Which lock is stronger, compression or ball?

B

Biginboca

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 17, 1999
Messages
1,690
I wonder if anyone knows the answer to this?

I am going to guess compression but would love to know how these locks really compare in testing.
 
Hi Biginboca,

Either lock can be made as stong as we choose. Using thicker / harder / tougher parts.

We break it, see what broke, remake the part stronger and break it again and agin until we get the strength standard we're seeking.

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Biginboca,

Either lock can be made as stong as we choose. Using thicker / harder / tougher parts.

We break it, see what broke, remake the part stronger and break it again and agin until we get the strength standard we're seeking.

sal
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That's a good answer. LOL :D

MIB (Make It Bigger) in practice.
 
OT: Sal, is that a tool in the necklace you're wearing or is that just a necklace?
 
Josh K said:
Maybe compare the CBBL on the Manix 2 with the Comp lock on the Para?
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Well those are indeed the knives I was comparing in my head. Having both and looking at them I get the impression that the compression is stronger.

Sal, any chance you would tell us which implementation of these locks is stronger, the Manix 2 caged ball or the Para compression?

Thanks1
 
Biginboca said:
Sal, any chance you would tell us which implementation of these locks is stronger, the Manix 2 caged ball or the Para compression?
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I gotta say, if you manage to fail either of those locks you are doing something very, VERY WRONG!!! :D

Seriously!

I get this as an intellectual exercise, but real world, no....

Ken
 
A friend shared with me that one day he "tried" to break his Delica. Who does this stuff and why?
I won't go near this.
 
Lycosa said:
A friend shared with me that one day he "tried" to break his Delica. Who does this stuff and why?
I won't go near this.
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I'm with you.

I guess, if I had to put my life in the hands of my knife, I'd want a pretty good idea of what it could and could not handle.

Fortunately, that is NOT my life and I just use them as cutting tools (as I suspect MOST of us do)....

Yeah, there are those few, and that's cool, but even there, is it the lock??? More likely the blade or the pivot, I'd think....

Anyway...

Ken
 
"MBC" rating is memory serves is 100 ft/pounds per inch of blade steel. I believe Sal said once that the military was in the 130 ft/pound range for it's walker liner lock. The Chinook broke their testing machine.

From what I understand the Compression lock is as strong/stronger than any back lock and the Ball-Bearing lock is on par with the Compression lock (especially the newer ones like the M2).

Basically, they are both so strong that you will likely never break them. Let me rephrase that, unless you are from the planet Krypton you will never break them. I believe the BB lock is less prone to rattle/play and is ambidexterity but both are supernaturally strong.

Then again, I have never even seen the lock on a Delica fail. The only Spyderco lock failure I have seen is the Tenacious spine-whack idiot on Youtube to which some argue it was only that particular knife and others say any good spine whack will beat any lock....to each his/her own.
 
MBC is 200 lbs. per inch of blade, i belive Heavy Duty is 100 lbs. per inch. Lookng at my ATR, Superhawk, and Manix 2 I really have a hard time seeing myseld ever approaching the strength limits of the lock. As already said in the thread the blade or pivot would probably break first, which is probably by design. I guess nobody really knows the actual failure point unless they are in Spyderco or managed to break the knife themselves.

Mike
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Biginboca,

Either lock can be made as stong as we choose. Using thicker / harder / tougher parts.

We break it, see what broke, remake the part stronger and break it again and agin until we get the strength standard we're seeking.

sal
Click to expand...

I finally found a knive I couldn't break. Doesn't have much of an edge. The nice people at the hardware store told me it was their "crowbar" model. I thought it might be one of your Byrd knives, on account of the "crow" in the name, but there's no hole in it.

No clip, either, and it's damn heavy. Hmm. :D
 
Biginboca said:
Well those are indeed the knives I was comparing in my head. Having both and looking at them I get the impression that the compression is stronger.

Sal, any chance you would tell us which implementation of these locks is stronger, the Manix 2 caged ball or the Para compression?

Thanks1
Click to expand...

I think one is rated at "Can't Break It With Hand Pressure" vs. the other, which is rated at "REALLY Can't Break It With Hand Pressure."

Just a guess, though.
 
Biginboca said:
If you are breaking all your knives maybe you are using the wrong tool for the job???

:D
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The "tool" that we use is a purpose built dedicated "breaking machine" that is hooked up to a computer and printer that gives us a read-out of the break.

Probably the "right tool" for the job.

However, I might remind you that reliability is more critical than strength.

sal
 
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