Weight Hang Test

HotSwat

HotSwat

Joined
Sep 13, 2002
Messages
490
Even with the all Coldsteel haters, there still seems to be a pretty strong consensus that the Tri-ad lock is the strongest lock on market or one of the strongest. It's a super strong lock as proven by Andrew Demko's video where he hangs hundreds of pounds from the knife. My issue is that it's coldsteel testing coldsteel, and we have no idea how other locks would perform under the same stress. How much weight could a Frame-lock, Axis-lock or Compression-lock hold? The Ball-Bearing-lock looks like it could hold a crazy amount of weight. Has anyone ever subjected these other locks to the Demko weight hang, so we can crown an undisputed champ?
 
Spyderco has a knife breaking machine they use to test strength, but they don't publish the results.
 
Does lock strength really matter after ........say 100 pounds ?
After that it would seem to me, that lock reliability would be more interesting/important.
 
Hawkings said:
Does lock strength really matter after ........say 100 pounds ?
After that it would seem to me, that lock reliability would be more interesting/important.
Click to expand...

A 100 LBS of torque is nothing to put on a knife because one is holding on the handle so putting 25 LBS of force on the pivot 4" away is like 100 LBS.

Or 100 LBS 4" away is like 500 LBS and so on.
 
STR has done some tests as well. Axis, compression, & ball bearing can fall in the minimum 200 inch-lb range for Spyderco tests (Very Heavy Duty rating), along with their heaviest lockbacks. Cold Steels advertised liner lock strength, plus tests by STR & Spyderco seem to have frame & liner locks making it up to about 150 in-lbs but not able to reach VHD.

I remember there being a test by a German magazine, but I don't remember the numbers. I think they tested Striders and ERs.
 
HotSwat said:
Even with the all Coldsteel haters, there still seems to be a pretty strong consensus that the Tri-ad lock is the strongest lock on market or one of the strongest. It's a super strong lock as proven by Andrew Demko's video where he hangs hundreds of pounds from the knife. My issue is that it's coldsteel testing coldsteel, and we have no idea how other locks would perform under the same stress. How much weight could a Frame-lock, Axis-lock or Compression-lock hold? The Ball-Bearing-lock looks like it could hold a crazy amount of weight. Has anyone ever subjected these other locks to the Demko weight hang, so we can crown an undisputed champ?
Click to expand...

If you're going to be a caveman you just can't beat the fixed blade approach.
I do not have folding chisels... not a good idea.
Nevertheless, I prefer a folder that is a strong mofo.

me and a couple of cents
 
Sal said this on his forum.
"We've broken Tri-Ad locks and they aren't any stronger than Compression, Ball bearing, lock-backs or Axis locks."

Then talked alot of smack about how they don't publish results, talk smack or feel the need to "prove" anything. Why would he exaggerate?
 
Ankerson said:
A 100 LBS of torque is nothing to put on a knife because one is holding on the handle so putting 25 LBS of force on the pivot 4" away is like 100 LBS.

Or 100 LBS 4" away is like 500 LBS and so on.
Click to expand...

Agree. Torque on snow tires you need 120ft/lbs. So a 100lbs isn't really all that much. However, I don't need excess amounts of strength either, especially if it compromise thickens and weight.
 
I don't have a problem with crowning Cold Steel as the champion of lock strength. But since I tend to cut things with the front of the blade instead of the back, I care more about edge geometry, heat tempering, blade steel, quality, ergos, and those other things.
 
Tsujigiri said:
I don't have a problem with crowning Cold Steel as the champion of lock strength. But since I tend to cut things with the front of the blade instead of the back, I care more about edge geometry, heat tempering, blade steel, quality, ergos, and those other things.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It's sort of weird how much emphasis of knife quality is placed on lock strength, when to me it is just a way of preventing accidental closing of the knife. I would think that pivot pin and stop pin strength should matter much more to knife users.
 
