Lock back vs liner lock

S

SCWillson

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Aug 2, 2013
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I own folding knives of comparable quality from several manufacturers and it seems to me that lock back knives may be a bit sturdier than those with liner locks, but I don't have anything except anecdotal evidence to support that. IS there any real difference so far as resisting collapse of the locking mechanism? Or is this a "six of one/half dozen of the other" situation?

Are there any real pluses and/or minuses to the two locking methods?
 
Liner locks are easier to manipulate one handed. Lock backs not so much.

As far as strength, all I can say is I've never had a problem with either. If they are properly executed they should withstand all the cutting you need done. If you're doing something other than cutting, then that may be a different matter.
 
benchwarmer380 said:
If they are properly executed they should withstand all the cutting you need done. If you're doing something other than cutting, then that may be a different matter.
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I agree with benckwarmer380. I use a Case Trapperlock 3154L with a liner lock as a every day carry, and it gets put through hell on a daily basis. It's liner lock in my opinion LOOKS a bit frail, but it does it's job, and i've never had any issues with it. As long as you are using it for it's intended purpose I don't see where there could be a problem (although wether we want to admit it or not, we have all used a knife as a screwdriver, chizle, or pry bar at one time or another).
 
Well, that Demko video test MaddDogg recommended above was rather impressive. If that is typical of the strength of a quality liner lock, then I suspect my wrist joint would fail before my Benchmade CQC-7 would. 600+ pounds!

I think I still prefer a lock back a bit more, but it's nice to know liner locks can also be very durable.
 
Buy the company, not the hype. A reputable company is going to make sure that all of their knives, regardless of lock design, are safe for normal use. That goes for strength, reliability and service life.

In general I agree that linerlocks tend to be easier to use one-handed, but if you train a little there are a lot of ways to close a lockback one-handed.
 
JNewell said:
Buy the company, not the hype. A reputable company is going to make sure that all of their knives, regardless of lock design, are safe for normal use. That goes for strength, reliability and service life.

In general I agree that linerlocks tend to be easier to use one-handed, but if you train a little there are a lot of ways to close a lockback one-handed.
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Eh, I tend to disregard company hype. They all do it to some extent. I've yet to have a disappointing Spyderco or Benchmade or CRKT; my experiences with Gerber and Cold Steel have been mixed. (I know CRKT is not considered a premium commercial knifemaker, but I've always got good service from the knives I've bought from them and they've never oversold them IMO.)

I've used liner locks one-handed for years. It's not as easy as liner locks but it's still doable.
 
SCWillson said:
Well, that Demko video test MaddDogg recommended above was rather impressive. If that is typical of the strength of a quality liner lock...

...I think I still prefer a lock back a bit more, but it's nice to know liner locks can also be very durable.
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The Demko is a LOCK-BACK design. I have never seen a video where a liner-lock or integral showed anywhere near that performance.

SCWillson said:
...I've used liner locks one-handed for years. It's not as easy as liner locks but it's still doable.
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:confused: The first "liner locks" should be "lock backs", correct?
 
Either lock works well, but for reliability I prefer the Tri-ad Demco. Or well executed spyderco lockback. Lock failure is slim to none with the demco. Liner locks are very easy to use though as are framelocks. Use what works for you. If light EDC who cares what lock you have if your gentle.
ZBrusher
 
coldsteelrocks said:
Either lock works well, but for reliability I prefer the Tri-ad Demco. Or well executed spyderco lockback. Lock failure is slim to none with the demco. Liner locks are very easy to use though as are framelocks. Use what works for you. If light EDC who cares what lock you have if your gentle..
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Well, I'm a big fan of the Spyderco lockbacks.

Never even heard of Demco prior to this thread. I'll check them out, but since experience has shown me I like thumbholes more than thumbstuds my next EDC will almost certainly be a lock back Spyderco. I'm leaning towards a Dragonfly 2 with carbon fiber handles.
 
I really don't like lockbacks. They're just not convenient for me to close one-handed. For me, it's a deal-breaker on a knife (like tip down only).

