What are your favourites locking systems and why?

I dont know about you all, but owning a Paramilitary II, ...there is not another knife I can open and close with one hand as fast as I can the PM2. for that reason and the before mentioned, that the compression lock allows for a very thin knife (example, the PM2), The Compression lock gets my vote.

out of couriosity, I just timed it on my chronograph watch and was able to, with one hand, open and close the knife again in less than 5 seconds (probably closer to 3.5 secs). ...which also makes it one of my favorite knives for flicking : )
 
For ease of operation I vote for the axis lock. Love it on my Benchmade folder. For absolute strength though a thick frame lock I would think to be the most dependable. I look at the Spyderco Titanium Military and cannot imagine that lock ever failing
 
The Hawk Lock is my favorite. Simple to use and keeps my fingers out of the path of the blade at all times.
 
I'm curious why so many people think frame locks are so strong? There are stories of them failing and videos showing they catastrophically fail with a lot less force than other locks. Twist or cut 'out' with a knife like when whittling can cause the lock to walk across the blade tang and close which is a failure without damage. I have had multiple failures like this with both liner and frame locks. And they weren't cheap knives but ones from companies that are praised here many times a day. Even if this didn't happen, frame locks just aren't as strong as other lock types like so many people think.

My favorite lock is the AXIS, followed by compression, then caged ball bearing. This type of lock is a lot stronger where a small piece of metal is wedged between blade and the fixed stop pin. The difference between these and liner/frame lock is similar to jacking up a car and holding up a car wheel with a 2x4 laying on its side, and holding up a tire by sitting it on top of a fence post. Plus you don't have to put your fingers in the blade path when closing and they are fairly ambidextrous. Plus from an engineering perspective, no lock is quite as elegant as the AXIS lock IMO.

To each their own, but I have used them all and know which I have had serious problems with and which I haven't.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I'm curious why so many people think frame locks are so strong? There are stories of them failing and videos showing they catastrophically fail with a lot less force than other locks. Twist or cut 'out' with a knife like when whittling can cause the lock to walk across the blade tang and close which is a failure without damage. I have had multiple failures like this with both liner and frame locks. And they weren't cheap knives but ones from companies that are praised here many times a day. Even if this didn't happen, frame locks just aren't as strong as other lock types like so many people think.

My favorite lock is the AXIS, followed by compression, then caged ball bearing. This type of lock is a lot stronger where a small piece of metal is wedged between blade and the fixed stop pin. The difference between these and liner/frame lock is similar to jacking up a car and holding up a car wheel with a 2x4 laying on its side, and holding up a tire by sitting it on top of a fence post. Plus you don't have to put your fingers in the blade path when closing and they are fairly ambidextrous. Plus from an engineering perspective, no lock is quite as elegant as the AXIS lock IMO.

To each their own, but I have used them all and know which I have had serious problems with and which I haven't.
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+1. Frame locks do have a simple elegance to them, but there are far stronger, safer, more reliable locking mechanisms out there. Tri ad lock, compression lock, and like you said the axis lock are some of them.
 
Axis and the "bolt lock"(which I just think is a different take on the Axis though I dont know which was around first) on the Gerber Parabellum I have.
 
Look up the Gerber 'axial' lock. Invented by Paul W. Poehlmann and is elegantly simple and quite strong. I have a Gerber 'Paul Knife" and think it's great.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I'm curious why so many people think frame locks are so strong? There are stories of them failing and videos showing they catastrophically fail with a lot less force than other locks. Twist or cut 'out' with a knife like when whittling can cause the lock to walk across the blade tang and close which is a failure without damage. I have had multiple failures like this with both liner and frame locks. And they weren't cheap knives but ones from companies that are praised here many times a day. Even if this didn't happen, frame locks just aren't as strong as other lock types like so many people think.

My favorite lock is the AXIS, followed by compression, then caged ball bearing. This type of lock is a lot stronger where a small piece of metal is wedged between blade and the fixed stop pin. The difference between these and liner/frame lock is similar to jacking up a car and holding up a car wheel with a 2x4 laying on its side, and holding up a tire by sitting it on top of a fence post. Plus you don't have to put your fingers in the blade path when closing and they are fairly ambidextrous. Plus from an engineering perspective, no lock is quite as elegant as the AXIS lock IMO.

To each their own, but I have used them all and know which I have had serious problems with and which I haven't.
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Good, informed post. Its funny how some think the framelock is so strong. Does the framelock make a great knife, sure, I have many, and like them a lot, but to say its the strongest is incorrect.
 
I agree there are stronger locks then a frame lock with the exception of the frame lock lionsteel uses. It has a secondary lock in the stabilizer that prevents the lock bar from moving at all making incredibly strong.
 
My two favorites are -
# 1 the Axis lock - very strong. super smooth operation. Easy one hand open and close.
# 2 the Tri-Ad lock - arguably the strongest of all but no one handed operation.
 
Vege-Taco said:
The Hawk Lock is my favorite. Simple to use and keeps my fingers out of the path of the blade at all times.
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Glad I am not the only one. Combined with the flipper, it is awesome. I also like the stud lock, and compression lock. R.I.L. and liner are nice, and the back lock is ok.
 
I see lots ppl said frame lock is strong, no one said its the strongest.
Many pick knife for their overall design, I would never treat a folder like a fixed, doesn't matter the lock style.
 
Let us not forget a lock is just a concept. How well that concept is executed is EVERYTHING.

No lock type is immune to sub-par production resulting in a failure prone mechanism just waiting to amputate fingers of the careless user.

A *favorite* lock type is preference and not debatable, but attempting to declare one design the strongest is folly.
 
vwb563 said:
My two favorites are -
# 1 the Axis lock - very strong. super smooth operation. Easy one hand open and close.
# 2 the Tri-Ad lock - arguably the strongest of all but no one handed operation.
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Not true brother. The tri ad can easily be opened and closed one handed.
 
unit said:
No lock type is immune to sub-par production resulting in a failure prone mechanism just waiting to amputate fingers of the careless user.
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Hear, hear! :thumbup:

Just my humble opinion, but I'm tempted to say slip-joint. My reasoning is simple--folding knives are designed to do two things: fold and cut stuff. If I'm doing something with my knife where I'm worried the lock won't hold, it's time for me to rethink the tool I'm using and maybe grab a fixed blade. Using a slip-joint kinda keeps me humble and alert when using a folder... it just ain't worth losing a digit, ya know? :)

-Timber
 
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