I seem to recall the last time I saw a thread like this, it was pointed out by some seemingly pretty smart guys (SPSG) that tests would need to be conducted not only model specific, but production run specific basis.

That seems to make sense to me. Certain knives evolve over time (production changes, material changes, manufacturing plant changes, etc.)

Even if you do not buy that argument, surely you could contemplate the possibility that a Demko custom Tri-ad (perhaps with REALLY thick stock as requested by the guy who commissioned it) will fail at a different load than a CS Lawman?

What I am getting at, is that it seems doubtful that anyone could ever declare a "best lock type"...because the type of lock is only a component of what makes the knife resist closing.
 
Tsujigiri said:
I don't have a problem with crowning Cold Steel as the champion of lock strength. But since I tend to cut things with the front of the blade instead of the back, I care more about edge geometry, heat tempering, blade steel, quality, ergos, and those other things.
Click to expand...

Funny, funny post! :D

By the way, on the concept of a folding chisel, imagine my surprise when I came across this:
fastcap_pocket_chisel.jpg

Does this make the balisong design the strongest folder?
 
unit said:
I seem to recall the last time I saw a thread like this, it was pointed out by some seemingly pretty smart guys (SPSG) that tests would need to be conducted not only model specific, but production run specific basis.

That seems to make sense to me. Certain knives evolve over time (production changes, material changes, manufacturing plant changes, etc.)

Even if you do not buy that argument, surely you could contemplate the possibility that a Demko custom Tri-ad (perhaps with REALLY thick stock as requested by the guy who commissioned it) will fail at a different load than a CS Lawman?

What I am getting at, is that it seems doubtful that anyone could ever declare a "best lock type"...because the type of lock is only a component of what makes the knife resist closing.
Click to expand...
That's what's nice about Andrew's videos and the Spyderco testing. Andrew uses CS models, not his customs, and Spyderco tests production models.

Alan Elishewitz also tested production/custom knives on video to compare to the EX01, but concealed which models they were so as not to cause controversy.
 
Ultraman said:
Funny, funny post! :D

By the way, on the concept of a folding chisel, imagine my surprise when I came across this:
fastcap_pocket_chisel.jpg

Does this make the balisong design the strongest folder?
Click to expand...

Where can i find one of those? Being an ex carpenter I dunno how I ever missed that. I would love to use and test that on some projects around the house.

What steel is that. Lol.
 
All I can say about the new Cold Steel tri-ad lock is my Recon 1 has play in it after very little use. I could care less if it holds 200lbs if its got slop in it.
 
jay2pointoh said:
Where can i find one of those? Being an ex carpenter I dunno how I ever missed that. I would love to use and test that on some projects around the house.

What steel is that. Lol.
Click to expand...

Just google "folding chisel" and it'll come up with vendors and even a review!
 
ditto to unit. i have never had but one lock that failed & it was on a high end custom. i do'nt understand the frenzy concerning locks---most knives used correctly do'nt even require a lock.
dennis
 
mystro said:
All I can say about the new Cold Steel tri-ad lock is my Recon 1 has play in it after very little use. I could care less if it holds 200lbs if its got slop in it.
Click to expand...

send it back to cold steel, it should not have any play in regular or even rough use.
 
Picksmith said:
Sal said this on his forum.
"We've broken Tri-Ad locks and they aren't any stronger than Compression, Ball bearing, lock-backs or Axis locks."

Then talked alot of smack about how they don't publish results, talk smack or feel the need to "prove" anything. Why would he exaggerate?
Click to expand...

Wait, what? Sal Glesser talked smack? Now thats something I have to see to believe.

But I don't doubt the sentiment of the tri-ad not being much stronger than the compression lock. I always thought spyderco machine was a form of a swinging pendulum impact testing machine. Which would be testing impacts rather than static weight, giving different results.

Heres a random pic of a pendulum impact machine.
images
 
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