I posted a thread here a couple of years ago titled "I hate lockbacks" or something to that effect and somebody responded that they hated me. Personally I think that's an unhealthy admiration for a knife component.
 
SCWillson said:
Well, I'm a big fan of the Spyderco lockbacks.

Never even heard of Demco prior to this thread. I'll check them out, but since experience has shown me I like thumbholes more than thumbstuds my next EDC will almost certainly be a lock back Spyderco. I'm leaning towards a Dragonfly 2 with carbon fiber handles.
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He's referring to Andrew Demko, custom knife maker and designer of Cold Steel's Tri-Ad lock.

It is my opinion that the Tri-Ad lock is the beginning and end of discussion as far as lock strength is concerned.

As far as regular lockbacks (which the Tri-Ad lock works very similarly to but is not) vs liner locks, I will always go for the lockback first, although there are some companies like Pohl Force that make laughably weak lockbacks and some companies like Emerson that make really strong liner locks.

Liner locks are more convenient to close than lockbacks, but generally a properly done lockback is a stronger design. I think strength is more important than convenience.

For what it's worth, I usually have a Tri-Ad lock in my pocket. Today I'm carrying my Buck 110. I have one frame lock that I'll carry occasionally on weekends. I never ever carry my Spyderco Tenacious anymore, and only rarely will I carry my Kershaw Oso Sweet.

I've got a Spyderco lockback being shipped to me now. I'm not buying any more liner locks unless I see weight and shock tests on the particular knife I'm looking at.
 
A well made version of either lock is all you would ever need, but there are weak examples of both. On a lockback, look inside and see what the spring is made out of. If it is plastic, move on. For a liner lock, thin and flimsy: need to find another.

I personally prefer a well made lockback for my knives, but unfortunatly they are harder to find.
 
Here's my thoughts on this matter.

The good:

1. Lockback knives tend to provide a generally stronger lock. I'm not saying they are the end-all, or that every lock back is going to be stronger than any other lock. If you intend to push your knives to the limit, I would suggest finding failure specs for that particular item.

2. Linear locks tend to be easier to manipulate with one hand. I find this to be especially true.

A personal side note, and the largest reason I won't ever have another lock back knife: I really just hate how they all have that gritty feeling when you open them. You can't flick one open like you can flick a PM2, or military. They don't have that "I WANT TO BE FLICKED!!!!!!!" feeling. Opening a lockback is more akin to "I DON'T WANT TO BE MANIPULATED!!!!!" In other words, there seems to be a much higher degree of resistance to opened than a linear lock.

This gets to the crux of my opinion. The Compression lock, captive ball lock, axis lock, and tri-ad lock (as well as locks from companies like ZT, which may be "linear locks" but I doubt you would have an issue abusing them quite heavily) all perform well enough for me to never buy another lock-back so long as I live. Since most....99.9999% of all my folding knife use is of the "light" variety, I prefer a sexy-smooth opening/closing experience over "brute toughness." I've got fixed blades for that kind of abuse.
 
I have several different models of Spyderco, and handled almost everyone in their current line-up. The lockbacks, when held in a normal grip, all have a generous kick which will rock down and impinge on your forefinger when you depress the lock with your thumb. Enduras and Declicas, without a choil, have more margin for this than say, a Centofante. Ones with a choil, even moreso. Simply NOT a problem to use them one-handed. If allowing ANY part of the blade to bump into gives you the willies, then you can always put the spine against the side of your leg, or some other object, as you release the lock.
 
Although I think the Tri-Ad lock is quite possibly the strongest lock made, the knives attached to them are heavy and you cannot see through them like you can a typical liner lock. Which is why, typically, all my Tri-ads are gathering dust in a dresser top display, while I still carry both a left and a right hand Spyderco Military with liner locks. Will be doing so for a very long time to come. The Cold Steels will be gathering dust for a very long time to come.

You can call me the Anti Kwon Kwang. ;-)
 
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