Best lock for use in dirt?

[araneae]

Get several Mora's. They're cheap enough and will take whatever you throw at them.

This.

[bearfacedkiller]

I would lean towards teeth on this one since you want something that just keeps cutting and landscaping does involves bags of stuff, dirty stuff and fibrous stuff. Serrations are good at those things.

My first suggestion would be open back construction and a liner/frame/comp lock for ease of cleaning. You can just run it under water and there are less places for dirt to hide. Serrated Para2?

I would also suggest serrated H1 for your cutting needs. I assume you will be doing the sharpening on this one? I wouldn't want to be maintaining someone else's S110V knife in that type of use.

I vote Sheepsfoot Enuff Salt, Pac Salt or Salt1 serrated if the SE Para2 isn't a go.

To bad we don't have an open construction serrated H1 knife. Seems like a good landscaping option. The Caribbean is coming at some point.

A Mora is a good option but you mentioned edge retention and while I do love Moras that is not their strong point. They do tend to be my go to beaters for things like cutting open bags of dirt and such.

[The Deacon]

Fixed blade would be better, but if it has to be a folder, I'd call it a dead heat between the RIL and the compression framelock. No springs to clog with dirt, no places where dirt can keep the lock from disengaging when your done.

[awa54]

Thanks for all the great insights folks, I'm still not sure how this will wind up, the idea of a fixed blade is obviously the best in terms of functionality, as is a serrated blade, but finding an affordable "beater" that will have the desired characteristics all the way around is going to be a challenge.

[Doc Dan]

Thanks for all the great insights folks, I'm still not sure how this will wind up, the idea of a fixed blade is obviously the best in terms of functionality, as is a serrated blade, but finding an affordable "beater" that will have the desired characteristics all the way around is going to be a challenge.

Izula

[TheKnifeCollector]

An FB or a framelock.

[jdw]

An old Ka-Bar fixed blade. Easy to sharpen. If you use it for a pry bar and break it you can find another.

[navin johnson]

In my use CBBL and compression lock required running water to make functional (able to close). Back lock clogged easily but was easy to clear by tapping debris out of well for opening and always closed as long as handle was free of gunk.

I was surprised by how easily the compression lock locked open with minimal fouling. The RIL is by far the best IMO. Back lock far better than the rest.

[tangent]

Get several Mora's. They're cheap enough and will take whatever you throw at them.

Yep...this is what I was going to recommend. Otherwise a Pac Salt Serrated.

[timlara]

If you remove the limitations of it being a Spyderco and being inexpensive, I'd look at the MUDD by Hawk Knives. The lock is specifically designed to be immune to mud, sand, etc. I'd love to see a Spyderco / Hawk collaboration someday.

(And yes, of course I realize an inexpensive fixed blade, etc, would be more practical...but I still think this lock design is neat.)

https://youtu.be/x0hc3nsI1Q0

[Bill1170]

I need a "Landscaper knife", ideally something with a high carbide stainless blade to keep cutting despite being used in very abrasive media and which has a lock that sheds or excludes dirt well. Having an ambidexterous lock is also a plus, since the user is left handed.

I'm leaning toward an S110V Native 5 LW, but haven't ever gotten my N5s grubby enough to know how well the lock functions when filled with top soil. :eek:

A lefty Reeve Integral Lock (frame lock) could work, and would resist dirt clogging better than any other than can think of.

[anagarika]

The MUDD is not as good as GB1 (not in term of lock though). http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/gayl ... se.714931/
IMHO, agrees with David (Evil D) when locked open (and not anticipated for unlock while all the dirt still there), lockback is quite secure, i.e. lock it open, and proceed to dirty it. Seeing Peacent and Lance experience, a Pac Salt or Atlantic Salt serrated is best option.

[D-Roc]

Folding knives definitely have their limits...I imagine serious dirt intrusion rates high on that list. I would be using a fixed blade

[Evil D]

A lefty Reeve Integral Lock (frame lock) could work, and would resist dirt clogging better than any other than can think of.

The more I think about it this probably is one of if not the best option. It has the least amount of moving parts and the least amount of crevices for dirt and mud to get into, and is also in turn probably the easiest to clean out if you really did get the whole handle caked with mud. The only drawback I can think of is if you managed to get the inside packed with enough mud it could force the lock open, but seriously what scenario is a person going to get themselves in where they're covered in that much mud using a pocket knife? If that's a legit concern I seriously think a person should just go with a small fixed blade. For all but the absolute worst case scenario I think a frame lock is the best choice.

[JD Spydo]

Ironically the two Spyderco models that I've used for very rough landscaping work have both been "Lockback" models. One was an older Endura ( ATS-55) model and the other was one of my older VG-10 Spyderhawk models. Essentially both of them have virtually the exact same handle and locking systems.

I did use my older 440V Spyderedged Military model once in a landscaping job and it had a liner lock of course and really I didn't have any problems with either type of locking system. But I was careful to keep the units clean and kept them all well lubricated while using them on tough jobs.

[awa54]

This conundrum proved to be the perfect excuse to finally try out some Salt series knives... there was yet another 20% off Ebay discount code, so I snagged a new Salt 1 in full SE, I believe that it's in her pocket right now :D and I scored a used Enuff in SE H1, which is the backup if the Salt 1 is prone to getting gritty too easily, though I expect that'll be mine by default, since a fixed blade is probably going to be perceived as too cumbersome.

Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

[anagarika]

Good choice IMHO.

The worry free of simply washing it without the need to dry it completely is the biggest advantage of Salt series. I'm not afraid to dirty it as I can wash it thoroughly, not worrying about water trapped around the border of liner cutouts and handle slab causing rust.

Tell us how she likes it. I only have Atlantic Salt and have modded it a l a Lance. :cool:

[ThePeacent]

Good choice IMHO.

The worry free of simply washing it without the need to dry it completely is the biggest advantage of Salt series. I'm not afraid to dirty it as I can wash it thoroughly, not worrying about water trapped around the border of liner cutouts and handle slab causing rust.

Tell us how she likes it. I only have Atlantic Salt and have modded it a l a Lance. :cool:

Agreed
Soil, dirt, substrate, chemicals, roots, water, fertilizers...



Use, rinse, repeat

[tripscheck'em]

I need a "Landscaper knife", ideally something with a high carbide stainless blade to keep cutting despite being used in very abrasive media and which has a lock that sheds or excludes dirt well. Having an ambidexterous lock is also a plus, since the user is left handed.

I'm leaning toward an S110V Native 5 LW, but haven't ever gotten my N5s grubby enough to know how well the lock functions when filled with top soil. :eek:

Linerlock is the lowest maintenance.

If you can't get a fixed blade, you might want to get the military. It is a gloves-first knife and is very easy to clean.