Recommendation? Traditional Lockback Knife

S

SixtyLion

Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
358
Hello guys,

I recently picked up an extra job in a local college and want to get a new less threatening EDC knife. I am thinking about getting traditional lockback folding knife with a blade length around 3”, made out of decent prefferably stainless steel. My budget is around $120 with some wiggle room for something special. What would you guys recommend? Looking forward to reading your posts!!!

Thank you!!!
 
SixtyLion said:
Hello guys,

I recently picked up an extra job in a local college and want to get a new less threatening EDC knife. I am thinking about getting traditional lockback folding knife with a blade length around 3”, made out of decent prefferably stainless steel. My budget is around $120 with some wiggle room for something special. What would you guys recommend? Looking forward to reading your posts!!!

Thank you!!!
Click to expand...

Coolest lockback I’ve seen in a while is the “Lil’ Jack” over at @skblades site. Would be a fair bit under budget as well. Should be in the size range you’re looking for. Otherwise the Lionsteel Opera is a pretty cool knife.
 
The Moki knives mentioned above would fit - VG-10 is very good steel (better than most traditional knives are made with), and AUS-8 might not be the greatest, but it's far from the worst, and Moki does it right.

You can get a custom Buck 112 or 501 with S-30V steel with plenty of wiggle room in price for fancier handles. The "Lil Jack" mentioned by Copperberry is a Buck 112 with D2 blades and cocobolo wood.

The Case Copperlock (mini or full size) or Tribal Locks have fair-to-middling steel, but they're sure pretty.
 
You guys are AWESOME!!! Thank you for your prompt and very informative responses!! I’ve never heard about Moki knives! They look very nice, definitely getting one next week!!!
 
There's also a knife from Böker that might interest you: called the CPM Mono it's a hunting knife with stag scales, CruWear blade, backlock and a drop-point blade that seems to have a slight recurve. The price here is a bit over your budget but maybe it's in the pricerange where you life.
 
If you are used to higher end modern folders a lot of the steels used in most traditional knives might seem pretty middling, but it works well for EDC. I know that I also like to carry a friendlier looking knife when I am teaching, but I find that slipjoints are often easier to find that fit the twin needs of friendly appearance and pocketability.

But you asked for lockbacks with ~3 inch blades, and for me, in that range, the only traditional lockback that I have carried that I would EDC is the Case Tribal Lock. Case's stainless has performed fine for me in all the Case knives I've had (I really don't like carbon steel, so as heretical as it may seem, all my non-GECs are stainless [and if I could have gotten any of my GECs in stainless I would have. Heresy, I know]). The Buck lockbacks (110 and 112) are awfully thick for pocket carry in my opinion. They are fine if you want to carry in a sheath on your belt, but I assume if you are feeling like a modern folder might be scary then you probably want one you can carry in your pocket (I might be off base in that assumption).

Here is my Tribal Lock. I like it.
View media item 2913
View media item 2912
 
How about a Custom Shop Buck 501? You can get a pretty darned nice knife for less than $150.
Also, you might take a look at the Boker WC Davis II Lockback, burgundy micarta and S30V. Very nice knives in a smaller size than the bigger Davis Hunter model.
 
SixtyLion said:
You guys are AWESOME!!! Thank you for your prompt and very informative responses!! I’ve never heard about Moki knives! They look very nice, definitely getting one next week!!!
Click to expand...

Moki has been around for 100 years or so, and their quality is top-notch. They're also a manufacturer for other brands including Al Mar and William Henry and others. The 120M Blakiston's Fish Owl is a favorite with many around here, being small, very lightweight, and extremely well made. The Glory is essentially the same knife but with steel bolsters and quince wood or nacre handles. The Pliant is the larger version, with the 110M Fish Owl its micarta equivalent. The bone stag on the Kronos models looks fantastic, IMO, but when looking at them be aware that the handles widen towards the butt.

God I wish they made the Fish Owl in different colors or even carbon fiber...
 
Another point about Moki is their vastly superior build-quality. When open you really have to look for the join between blade and spring. Very often you get apologist experts coming in with stuff about blade play being inevitable with Traditional LBs. Somehow, Moki avoids this completely, even with its Shadow linerless Fish Owls there is NO movement, that's what I mean by superior build quality.
 
Last edited:
Another one not yet mentioned is the new Viper teardrop hybrid @knifeswapper sells. M390 steel, classic lines, but with modern features like rounded liners and open construction. People have been liking it around here.
 
The Fallkniven U2 comes in under your budget and is an amazing little knife. Coming in just over is the TK4, also from Fallkniven. Both have laminated blades.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vba
I recently bought the lil jack that Copperberry mentioned, and it is a great knife that would leave you money left over.
 
Hard to beat a Buck 501 in s30v. One of my favorite traditional lockbacks was the Canal Street Cutlery Pinch lockback. The proportions were just right. Came in D2. They are still out there on the secondary market.
 
IMG_1316.jpg
My moki kronos was the only one ever made with a terribly uncentered blade. Nobody else has ever experienced this. Lol heres a shot of it. not the worst i reckon but i read so much praise about it and when i got it i was like....oh cool! haha.
Make sure a read the return policy of the dealer, i probably could have sent it back but the dealers site said to ask them to look first because basically it pisses them off when they get knives back because they are a "little off center "...figured i save myself the trouble and keep it.
 
Last edited:
abbydaddy said:
...
But you asked for lockbacks with ~3 inch blades, and for me, in that range, the only traditional lockback that I have carried that I would EDC is the Case Tribal Lock. Case's stainless has performed fine for me in all the Case knives I've had (I really don't like carbon steel, so as heretical as it may seem, all my non-GECs are stainless [and if I could have gotten any of my GECs in stainless I would have. Heresy, I know]). The Buck lockbacks (110 and 112) are awfully thick for pocket carry in my opinion. They are fine if you want to carry in a sheath on your belt, but I assume if you are feeling like a modern folder might be scary then you probably want one you can carry in your pocket (I might be off base in that assumption).

Here is my Tribal Lock. I like it.
View media item 2913
View media item 2912
Click to expand...
I agree with abbydaddy abbydaddy 100% on the Case Tribal Lock. I got a pocket worn Harvest Orange model recently via "mail order" (i.e., online) and it's a dreamy "big" lockback IMHO. I think it's functionally superb, and my only complaint was what I thought was a spotty dye job compared to a Harvest Orange humpback stockman I have.
tribal.mark.Vopen.jpg

tribal.pile.open.jpg

- GT
 
ccsavage ccsavage That looks poor , but I would say it is far from typical with Moki. If your dealer has some weird fine print details about returns then you should find another dealer....perhaps he gets seconds in?:eek::D

Earlier on Fällkniven were mentioned, top steels and often expensive, very often made by Moki too:cool:
 
I've posted pics of this Moki Calliope a few times. Construction is top notch. I don't hear a lot of talk about the Calliope. In fact, my own posts are the only time I ever read anything about it.:D

It's a little different but that's one of the reasons that I like it. I also prefer the mid lock over a lockback.

Black Micarta with a Mother of Pearl inlay and VG10 steel.

IMG_3798.JPG
IMG_3799.JPG
IMG_3795.JPG
IMG_3800.JPG
IMG_3797.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top