Who is okay with linerlock slip ?

[Jamesh Bond]

In the spirit of

"A knife is meant for cutting."

Would it bother you having liner slip that manifested only when you tested the knife ?

Several topics have came up lately that make me wonder what the general consensus is.

Personally, it bothers me. Even though "normal use" might not induce an injury, an emergency could. It irritates the OCD to see a mechanical device on the verge of failure, even jf it only shows up under a closing force test.

But how big a deal is it REALLY . . ?

How do you guys feel ?

Looking forward to some interesting answers.

 

[shinyedges]

Modern well made liner locks like Emerson shouldn't exhibit lock slip. Oh wait lol

Seriously though I don't like liner locks for exactly that reason. Lock slip.

While frame locks CAN also have lock slip I personally have experienced more reliability from frame locks. To each his own I guess.

Combat liner locks is an oxy moron in my book. Unless your looking for a fast way to remove those pesky fingers.

 

[Ajack60]

Some topics folks spend too much time looking deeper than is necessary. As long as a tool is used correctly, any tool, it will perform its intended job. It's when someone goes beyond its intended use that they encounter problems. I've used a good screwdriver to pry with and when it broke and came back and cut me, I had no one to blame but myself. Needless to say, I don't do that anymore.
So, no it doesn't bother me knowing that I can make a folding knife fail. As long as I'm using it for its intended purpose I have no issues with it.
Most people can make anything fail if they try hard enough.

 

[shinyedges]

When that tool is sold as a hard use knife that is better than any other , folding under hand pressure doesn't inspire confidence in their product.

I generally agree with you by the way.

Some topics folks spend too much time looking deeper than is necessary. As long as a tool is used correctly, any tool, it will perform its intended job. It's when someone goes beyond its intended use that they encounter problems. I've used a good screwdriver to pry with and when it broke and came back and cut me, I had no one to blame but myself. Needless to say, I don't do that anymore.
So, no it doesn't bother me knowing that I can make a folding knife fail. As long as I'm using it for its intended purpose I have no issues with it.
Most people can make anything fail if they try hard enough.

 

[Todd21969]

Lock slip would bother me.

I use a knife with the Walker liner lock at work. It has been used fairly "hard". Since it is a well built, quality knife I have never had it slip. Even if it did the 50/50 choil would protect my digits.

In the distant past I have had lesser quality liner locks that developed slipage over time. Those were tossed in the trash.

 

[NorthernSouthpaw]

To me it really, it depends on the knife. If it's an Emerson, or Spyderco? It goes back to the store. A Chinese Kershaw? Meh, no biggie. As long as it isn't failing in normal use. YMMV, but my expectations go up as the price goes up.

 

[Ajack60]

When that tool is sold as a hard use knife that is better than any other , folding under hand pressure doesn't inspire confidence in their product.

I generally agree with you by the way.

Now a days, I'm leery of the term hard use. Makes me wonder how much B.S. is involved. Hard use can be interpreted to mean cutting cardboard instead of butter.

 

[supergnat]

I'm confused. Are you saying that you can force the lock to fail by creating a scenario that won't happen during regular use?

 

[spketch]

I don't tolerate any amount of slipping on a liner or frame lock. Slight blade play is really not the big deal some people make it out to be, but if the lockbar is actually slipping I consider that a major flaw and would not trust or use the knife.

 

[craytab]

When that tool is sold as a hard use knife that is better than any other , folding under hand pressure doesn't inspire confidence in their product.

When people drink marketing cool aid rather than reading the fine print in the warranty it makes me wonder about said people :thumbup:

Lock slip? I've never had it, even in my "hard use" knives no less. If I did I would send it back to the company for repair. Common sense me thinks.

 

[WK ONE]

Any kind of lock slip will prevent me from buying even the most coveted knife.

Any factor that increases the chance of my getting injured is no good.

