Comparison Victorinox RangerGrip 79 vs Victorinox RangerGrip 178

Type of lock - a device for fixing the main blade - used in a folding knife (see “Design”). Theoretically, such a device should provide additional protection by preventing unauthorized closing (and sometimes opening) of the knife; however, in practice, much depends on the type of particular lock: different types can differ markedly in reliability, and there are solutions that do not provide for rigid fixation of the blade at all.

Among the most popular modern locks are liner lock, frame lock, back lock, axis lock, button lock and tri-ad lock, however, in addition to them, there are other options, including double auto, compression lock, viroblock and slip-joint. Let's look at both in more detail:

— Liner lock. One of the simplest, inexpensive and at the same time very reliable locks. The locking element is an elastic flat plate (“liner”) hidden inside the handle; when opening the knife, this plate moves to the side and supports the back of the blade, on which a special recess is provided for the liner. To disengage the lock and close the knife, the plate must be moved with your finger in the other direction, to its ori...ginal position.

- Frame lock. In fact, it is a modification of the liner lock described above, in which the role of the locking plate is played not by the liner installed inside the handle, but by part of the handle itself. Such a lock is considered more reliable, and on the whole it is deservedly so: the part of the handle that supports the blade is much thicker than the “liner” and is less likely to shift when the lock is opened. Also, the advantages of a frame lock include a rather interesting and stylish appearance: knives with such locks are mostly all-metal, without handle linings; and models with linings differ in appearance from knives with other types of locks.

— Back lock. A lock using a locking plate, which looks like a kind of spring-loaded “rocker arm” installed along the knife handle and capable of swinging around a transverse axis. When the knife is open, this plate, with its leading edge, rests against the hook on the back of the blade, preventing it from closing; and to close the knife, you need to press on the part of the “rocker arm” protruding from the handle, releasing the plate from the hook. The pressing force is usually quite large, which minimizes the likelihood of disabling the lock even with the tightest grip. In general, such locks turn out to be quite reliable, but it is very difficult to close a knife with a “backlock” with one hand, and in many models it is even impossible.

— Axis lock. Benchmade's invention: a lock controlled by a special movable pin in the front of the handle. When moved forward, the pin enters a groove on the back of the blade, fixing it; when moved back, the lock is released and the knife can be closed. The pin is often made spring-loaded, and the blade, unlike many simpler solutions, is fixed not only in the open position, but also in the closed position. Thanks to this, Axis Lock is considered one of the most reliable modern locks. On the other hand, such a mechanism is sensitive to contamination and requires some care (however, simple) for reliable operation.

- Button lock. Another lock based on the use of a pin. However, in this case, the pin does not move in the longitudinal groove, but is controlled by pressing a button: this press releases the lock, allowing you to open or close the blade (most often it is fixed in both positions - open and closed). Also note that many knives with a “push-button” lock have an automatic opening mechanism - a spring-loaded blade that opens into the working position without effort on the part of the user.

— Virobloc. A knife lock developed by Opinel and still a “calling card” of knives of this brand. The key element of the lock is a rotating ring with a longitudinal slot installed in the front of the handle, at the point where it connects with the blade. To open or close the knife (and it is fixed in both the closed and open positions), you need to turn the ring so that the slot is opposite the blade - then the blade can pass through the ring to the desired position. If the slot is not opposite the blade, the latter, when trying to open or close, rests against the ring and cannot budge.

- Slip-joint. A type of knife lock that does not provide rigid fixation of the blade. In the open position, the blade in such a knife is fixed by the so-called spacer - an elastic element that is to some extent similar to the back lock “rocker arm”, but does not engage in a rigid engagement with the blade (and also plays the role of a kind of closer for a not fully open blade). To close such a knife, it is enough to apply some force to the butt. “Slip joints” are used mainly in small Swiss knives (see “Type”), not designed for high loads.

— Compression lock. A modification of the Liner Lock described above, created by Spyderco and used in some models of this company. One of the key differences from the original is that the locking plate is located on the top side of the handle rather than on the bottom. Due to this, as well as some specific design solutions inside the mechanism itself, the compression lock turns out to be much more reliable than the original “liner”, however, such a lock is not cheap.

— Levitator lock. A proprietary modification of the Frame Lock (see above), developed by Benchmade. Like the original “frame lock”, it is used in knives without pads. A distinctive feature of “levitators” is a specific pattern of slots in the middle part of the handle - this pattern forms a spring plate. A pin is attached to this plate from the inside, which, entering the hole on the back of the blade, fixes it (usually in both the closed and open positions). The lock opens by pressing the characteristic part of the pattern, which acts as a button.

- Arc lock. A proprietary development of the SOG Specialty Knives company, used in its knives; from a technical point of view, it is a slightly modified version of the axis lock described above. The control element is also a pin; and the key difference from the usual “axis” is that the pin is connected to a special rocker arm and moves not in a straight line, but in an arc. This provides additional reliability, however, such disadvantages of the original as high cost and sensitivity to dirt are also characteristic of such a lock.

