"Hold the blade open..." you say?
How strong are they then?
Do they actually serve to prevent the blade from closing accidentally or is it just a gimmick?
Curious...
Let me put it this way - the amount of force needed to break the hold of the magnet is not that high. The magnets are strong but their effective field is not necessarily that big. This is also affected by the amount of contact space between the magnet and blade, which is fairly small. I found the hold could easily be overcome with one finger, and not much leverage, and once it's past the point of the hold it will move freely, assuming your finger is not in the choil or the pivot has not been tightened to impede that. Compare that to something like the UKPK or a traditional slipjoint where, in my experience, the level of resistance is higher, more consistent, and lasts longer. In a way, this is comparing apples to oranges because while a magnet and a spring may be able to serve the same function, the specific manner in which they do it and the limitations they have to deal with are different. I don't consider the magnets a gimmick. I think it's a very cool concept that can have some interesting development possibilities.
I just don't think the T-Mag is the optimal design for using magnets. I don't claim to have a ready-made improvement for it (Spyderco and Ralph Turnbull know infinitely more about the knife than I do anyway). However, I have another knife with magnets used in the same way, but it has a different design for the blade tang's interface with the magnet. I feel does a better job of providing me with a comfortable, natural grip that, while still minding the limitations of a knife that does not lock, has a higher sense of security.
Wow an F1 Fan and MotoGP fan on the boards....Thats cool!!! Bet you can't wait for the Night Race in Singapore
... Oh yeah, the T-Mag is a cool little Gents knife that felt good in the hand, the weak lock ~Magnets~ (open or closed) makes it just that, a "Dressup or Gentlemans" knife at best!!! Great fit and looks though and sharp as heck!!!!
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Yeah, that race should be really interesting, as will the street circuit in Valencia. I think we could see a lot of busted cars in those races given that they're all new to the drivers, teams, and Bridgestone.
Back on topic, it looks like you ended up with the T-Mag I used to have. I bought it from the original owner, CC# 196.
