Traditional Liner lock Vs. Traditional Lock back

Which Traditional locker do you prefer?

  • Liner locks

    Votes: 13 20.3%

  • Lock backs

    Votes: 51 79.7%
  • Total voters
    64
C

catfish579

Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
166
I was at a store recently and was looking for a single bladed Case with a lock to satisfy my knife itch. After testing their the copperlock (lock back) and mid-folding hunter (liner lock), and talking with the salesman, I went for the copperlock. Mainly because I find the lock back to be more reliable construction-wise and ergonomic compared to the liner lock. I'm not much of a locking blade person, but I've come to appreciate lock backs for their ease to open, use, then close, and with my the way my hands are and I appreciate that characteristic. I tend to pass my knife to coworkers who need it and with the increasing number of people who don't own and use a pocket knife, I usually feel better giving them something that they won't close on their fingers accidentally. I probably will post something about copperlocks when I'm better acquainted with my new friend (mini copperlock workman with blue synthetic scales) and when I figure out how to post pictures.
That is just me and my experiences of course. I'd like to hear what all of your opinions are between the two when it comes to traditionals that lock! What do you like to use for a locking knife? How do you use it? As always, pictures are welcome!
 
Hello, I have some traditional splipjoints, linerlocks and backlocks. My choice is backlock. It is more comfortable for me comparing with linerlock. And it is much easier to open comparing with slipjoint. Reliability is not a question for me. If you use knife properly as a knife not prybar it would not fold with any type of lock.
 
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I don't have much experience with traditional liner locks, but those that I do seem to be more accentual than functional, and if anything, less safe, because of the illusion that they might provide some stability advantage (that they actually don't). Again, I haven't handled many, but from what I can tell, the liner lock is best left to modern folders.

Traditional lock backs, even with blade play, seem all but indestructible under the forces that a human could apply with the leverage available from human anatomy.
 
I dont carry either one very often but i like liner locks better because its seems faster to close for me ,so i voted liner lock.
 
I'm not that much of a lockblade person. Mostly all slip joints my whole life.

But...while I was in the army, I saw so many young and dumb guys abuse the PX purchased Buck 110, that I grew a huge admiration for the almost indestructible knife. The well made kickback like the 100 and the German made Mercators stand up for some very hard use.
 
I’ll be the oddball and say liner lock. I like to be able to close the knife one-handed without having to hold it by the very end, as I have the tendency to drop things and my natural reaction is to catch it with my foot to cushion it’s fall. That’s a bad thing for a knife user!
 
Liner locks on traditional knives ALWAYS stick proud of the handle in an uncomfortable way. I don't believe any lock is necessary 99% of the time, but they do have their uses.

A good example is a schrade 877UH, it has a drop point blade with a gut hook on the back of the tip, a liner lock was a wise choice for that. Locks are also very good for a screwdriver blade.
 
My vote went to lockback. I particularly like the Mercator lockbacks where the release is right under your thumb. The Buck 110 is about as solid a proposition as you will find.

The only traditional liner locks I have experienced are not mainstream liner locks. Some MAM models have a backward-acting liner lock added to what is essentially an unlined friction folder, a neat trick in my opinion.

Then there is the TL-29, with its liner lock on the screwdriver, but no lock on the cutting blade. I will probably cut myself on one of these, as the square tang makes it difficult to tell if the lock is disengaged. I tend to push hard in order to fold it, and will someday mash the sharp edge of the blade down on my thumb, I just know it.
 
Hard to answer the question ... it would depend more on what my uses for the knife will be ... and if it is necessary to be able to close one handed ... I have a Spyderco Native 5 with lockback and its very easy to operate one handed ...

but on a traditional not as easy ... so if I needed a one hand closing option the liner ... but on a traditonal I would go with the lockback personally.
 
