Lifespan of Backlocks?

[knife__bro69]

I was curious, what is the oldest backlock you own, and does it still work?

[RustyIron]

I have well-used backlocks from long before Sal was making knives, and they're just fine. When my Spyderco backlocks get that old, I'll let you know.

[knife__bro69]

I have well-used backlocks from long before Sal was making knives, and they're just fine. When my Spyderco backlocks get that old, I'll let you know.

Wow, how many years is that?

[Michael Janich]

I still have the Gerber Folding Sportsman II (with Flicket, for one-handed opening) that I carried from about 1976-1982. It is very well used, but still working fine.

I have many others that date back to the early 1980's, but haven't been carried or used as much. They're also still going strong.

Stay safe,

Mike

[knife__bro69]

I still have the Gerber Folding Sportsman II (with Flicket, for one-handed opening) that I carried from about 1976-1982. It is very well used, but still working fine.

I have many others that date back to the early 1980's, but haven't been carried or used as much. They're also still going strong.

Stay safe,

Mike

Thanks for the response Mike! I really appreciate your work and this forum is blessed to have someone with your expertise active on it. Hope you have a great holiday season.

[cody6268]

Oldest--I have a '74-80 Buck 110 that was my great-uncle's, and he beat it to holy heck. Still works as great as my brand-new 2016 110 I rarely ever use.

[Doc Dan]

I have a Buck 110 that I have owned since the mid to late 1960's and it is still as tight as when it was new. That knife has been used pretty hard, too. I think it would be pretty near impossible to wear out a quality back lock in a life time.

[soc_monki]

My 78-79 110 is still in great condition. It looked barely used when I got it, but it is old!

[VooDooChild]

Its a leaf spring, so it should be a very long time, so long as the spring isnt defective.

[James Y]

I have an old Buck 110 that belonged to my late dad. I don’t know what year it was from; I’m guessing it was from the early 1970s. The handles are thinner and flatter than the recent version. The blade is factory convex ground. It still locks up solidly. Its tip is slightly chipped and worn, and its edge is dull, but I don’t want to mess with it. I’m keeping it as is.

My dad didn’t abuse his knives, but he wasn’t gentle with them, either. Most of them were Camillus slipjoints that lasted maybe a couple/few years before they were so worn down they had to be replaced. So that old 110 certainly held up.

Jim

[Evil D]

Probably depends on the generation the knife is from, since lots of us these days can't help but fidget with them so locks (spring bars) see a lot more cycles than they used to.

[Holland]

My oldest is a Superblue delica, which saw daily construction carry for a few years.

It developed very noticeable vertical play / lockrock

My Superblue caly3 has a similar story.

I've carried my Hap40 delica for years in an office setting and on weekends (much less cutting, but more fidgeting) and it's still locks up pretty tight (as far as seki knives go)

My chaparral 1 I've had for coming up on 8 years and received regular carry (including when I worked construction) and it is rock solid still. Likely a combination of the internal stop pin and the vastly superior f&f from the taiwan plant

[Sequimite]

My old Endura trainer's backlock was defeated by peanut butter. I wrote up a review years ago as my Spyderco PBJ. After a couple years of stirring peanut butter the lock failed constantly and I had to retire it.

[VooDooChild]

My old Endura trainer's backlock was defeated by peanut butter. I wrote up a review years ago as my Spyderco PBJ. After a couple years of stirring peanut butter the lock failed constantly and I had to retire it.

???
Did the lock actually fail or get worn out? If so how does peanut butter have anything to do with it?
Or does it just need to be disassembled and cleaned?

[Sequimite]

My old Endura trainer's backlock was defeated by peanut butter. I wrote up a review years ago as my Spyderco PBJ. After a couple years of stirring peanut butter the lock failed constantly and I had to retire it.

???
Did the lock actually fail or get worn out? If so how does peanut butter have anything to do with it?
Or does it just need to be disassembled and cleaned?

Just really old and when the oil separates the PB at the bottom is very solid, have bent multiple butter knives. It doesn't take much pressure to close the knife without pressing the lock at this point. Not much point in trading it in as they haven't made trainer blades without holes in a long time.

[wirelessjunkie]

My old Endura trainer's backlock was defeated by peanut butter. I wrote up a review years ago as my Spyderco PBJ. After a couple years of stirring peanut butter the lock failed constantly and I had to retire it.

???
Did the lock actually fail or get worn out? If so how does peanut butter have anything to do with it?
Or does it just need to be disassembled and cleaned?

Just really old and when the oil separates the PB at the bottom is very solid, have bent multiple butter knives. It doesn't take much pressure to close the knife without pressing the lock at this point. Not much point in trading it in as they haven't made trainer blades without holes in a long time.

Oh man, those huge jars of Peanut butter from Costco are intense trying to get stirred up. I've honestly used an ESEE 5 to stir mine just because it was bending all of my other kitchen utensils trying to get the consistency right.

Id be interested in seeing what the lock bar and heel catch on the blade surfaces look like to see if it's more of a matter of reduced spring tension or if the interfacing parts are just that worn out (or a little of column A and a little of column B).

I've worn out both liner and frame locks, but not a backlock (yet) to the point it became unsafe to use, but I believe it's entirely possible under the right circumstances.

[The Mastiff]

My oldest Spyderco is from 92 and it's like a smoother version of what it was new. I don't see them having any real lifespans. I suppose they can be broken but I have not wore any out and I have other brand backlocks going back to the 60's that are very far from being wore out. I recall seeing lockbacks getting broken from being thrown into trees but I can't recall any that were worn out from cutting, slicing and opening and closing. Even the ones that have a little play are safe to use and have left left in them. I now have an old Police I took on trade in the late 80's that was like that but it remains safe to use.

Other than breakage my old knives seem to have what it takes to outlast me and probably my son too.

[Blades]

I have an Endura from 1993 that I carried until 2016. I only quit carrying it because I visited the SFO and bought a Pacific to replace it. It still locks up tight.

[Abyss_Fish]

So to summarize everything here. What is the lifespan of a backlock? Yes.

Also what serious locks really get any moderate wear over time other than Ti framelocks without inserts? I feel like even (slightly) more complicated systems like the compression lock don’t have many points of failure.

Edit: also to answer the question, I’m relatively new to the knife world so my oldest is my native. It’s probably about a year and a half old at this point, if anything it runs better now than it did when I got it.

[mikey177]

The oldest photo I have of my Endura is from 2007. I don't remember when I actually bought it, but the blade is ATS-55.

The knife still locks up without any noticeable play.