maintenance, etc). Do a search for phospher bronze.... the thread is only about a week old if that.

Good luck
 
Eh, I just put some graphite on the tang and its fine. It shouldn't make your thumb sore, but it happens. I had a BM 630 that was TERRIBLE that way. Put some graphite on the tang and it was just like butter.
 
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