What to look for in a custom linerlock.

Mack

Mack

Expert Ultracrepidarian
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I'm planning to have a Titanium linerlock built this year. I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts on what makes a good one.
What do you look for? If you were ordering one, what would you specify?
I'm left handed so it will be made for a lefty of course. I'm a carbon steel junky so it will probably be O1 or 1095.
What are your thoughts? Is there anything you would want that you don't see in the production knives that are currently available?
Thank you in advance.
 
Make sure the liners are .060" or thicker. Just my personal preferences.
 
Thick liners and a thicker-than-usual cutout would be the main things I'd ask for if I were having a custom linerlock built.
 
Ditto on the thick liners, i am a carbon fiber junkie, so that would definitely be up there as one of my handle material choices, and flippers are always good!
 
Also, are you open to other carbon steel suggestions for the blade? If so, you might consider CPM M4 or CPM 3V.
 
I know it's almost cliche at this point, but if I could design the perfect knife and have it built for me....well, it would be a sebenza. With one minor change. A pocket clip that gets the knife to sit lower in the pocket.
 
Thanks guys. I'll keep these in mind. As for steel, I'm pretty much set in my ways. The thicker liners and cutout I hadn't thought of and the low rider clip is a great idea. Anything else?
 
Open back for easy cleaning.
Lots of spare screws.
Removable thumbstuds with different versions.
Lanyard hole
Extra security slide lock like on the CRKT Lake 111.
 
Ditto on thicker than usual liners , no need for a cutout though as one poster said. Personally I will choose a knife with a back-spacer over one without , it makes the knife far more sturdy and its no harder to clean unless your using it to gut fish or something juicy like that , plus it adds to the overall 'look' of the knife ,IMO. For handle material I would go with a beautiful wood like some nice Desert Ironwood , or something sturdy and modern like carbon fiber. A lanyard hole is always a nice touch when offered.
Were you going for something tactical , modern and stylish , classic and gentleman like ? What blade shape ?

Your choice if steel is refreshingly classic ! :) So nice to see someone use something other than all to ubiquitous S30v.

Tostig
 
Mack, if you are getting a liner lock vs a Reeve Integral Lock, pay special attention to the lock cut out on the opposing slab as Neuron mentioned. You want to be able to unlock the knife when you want to, not accidentally during use.
 
I am a s35vn fan. Check out David Mosier's customs. I think you will be impressed.

http://www.dmknives.com/


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Something you may want to think about is IKBS. It makes the action smooth as silk and blade play free.
 
Thicker liners are good, though I'd go for a full framelock if I had a say in the matter. A large contact area between the liner and the tang would also be good for a long lasting liner, though that might lead to a sticky lock. I guess you could also have the contact area hardened, though I've never seen that done outside of a CRK folder.
 
i think everyone have been focusing on the locking issue. I advice consider another (important, IMO) point: I wonder if IKBS will be ideal for a carbon steel folder. Think about it, if its carbon steel = rust easier, maybe consider taking apart to clean if you dont want to send the knife back every so & then. So if so, better be confident you can deal with tiny steel balls flying all over the place & not to mention able to reassemble it, I'd not eliminate other bearing systems...

just my .02cents
 
A legitimate concern to be honest, but rust shouldn't be an issue unless you use the knife to cut food. In any case, corrosion is enough of an issue by itself in a folding knife. I would expect someone who's a carbon steel junkie to know well enough how to treat the knife in order to prevent that. The steel balls rolling all over the place is easy enough to prevent if you disassemble the knife over a cloth. I've also heard it's quite simple to purchase the steel balls in bulk, put oil on the blade, and simply dip it into the balls and they'll stick into the indentation. Given the unrivaled smoothness of IKBS, it seems like a small price to pay.
 
Noctis3880 said:
A legitimate concern to be honest, but rust shouldn't be an issue unless you use the knife to cut food. In any case, corrosion is enough of an issue by itself in a folding knife. I would expect someone who's a carbon steel junkie to know well enough how to treat the knife in order to prevent that. The steel balls rolling all over the place is easy enough to prevent if you disassemble the knife over a cloth. I've also heard it's quite simple to purchase the steel balls in bulk, put oil on the blade, and simply dip it into the balls and they'll stick into the indentation. Given the unrivaled smoothness of IKBS, it seems like a small price to pay.
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no doubt, but I'm not certain if the OP would like/know how to do so. Additionally, I'd think twice if its a custom & even more if I'm not sure what I'm doing:D

Noctis3880, but yes, like you said, its do-able.
 
Thank you for all the thoughts. I'm really beginning to get a picture of what I want, and what I don't.
 
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