ULTIMATE FOLDER SURVEY: Top 10 Folding Knife Locks
UPDATE: Click here to see the results of Part 2: Favorite Handle Materials
KnifeNews Ultimate Folder Survey Results Part 1: The LOCK
Brought to you by BladeHQ
Last week, KnifeNews conducted the Ultimate Folder Survey and among other questions, we asked respondents to tell us the Locks they prefer to have on their EDC folders. The results revealed a tight 3 way race between Benchmade‘s AXIS Lock, the Liner Lock, and the Frame Lock, with the Frame Lock coming out on top. We asked Morgan Donaldson of BladeHQ for his reaction to the Lock Preference data: “I’m not too surprised on the lock type preference. The results appear to roughly match in order of popularity with our customers,” he said. “Frame Lock knives are very popular right now with all of the Titanium Frame Lock Flippers in production at the moment,” said Donaldson.
#1 The Frame Lock, Invented by Chris Reeve
When Chris Reeve introduced the Sebenza in 1990, it came with a never before seen lock that built-upon Michael Walker’s liner lock design. On his website, Reeve explains why he designed the new lock: “My first impressions of the liner lock style locking mechanism were very favorable but when I examined it more closely, I decided that I didn’t much like the flimsiness of the thin liner. After some thought, I redesigned the concept and have created the Sebenza Integral Lock which I believe to be the most rugged folding knife on the market.” By integrating the locking spring into the frame of the knife, Reeve reduced the number of components of a knife and increased the strength of the lockup.
Knife featured in image: Chris Reeve Sebenza 25 Frame Lock Knife
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