"The WEIRD Way The Magnus Lock
Was OBSESSED Into Existence ..."

(...And All It Took Was 7 Long Years, 5 "Failed" Knives
And Hundreds Of Relentless Hours And Sleepless Nights)

Let's roll up our sleeves and talk knife locks...

 

If you've not figured it out already ...I'm a bit odd (to put it mildy).

 

Here's what I mean by that:

 

The way I approach designing and making things is a bit different to most (if not all) others. There are a few reason for this - but the #1 reason is the way in which I approach design. It's important I tell you this ...otherwise you might think I just came up with a NEW knife lock for no real reason (but, for better or worse, the reason is rooted in very deep psychological "quirks". ...See? I told you I was odd.).

 

Here's the TRUTH about WHY I design things. I hate to say it -- because it sounds so negative -- but I typically end up designing specific products because of my immense dissatisfaction with current designs.

 

In other words...

 

I design for me ...and only me (how arrogant is that!). I design the specific thing I want to use ...and I don't give a single thought to anyone else. 

 

The WEIRD thing is, this has not just worked well ...but has become the cornerstone of not just my business ...but most of what I'm known for (designs that no one else would have come up with). My famous SlideClick Utility Blade Knife came about in this way. Similarly my ClickShift Titanium Pen was created for this reason.

 

But, here's the important thing:

 

I spend horrible amount of hours and effort coming up with designs such as this ...because they simply don't already exist. When you see the criteria below I had for the SlideClick Utility Knife, then you'll get why do one had already done it...

SlideClick - Utility Knife Blade

 

Why Did I Design And Make It?

Easy. Because there wasn't such a knife available. And here were the MUST HAVE range of things I wanted:

  • Fast and easy extension and retraction of the blade
  • Absolute maximum blade extension (at the time there were no other utility blade knives that extended as far as the SlideClick - but I have seen a couple since then that can)
  • Two open positions (full extension ...AND a-third-of-the-way-out extension)
  • Easy blade change without tools (not only does this not require any tools - but, belive it or not, you can actually do it with one hand)
  • Safe blade change (with some utility knives are really hard, and therefor dangerous, to change the blade on)
  • 100% Titanium

Similarly, the ClickShift Titanium Pen mechanism was something that did not exist. But it had a much simpler criteria...

ClickShift - Titanium Pen

 

What I wanted:

A mechanism that you could "flick" on-and-off like a light-switch. That was it.

 

Simple, right?

 

Well, simple in concept - but the specific design and implementation took a long, LONG time to come up with. But, hey, the design ultimately was so novel and good that I've had other pen makers license it from me.

You are probably starting to understand why I design my own products - and how it really stems from a classis obsessive-compulsive personality. I'm not saying it's a bad thing - it's just the cards I've been dealt. But, hey, at least the world has designs that would otherwise not exist.

 

Not only that but, I'm also obsessive about the aesthetics, materials used and the physical process of making each product - and so it's all done 100% in-house in my workshop.

 

Okay, so let's get specifically back to what YOU are interested in. Knives!

 

As you can probably predict:

 

I started designing my own knife lock because of a dissatisfaction with the most common types of locks - frame-locks and liner-locks (I also include button-locks here).

 

VERY IMPORTANT (before I continue):

 

I am absolutely not hating on any of the locking mechanisms I'm about to talk about. The frame-lock is an great mechanism. The liner-lock is an great mechanism. The button-lock is a great mechanism.

 

I use them all. I own them all.

 

But I'm not going to pretend they are perfect. They are not. Well, they're not perfect for me at least - I always felt there was a better way. The frame-lock and liner-lock are essentially the same concept in my eyes - so I will refer the both of these as just the frame-lock from here.

 

The frame-lock has four main things that have always bugged me. The button-lock I'm not a fan of for a coupe of reasons.

 

Again, I'm not throwing shade. These are good mechanisms. But everything I've learned about designing and making my own products over the last 13 years ...something told be there was a better solution.

Yes, I'm Curious. Tell Me More... (CLICK HERE)

I'm not going to spend too long on my critique of frame-locks and button-locks - just enough so you understand why I felt there was a better answer.

 

Why I Don't Like Frame-Lock (and Liner-Lock) Knives

 

#1 - Having to maneuver my fingers to close the blade. I've opened and closed frame-locks tens of thousands of times (maybe more) - I'm proficient enough in using them. I love how it feels to flip them open ...but really don't like how feels to close them. It's clunky.

 

#2 - I've always disliked the side-pressure on the blade. This only happen in the closed position - but that's the position it's most of the time. Good knifemakers will have perfect centering - but the pressure is still there. From a mechanical perspective I'm not a fan.

 

#3 - As a maker there are a lot of things to make work together. The detent ball position (closed and open), the detent ball hole depth, the stop pin position (open and closed), lock-up, centering, bearing pressure, and a few other things depending on the knife. It's impressive that good knifemakers get all these things dialed-in together to make a great knife - they have my absolute admiration.

 

In saying that... I've always felt it doesn't need to be that complicated. As a knife maker that's a lot of variables to get right ...and, as a knife user, that's a lot of variables that can go wrong.

 

#4 - As a maker, if you come up with a new knife design, then you have to essentially start from the beginning in getting everything I mentioned in #3 dialed-in again. Most definitely not a fan of this.

 

 

Why I Don't Like Button-Lock Knives

 

#1 - Similar to frame-locks... there is a decent amount of re-designing and re-tuning if you come up with a new knife design.

 

#2 - The button is aesthetically not good - it's like an afterthought that has function only. Yes, I know, it sounds like I'm splitting hairs here and picking on a minor thing. That may be true for most  - but, as a designer, these "little things" are EVERYTHING.

 

 

Before we move on...

 

I don't want to end on a negative note with regards to the above locking mechanisms. They are good locks. They are tried-and-tested. They are safe. They are secure. They are functionally good.

 

I feel the button-lock is the better solution of the two (if I had to pick one).

 

Hopefully what I've said above explains to you why I couldn't help but design my own knife lock. Now let's finally get into the real meat-and-potatoes...

(Next Page Not Ready ...But Coming Soon!)

Magnus Knives - 2026