- Double auto. The Double auto system is not so much a type of lock as a type of opening mechanism found in frontal knives (see “Design”). This mechanism is controlled by a sliding switch that can move in two directions - unfolding (forward) and folding (backward). The whole system works in this way: when the switch moves forward or backward, one of the springs is charged, and when the extreme point is reached, the blade is released and moves in the corresponding direction under the action of the charged spring. In general, this is a very convenient and practical, and therefore very popular type of lock among front-facing cameras.

- Safe lock. The full name is Ram Safe Lock. Developed by Cold Steel, a specific variation on the back lock theme (see above): it also uses a rocker arm to rigidly fix the blade, only in this case the rocker arm does not swing, but moves back and forth. The blade is fixed in the open and closed position; To open the lock, you need to pull the rocker by the back part protruding from the handle. This design is highly reliable and resistant to loads; Its main disadvantage is the inability to unfold and fold the knife with one hand.

— Cogwheel lock. “Gear lock”, also known as a ratchet lock. The rear part of the blade has the shape of a gear in such knives, and the locking occurs due to a plate with a cutout for one of the gear teeth. To open the lock, you need to lift the plate; For this purpose, a characteristic ring may be provided in the design. An interesting (although not very useful in practice) feature of ratchet locks is the ability to fix the blade not only in open and closed, but also in several intermediate positions. At the same time, the reliability of such devices is relatively low, so they are rarely used - in particular, in models that copy certain types of traditional knives (such as the Spanish Navaja).

- Slide lock. A relatively rare type of lock, found in certain models of Swiss knives - usually small, but advanced and multifunctional, where the additional mechanism does not particularly affect the dimensions. This lock is controlled by a slider on the side of the handle: the blade is fixed in the open position, and to fold it you need to pull the slider back, thus disabling the lock. The slider is spring-loaded, which does not allow it to “slide” back on its own (for example, under its own weight); In addition, the spring also plays the role of a closer for the blade that is not fully open. The reliability of “slide locks” is not particularly high, but this is not required given the specifics of the application.

— Tri-ad lock. An invention of the Cold Steel company, which is a variation on the Back Lock mechanism. It also uses a locking plate in the form of a characteristic spring-loaded “rocker arm”, but it is secured in the center by a floating pin (oval, not round). Next to the front end of the “rocker arm” there is another axial pin - together, these modifications have significantly improved the reliability of the locking mechanism. Thanks to such modifications, the blades of knives with Tri-ad lock are devoid of any backlash.

The shape of the cutting edge of the main blade of the knife.

- Smooth. Traditional cutting edge without serrations. This option is considered the most versatile, with the proper degree of sharpness, smooth blades are suitable for almost any work that uses knives. They lose their properties faster as they become blunt than serrated ones; on the other hand, the sharpening procedure is very simple, does not require specific equipment or skills, and is available to almost any knife owner.

- Serrated. Blade with characteristic teeth on the cutting edge. In addition to the formidable appearance, such knives have quite practical advantages. One of them is the ease of cutting - at this point, the serrated edge is much superior to the smooth one. In addition, it retains its cutting properties, even when thoroughly dulled, due to the way the teeth themselves interact with the material being cut. Also, these knives do a good work with some specific tasks - for example, cutting dense fibrous materials like ropes or cutting soft foods with a dense crust. At the same time, the teeth cut less smoothly and cleanly than a smooth blade (although they do not create sawdust, unlike a saw), and it is much more difficult to sharpen them again after dulling. Therefore, this type of sharpening in its pure form is rarely used for the main blade - more often it can be found in specialized tools like sling cutters(see "Functions and Capabilities").

- Combined. Blades that combine both types of cutting edge described above. As a rule, smooth sharpening in such models is used in the front, closer to the tip, and serrated sharpening is closer to the handle. This provides a certain versatility: depending on the specifics of a particular task, the owner can choose the optimal type of cutting edge. On the other hand, working with such a knife may require some skill; and the main drawback of serrated blades - the difficulty in sharpening - has not disappeared here either (although the smooth part is sharpened without problems).

The total weight of the knife. It is worth evaluating this indicator depending on the type (see above) and purpose: for example, for a compact hiking model, light weight is usually a virtue, among hunting and fishing it all depends on specialization, and a machete, by definition, must be weighty — otherwise, cut with such a blade it will just be uncomfortable.

Additional functions provided in the design of the knife in addition to the main blade. For multi-tools (see "Type"), in this case, the knife blade is also considered the main tool, and this paragraph lists the rest of the product's capabilities.

— Can opener. A device popularly known as a "opener" and designed to open cans. It is usually a short and thick blade, hard enough to cut through tin.

— Knife for cleaning fish. A specialized blade designed primarily for butchering prey while fishing. Note that the capabilities of this blade are usually not limited to cleaning and deboning — in many models it is also equipped with a hook extractor, line guide and other devices for the convenience of the fisherman. This function can be found both in actual fishing knives and in other types of knives (see "Type").

