Hey people, this will probly start a flame war, but sorry, THE TRUTH HURTS, i have an old socom, and a new socom-1month old, both fail the spine whack test about 80% of the tim, thats 8 out of 10, no good. I depend on my folders, and fixed blades to save my damn life, the socom just dont cut it. Heres why the socom always fails, the reason, A Stainless Steel liner/leaf lock. I gaurentee you if the lock was of titanium, it would never, ever fail, like all my benchmades, i have many knife collectin friends, ans all there m/a socoms fail big time. In short, the socom sucks for a fighter, but is ok for the non-serious knife user.
You wanna know why the SOCOM's fail....
- Thread starter rage
- Start date
- Joined
- May 13, 1999
- Messages
- 1,926
I don't get failures on my SS lined Spyder Wegner. I'm turned off of Ti liners, particularly because of the galling against steel if the fit isn't perfect. And BM is hardly ever perfect...
I can't agree with this assessment. Perhaps you see a correlation between stainless liners and failure, but correlation is different from causation. The Military is held by many (and tested by Spyderco) as one of the strongest linerlocks, and it's in SS. I can't make my Military, Starmate, or even S&W SWAT fail - all SS. Can't make the AFCK fail either, and that's in Ti. Same goes for many other Benchmades I've had pass through my hands. I have made some very small linerlocks with Ti liners that failed this test, and they all got put in a drawer or given to friends with appropriate warnings.
My conclusion: it's not the materials. Maybe it's the angle, maybe it's the finish on the locking face, or maybe it's smething else, but both SS and Ti liners can pass this test, and both can also fail.
As for the galling and wear on Ti, I think that's blown way out of proportion when I look at my experiences. Every Benchmade I know has stopped galling by the end of its first month in service, if it did at all. And I carry an AFCK I've had and used often for four years whose liner is in the same spot against the blade as when I bought it. That doesn't mean I don't believe the Ti wears fast, just that I haven't seen it on my knife or others my friends own.
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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
My conclusion: it's not the materials. Maybe it's the angle, maybe it's the finish on the locking face, or maybe it's smething else, but both SS and Ti liners can pass this test, and both can also fail.
As for the galling and wear on Ti, I think that's blown way out of proportion when I look at my experiences. Every Benchmade I know has stopped galling by the end of its first month in service, if it did at all. And I carry an AFCK I've had and used often for four years whose liner is in the same spot against the blade as when I bought it. That doesn't mean I don't believe the Ti wears fast, just that I haven't seen it on my knife or others my friends own.
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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
1) I have a Mini-Socom. It does not fail the spine-whack test; doesn't even flex. The liner rests on the tang for its full width, but not much further.
2) Corduroy: I have an XL Emerson CQC7. The titanium liner has migrated almost all the way across the tang. Now, this does have a large, heavy blade, and I've done a lot of snap-opens with it, but that doesn't change the fact that the liner has moved substantially. It also passes the spine whack test.
2) Corduroy: I have an XL Emerson CQC7. The titanium liner has migrated almost all the way across the tang. Now, this does have a large, heavy blade, and I've done a lot of snap-opens with it, but that doesn't change the fact that the liner has moved substantially. It also passes the spine whack test.