What to look for in a quality Frame Lock knife

What to look for in a quality Frame Lock knife.

Pictured below  a quality made, little heard about frame lock knife that worked first time out of the box and continues to do so even when subjected to very strong forces.

This example, RAIDOPS is the brand from Korean manufacturer RAIDOPS of course!

There is ONLY ONE thing to look for in a quality frame lock knife.


PRECISION LOCK UP FIRST TIME, EVERY TIME, ZERO EXCUSES.

Do not be fooled by the ridiculously excessive marketing BS and forum BS and other social media BS along with BS from manufacturer's suggesting, telling, advocating or otherwise indicating that it takes some time for the frame lock to work perfectly. This is total total BS!!!!!!- that's a lot of fertilizer!

The precision required to manufacture, either by hand, hand and machine, or even fully machine made, a frame lock folder and the material science required as standard knowledge in order to understand the proper properties of metals and plastics to properly design a both "spring" and structural element/s as the locking part of the frame, is considerable.

A properly designed and manufactured frame lock will work first time every time. If it doesn't it hasn't been well made.

ALL good frame locks must incorporate a separate part attached to the actual frame that can mate perfectly with the back of the knife tang. Not only should it mate perfectly but it should be of a material well chosen to resist wear from friction. This part must be replaceable and the degree of movement must be such that over time the same part will (as it moves towards either the left or right) continue to lock against the back of a properly designed tang.



The number of times I've heard people on forums (well read, not heard specifically LOL) or on the other social media venues, make all sorts of claims about carburizing tangs etc etc and all of these other fancy and short term "work arounds" in order to really: save face, avoid divorce, etc from over spending on a knife which simply doesn't work out of the box the way it should borders on the number of stars in the universe (just joking of course!).

Don't buy a knife just because of the name*, buy it for the quality it is regardless.


Just to recap. I love Subaru AWD's and I drive one hell of a Turbo charged  remapped, guts buster engine fun car BUT that doesn't mean every vehicle Subaru produced is great.......right???? That's not possible. So the same is with K N I V E S.

BCT


* Not withstanding manufacturers who go to great lengths to make outstanding products in a particular category.