Typically, opening a slipjoint knife requires two hands - one to hold the handle and the other to extract the blade, overcoming the spring pressure - and the blade will 'slip' into place. With your other hand, hold the back of the blade (away from the edge) and begin to guide the blade back into the handle. The simplest answer - go buy a knife - may not be the right one. Sebenza Lock (FrameLock). The knife world can be daunting for the untrained and it's all too easy to end up with something that may not be right for you without knowing for what to look. Because it is reliable and economical to construct, the back lock is one of the most common locks used in folding knives, such as the Buck 110. If you have any helpful tips, iam all ears. For someone in need of a hard-use blade, a beefy frame … When open, the rocker arm fits into a notch at the end of the blade’s tang to lock it in place. We don’t need a complete steel liner on both sides of the handle, so the knife can be lighter, thinner, and easier to carry. Though their individual designs vary - for example, the Axis moves into and out of locking position in a straight line, but the Arc moves into and out of position in an arc motion - the basic concept doesn't actually change from one to the next. The back spring has a round top piece that has a hole drilled in it to match the post. This mechanism is stronger than a liner lock, using a thick piece of the handle frame as the lock bar instead of a thin liner. The liner lock, originally known as a Walker Lock after its inventor Michael Walker, is one of the most popular types of locking systems. Congrats. Has mark stamped on blade O with a crown, a knife thru the O, and USA under. A spring-loaded latch plate, entirely on the interior of the handle, locks those pins into position. Be sure to keep your fingers away from the blade edge while closing. Operating very similarly, frame locks are kind of like the bigger and stronger version of the liner lock. Benchmade’s AXIS® lock system is located just inside the knife handles and is incorporated into the steel liners. “Frame lock” is the generic term used to refer to the Reeve Integral Lock (RIL), which was developed by Chris Reeve. As usual, this infographic doesn’t include every locking mechanism from every brand, but it does include the locking mechanisms we felt were the most common. When buying a knife, there are hundreds of features, options and styles to choose from. As is always the case when thinking about getting a knife, be sure to know the laws in your area and all areas into which you might carry one. Hey John. So I would have to say I like those most.But I have a variety of locking types in my collection and they all have their pro’s and con’s. You can see this lock on our automatic-opening Launch series. The bar rests on top of the tang of the blade, so it can’t close. Now, all Opinel folding knives come standard with the Virobloc ring lock, allowing them to be kept open or closed securely and with ease. Learn more. This publicity has undoubtedly increased the frequency at which mid lock knives are purchased. In order to close the knife, an exposed section of the spine must be pushed, unlocking the two parts and allowing the blade to fold closed. What type of lock does Smith and Wesson use? Their security is a huge benefit, but generally requires two hands in order to open and close without risk. It resembles the lockback in that the tang of the blade fits into a notch along the spine, but there is a patented “stop pin” that redistributes the pressure from the lock to the spine for additional strength. This spring puts tension on the blade as you open and close it so you maintain control of the blade. Definitely sounds like a knife from Queen Cutlery. By simply extending the the blade past the hinge, a piece called the tang, the blade could be kept open with relative ease. In the 1990s, the Virobloc was modified again so that the ring lock could also be closed when the knife was folded. Your email address will not be published. D.M. Really nice stuff! , Your email address will not be published. It also means no security in storage. With your thumb, press down on the mid-lock to release it. Are you ready for this? Required fields are marked *. These kinds of locks have a much longer lifespan and are more secure, but they don't allow for an ambidextrous grip. A lever lock is locked by a post or pin in or near the pivot bolster, which can be inserted into a hole drilled in the base of the blade. BALL BEARING LOCK A patented compressive lock that wedges a ball bearing between a … To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. A slight variation on the lever lock is a locking system in which the blade is constructed with a post on its spine near the pivot. The Tri-Ad® is similar to a back lock, but it uses a stop pin in addition to a rocker arm. The Arc-Actuator™ utilizes a stop pin that slides sideways, back and forth, in order to lock the blade in place. Enjoy, be enlightened, and let your knives live long and prosper. This is just part one of this infographic series. So when the blade is opened, a part of the handle springs into place beneath the opened blade and locks it into place. Some of the oldest folding knives featured a very simple design - a notched handle and a blade on a hinge that can collapse into said notch. Here’s how to unlock each type so that you can easily close your knife. When you open the knife, the lock snaps into place in a notch cut into the back of the blade, behind the pivot. Even those who have already embarked on this odyssey could probably stand to learn a bit more. When a friction folder is open, the tang fits snugly within the notch of the handle - the "friction" in friction folder - and the blade stays extended. When it is opened, the pressure on the lock forces it to snap across the blade, engaging at its furthest point. This partial liner is riveted into place in a machined cutout on the interior of the handle. Quite a difference! Replacing the blade into the handle of a lockback knife requires pressing on the bottom of the spine until the two notches clear one another. This system utilizes a ball bearing, and it has similarities to the concept of the AXIS® lock; when the knife is open, constant pressure from a spring keeps the ball bearing wedged between a notch in the tang of the blade and a fixed anvil.