Are Steel Liners Really That Important?

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Nephron44

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Hey everyone!

So I've been shopping for a new knife and looking at some of my old ones. I've come across some that have no liners in their glass filled nylon handles. In knives with blades 3.5 inches or less, are liners really necessary? Will the handle still be able to take some abuse? Any thoughts are welcomed :)
 
I don't think they are "necessary" - especially for an EDC knife. In a tactical application, maybe the extra strength is worth the weight and cost. If you're gonna get a knife with liners, though, make sure they are drilled, milled, or skeletonized in some fashion - that'll help keep the weight down a bit.

Now if you go with a knife that has, for example, G-10 (or something other than FRN and its variants), the liners become even more unnecessary, IMHO. A great example is the Cold Steel Recon-1. I get more handle flex in my Endura 4 with liners than I do in the similarly-sized Recon-1 with no liners. Just a consideration.
 
Necessary? No. But they do add to the balance and overall feel of the knife by adding some extra weight and stiffness.

The knife I used the longest in my life was an original Spyderco Endura with the molded clip and linerless plastic handle. It might have had a little flex but it was tough as any knife I've owned before and since. These days even the Endura has nested steel liners and the knife feels better balanced in my hand than my old one. I doubt it's really any stronger however.
 
For most applications, you don't need full liners. For instance, Spyderco Military and Zero Tolerance 0770CF. Undoubtedly, full length liners add structural rigidity if you're "overworking" the knife.

As mentioned above skeletonized steel liners reduce weight but that could also be done with titanium liners. With titanium liners you have to address lock stickiness.
 
Czechmate said:
Yes, and no... ;)

It depends on your definition of necessary. I have had knives with and without them, all functioned as designed. ;):D:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Agreed. It depends.

My linerless Kabar Dozier Foding Hunter does fine. Stabbed through drywall with it once.
 
The knives I carry are for duty use as well as home EDC (to remain familiar in case of an emergency on duty). Will liner-less knives be a bad idea for duty use?
 
As far as being necessary no I dont think so. If that were the case we would be reading about all the injuries sustained for the last umpteen years
I can't remember anybody chiming in that their linerless knife failed them because it was..uhm...linerless.
But it depends on the knife itself. I have several FRN handled SpyderCos and they all perform great. I think liners add to the overall sturdiness of the knife in question as opposed to the fact they certainly don't detract from its structural integrity. Liners add to the overall appearance of the knife. Liners allow custom scales and other embellishments. It's a choice more than a have to have.
 
My confidence in fiberglass-reinforced polymers was established a couple years ago when I watched CutleryLover lodge a Recon 1 into a tree and apply force on the handle.

The blade broke. The handle was fine.

Skip to 1:10:

[video=youtube;PCTOiymTJSo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCTOiymTJSo[/video]
 
cold steel makes tons of linerless knives that have a reputation for being rugged and tough. So no...

Ive had both and like both.
 
Comeuppance said:
My confidence in fiberglass-reinforced polymers was established a couple years ago when I watched CutleryLover lodge a Recon 1 into a tree and apply force on the handle.

The blade broke. The handle was fine.

Skip to 1:10:

[video=youtube;PCTOiymTJSo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCTOiymTJSo[/video]
Click to expand...


Thanks for posting that. It was disturbing but interesting
 
Nope. Titanium does just fine!


So does nested liners. Different knives for different jibs
 
What about Opinels? Those things don't have liners do they? I can't remember, it's been years since I've handled one but it seems like it was pretty much just a dowel with a blade inside?
 
Depends heavily on the handle material. For G-10, steel, or aluminium handles, absolutely not. Any other handle material, I'd say in most cases yes, absolutely yes.

TexasWade said:
What about Opinels? Those things don't have liners do they? I can't remember, it's been years since I've handled one but it seems like it was pretty much just a dowel with a blade inside?
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No liners. I'd say liners would be completely unnecessary in an Opinel because of the handle thickness.
 
Comeuppance said:
My confidence in fiberglass-reinforced polymers was established a couple years ago when I watched CutleryLover lodge a Recon 1 into a tree and apply force on the handle.

The blade broke. The handle was fine.

Skip to 1:10:

[video=youtube;PCTOiymTJSo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCTOiymTJSo[/video]
Click to expand...


Wow. That is assuring for G10 handles.


Miso
 
I actually really like linerless knives; one of the knives that got me really into the hobby was the Skyline, and I loved how they just decided to take the non-locking liner out to make it lighter and slimmer (and probably cheaper.) FRN is, in my experience, plenty tough; I've dropped my Spyderco Native5LW and Salt Saver when working on a ladder onto tile floors, and the only evidence is a tiny dent in the corner of the FRN on the Native. If anything, they probably handle a fall like that better due to hitting the ground with less force than a heavier knife with liners. In regular use, the handle is rarely the point of failure; like that Cutlerylover video demonstrates, the blade (or lock) is more likely to fail than the handle.
 
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I just purchased a Benchmade 531 that has G10 scales and partial liners. The handle seems very sturdy, and the knife is super light. However, it's got side to side play that I can only get rid of when I really tighten the pivot to the point where the blade is difficult to open :/
 
Nephron44 said:
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I just purchased a Benchmade 531 that has G10 scales and partial liners. The handle seems very sturdy, and the knife is super light. However, it's got side to side play that I can only get rid of when I really tighten the pivot to the point where the blade is difficult to open :/
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I'm glad you brought this back up. Sorry about your current problem but it has nothing to do with the liners.

Anyway, the knife I am carrying today has no liners and is all FRN. The scales have the same amount of flex in them as my 0560, 550, 0562cf, 301, and BM 915. It has less flex than my Military and PM2. My other spydercos, linerless salts and linered Endura flex easily. The only knife that had zero flex was my Recon 1.

The knife I am carrying today is an old school Seki SOG Magnadot. The FRN scales are super thick. This knife compares favorable to a 550. A beefy enough FRN-only handle can be on par and even outperform linered handles in a flex test.

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You don't need liners. I have the original glass impregnated fiberglass knife..... A Gerber LST, Zytel handle. I have owned and used in regularly since the mid-1980s, still rock solid!
 
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