Locks

Many modern folding knives have some form of locking mechanism to prevent accidental closure of the blade onto the user?s hand. Some locking mechanisms are inherently stronger than others, some are easier to operate, some are commonly operated one handed while others can require two hands, and some even have a secondary mechanism to provide additional security. Some folding blades (especially those which are automatic or spring assisted) even have locking mechanisms to keep them closed.

Typical hold open locks include the following. ?Lockback? or spine lock styles where a separate piece of metal engages a cut out in the tang. A spring usually holds the locking bar in contact with the tang. The locking mechanism is normally operated by pressing down on the locking bar located on the reverse or back side of the blade handle while simultaneously closing the blade into the handle. The lock release is usually located from mid way down the handle to a point near the far end of the handle. This style of lock generally requires two hands to safely operate and is one of the most secure and strongest styles of locks. The Cold Steel ?Voyager? series of blades are good examples of lockback styles. Liner lock blades have a sprung piece of metal (generally steel) located inside the handle adjacent to the blade. Once the blade is fully opened the metal will move into place behind the tang holding the blade in place. To close the blade the liner is pressed against the inside face of the handle while the blade is rotated out of its fully open position, then releasing the liner lock and rotating the blade the remainder of the way into the handle. Although this style of lock is not as secure as a lockback style, it has the advantage of one handed operation. This style is typically found in most military and tactical folding blades. The Cold Steel ?Night Force? and ?Pro Lite? series of blades are good examples of liner lock styles. Frame locks are similar to liner locks in that a piece of sprung metal holds the blade in place. The difference is that the piece of metal is actually a portion of the handle itself. This eliminates the need for a separate layer of material to create the lock. Operation of a frame lock is the same as a liner lock. The Kershaw ?Vapor? and Vapor II? series of blades are good examples of frame lock styles. Rolling locks (also called axis locks) use a spring loaded bar placed perpendicular to the blade through the handle. Once the blade is fully open, the rolling lock snaps into place either against the tang or into a recessed cut out in the tang to hold the blade in place. To release the blade the locking bar is pulled away from the blade while simultaneously closing the blade into the handle. The Cold Steel ?Recon 1? series of blades are good examples of this style. There are numerous modifications to these styles of locks including the addition of buttons to allow operation of a liner lock from the outside of the handle. All locking folders require care and maintenance to prevent foreign material from preventing proper lock function. Even so, the locks commonly found in modern blades will safely keep the blade in place under even abusive conditions. If the blade lock fails it is most likely due to improper use of the blade as a pry bar or some other function clearly outside of the design parameters of the blade and its lock. In other words a failed lock is normally due to user error rather than manufacturing defect.