Woman using triad lock?

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Motivated

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My girlfriend has small hands and we have interest in cold steel folders. Would it be too hard for her to use like a mini recons lock or a hold out 3 inch lock? I hear the tri as lock is really hard to use and it definitly was pretty tough on the lawman I used to have.
 
Try to find one for her to test out. They also get a bit easier with use. You could open the blade part way and let it sit for a while and it should soften the spring a bit.

My wife can close my Recon1.
 
Bigfattyt said:
Try to find one for her to test out. They also get a bit easier with use. You could open the blade part way and let it sit for a while and it should soften the spring a bit.

My wife can close my Recon1.
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No where around me sells them so I would have to just buy it.
 
Typing this with a Lawman and Code 4 sitting beside me. Also my AK-47... I should probably clean my desk... Anyway, you can't really close a Tri-Ad the same way you would a normal lockback. On my Spydercos or anything else with a typical lock it's a simple press with the tip of the thumb. On the CS's it's much easier to grip the knife like you were using it, and depress the lock with the SIDE of your thumb rather than the tip. This actually uses a different set of much stronger muscles and makes closing it way easier.

In other words, it's more about finding the right technique than brute force.
 
You might look at a medium Voyager. The Voyagers seem not to have as many issues with being initially hard to unlock, and don't need a break-in period (at least not mine).
 
My wife usually carries either an AK47, a Hold Out III, a Code 4 or a Micro Recon I
She struggled with the Hold Out initially (though now it's her usual daily carry), but all of the others she was able to use straight out of the box.
It's true that the Tri Ad takes some getting used to. It requires a slightly different approach. I find a lot of people use the side of their thumb to try and disengage the lock, it's much easier using the tip of your thumb and pushing straight down.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
Thank you for choosing Cold Steel, I hope that your girlfriend likes her new knife :)
 
The Triad Lock needs to be pushed deep to unlock. You get a little more leverage by pressing the back half of the lock bar.
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
My wife usually carries either an AK47, a Hold Out III, a Code 4 or a Micro Recon I
She struggled with the Hold Out initially (though now it's her usual daily carry), but all of the others she was able to use straight out of the box.
It's true that the Tri Ad takes some getting used to. It requires a slightly different approach. I find a lot of people use the side of their thumb to try and disengage the lock, it's much easier using the tip of your thumb and pushing straight down.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
Thank you for choosing Cold Steel, I hope that your girlfriend likes her new knife :)
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Im really thinking about a cold steel hold out 2 for myself.
 
Motivated said:
My girlfriend has small hands and we have interest in cold steel folders. Would it be too hard for her to use like a mini recons lock or a hold out 3 inch lock? I hear the tri as lock is really hard to use and it definitly was pretty tough on the lawman I used to have.
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FWIW, my mini Recon 1 and medium Voyager had 0 of the problems associated with closing that some triad lock knives seem to. It was able to be closed just like a standard lockback everytime.

My Hold Out III is a bit trickier and does require extra force to disengage the lock.
 
MaxFisher said:
FWIW, my mini Recon 1 and medium Voyager had 0 of the problems associated with closing that some triad lock knives seem to. It was able to be closed just like a standard lockback everytime.

My Hold Out III is a bit trickier and does require extra force to disengage the lock.
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Do the smaller knives have a weaker spring in them then the bigger ones have?
 
I carry a Micro Recon on my keys and it's an awesome little knife but man is the lock a PITA! I can barely get it closed sometimes. That being said I still love thing and the difficulty could be as much from it's small size as the tri-ad lock.
 
Motivated said:
Im really thinking about a cold steel hold out 2 for myself.
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I like all of the Hold Outs. They are super sharp, super strong and super lightweight.
I often carry the smallest model as a money clip and the Hold Out II as a pocket knife. Plus, the Hold Out I makes an excellent boot knife!
It's not unusual for me to carry all three! :)
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
I guess it's all down to personal preferences.
I happily carry at least 3 folders every day, all equipped with the super strong Tri-Ad Lock...and have no problems with any of them :)
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I don't like spydercos back locks at all. Everyone one I've ever had has either had or devolved up and down play.
 
My first cold steel folder was a Code 4. It had an insanely hard lock. I could barely close it. I got fairly strong hands even though they dont look that way. But that lock was just super strong. This was however just a problem with that one knife and the rest of my cold steels have been much more compliant.

However after leaving it in a 90 degree half open position over night for 4 days the lock had eased up a lot, and it was possible to close it with my thumb. And with further use it got easier and easier.

So get her a cold steel, and if the spring is too strong simple leave it half open for a few nights and it will loosen up perfectly. She´ll have no problem with it after that and have a knife that will serve her in her every need.
 
kakefat said:
My first cold steel folder was a Code 4. It had an insanely hard lock. I could barely close it. I got fairly strong hands even though they dont look that way. But that lock was just super strong. This was however just a problem with that one knife and the rest of my cold steels have been much more compliant.

However after leaving it in a 90 degree half open position over night for 4 days the lock had eased up a lot, and it was possible to close it with my thumb. And with further use it got easier and easier.

So get her a cold steel, and if the spring is too strong simple leave it half open for a few nights and it will loosen up perfectly. She´ll have no problem with it after that and have a knife that will serve her in her every need.
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Ah alright. I was looking at cold steel for her because I look at it as one of the safest locks you can get and you never know what they might do when your not around . So just incase she were to happen to use it for something a little less traditional then a knife was meant for I feel like cold steel will stay working when a lot of other knives would break.

I also have issues with my hands from injuries and have troubles pushing with my thumb so if I get one I might have to find a different closing technique.
 
In the beginning when it was really hard I found a technique where I kind of gripped around the entire thing so that my fingers wrapped over my thumb on the other side. It let me use a lot more pressure.

But just leave it in the half open position for a few nights and it will be fine. I recommend the Code 4 btw. Its a very elegant knife and even some of my female friends have said they think it was nice. Usually the comments from non knife people are "cool" or "hm.." but in this case, from the girls, I got positive remarks like "wow. That ones actually really nice looking". Its my favorite folder now I think. It strong, fairly large, great cutter, slim, lightweight, smooth and fits great in the pocket.

dsimmons said:
Wait, what were we talking about?:D
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I know knives can be sexy some times but don´t mix them into that stuff :P
 
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My mini Recon lock is much easier to disengage than my Hold Out 3, which is probably the most difficult lock to disengage that I have. The Hold Out 2 lock is a bit easier and the Hold Out 1 is the easiest of the three. A lot of people have difficulty operating the TriAd lock. A woman with smaller hands is likely to have a hard time.
 
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