why do we even need locks?

stabman said:
Also don't need people to tell me what I do or do not need. ;)
Some people say I don't need a knife at all...I don't listen to them either. :thumbup:
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On that point, I think we can all high-five bigmark408 for his avatar picture. I dig :D:thumbup:
 
i would say that a downside of locks is the false sense of security. If you're using a knife in a way where you're really relying on a lock, you're probably using it incorrectly and shoukd look for a different tool.
 
I also find that when I'm.doing what I need to do, I'm often holding on to what I need to cut with my other hand.
 
cheesemaster said:
i would say that a downside of locks is the false sense of security. If you're using a knife in a way where you're really relying on a lock, you're probably using it incorrectly and shoukd look for a different tool.
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Of course if someone does something stupid with a knife, I don't think they'll do terribly well with slipjoints either. And I say this as a doer of dumb stuff with knives.
 
cheesemaster said:
i would say that a downside of locks is the false sense of security. If you're using a knife in a way where you're really relying on a lock, you're probably using it incorrectly and shoukd look for a different tool.
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Do you do stupid things with a locking knife?
 
Because if you're ever trying to puncture a really stiff or resilient material, and it is really resisting, even if you're trying to press on the pivot correctly, with your fingers gripped around the handle if that thing moves a little bit past center the force will make it come down on the top of your fingers and can do just like the kid in the shop did - amputate your fingers from the top down.

You should still use proper technique with a lock, but it really helps to at least have the lock in place to give you a safety net. At times you have to puncture through tough materials, and a slip joint could be one second from disaster.

That's the way I see it.
 
Well said sir!

jmclfrsh said:
Because if you're ever trying to puncture a really stiff or resilient material, and it is really resisting, even if you're trying to press on the pivot correctly, with your fingers gripped around the handle if that thing moves a little bit past center the force will make it come down on the top of your fingers and can do just like the kid in the shop did - amputate your fingers from the top down.

You should still use proper technique with a lock, but it really helps to at least have the lock in place to give you a safety net. At times you have to puncture through tough materials, and a slip joint could be one second from disaster.

That's the way I see it.
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Depends on the thing you are trying to puncture, but a short copping, wharnclife, or sheepsfoot blade is nice to have.

In many cases of puncturing with those blades, you don't need to use a weird angle of entry because the low-tip allows your hand to remain relatively parallel to what you are puncturing.

A blade with a lot of belly has a high tip that forces your hand to hold the knife more perpendicular to what you are puncturing.
 
Why ask why? :confused: This is all too philosophical for me.:D My question is why not? Variety is the spice of life. I like slip joints, I like friction folders, and I like all sorts of folding knives with locks on them. If you don't feel the need for a lock, there are plenty of options out there. And if you want a lock, there's a wealth of options available too. :thumbup:
 
Goosey said:
The question would be - why WOULDN'T you want a lock? Is there a downside to having one? I don't see it.
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Locks are like a safety on a firearm, if you rely on it you will end up in a world of hurt. Don't get me wrong, I like and appreciate the technology, but the technique is messed up. You should never load the back of a folder knife, if the lock gives you are going to injure your hand; which is the last thing you want to do, especially in an emergency.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
Locks are like a safety on a firearm, if you rely on it you will end up in a world of hurt. Don't get me wrong, I like and appreciate the technology, but the technique is messed up. You should never load the back of a folder knife, if the lock gives you are going to injure your hand; which is the last thing you want to do, especially in an emergency.

n2s
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Two things really.



Here's the thing, I dont see an epidemic of people using locking knives and losing fingers so its either one or both of these points.

First, locks don't really make people stupid.

Second, locks aren't as unsafe as some people say they are.

I bet what I'm seeing here is a combination of both points.

Do you become stupid when you use a locked folder?
 
G. Scott H. said:
Why ask why? :confused: This is all too philosophical for me.:D My question is why not? Variety is the spice of life. I like slip joints, I like friction folders, and I like all sorts of folding knives with locks on them. If you don't feel the need for a lock, there are plenty of options out there. And if you want a lock, there's a wealth of options available too. :thumbup:
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I agree, that's why I stated I got caught up in the "best lock/ stronger lock" thing. If you USE A KNIFE CORRECTLY then a lock is un necessary. I j us get irked when someone recommends a knife because of a "stronger lock"... you right tho, I will be buying more slippoes in the future, just because I feel locks are pointless.
 
