Essential Details Regarding Folding Blade Knives
The folding knife is a tool that provides the user the capability to carry a certain amount of edge within a space that’s much smaller than a comparable fixed-blade knife. For example, a fixed-blade knife that’s 7-inch in length requires vertical space about one foot or more. A 7-inch folding knife on the other hand, will probably require only half or even less amount of space. Folding knives come in a variety of designs. The most popular design though is the one with handle of the blade attached to a hinge, therefore enabling both parts to overlap in a position that’s closed.
The folding knife is easy to store and handling is very safe due to its folding capability. The edge won’t hurt the user as long as it is folded. Of course, this does not mean that a folding knife is safer to use in comparison to a fixed knife. Obviously a folding knife is superior in terms of mobility and concealment factor, but it isn’t necessarily safer. A folding knife can be quite dangerous if it is poorly made and with the inability to relate to is user.
Proper maintenance is critical in order for a folding knife to be operated without posing any danger to its user. It is well worth remembering that a folding knife is made to be mobile, therefore whether it can stay closed or open is actually dependent on wear. Hence why it is so important that you keep your folding knife well maintained. Another thing you ought to remember is that the level of safety as well as convenience of this tool may also be relative to its means of being deployed and the recovery procedure.
To keep it simple, it is the way in which the folding knife closes and opens. So my question: Is your folding knife capable of performing this simple task in a smooth fashion, or is it performed in a rather complicated manner? It is imperative that the user understands and follow a strict operating procedure that’s specific to the folding knife design, and that the procedure can be done in a smooth and simple fashion. You know, I used to own a couple of folding knives with blades that simply could not be locked in the open position.
So in order to have the blades remained in the open position, I had to apply a significant amount of pressure while performing cutting tasks. Suffice to say, those folding knives were poorly constructed and I had them returned to the stores not long after purchase. From my example, you can now clearly understand that the hinge is the weak point of a folding knife, and therefore limiting what it is required to perform effectively.
This is why I mentioned in my previous article that it is not the best knife that you should be looking for. Instead, it is better to devote your time and effort in searching for the BEST KNIFE FOR THE JOB. The ways of preventing the blade from being closed are perhaps the number one problem in bringing strength to the design as well as greater confidence to the user.
Now, let’s focus our discussion concerning descriptions of mechanisms that are regularly utilized to either keep the blades in the open position, or have them closed completely. The slip-joint is a spring-tension hold method. This is the sort of method used on traditional pocket knives or often regarded as camp knives. A piece of steel is utilized for the construction of the spring which is riveted to the handle.
Blade rotation results in the spring pushing itself into a notch which is situated at the back of the blade. This is however, not a true locking device. I say this because folding the knife requires only that the user overcome the spring pressure so that it is possible to rotate the blade back into the handle. Clasp lock is another spring-loaded action and it can be triggered once the blade is opened. A tension-loaded piece of metal is employed for this purpose and it is situated directly on the spine of the blade right at the pivot section.
I wouldn’t hesitate to regard this as a true locking action. No doubt about it as one needs to push a lever or perhaps, pull on a ring in order to have the clasp removed from a notch within the pivot so that the blade could pass through easily. In other words, the guard device is in the form of a twist lock or a lock with ring. It’s a ridiculously simple concept that employs a ring or simply a collar that surrounds the pivot. A notch is found within the ring and it acts as a gateway for the blade to pass through, therefore attaining the open position. In order to keep the blade from being folded automatically, the ring is twisted all the way through.
Such concept is known as the bolster lock design and can be found on Glide Lock knife manufactured by an extremely innovative American knife company called Columbia River Knife and Tool or abbreviated as CRKT. The outside of rear as well as the front portions of the folding knife are places where one can discover the bolster function.
A couple of liners house the knife blade thus forming a frame for keeping the mechanism in place, while the bolsters serve as extra mass for supporting the structure that comprises several components mainly the support pins and pivot. Charles Kain of Indiana is responsible for inventing the highly useful bolster lock. He’s highly renowned for making phenomenal custom art knives.
And then there’s Barry Gallagher who is as of this writing, responsible in the creation of a wide range of knives from CRKT company. I bought a CRKT Glide Lock knife recently and I’m very much pleased to discover that the bolster situated on the upper left side is activated by being pushed forwards away from the handle. Such method allows the bolster to rotate along with the blade. This is very convenient because the edge that’s protruding can then be utilized as a lever for getting the blade rotated safely out of the handle. To have the blade locked securely in the open position, all I have to do is slide the bolster back in place.
Another type of folding knife worth mentioning is the Ti-Lock knife. Chris Reeve Knives is the company responsible for manufacturing this type of knife and its most positive feature is none other than its innovative locking mechanism. Initially, the Ti-Lock mechanism was meant to keep the lock isolated from the knife’s body, thus enabling a significant amount of freedom for the creation the knife’s frame and handle.
The sheer uniqueness of the Ti-Lock mechanism is without question. It’s amazing that the designer discovered how to keep the locking stud tensioned directly from above the blade. If you open the blade, you’ll find that the stud actually locks into a notch right on the handle’s upper ridge section. What’s so special about this, you may ask? Well, in view of the locking mechanism being exposed, it can be accessed with absolute ease from both sides of the knife. Plus, it lends a classy look to the overall construction of the knife. Another top-notch knife from Chris Reeve product lineup is the Sabenza folding knife. It has a frame-lock design which is really cool.
