What's the best lock for a folding knife?

[lovemachine]

What's the best lock for a folding pocket knife?

Best as in strongest. Most reliable, durable.

 

[danielocean03]

My opinion, quality frame lock. Credit to Chris Reeve's integral lock.

 

[illini40]

I am very new to knives, but from my brief experience, a frame lock probably fits that definition.

A frame lock is very sturdy and stable, but I can see where a liner lock has its perks.

 

[Bradsknives]

Axis, Framelock, and Compression lock...........flip a coin, all of these are tough/strong.

Note: Cold Steel fans will tell you that the Demko Tri Ad lock is the strongest.

 

[M67]

I thought axis and compression locks were the strongest. I'm partial to frame locks though

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

Axis lock is my all time favorite. I don't even like carrying anything else now.

 

[chezuki]

Frame lock!

Because that's what I carry, and let's be honest, 90+% of all "what is best?" threads are nothing more than people listing what they have and are emotionally invested in.

 

[Dean C.]

These are in order from what I consider to be the strongest to what I consider the weakest. Note the only mechanism I have ever seen fail is a Liner Lock knife, my Titanium linered production (not the custom as they are done properly) Emerson's have both failed on me at some point. The Frame Lock is my personal favorite as because if it is properly done the mechanism is incredibly strong and very easy to manipulate one handed.

The Reeve Integral Lock - (Frame Lock)note to be as effective as possible the lock face has to be broken in so the titanium forms to the blade tang perfectly
Spyderco's Ball Bearing Lock - IMHO stronger than Axis because the mechanism uses a coil spring VS Benchmade's Omega springs
Benchmade Axis Lock - The Incredible AXIS Lock
Lock Back Mechanism - The Lockback Takes a Lickin' and Keeps On Lockin' | Blade Magazine
The Walker Liner Lock - put so low on the list as very few manufacturers do it right, but when done properly it is as strong as a Frame Lock
Button Lock - Mostly used on out the side autos as the mechanism lends itself perfectly to that application very strong but not as common

 

[danielocean03]

Cold Steal sucks.

 

[Dean C.]

Cold Steal sucks.

You put it MUCH nicer than I usually do.......

 

[OutdoorDad]

My dad and I.

We both have/had identical scars on our right middle fingers where pocket knives snapped shut on us. Just south of the first knuckle. ouch. That will make you rethink your whittling technique.

I don't think I've encountered a liner lock, frame lock, lock back or any other lock that has ever failed under standard "pocket knife" use. If you're even slightly concerned about failure of a folder, I'd suggest abandoning a folder.

Far too many solid, affordable full tang knives to even worry about it. IMHO.

 

[moosehead]

Axis gets my vote. I've never had a problem with them, and I like that I can manipulate it without my hand in the blade path. That being said, when comparing good knives, it all seems to come down to personal preference.

 

[rhino]

Axis, Framelock, and Compression lock...........flip a coin, all of these are tough/strong.

Note: Cold Steel fans will tell you that the Demko Tri Ad lock is the strongest.

Like you know anything! Okay, you totally do (and everyone knows it).

Some caveats I will add: the Benchmade Axis and Spyderco version of it are very, very strong. However, with some grips, it's possible to release the lock with your thumb and the blade is going to close on your other fingers. If you don't hold the knife that way or are cognizant of this possibility, it's a non-issue.

Frame locks need to be built and fitted properly to reach their potential. A ZT framelock is strong as hell. By contrast, I have a cheap Gerber with what kind of looks like a framelock that would fail in a stiff wind.

I only have one knife with Spyderco's compression lock, but it's impressive. You need to be careful when releasing it, though, because before I learned how to use it, it was easy to leave fingers in the way.

And, I'm going to say it: regardless of how you feel about Lynn Thompson, his business practices, his ethics, his personality, and his company, the Tri-Ad lock is really strong. It just is. I have a Cold Steel Voyager XL and that lock is stout. Whether or not it's "the strongest" is debatable and would require a lot more testing than the single sample "vs" tests Demko does on the videos.

 

[Bradsknives]

I really think the whole argument of which lock is better or stronger is pretty silly when you are talking about designs/models that come from companies like Benchmade, Spyderco, and others that have a proven track record. If you are questioning the strength of a certain type of lock then one of two things should be considered. Are you using the right tool for the task? Are you using a cheap knife with low quality materials and sloppy tolerances? ........Most locking failures are contributed to poor materials and sloppy tolerances.

You will see a lot of companies testing the static load of a lock by placing dead weight on the blade until the lock fails. Also, you will see companies preforming the “spine whack” test. I have to wonder what real world conditions these tests are suppose to simulate. These tests are cool and all, but do they really represent what you will put a knife through in the real world.....it's more about marketing/hype than anything else, and some companies market their products better than others. Virtually all modern high quality knives have strong enough locks for most reasonable uses....it's your responsibility to use the right/correct tool for the task at hand.

When you start looking at the different designs from companies that have a reputation of high quality, it's like trying to decide between buying a Ferrari or Porsche.....buy or use the design that you personally are the most comfortable with. Make your decision based on the ergonomics, blade shape, over all size, and the locking system that you are most comfortable with from a manipulation view point. Personally I have a great fondness for the compression lock. More times than not, I carry an original Spyderco Paramilitary (pre Paramilitary 2) for my edc knife.