 

[shinyedges]

Yup I feel the same way about the marketing of items, then when an uneducated consumer uses the tool in a "hard use" task and gets bit.. the company has the ability to say they meant "hard use" means what ever they feel is "hard use" ie.. cutting butter lol

Just so I don't have a pack of raving liner lock fans on my coat tails, MANY companies are guilty of the same marketing crap not just the company that makes the OP's knife.

Now a days, I'm leery of the term hard use. Makes me wonder how much B.S. is involved. Hard use can be interpreted to mean cutting cardboard instead of butter.

 

[shinyedges]

Agreed, but unfortunately reading fine print is less and less common. More and more people read the box or slogan and buy the product.

Its reminds me of the old " bait and switch"

When people drink marketing cool aid rather than reading the fine print in the warranty it makes me wonder about said people :thumbup:

Lock slip? I've never had it, even in my "hard use" knives no less. If I did I would send it back to the company for repair. Common sense me thinks.

 

[RedLynx]

Modern well made liner locks like Emerson shouldn't exhibit lock slip. Oh wait lol

Seriously though I don't like liner locks for exactly that reason. Lock slip.

While frame locks CAN also have lock slip I personally have experienced more reliability from frame locks. To each his own I guess.

Combat liner locks is an oxy moron in my book. Unless your looking for a fast way to remove those pesky fingers.

In truth, I would suggest the term "combat folder" in general is an oxymoron. I tend to agree with Ajack, in that I'm leery of "hard use" as well.

 

[shinyedges]

Also agreed.

In truth, I would suggest the term "combat folder" in general is an oxymoron. I tend to agree with Ajack, in that I'm leery of "hard use" as well.

 

[RedLynx]

To reply to the thread in general, questions about lock failure or worries regarding it come up often enough. I can't claim to know general consensus, but plenty of folders without locks work extremely well, no fingers lost.

I think sometimes people (not necessarily anyone here) view the locking mechanism as a "this knife isn't supposed to close with hard use" type deal. Or in the case of CRKT (much as I love many of their knives, bless em) make it into a "virtual fixed blade". Sadly nothing virtual, including reality itself, is as good as the real deal. The lock is simply extra insurance, more than a failsafe.

I guess lock slip would bother me in the interest of a mechanical component not doing what it was supposed to do, but not in the interest of "this lock failing makes the knife useless and/or dangerous". My two cents.

 

[craytab]

Agreed, but unfortunately reading fine print is less and less common. More and more people read the box or slogan and buy the product.

Its reminds me of the old " bait and switch"

I know what you are saying. That said, stupid people hurting themselves isn't really my problem and even if it was there is no way I can stop stupid people from being stupid.

 

[shinyedges]

That might be sig worthy haha

I know what you are saying. That said, stupid people hurting themselves isn't really my problem and even if it was there is no way I can stop stupid people from being stupid.

 

[PURPLEDC]

If I take a liner lock and put pressure on the spine of the blade and the liner slips at all I call that a failure. If I smack the spine of the blade and it slips I call it me being stupid.

When that tool is sold as a hard use knife that is better than any other , folding under hand pressure doesn't inspire confidence in their product.

I generally agree with you by the way.

I only know of a single company that actually makes serious claims at being superior to anyone else and I dont think its the one you are referring to. And at the end of the day, marketing is just marketing. I dont really blame the company for someone taking it literally. And really how cool would a knife ad in a magazine look if it said "We are Pretty good knives! We dont make the best product out there. They are OK, but there are less costly options that perform better for certain tasks!"

 

[spketch]

If I take a liner lock and put pressure on the spine of the blade and the liner slips at all I call that a failure. If I smack the spine of the blade and it slips I call it me being stupid.

Agreed.

Redlynx, slipjoints are a different beast. My swiss army knives take around 25-50oz of pressure to close the main blade, but you have to put that pressure on the blade though the entire arc of motion.

I have a bum liner lock which takes about the same amount of pressure at first. Once the lock slips off the tang though, the blade is free to swing completely closed with no resistance. This is very dangerous as one tap on the spine can slam the blade down on your fingers.