Why are folders so hard to open?

I

iamsmiling

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Nov 14, 2006
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I've been shopping for frame or liner lock folders recently and so many of them require (I consider) way too much force to initially open the blade.

Any recommendations on easy-to-open folders in the 3 - 3.5" range, preferably drop point style blade?
 
I have a Buck-Strider that easily flips open. You might also look at Benchmade's Axis lock folders. I think most liner locks ease up with a bit of use and a dab of lube.
 
None of my folders are hard to open. Maybe you've just handled some particularly sticky ones. Keep 'em clean and reasonably lubricated, and you shouldn't have any problems.
 
if you are handling them in the store, they usually loosen up a bit after some use

maybe try the Benchmade Monochrome
 
maybe you have weak thumbs. I have a friend who hands liner locks to me so I can close them for him. He says the liner lock hurts his thumb :confused:

to be fair, it is a pos s&w tacticool extreme-ops folder. the thing weighs a ton
 
None of mine, even cheaper ones, are hard to open at all. They probably just need lubing and breaking in.
 
I do not have any trouble with any of my knives. None of them are hard to open!
 
I've gone through several knives and almost all suffer from this. The Strider is easy to open but it is the ONLY Buck I have found that is easy.

All of these knives have been lubed and "worked in" for a few dozen opening cycles to clean up any rough spots.

The only knives I carry that are easy to open are my Emersons. I have tried Bucks, Benchmades and others and they all seem to have a really heavy detent in comparison to the Emersons.

Am I doomed to Ernie's left handed chisel grind?
 
The blade pivots on a lot of knives are intentionally over-tightened at the factory, to make them more difficult to open. Companies do this to avoid legal troubles, and to avoid having their products categorized as "inertia knives"- i.e, those that can be opened by gravity or inertia alone. Inertia knives are grouped in with switchblades and are banned most places. Most blade pivots can be loosened with torx or allen wrenches so that they are much easier to open.
 
Mine are too loosey goosey for me, and I have them pretty tight. It is all in the comfort of the user. I would buy a manual folder with an adjustable pivot screw.

Try autos or assisted openers.
 
I have an old bone scaled sunfish and the smaller of the two blades is near imposible to open, a real thumb-nail tearing horror(can feel that nail move...):eek: sometimes need pliers and a pad to open it:D
 
iamsmiling said:
... they all seem to have a really heavy detent in comparison to the Emersons.
Click to expand...

That strong detent provides the "bias towards closing" that keeps the knife from being considered a gravity knife. It also keeps it from opening unexpectedly in your pocket.

After you loosen the pivot, an occasional knife may still be stiff to open if the pivot area needs cleaning. Otherwise, you may just need thumb exercises. :)
 
Which knives have you been handling? :confused:

I've handled a few that were badly designed, or had thumb-stud openers that peeled skin off my thumb. But these have distinctly been in the minority of knives I've handled.

Try an Assisted-Opener knife like the SOG Flash II.
 
I just picked up a CRK&T E-Lock Bronze from New Graham. It opens very easily. None of my Spydercos and Kershaws are overly difficult to open, but this one is a lot easier.
 
Err, I vote no on the SOG flash suggestion. Takes a LOT of effort to break the detent and once it breaks, your thumb potentially follows the blade into its edge.

Try something with a flipper like a Kershaw JYD or Groove.

For the record, every modern folder has opened with little effort for me
 
Esav Benyamin said:
That strong detent provides the "bias towards closing" that keeps the knife from being considered a gravity knife. It also keeps it from opening unexpectedly in your pocket.

After you loosen the pivot, an occasional knife may still be stiff to open if the pivot area needs cleaning. Otherwise, you may just need thumb exercises. :)
Click to expand...

I just opened up two of the knives and it appears that the Benchmade Vex and a small Buck have really serious holes in the blade that the "bump" detent on the frame lock slips into to hold the knife closed.

I just packed the hole with a lead slug and now the opening tension is much better. I can always remove it as opposed to filing down the detent.

I think it has to do with the less expensive knives having greater tolerances so they design in greater tension.
 
In my experience, the size of the divots (or holes) in the blade can vary quite a bit, even from knife to knife within the same model. It's probably really hard to get the tolerances just right. Besides filling in the detent, you could also try replacing the ball in the liner or sand it down, but I personally haven't tried that.

People often complain that their liner locks open too easily. I've drilled into the divot in the blade of a liner lock before in order to make it deeper, and make the detent stronger. I think frame locks are usually harder to open, because the spring on liner locks is generally weaker.
 
That's unusual. I've never had any trouble opening any of my liner or frame-locks. I even have an XL 6" Voyager (lockback) that is pretty tight, and other than adjusting my relatively small hands for the knife's huge size, I can still easily one-hand it.
The one knife I owned that was extremely hard to open was a two-hand opening slip-joint; a Case large trapper folder. I had to take it back and get a replacement, which, although also tight, was usable.
Jim
 
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