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For NON-traditionals liner locks work well, but as some have mentioned, the traditional types, say a TL-29, I just find it to be best to think of it as a nonlocking knife. Lockbacks on the other hand, do feel much more secure, and have saved my hand from cuts over the years. Buck, Copperlock, whatever, they all have a touch more stability, and the ability to pierce, which isn’t always advisable with slipjoints. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks, Neal
 
There was a time when I would have said liner locks all the way.
But after working exstenively with knives, largely outdoors and sometimes in the wet and cold I find I prefer lock backs these days. They just seem to work better with cold or gloved hands. I can easily close all of my lock backs with one hand.
You mentioned lending your knife... I haven't found a single person struggle to close a lock back while with a liner lock, I have seen people struffle to the point of handing it back to me unable to close it if they are humble or cutting themselves if they are proud. Thanks to the proliferation of the Buck 110 and ones like it, most people have come across a lock back sometime in their lives.
The only exception is when I am working in a gritty environment. Sand and gravel. The way a lockback grinds through its entire motion makes me shudder and I find it harder to clean.
 
jmarston, I have to agree with you when it comes to opening a lock back in cold and wet weather. One of the biggest reasons I use a lock back is because of how easy they are to open. I'm sure if I came across a easy open jack that spoke to be, we will be having another story later on.
Stropping Young Lad, you play a dangerous game of mumbly peg!
 
Generally speaking I’ll take a lockback, but my favorite knives are actually linerlock #73s.

I actually trust the locking mechanism on the linerlocks more and have never felt they were uncomfortable in the hand, but I can see how some would get annoyed with it.
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Lockbacks have a special place in my heart as a “hunting pocket knife”, most people in my family use the Buck 110, or some lockback variation out in the field with no complaints.

I’ve used my linerlocks to gut, skin and quarter 3 deer so far this season and I’m always very pleased at their function. Even soaked in blood and caked in fat they function exceedingly well.
 
Lock back all the way. I never like the idea of pushing the blade closed while your thumb is pushing the liner out of the way. Just seemed like an accident waiting to happen, Im not so worried about me but someone I hand the knife to. That and a Buck 110 holds a special place in my heart as well as the mini copper lock my Girlfriend gave me as a gift. A good lock back when opened locks open like a tank door. Just so pleasing to hear that.
 
For me, I tend to prefer locking blades over slipjoints, if only for the additional safety that comes with a locked blade. I grew up with only slipjoints and have memories of that blade closing back down on fingers. I generally prefer the liner or frame locks over the back or mid locks even though I believe them to be weaker than the back lock type. If I am exerting enough force on a knife to cause it's lock mechanism to fail regardless of the type, I am probably using the knife wrong to begin with. I have had instances where I unintentionally disengaged the lock in use on all styles of locking knives. What can I say, I'm gifted where I shouldn't be.

Be that as it may, the locking blades carry their own set of dangers. The biggest being you become lazy and rely on the locking mechanism too much and assume the knife is locked when it isn't.

It does not happen a lot, but I have bought knives that had mechanisms that failed to lock. Mostly of the frame / liner variety. One I returned for a refund because the knife would only lock open maybe 1 out of 6-7 times. Don't want a knife that fails to lock 60-80% of the time. Bad news. I have another right now that is a little flaky in the locking action. That one I think I can salvage and it maybe a simple fix. It fails in the minority of openings, maybe 1 out of 6 fails to lock. I have one of my main EDC's decide to suddenly stop locking. It turned out to be some pocket lint got into the workings and blocked the lockup. Removed the lint, good as new!
 
My favorite locking mechanism is the lockback, they are simple and strong! Too many liner locks are too thin and wear quickly, which produce lots of blade play.
 
I could be biased by the only liner lock trads I have are old Schrades and an unknown Japanese knife with lovely bone scales.
The locks on any of these are so old and worn out they dont function ss s lock at all.
Lockbacks of similar are toyt.Toyt like a Toyger.
 
Most traditional linerlocks have the tab sticking up and I just absolutely do not like that.
I'm also left handed so if I go with any locking mechanism at all which I don't require I will always go with a lockback.
In my opinion it's the best locking mechanism we have in the knife world, people may disagree but I have no need for a lock of any other form.
 
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