Jastab said:
Way to take it completely out of context.... kudos sir
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His post looks beyond your narrow sighted view and presents something that closely resembles a nugget of wisdom :D. I think it is the true reason locks (or anything deemed superfluous by others) are still around. Because many people like them, and no one should have any say in what you decide that you need.

Im of the popular opinion that locks are there to give people an extra measure of safety just in case their technique isnt perfect. I agree with you that the race to find a "better, stronger lock" is kinda stupid, considering almost any lock in existence provides more than enough resistance to withstand an accident brought on by a flaw in the user's technique. For instance, like it was mentioned before, if you were stabbing something and your technique was off a little with a slip joint, you would do some serious damage to your fingers. But a lock would only need to resist the smallest of pressures in order to save your fingers under the same circumstances. Therefore, I would like to have *A* lock on my knife, but I do agree that striving for locks that can take hundreds of pounds of force is pretty ridiculous. At that point you are anticipating use that the folding knife was never intended to be able to do. Which is when you should just get a fixed blade

But ultimately, the more important question we should be discussing is why you feel the need to argue your opinion with people who have a differing one? Do you think that just because you have come to the conclusion that slip joints are all YOU need, suddenly everyone who uses a locking knife will just go "OMG. You know what? Hes on to something! Ive never thought of it that way before! I should throw away my entire collection right now and just by an slip joint. Thats all someone needs, afterall! Thank you for enlightening me!" This thread changes nothing, it just reveals your opinion to everyone on the forum so that people can argue in circles about the philosophies of locks, and everyone can just continue on believing what they already believe. After all, when do debates ever result in a conversion of the opposite party? Everything brought up in this thread is an OPINION. Opinions can coexist. There doesnt always have to be a definitive and clear cut right answer you know ;) Just do what YOU like, and let everyone else do what THEY like. Otherwise well be here debating this topic till the end of time

*END RANT* :D
 
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Is there a reason you WOULDN'T want a lock? Near as I can tell, a lockback is 95% similar to a slipjoint. Slipjoints don't save weight then, they aren't any more useful than a locking knife, and they're tougher to open one handed. So why would one PREFER a slipjoint or other non locking knife? I'm eyeballing a Queen Cutlery country cousin right now, I get the appeal. But I can't see why you wouldn't want a locking knife. Just like a couple of other people pointed out, when I was a kid, I cut myself with a slipjoint, a chinese SAK I was trying to use to stab holes in a mason jar lid to hold bugs in. Bees probably, I sure loved catching bees for some reason. I used an "ice pick grip" and tapped it into the lid. When the lid dented instead of gouging, I brought my little fist, knife in hand, down harder each time. After I got a couple holes in it, it finally sprung closed on me, with all the force of my tiny swing behind it. Cut me to the bone. Not wanting to get into trouble (or lose my knife, or have my boy scouts totin' chip tore up) I played it as cool as I could, and asked my dear mother for a band-aid. Bless her, she thought the thing was gonna fall off. When my dad came home, my worst fears were realised, he took away my first knife, my only tool for fending off all the wilderness a boy (and some of the men on this site :D) imagines. He got me a Gerber mini-paraframe a while after. Slipjoints really can't be used for any real piercing. Friction folders kinda can, but locking folders are the best. So why not have a locking folder? It's not much more complex really, frame locks, liner locks, and back locks are all dead-simple. They require a good design from the outset, but there aren't a ton more moving parts.
 
Of course if you need to use the point, to make a hole in something a lock is very useful. You shouldn't just think it couldn't fail, but most any lock will hold up to a moderate amount of pressure if you have a feel for using tools. It's called a "mechanics touch" and it's the same principle as tightening a nut, without stripping the threads. On a knife carried for self-defense a lock is absolutely a must. Can you imagine having to defend yourself with a non-locking blade? Many of our folders today are designed as weapons and they do have strong enough locks, to hold up to stabbing without fail. I've seen a cheaper lock-back stabbed as hard as a large man could, into a chestnut tree and it held up just fine. So, I'll keep my locking folders, they do everything a slip joint can and they are safer, if you use them with common sense.

Hammer fisted into hardwood by a 240 pound man, try it without a lock.

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