The frame lock has no scales and even bolsters! The lack of these components means minimal moving parts. So the Sabenza knife has two sides of the handle and when combined, produces a frame that’s extremely solid which keeps the blade securely in position. Such ingenious design is attained by removing one side of the handle. When a side is removed, a portion of the handle is held under tension, enabling it to shift into the place right behind the blade, resulting in the blade firmly in an open locking position.
The folding knife is easy to store and handling is very safe due to its folding capability. The edge won’t hurt the user as long as it is folded. Of course, this does not mean that a folding knife is safer to use in comparison to a fixed knife. Obviously a folding knife is superior in terms of mobility and concealment factor, but it isn’t necessarily safer. A folding knife can be quite dangerous if it is poorly made and with the inability to relate to is user.
Proper maintenance is critical in order for a folding knife to be operated without posing any danger to its user. It is well worth remembering that a folding knife is made to be mobile, therefore whether it can stay closed or open is actually dependent on wear. Hence why it is so important that you keep your folding knife well maintained. Another thing you ought to remember is that the level of safety as well as convenience of this tool may also be relative to its means of being deployed and the recovery procedure.
To keep it simple, it is the way in which the folding knife closes and opens. So my question: Is your folding knife capable of performing this simple task in a smooth fashion, or is it performed in a rather complicated manner? It is imperative that the user understands and follow a strict operating procedure that’s specific to the folding knife design, and that the procedure can be done in a smooth and simple fashion. You know, I used to own a couple of folding knives with blades that simply could not be locked in the open position.
So in order to have the blades remained in the open position, I had to apply a significant amount of pressure while performing cutting tasks. Suffice to say, those folding knives were poorly constructed and I had them returned to the stores not long after purchase. From my example, you can now clearly understand that the hinge is the weak point of a folding knife, and therefore limiting what it is required to perform effectively.
This is why I mentioned in my previous article that it is not the best knife that you should be looking for. Instead, it is better to devote your time and effort in searching for the BEST KNIFE FOR THE JOB. The ways of preventing the blade from being closed are perhaps the number one problem in bringing strength to the design as well as greater confidence to the user.
Now, let’s focus our discussion concerning descriptions of mechanisms that are regularly utilized to either keep the blades in the open position, or have them closed completely. The slip-joint is a spring-tension hold method. This is the sort of method used on traditional pocket knives or often regarded as camp knives. A piece of steel is utilized for the construction of the spring which is riveted to the handle.
Blade rotation results in the spring pushing itself into a notch which is situated at the back of the blade. This is however, not a true locking device. I say this because folding the knife requires only that the user overcome the spring pressure so that it is possible to rotate the blade back into the handle. Clasp lock is another spring-loaded action and it can be triggered once the blade is opened. A tension-loaded piece of metal is employed for this purpose and it is situated directly on the spine of the blade right at the pivot section.
I wouldn’t hesitate to regard this as a true locking action. No doubt about it as one needs to push a lever or perhaps, pull on a ring in order to have the clasp removed from a notch within the pivot so that the blade could pass through easily. In other words, the guard device is in the form of a twist lock or a lock with ring. It’s a ridiculously simple concept that employs a ring or simply a collar that surrounds the pivot. A notch is found within the ring and it acts as a gateway for the blade to pass through, therefore attaining the open position. In order to keep the blade from being folded automatically, the ring is twisted all the way through.
Such concept is known as the bolster lock design and can be found on Glide Lock knife manufactured by an extremely innovative American knife company called Columbia River Knife and Tool or abbreviated as CRKT. The outside of rear as well as the front portions of the folding knife are places where one can discover the bolster function.
A couple of liners house the knife blade thus forming a frame for keeping the mechanism in place, while the bolsters serve as extra mass for supporting the structure that comprises several components mainly the support pins and pivot. Charles Kain of Indiana is responsible for inventing the highly useful bolster lock. He’s highly renowned for making phenomenal custom art knives.
And then there’s Barry Gallagher who is as of this writing, responsible in the creation of a wide range of knives from CRKT company. I bought a CRKT Glide Lock knife recently and I’m very much pleased to discover that the bolster situated on the upper left side is activated by being pushed forwards away from the handle. Such method allows the bolster to rotate along with the blade. This is very convenient because the edge that’s protruding can then be utilized as a lever for getting the blade rotated safely out of the handle. To have the blade locked securely in the open position, all I have to do is slide the bolster back in place.
Another type of folding knife worth mentioning is the Ti-Lock knife. Chris Reeve Knives is the company responsible for manufacturing this type of knife and its most positive feature is none other than its innovative locking mechanism. Initially, the Ti-Lock mechanism was meant to keep the lock isolated from the knife’s body, thus enabling a significant amount of freedom for the creation the knife’s frame and handle.
The sheer uniqueness of the Ti-Lock mechanism is without question. It’s amazing that the designer discovered how to keep the locking stud tensioned directly from above the blade. If you open the blade, you’ll find that the stud actually locks into a notch right on the handle’s upper ridge section. What’s so special about this, you may ask? Well, in view of the locking mechanism being exposed, it can be accessed with absolute ease from both sides of the knife. Plus, it lends a classy look to the overall construction of the knife. Another top-notch knife from Chris Reeve product lineup is the Sabenza folding knife. It has a frame-lock design which is really cool.
The frame lock has no scales and even bolsters! The lack of these components means minimal moving parts. So the Sabenza knife has two sides of the handle and when combined, produces a frame that’s extremely solid which keeps the blade securely in position. Such ingenious design is attained by removing one side of the handle. When a side is removed, a portion of the handle is held under tension, enabling it to shift into the place right behind the blade, resulting in the blade firmly in an open locking position.