Walker Lock / Liner Lock ?

S

Steelwolf

Joined
Jul 19, 1999
Messages
443
Forgive my bumbling brain, but I can't seem to figure out what is the difference between a Walker Lock and a Liner Lock. The sort of impression I get is that the Walker Lock is to be touted when talking about folders, but a liner lock is merely a statistic.

Which is better, which is proprietary and just who is Michael Walker anyway?

Thanks a million in advance.
 
I stand corrected.

[This message has been edited by e_utopia (edited 04-11-2000).]
 
From the A.G. Russell's Knife Encyclopedia;

Liner-Lock®
Michael Walker modernized the old use of the center liner for locking a blade open. Never successful outside of linemen's knives until Walker developed a knife with easy moving blade and positive lock and a detent to keep the blade closed.
Click to expand...

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Michael Walker is a fine, innovative knifemaker. He makes mostly art knifes. He improved and made popular the "liner lock" and had a copyright on the name. Originally when one used the term Walker lock they were attempting to not violate his copyright and were describing a liner lock. He has also made other kind of locks, and presently has claim to the term Walker Lock.
He was also one of the first knifemakers to work with titanium, for liners and also experimented with it for blades. Determining that titanium was not a good blade material he made some blades with a stainless steel edge joined to a titanium blade with what I would call a "rabbet joint"
Examples of that work ar rare and highly collectible.
He also offered some of the first Tanto blades on his folders.
 
Thanks guys. So there is no major difference, mechanically speaking, between Walker Locks and liner locks? It's just that Michael Walker was the first guy to successfully make it a commercial possibility?

BTW, where can I go to see examples of Michael Walker's work?
 
Great post and answers. I learned something today. Thanks.


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~Greg Mete~
Kodiak Alaska
 
I would like to add something to this thread.
Michael Walker (Mr. Liner Lock) is author of more than 20 blade-locking mechanisms. Together with Ron Lake he worked out Lake and Walker Knife Safety (LWKS) - the additional safety mechanism which prevents liner lock unintended disengagement. Columbia River Knife & Tool produces two new knives - Point Guard and Crawford/Kasper Folder - with this locking mechanism.
As to Michael Walker's production knives - SPYDERCO had in production Michael Walker custom collaboration C22 - sweet small folder in ATS-34, titanium and carbon fiber, pretty expensive collectible piece, numbered. It was limited edition and now the limit is over. I have the lightweight version with AUS-8 blade and Zytel handle - really cool design.
Some European manufacturers are also cooperating with Michael Walker: Boker (Solingen, Germany) has currently Walker's folder in production, H. P. Klotzli makes some Walker designed knives also.

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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland
 
A nicer guy than Michael would be tough to meet. He modernized the liner lock and trademarked the name Liner Lock. His custom work is highly sought after and each that I have seen reflects the use of modern state of the art materials and is second to none in craftmanship and innovation.

His work is high end as far as far as customs go. The place were I have seen most of his work is in the Knives Points of Interest Books. I have only handled a few of his knives in person. (you can sometimes see one or two up for sale at major shows, and sometimes he might have a few on him.)

As far as the invention, I would have to consider the locking electricain knifes that were first produced at the turn of the last century. They were usually electrician knives as mentioned in the post that referred to A.G. Russell.

If you can picture a traditional folder having at least two "blades" with a liner in the middle loose at the tang end having a tab or small hump on it, you've got it. When the knife was opened the liner would slide under the tang of the master blade. The tab was used to move the liner back over so the blade would close. Obviously this was not the sturdiest of locks.

I would venture a bet that there were even "liner locks" before then.

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"Life is too short to carry an ugly knife." Steve F.
 
Dang it! Phil, that is one BEAUTIFUL knife. "Dream collection" indeed! That's a knife that I would never touch for fear of my hands shrivelling up and dropping off if I ever touch a lesser knife.

Sergiusz, now you've gone and mentioned some knives that I just have to take a closer look at (which means buying through the internet to fondle, since the shops around here are rather limited and extremely expensive even if they do have the knives). What are you trying to do to me!?!?
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BTW, is there anywhere on the net that I can gather more information on the various mechanisms that Michael Walker and Ron Lake developed? Thanks.
 
"Linerlock" is Michael Walker's registered trademark. If you want to use this term on a production knife, you need to pay him royalties.

"Walker Lock" was somebody's clever way to get around this (I believe it was A.G. who first used this term, but I am not certain).

A few years ago I interviewed Mike for KNIVES ILLUSTRATED, on the history of the Linerlock. Since I am not a real journalist, I had him review the m/s for accuracy prior to publication [several real journalists have told me that they are not allowed to do this, because it might compromise their objectivity
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]. Here is the text:
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/liners.txt

BRL...

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http://www.BooksAreWe.com/
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[This message has been edited by bernard_levine (edited 04-11-2000).]
 
PhilL, something's wrong with the link. Can't get any pictures.
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But the URL says it's a Boker?!? Which one is it?

With everything that you guys have said about Michael Walker, I sure wish I could meet him. In fact, the more time I spend in the forums, the more I want to journey through USA and meet the various makers and forumites. Wish I wasn't living in the Land Down under.
 
Sorry, it worked when I first posted it.
It's the Boker "SkwWalker" a very cool knife.
I'll see if I can find another link.
 
I think it's more a play on words. True, the Boker Skywalker does use a liner lock and is quite nice to look at, but there are other more beautiful knives and just as many which offer better functionality. On the same token, there are quite a few which offer function and looks that exceed the Skywalker. I wonder why he chose to carry that blade.

Anyway, thanks, PhiL, for all that info.
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