UPDATE: Click here to see the results of Part 2: Favorite Handle Materials
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.
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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Joe Bartholdi
November 19, 2015 at 8:32 pm
I would say axis, arc, then frame lock. Line lock should be last.
Joshua Broussard
November 19, 2015 at 9:06 pm
Compression and bearing locks are great. Frame locks are great, but I have a hard time believing Chris Reeve invented it.
Danny McBee
November 19, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Tri-Ad locks are my preference. Provided they’re well maintained. They’re the strongest locks I’ve ever used on a knife, but I did have one fail after it got some grit deep inside it after a hard day’s work. It was an easy fix, but I think that tight lock up is more prone to failure after being exposed to grainy materials like sand.
David Downs
November 19, 2015 at 9:49 pm
He patented it. I know that.
David Downs
November 19, 2015 at 9:51 pm
AKA the Integral Lock.
William Braswell
November 19, 2015 at 10:04 pm
Love my axis benchmade
Matt Joel
November 19, 2015 at 10:06 pm
Axis/good old lockback in no particular order. Liner lock isn’t even on my list anymore. I still own quite a few liner locks but I have owned and or seen too many liners fail on fairly expensive knives. I just don’t trust them anymore….:/
Jake Vandenberg
November 19, 2015 at 10:26 pm
Functionality aside, axis locks are the coolest.
Cory Wallskog
November 19, 2015 at 11:19 pm
Of course the RIL won, it’s the best out there but I am starting to really like the Ti strap-lock
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 1:21 am
Haha RIL won? Of all the many knives I’ve owned the only -ONLY- one to have a lock fail was my sebenza. No hard use, no flipping. The lock bar chipped away and Chris absolutely would not acknowledge it as anything but user error and never offered anything by way of fixing it without me buying a whole new lock side. Reeve is a conceited joke. If this happened with a Spyderco you can bet that Sal would be handling the problem instead of blaming the user for a dud.
Marlo Hernaci
November 20, 2015 at 1:46 am
I guess these results make sense when you’re talking about light duty EDC. The Tri-Ad lock is without equal as far as strength is concerned, so that’s my favorite and what I carry most. I’ll carry a framelock, compression lock or Axis lock once in a while; I’m surprised compression locks aren’t in the top 3. Spyderco’s PM2 is godly
Mark A Gregory
November 20, 2015 at 2:27 am
Really liner lock number #2?!?!
Gu Zeng
November 20, 2015 at 2:49 am
Emerson knives are very popular combat folder knives and they’re little bit pricy but why they’re always use liner lock. Just curious.
Morgan Banks
November 20, 2015 at 2:49 am
Love the ball bearing lock on my spyderco manix
Jim Guy
November 20, 2015 at 3:53 am
I use all of them but the tri-ad lock is the strongest.
Cory Wallskog
November 20, 2015 at 4:56 am
Yeah, this is absolutely a joke alright.
Matt Norman Lloyd Borth
November 20, 2015 at 6:12 am
Some liner locks are great, you tell me the lock up on a spyderco tenacious is weak ill call you a liar lol brous had some nice ones too.
Joshua Dingle
November 20, 2015 at 6:18 am
How did a slip joint make this list lol
Lance Stickle
November 20, 2015 at 6:31 am
For me it’s frame, axis, back, liner
Donnie LaTulip
November 20, 2015 at 9:03 am
Lol this is fake
Donnie LaTulip
November 20, 2015 at 9:04 am
Liner locks and framelocks are the same strengh
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 12:33 pm
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Didn’t even own it a year. I showed them these pictures and they insisted it was abuse. Then a forum topic began on this exact issue on bladeforums and they acted like they had an idea what the issue was but still wouldn’t acknowledge that my knife experienced this under normal wear. I’ve never been so underwhelmed by a companies customer service before, especially since they’re known for their customer service and hold their product in high regard.

Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 12:50 pm
I ended up selling the knife for $150 and got a Spyderco Sage 3 and a Kershaw Skyline, both of which have been stellar performers

Michael White
November 20, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Then you need to literally take 2 seconds and learn to google.
Joshua Broussard
November 20, 2015 at 3:46 pm
I have googled it.
Joshua Broussard
November 20, 2015 at 3:46 pm
And I know that he apparently holds the patents, but I just personally find it hard to believe for some reason.
Reggie Ham
November 20, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Why is it so hard to believe?
Joshua Broussard
November 20, 2015 at 4:47 pm
It just seems like someone would’ve thought of it before. Like Sal Glesser invented the pocket clip and one-handed opening.
Justin Valdez
November 20, 2015 at 7:15 pm
Closing it. Heard an awful scraping sound as the blade shore away at the lock face. I didn’t close it aggressively or do anything harsher than cutting lemons.

David M. Cope
November 20, 2015 at 7:44 pm
My EDC is a Benchmade with an axis lock. I specifically wanted that lock on my EDC. Perhaps it would have been ranked #1 if it wasn’t Benchmade’s patented system.
Dylan Hauprich
November 20, 2015 at 7:46 pm
Axis lock, compression lock, lock back, liner lock for me
Yi Huang
November 20, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Frame lock lovers should really look at the lock cut out relief; it’s not thicker than liners on liner locks. Also saying that your grip helps the lock is BS. Grab a frame lock with lock slip and see how much your grip actually affects the lock.
Liner locks fail is not because the lock sucks, it’s because the people making the lock have no idea how to cut the tang. It’s a very narrow range between 7-8 degrees depending on stock thickness.
Jeff Segura
November 24, 2015 at 2:24 am
Frame locks…surprising. Never thought of that as the best. I don’t own any but thinking of getting crkt 2906, seems like a practical knife.
Eric Sager
November 30, 2015 at 2:42 am
Liner lock sucks
Matthew Savage
November 30, 2015 at 8:47 am
yup frame n linaer locks suck compared to the triad lock nothing beats it nothing yet anyway