Shot Show recap, thoughts, things I learned

[Wartstein]

....

Hard agree as well. After using knives in a somewhat professional capacity for a while I am very picky about ergonomics, especially when it comes to locking the knife with either hand & any place the knife can nick the hand that closes it. The Kapara is a really cool knife. But the compression lock make it harder and more cumbersome to operate than a well executed liner/frame lock. Drop shut action is kind of stressful if there's no finger stop or jimping and disengaging the lock requires repositioning the knife in hand.

I can´t claim that I use knives "in professional capacity" myself, but I use mine a lot in various scenarios.

And I think this is the thing:

Of the people who really use their knives a good share of course still will come to like a comp.lock over a linerlock - there are definitely good reasons for that (like vice versa!)

BUT: People who really use their knives will also realize that a comp.lock is not necessarily an "improvement" of the linerlock, but just a great alternative.
Depending on personal preferences, tasks one predominantely performs, shape and design of the knife a linerlock can be the better, more convenient and/or safer choice.
The Kapara is a good example for that imo.

[Wartstein]

I have owned frame locks and still own liner locks, I don't mind them at all. Manix 2 is a pocket hog but is overall my favorite model. Years ago I bought a PM2 because of the popularity and had to learn how to close it. I hold the knife between thumb tip and 3 fingertips with the point sticking out in front of me and the blade edge pointing down. Fingertips and thumb tip are on the scales, no flesh is beyond the edges of the scales. With first finger I activate the lock and let the blade fall a little bit, or however much it will fall. Then I use my first finger on the spine of the blade to close it. No flesh is in the path of the blade.

Yes, this is what many do and of course it works well!

My point though is: IF finger safety is really what one is looking for: With the method you describe it is still a (low) possibility that for whatever reasons one or more of the fingers is/are placed under the handle where the blade goes in (the fingers have to be put out of the blade path deliberately).
Now imagine a PM2 with a linerlock: When you activate the lock, just no finger can get hit by the actual edge. The finger that activates the lock inevitably has to sit in a place where the choil would hit it and not the edge any finger. If the finger does NOT sit there, you can´t activate the lock.
Plus: A linerlock PM2 would sit very secure in hand while activating the lock compared to the method you describe.

Again: Comp.locks are great and to me perfectly safe!
I just don´t want people who perhaps are newer to folder or never really thought it through or tried for themselves to miss out on linerlock folders cause they think those would necessarily be "not safe".
Not true, at least on folders with choils.

[aicolainen]

Nice write up, spyderwebs!

It's interesting how experience can change our perceptions, and coming from a slightly similar position it's interesting to follow along and get some insight into how and why your perceptions changed.

When I write a "similar position" that's a bit misleading, I have nothing against any lock type, but each lock type has some areas where they shine and some drawbacks, and the benefits of frame locks and liner locks are typically not as important to me.
That said, when a knife is designed purposefully and the lock is selected and well implemented to suit that purpose, I don't really care. I haven't tried the already mentioned Kapara, but from all the discussions I've read, it sounds like this may be one knife where they decided to use a popular lock despite it maybe not being the best suited. I honestly don't know, but it's definitively holding me back from giving it a try.
I'm very curious about that 2.5" skinning knife with a liner lock you mentioned. That sounds like a knife where the liner lock is very purposefully selected and it absolutely has my attention!

[skeeg11]

I'm very curious about that 2.5" skinning knife with a liner lock you mentioned. That sounds like a knife where the liner lock is very purposefully selected and it absolutely has my attention!

Although a frame lock instead of a liner lock, the SpydieChef is my de facto folding pocket big game skinner. The sweep is ideal for bidirectional skinning so that thte blade doesn't have to lose contact with the carcass while doing so. (think ulu with a handle on one end.) Instead of SpydieChef it should be called Deer Camp Knife.

[Wartstein]

Nice write up, spyderwebs!

I haven't tried the already mentioned Kapara, but from all the discussions I've read, it sounds like this may be one knife where they decided to use a popular lock despite it maybe not being the best suited. ...

Well, for what the Kapara (actually the Redback) originally was designed for the comp.lock makes sense imo.

As you might know, Alistair Phillips designed the Redback (which later got the "Spyderco collab version" Kapara) mainly as a food prep knife for use in office as far as I recall.

In that use and environment the slick scales and a bit more akward to operate particular comp.lock are not a real drawback.

And the comp.lock is less likely to get gunked up with food that gets cut than the linerlock due to its positioning, so actually has an advantage here

In "hard" outdoor use though a Kapara with linerlock and grippier scales would work better for me.