While there are many, many different types of folding knife locks out there, the vast majority of folding pocket knife locks fall into one of three or four categories. These will be covered here, along with some of the other more common locking mechanisms.

So, with that said, what are the best pocket knife locks, at least in terms of prevalence? This short post will shed some light on that matter.

Lock Back

A lock back or lockback mechanism is one of the more common types of folding knife lock out there. Made famous by the Buck 110 folding hunter, the lockback consists of a lock bar and spring that wedges into place into the base of the blade, locking it open. To disengage the lock, one must press down on a bar in the back of the knife - hence the name.

Advantages

• Fairly strong and easy to use.
• Does not require the user to place his or her fingers in the path of the blade when closing.
• Unlikely to unintentionally disengage.
• Somewhat intuitive design.

Disadvantages

• Slightly cumbersome and heavy design that requires the user to use two hands to disengage.
• Design has been in production for a long time so there are many affordable folding knives with lockback mechanisms.
• Not as strong as some of the other locks mentioned here.

Liner Lock

A liner lock consists of a spring bar in the liner of the knife that springs inward when the knife is opened, wedging the blade open. To disengage the liner lock the user must actively depress the liner, allowing the blade to fold inward.

Advantages

• Very easy and intuitive to use, probably the most common folding knife lock of all time.
• Fairly cost-effective to design and use.
• The lock can be disengaged with one hand.

Disadvantages

• The lock can unintentionally disengage if you twist the blade or put back pressure on the knife.
• Not as strong as many other knife lock types.
• Design requires a user to put his or her fingers in the path of the blade when closing.
• Liner locks favor either a right or left-handed user, depending on orientation.

Frame Lock

The design and operation of a frame lock is identical to a liner lock with the exception that the spring bar is a part of the knife frame, and not a separate piece of the liner.

Advantages

• Stronger than a liner lock but with the same basic attributes.
• Easy and intuitive to use.
• Fairly cost-effective.
• The lock can be disengaged with one hand.

Disadvantages

• Though less likely than with a liner lock, the lock can unintentionally disengage if you twist the blade or put pressure on the knife.
• The design requires a user to put his or her fingers in the path of the blade when closing.
• Like a liner lock, the design favors either a right handed or left-handed user.

Button Lock

Though there is more than one internal configuration associated with button lock knives, the ergonomics of button locks are all the same: a button is depressed that allows the lock to disengage, closing the knife. Some button locks also can lock the blade in a closed position.

Advantages

• Some button lock configurations are among the strongest of all folding knife lock types.
• Very intuitive and easy to use.
• Button locks are very fidget friendly.
• Some can lock the blade closed.
• Unlikely to disengage unintentionally.
• The design enables the blade to be closed without putting the fingers in the path of the blade.

Disadvantages

• Button locks can unintentionally disengage if you put pressure on the button while in use.
• Many button lock knives are fairly expensive.

Bar Lock

The bar lock, pioneered by Benchmade and called an AXIS lock, is one of the most effective, and strongest, knife locks of all time. It’s not just strength that might make this the best pocket knife lock of all - it’s also easy to use and almost impossible to unintentionally disengage. Basically, there’s a bar that rides in a channel behind the blade, under tension from a U-shaped spring. When the blade is opened, the bar springs into place and is held there, wedging the blade open. When the bar is drawn back, it enables the blade to swing closed.

Advantages

• Extremely strong; probably the strongest of all folding knife locks.
• Easy to use and highly intuitive.
• The design does not favor either a right or left-handed user; it is truly ambidextrous.
• Like a button lock, a bar lock is fidget-friendly.
• Safe; the design does not require a user to put his or her fingers in the path of the blade when closing.
• Unlikely to unintentionally disengage.

Disadvantages

• Many knives made with bar locks are fairly expensive.
• Spring fatigue will eventually incapacitate the lock, requiring the spring to be replaced.

Collar Lock

Collar locks are rare on modern knives, but found on a few different models, namely Opinel knives. In a collar lock, the blade must be opened manually and then the collar must also be manually rotated to lock the blade open.

Advantages

• Extremely cost-effective.
• Simple design has no moving parts that will fail.
• Fairly strong lock type.
• The collar lock can be removed, rendering the knife compliant with locking-knife laws.
• Easy to use.
• Very unlikely to unintentionally disengage (almost impossible).

Disadvantages

• Requires two hands to use.
• Not as strong as some other knife locks.

Slipjoint

A slipjoint is not a lock type; rather it is a spring bar that helps hold the blade open under tension (and closed under tension) though it neither locks the blade open or closed.

Advantages

• Automatically engages when you open the knife past a certain point.
• Since it isn’t a lock, it’s automatically compliant with locking knife laws.
• Simple, can’t really “fail” since it isn’t a lock in the first place.
• Cost-effective; many budget folders are slipjoint knives.

Disadvantages

• Not a lock.
• The blade can easily close on a user’s fingers during use.

Find the Best Pocket Knife for You

Hopefully you found this breakdown of the best pocket knife locks out there helpful. We hope it helps you select the best model for you. Take a look through our collections and if you have any questions about what we sell or are looking for a specific model, get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to help you out.