BladeHQ All Spyderco Lock Test

[Scroop]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERxHUXAFVs4

[Liquid Cobra]

I didn't expect the bolt action to do that well. Interesting video.

[3rdGenRigger]

Interesting test...I don't normally saw through material with the spine of my blade though so I posit that as a flaw in the test methodology. I'd guess that if they tested the lock strength the other way (As if you were actually cutting with the edge), you'd see a lot more blade failures than lock failures, making testing much more difficult...I suspect it's the reason that this style of test is popular, though somewhat redundant IMO.

[MattM68]

Awesome video. It really makes me appreciate my knives a lot more! I would love to pick up a Sage 3, but I really wish it was still sold in blue.

Matt

[SpydyLover1234]

I thought that the bolt lock would win and I totally did not expect the delicas blade to break... twice .

[Able Dog]

Under appreciated the Sage 3 until now.

Thanks for sharing!

[remnar]

This rig gives the lock back an advantage. The position of the cable loop keeps the lock bar from disengaging and possibly deforming. The only outcome would be a broken blade, handle or possibly a broken lock bar. None of the locks on the other knives received any kind of advantage like this. It was a very interesting test though. :spyder: :)

[locard]

Some tough stuff all around.

[bearfacedkiller]

This is an interesting test. I expected the comp lock to blow the stop pin out like the Manix.

You could build a knife with any one of these locks that could win this test. The CBBL, comp lock and bolt lock all work so similar that the design would probably be more of a factor than which lock it was. I would think that they could each be built to win.

Spine whack tests don't mean much to me but it is still fun to watch. Thanks for sharing. :)

[TomAiello]

Awesome video. It really makes me appreciate my knives a lot more! I would love to pick up a Sage 3, but I really wish it was still sold in blue.

Matt

You can find the blue on eBay from time to time.

I still have a new pre-need replacement in blue for myself. :)

[tap78]

The position of the cable loop keeps the lock bar from disengaging and possibly deforming. The only outcome would be a broken blade, handle or possibly a broken lock bar.

Good point Remnar...

[Doc Dan]

I was happy to see how well the Manix did. The Delica blade break and not having a lock failure was not too surprising, but still good to see. The Delica is one of the lightest back locks Spyderco makes. I wonder how the Stretch and Native 5 would fare?

[anagarika]

For the Delica, the cable was not positioned that much/far enough in front of the lockbar pivot that it reinforced the lock. In fact it seems to be at the pivot or behind, where it has no effect.

Anyone can measure where exactly 1 inch from blade pivot?

IMHO, a broken blade (assuming batoning, or in self defense situation) is safer for the wielder because the blade will not pivot & close on the hand/finger but simply fall away.

It'll be interesting to see a lockback that has more metal surrounding the notch & pivot where it breaks. I'm guessing the lockbar will break instead.

[The Deacon]

The position of the cable loop keeps the lock bar from disengaging and possibly deforming. The only outcome would be a broken blade, handle or possibly a broken lock bar.

Good point Remnar...

Not really, that would only be true if the cable was positioned forward of the lockbar pivot, and that did not appear to be the case.

You could make as similar and perhaps more valid point regarding framelocks, the cable would tend to deepen the lockbar's engagement and would absolutely prevent it from failing by moving outward and releasing.

On a totally different note, I wonder how one of Spyderco's higher quality liner locks would have fared.

[gaj999]

What an utterly worthless test. Unless you're doing MBC, all the lock really does is keep the knife from closing on your fingers if you screw up. Screwing up so badly as to break a well-designed lock? Ain't ever gonna happen ...

Gordon

[Blerv]

What an utterly worthless test. Unless you're doing MBC, all the lock really does is keep the knife from closing on your fingers if you screw up. Screwing up so badly as to break a well-designed lock? Ain't ever gonna happen ...

Gordon

I tend to agree but even throw in MBC.

Folding knives should always be treated as such and delegated to such tasks. It's specialization and a reason to have a variety of tools.

As for MBC the chance of a lock failing against squishy things in a 30 second or less encounter is very low. The chance it would impact your life or death chances again is on par.

Assuming I trust the company that made it I'm more interested in how a lock functions day to day than its break strength but my tasks are light. Slip joints and friction folders would probably be sufficient for everything to be quite honest.

[Evil D]

Am I the only one who sees the giant flaw in this test? If they don't figure out a way to secure that loop around the handle and prevent it from sliding up, the force applied to the lock is increased as the wire slides up because it's gaining leverage. I hate to be a Debbie downer, but this test is absolutely meaningless and doesn't show anything more than how leverage works.

[bearfacedkiller]

Why are lock tests usually spine whack tests? I whack way more stuff with the edge than the spine. I understand the fear of a knif closing on your hand but isn't force usually applied the other way except for MBC?

[The Deacon]

Am I the only one who sees the giant flaw in this test? If they don't figure out a way to secure that loop around the handle and prevent it from sliding up, the force applied to the lock is increased as the wire slides up because it's gaining leverage. I hate to be a Debbie downer, but this test is absolutely meaningless and doesn't show anything more than how leverage works.

No, you're not the only one. And, in addition to the loop slipping, the entire knife is slipping in the fixture. That, in turn, changes the angle at which the force is applied.

At best, the test shows that none of these knives fail easily when a steadily increasing pressure is applied to the handle.

How that relates to a sudden impact on the blade spine, whether from inadvertent contact in "the heat of battle" or when you get so caught up in chopping that you smack the spine into "branch B" while trying to chop "branch A". Think of what it would take to drive a nail into a block of wood with a single hammer blow, versus what it would take to press that same nail into the same block of wood.

[Fkrow]

Am I the only one who sees the giant flaw in this test? If they don't figure out a way to secure that loop around the handle and prevent it from sliding up, the force applied to the lock is increased as the wire slides up because it's gaining leverage. I hate to be a Debbie downer, but this test is absolutely meaningless and doesn't show anything more than how leverage works.

Exactly my first impression.

The blades were slipping in the vice/clamp which also allowed the cable to slip down the handle.

Very sloppy set up.

Regards,
FK