Best locking mechanism for folding knives.

Here it is folks, the best locking mechanism for your folding knife!

Now a lot has been said in the industry when it comes to locks. Many companies claim they have the best new and strongest lock but when it boils down to it... do you need it?

Usually the answer is no. Under what circumstances do you need a lock that will never break? How extreme of a condition do you put yourself in on a daily basis that you need a lock strength that would surpass 2,000 pounds of force per square inch?

A little while ago I watched a pair of YouTube videos from Blade HQ testing a bunch of lock styles, the ball bearing and lock back really shined but really a liner lock would do you for your everyday use, even a slip joint I'm sure for 90% of you. I was surprised at the frame lock fairing just better than the liner lock but one thing the liner lock did over the frame lock was stay open when broken meaning the frame lock had a tendancy to break and slip and let the knife close, the liner lock bent and kept the knife open for good.

I rotate a Spyderco UKPK (which is a slip joint for those who are not versed in the model) in my everyday carry as well as liner locks, Axis lock, ball bearing, mid back lock, triad and compression. I have a bunch of different knives with different mechanisms but use them all the same and find no real advantage to one over the other in use. As for playing with them the axis, ball bearing and compression are a lot of fun.

So the best lock?

The one you're using. If you're really that set on a lock that will never fail... Get a fixed blade.

Knaf Steal. I rant.

We all know anyone who is deeply interested in knives wants to learn more about what materials are used for them be it handle or blade or sheath. I started a handful of years ago with a basic Gerber china special. I started looking up EDC tags on Instagram and checked out some knives I thought looked nice which opened my world of knives to Spyderco.

From grade 1 (Gerber) to High School in a few minutes of research. Of course the first offering I got was the Tenacious as most people do. I loved it, the build quality, the feel in hand, everything so I decided they were worth the money and went and got my first Paramilitary 2, satin/digicamo - then satin/black - then S35VN - then M390, the King and the only one I still have left. Now these happened over a span of about 4 years as I really enjoy the carry, usability and style of the PM2.

It was my learning and then real world testing of these different steels that got me deeper in that rabbit hole. True there are a lot of guys who don't give a crap about steel etc. and just carry a china folder for the odds and ends and that's just fine for them, more power to them. I want it all in one, edge retention, toughness and rust resistance - the big three. I couldn't fathom taking my knife out and have a rusty blade like an old fisherman's tackle box utility knife.

I've been dabbling with budget folders recently so I've been sacrificing the big three to an extent. Usually I find the budget folders with 8Cr13MoV lose a razors edge within the first few cuts so you may have a slightly dulled knife before you know it. Now on the high end of the scale, M390 is a super steel and lives up to that rank with amazing edge retention. Other high edge retention steels include CPM M4, CPM 3V, CPM20CV, CTS-20CP.

Toughness comes mid range to the budget steels I find, always depending but for D2 I find in certain situations it can cause small chipping which can also happen to extremely high Rockwell rated knives like ZDP-189. CPM S30V has a good toughness and would roll over chip if stressed. CPM S110V is very tough but also tends to roll under use.

Budget steel also is not known for rust resistance and can often form even within your pocket with moisture and heat from your body. Now on the high end there of course is M390 which resists rust superbly. On the other hand there are steels like M4, 3V and other high carbon steels which are not rust resistant can cause problems if not maintained after use. If you can maintain that non stainless knife it'll treat you very well.

A lot of what I write is from first hand experiences and knowing full well they can change from user to user. These few paragraphs are just my opinions and findings, take it all lightly as I'm not trying to tread on anyone else.

Does size matter?!

This question has been plaguing mankind for decades, centuries even... DOES SIZE MATTER?!

I'm writing this to give a little insight into my personal experiences and preferences in this matter as what you carry can sometimes say a lot about you or represent your tastes or so on. When it comes to an everyday carry knife personal preference is ALL that matters.

I've always had a fondness for bigger knives as it seemed more manly and, I don't know, sword like? Either way I've slowly been gravitating away from 3.5"+ blades. Never the less I still love to carry and use the Paramilitary 2 and others but something new and shining is attracting my attention and wallet... I LOVE the Paramilitary 2 and recently got a Manix 2 from a good friend on Instagram, but any longer of a blade and I find it unwieldy and cumbersome to use and carry at times.

Now every knife has a situation but I'm kind of focusing on the everyday city carry as it tends to be my everyday situation.

I've been starting to use a lot more 3" and sub 3" knives now for everyday use and I'm loving them! I never really cared about the 'sheeple' effect of larger knives, if anything it let me talk to them and educate them on my tools and why I carry. I find the speed and action of the smaller knives just suits my day to day needs better. Maybe if I was doing a lot more camping and bushcraft I'd pack a larger robust knife and/or fixed blade. But remember the best knife to have in an emergency situation is the one on you. So emergency bushcraft would still work with my smaller carry but not everything.

Anyway.

Recent knives I've been cycling through are the Cold Steel Tuff Lite, Spyderco Ladybug3 Hawkbill, Dragonfly 2 G10, UKPK and Squeak. They're small and pack so much punch! Try some of these for yourself and maybe you'll start to see the primary knife could be a small blade. 

Again I also seem to carry larger knife paired with the small to be prepared for anything. It's usually the Paramilitary 2 or Manix 2. But thats my silly brain not wanted to be left out, as of late I've started trying to only carry one knife a day again but you know what they say: "Two is one, one is none" and I always let that ring around my head before I try and battle it out for the day.

This is personal preference and I still love the looks and style of some larger knives.

Fixed or Folder

This seems to be a frequent question asked by the EDC community, myself included. I had started collecting with folders and was completely against a fixed blade for a long time. I was in to the steels and locking mechanisms and so on and the fixed ones I saw were all high carbon rust boats if you forgot to wipe it once. Not my game. As well a knife is very personal as everyone says, what are you using it for?

I slowly was coming around to the idea of a fixed blade and started looking at the Izula in 440C but realized that it would be too short and too crap of a steel for my everyday use. I have always had great experiences with Spyderco and started looking up their Mule Team series.

So many great steels that I know and like. I ended up settling on the Elmax, lucky number 13 in the Mule Team lineup. A steel I wasn't fond of because I owned a Zero Tolerance 0561 and the steel was screwed up somehow, maybe the heat treat or something and the way the blade was ground didn't help it either but I wanted to really see how Elmax was. But the Mule Team is a beast, second knife to give me stitches. The other? The Elmax 0561 haha. Anyway I bought a fixed blade and haven't rotated it out of my pocket yet. A good size with enough leverage and great aftermarket Halpern Titanium black 3D G10 scales.

Now... Do I need a fixed blade? Not really. In my day to day life I need the most rust resistance while at work mainly, great edge retention and durability. I have that in almost all my folders as I try to only use better steels. I won't be batoning the folder but either way, they could stand up to it. I won't be prying, nothing too crazy at all. People have to understand, even with a small Izula neck knife it could take up less space with say a mini griptilian from Benchmade. I love my Doug Ritter M390 mini griptilian. Light, small and just as durable as a neck knife for daily use.

For a survival pack a folder would be just as sufficient as a fixed and take up less room in your bag. That as well as you can pack multiple folders or other tools for other jobs. Not counting a machete of course but for small work.

I'm not against fixed blades but for EDC they aren't totally needed although I love my MT13P I can safely rotate it with my folders and feel the same amount of confidence when using them.