Mr. Dean: I have seen more problems with Spyderco's ball bearing lock than Benchmade's Axis lock, and you know I sell 100 Benchmade Axis lock knives to every 1 of the Spyderco ball bearing knives. I have seen ball bearing locking system failures and it's not because of the ball bearing being crushed or "busted", it's because of the spring that holds the ball bearing in place fails, which causes the ball bearing to move out of position or the spring getting jammed up (the spring is the weak point in this design, not the ball bearing). One other failure that I have seen, is the plastic textured grip (they can crack and break) that surrounds the ball and protrudes from both sides of the handle to allow easier disengaging of the lock. This type of failure probably wouldn't lead to an injury, but when they break, it sure is a pain in the butt trying to close the blade. As far as the omega spring in Benchmade's Axis design, I hear they can break, just like any spring, they will eventually break, but I have not personally experienced it or have I heard about it from any of my customers. It is a numbers game...Benchmade probably has over a hundred different models that use the Axis lock...it's their main lock design that they use. Spyderco only has a few models (Manix models) that use the ball bearing design. Just by sheer numbers, because of the number of knives that are out in the real world, you will hear about the omega spring breaking more frequently.


Ball Bearing Lock

 

[lovemachine]

With all the high end knives you have access to, I'm rather surprised you prefer to carry the Spyderco ParaMilitary.

I really think the whole argument of which lock is better or stronger is pretty silly when you are talking about designs/models that come from companies like Benchmade, Spyderco, and others that have a proven track record. If you are questioning the strength of a certain type of lock then one of two things should be considered. Are you using the right tool for the task? Are you using a cheap knife with low quality materials and sloppy tolerances? ........Most locking failures are contributed to poor materials and sloppy tolerances.

You will see a lot of companies testing the static load of a lock by placing dead weight on the blade until the lock fails. Also, you will see companies preforming the “spine whack” test. I have to wonder what real world conditions these tests are suppose to simulate. These tests are cool and all, but do they really represent what you will put a knife through in the real world.....it's more about marketing/hype than anything else, and some companies market their products better than others. Virtually all modern high quality knives have strong enough locks for most reasonable uses....it's your responsibility to use the right/correct tool for the task at hand.

When you start looking at the different designs from companies that have a reputation of high quality, it's like trying to decide between buying a Ferrari or Porsche.....buy or use the design that you personally are the most comfortable with. Make your decision based on the ergonomics, blade shape, over all size, and the locking system that you are most comfortable with from a manipulation view point. Personally I have a great fondness for the compression lock. More times than not, I carry an original Spyderco Paramilitary (pre Paramilitary 2) for my edc knife.

Mr. Dean: I have seen more problems with Spyderco's ball bearing lock than Benchmade's Axis lock, and you know I sell 100 Benchmade Axis lock knives to every 1 of the Spyderco ball bearing knives. I have seen ball bearing locking system failures and it's not because of the ball bearing being crushed or "busted", it's because of the spring that holds the ball bearing in place fails, which causes the ball bearing to move out of position or the spring getting jammed up (the spring is the weak point in this design, not the ball bearing). One other failure that I have seen, is the plastic textured grip (they can crack and break) that surrounds the ball and protrudes from both sides of the handle to allow easier disengaging of the lock. This type of failure probably wouldn't lead to an injury, but when they break, it sure is a pain in the butt trying to close the blade. As far as the omega spring in Benchmade's Axis design, I hear they can break, just like any spring, they will eventually break, but I have not personally experienced it or have I heard about it from any of my customers. It is a numbers game...Benchmade probably has over a hundred different models that use the Axis lock...it's their main lock design that they use. Spyderco only has a few models (Manix models) that use the ball bearing design. Just by sheer numbers, because of the number of knives that are out in the real world, you will hear about the omega spring breaking more frequently.


Ball Bearing Lock

 

[rhino]

With all the high end knives you have access to, I'm rather surprised you prefer to carry the Spyderco ParaMilitary.

I also didn't "get" the Paramilitary or PM2 . . . until I handled one and then used it for a while. It's a fantastic all-purpose cutting tool. The handle is just the right side for working, the blade seems too small, until you use it... the shape of the blade and geometry of the grind and edge are excellent, plenty of jimping in the right places . . .

The PM and PM2 are not flashy, but they're good tools. In fact, they're a better tool than a lot of the other knives I carry.

 

[Bradsknives]

With all the high end knives you have access to, I'm rather surprised you prefer to carry the Spyderco ParaMilitary.

I have higher end knives that I carry, but more times than not, I'll grab that Paramilitary.....hard to explain, but I just like that knife...the feel, the edge performance, and I really like the compression lock. For a compression lock to fail, it would require that you either shear the stop pin, or crush the locking tab between the blade tang and stop pin, or force the stop pin and fasteners out the back of the liners. Note: The Para 2's stop pin is recessed into both liners which gives the stop pin even more strength.


COMPRESSION LOCK

 

[nakinate]

I don't have enough experience to say which is the strongest, but I don't think the axis lock is it. I love how easy it is to manipulate but after only a year of normal use (cutting boxes/cardboard) my blade has significant side to side play now. It's probably more of an issue of the overall construction, not the lock, but Benchmade has underwhelmed me thus far.

 

[moosehead]

I don't have enough experience to say which is the strongest, but I don't think the axis lock is it. I love how easy it is to manipulate but after only a year of normal use (cutting boxes/cardboard) my blade has significant side to side play now. It's probably more of an issue of the overall construction, not the lock, but Benchmade has underwhelmed me thus far.

Is it possible the screws have just loosened up?

 

[Bradsknives]

I don't have enough experience to say which is the strongest, but I don't think the axis lock is it. I love how easy it is to manipulate but after only a year of normal use (cutting boxes/cardboard) my blade has significant side to side play now. It's probably more of an issue of the overall construction, not the lock, but Benchmade has underwhelmed me thus far.

The Axis lock is considered one of the strongest locking mechanisms out there....some will argue that it is the strongest.

Is it possible the screws have just loosened up?

Easy fix, and if there is still a problem after tighten the pivot screw, Benchmade has a life time warranty.