What You Want in a Folding Knife

[Redhat]

I am pretty sure they are discontinued. @RevolverRob hooked me up with one of the originals and it is an awesome knife.

I picked up one of those folders years ago. Never found use for it but I thought it was cool at the time.

[Redhat]

Victorinox - founded in 1884, first batch of Soldier’s Knives delivered in 1891.

I guess there are older patterns. At this point, though, they’re all pretty old.

My Alox Soldier is the most useful little knife I've ever had.

[Duelist]

My Alox Soldier is the most useful little knife I've ever had.

One of my favorites.

[RevolverRob]

What do I want in a folder? A Microtech UTX-85 with a tanto blade.

What do I regularly carry? A Spyderco P'Kal, a Terrain.365 Invictus, or a Microtech UTX-85 tanto.

I also carry a Leatherman Squirt PS4 in the watch pocket of my jeans. I use that more than anything else.

[BillSWPA]

This video illustrates one reason why I do not like liner locks or frame locks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4DNRn-sK-c

[Redhat]

This video illustrates one reason why I do not like liner locks or frame locks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4DNRn-sK-c

Interesting. What would that represent in daily use?

What's your preference?

[Clusterfrack]

This video illustrates one reason why I do not like liner locks or frame locks.

It's good to measure the limits of the designs. But I'm satisfied that unless the liner/frame lock is deactivated inadvertently by the user's hand, most are strong enough for defensive use.

[BillSWPA]

Interesting. What would that represent in daily use?

What's your preference?

I am not sure what it would represent in daily use, but it is not hard to imagine a variety of uses or abuses putting the wrong kind of pressure on the blade. I certainly want a stronger, more reliable lock, particularly when multiple good options are available.

I prefer standard lockback knives, Cold Steel Tri-ad Locks, Spyderco Ball Bearing Locks, Benchmade Axis Locks, and Andrew Demko Shark Locks.

Liner locks and frame locks place all of the stress on the bottom corner of the lock. This corner will eventually wear. Although frame locks attempt to mitigate the problem by being thicker and in some cases having replaceable lock bar tips, the essential problem remains. Additionally, I have found that when I draw a frame lock from my pocket, my fingers end up putting inward pressure on the lock, resisting or preventing one hand opening of the blade.

The only liner style lock I like is Bram Frank's Puzzle Lock. This lock places the lock bar inside a channel in the blade, significantly increasing the contact area between the lock and blade, and bracing the lock against the blade on the other side of the channel. The channel is trapezoidal when viewed from the end of the blade, so that as the lock bar wears, it simply goes further into the channel.

[Totem Polar]

The only liner style lock I like is Bram Frank's Puzzle Lock. This lock places the lock bar inside a channel in the blade, significantly increasing the contact area between the lock and blade, and bracing the lock against the blade on the other side of the channel. The channel is trapezoidal when viewed from the end of the blade, so that as the lock bar wears, it simply goes further into the channel.

Bram walked me through the details of that lock over dinner once. A very intelligent design.

Another great design—that Mike Janich walked me through—is the compression lock by Spyderco. Have you dug into that one? Possibly the most secure folder lock, IMHO.

[BillSWPA]

Bram walked me through the details of that lock over dinner once. A very intelligent design.

Another great design—that Mike Janich walked me through—is the compression lock by Spyderco. Have you dug into that one? Possibly the most secure folder lock, IMHO.

Not yet, but at some point I should download the patent and read it. My initial impression is that it has at least some of the good qualities of the Puzzle Lock.