— Bottle opener. Glass bottle opener with non-threaded metal caps: the cap is pushed on from one side and can be easily removed. Of course, with a certain skill, you can open a bottle even with the simplest knife handle that does not have an opener; however, using a specialized device is both easier and safer.

— Corkscrew. The classic corkscrew for opening wine bottles is a device in the form of a spiral made of thick metal wire with a sharpened tip. Such a spiral is screwed directly into the co...rk and makes it easy to remove it.

— Extra blade. Another knife blade, in addition to the main one. Usually, it has smaller dimensions, and may also differ in shape, purpose and type of sharpening (see "Blade type"). For example, the main blade can be made smooth, and the additional blade can be serrated; and in a mushroom knife (see "Type") a curved shape, convenient for cutting mushrooms, can have an additional blade, combined with the main blade of a more traditional shape. Anyway, the second blade makes the knife more versatile; in addition, it can be useful when blunting the main one. Some models with this feature may have more than one additional blade.

— Flashlight. Your own built-in flashlight can come in handy when there is insufficient ambient light, when a full-fledged flashlight is not nearby or it is impossible to use it — for example, during an unexpected power outage in the house or when working in hard-to-reach and dimly lit places. Usually, the light of such a flashlight is directed to the same place where the blade “points”.

— Crosshead screwdriver. Screwdriver for bolts and screws with a cross-shaped slot on the head. It can be either a Phillips screwdriver itself, or a special kind of flat screwdriver, specially designed for cross bolts and screws and differing from classic slotted tools in the shape of a sting. Note that in this case it is precisely the non-removable, built-in screwdriver head (or several heads) that is meant; the possibility of installing interchangeable nozzles (bits) is indicated separately, see "Adapter for a bit" below. So when buying a tool with a Phillips screwdriver, it's ok to clarify the specific dimensions of the sting (stings).

— Slotted screwdriver. Screwdriver with a flat sting and designed for bolts and screws with a straight slot. If necessary, it can also be used with cross heads, however, under heavy loads it can damage the slot, so such work must be carried out carefully. As in the case of the Phillips screwdrivers described above, this function implies a non-removable screwdriver head, the size of which should be specified separately.

— Scissors. In classic knives, the scissors are usually small in size. Due to this, they are not suitable for work involving large volumes or requiring significant effort, however, they can be useful for small household tasks: cut a thread or adhesive tape, cut off part of a paper sheet, cut off a burr on a nail, etc. But among multitools (see "Type"), there is, along with this, another option — when scissors are the main working tool; in some models, they can even be used for cutting metal. Therefore, when buying a multitool with scissors, it is worth clarifying which of the formats it uses — a miniature fixture in the handle or full-sized blades.

— Pilka. The file used in knives usually looks like an additional blade equipped with characteristic teeth instead of the usual cutting edge. Such a tool is unlikely to be useful when harvesting firewood, but it may come in handy for some simple work — cutting small boards (for example, from boxes), sawing off branches of small thickness, etc. Some files can also be used on materials that a conventional blade does not do well: plastic, rubber, thick ropes, etc. There are also tools for metal. Note that serrated sharpening (see "Blade type") is not considered a file.

— Wrench. Separate device for loosening and tightening nuts, bolts with faceted heads, etc. Knife-mounted wrenches are usually fixed sizes — an adjustable design would be too cumbersome. On the other hand, the special shape of the key allows you to work with several sizes of nuts.

— Pliers. Pliers are used to pinch and hold various objects. They are especially useful for those cases when the efforts of the fingers are not enough for this or it is impossible to touch the part with your hands at all (for example, if it is heated to a high temperature). In traditional knives, pliers are quite rare, but in multi-tools (see "Type") are often the main tool. Note that classic pliers with even jaws are almost never used today, usually pliers play their role — a universal tool that combines flat jaws, notches for gripping round parts, side cutters, a wire cutting device, and in some models — also needle nose pliers (see below).

— Nippers. A tool used for cutting (biting) hard materials, primarily metal wire; in addition, it can be used for other purposes, in particular for stripping wires. In modern products (primarily multitools), the so-called side cutters — a type of nippers in which the cutting edges are parallel to the handles. Side cutters are most often not a separate tool, but an integral part of the pliers; see "Pliers" above for details. Also note that some models provide several types of wire cutters — for example, separately for thin and thick wire.

— Pliers. In fact, it is a variation of the pliers described above, equipped with thin, tapered to the ends sponges. Such a tool will be useful for precision work, for which when ordinary pliers are too large, and tweezers do not provide the proper clamping force. Needle-nose pliers are practically never found as a separate device, most often they are made in the form of elongated jaws on regular pliers (for more details, see "Pliers" above).

— Stripper (removal of insulation). Special tool for stripping wires. Its design may be different, but anyway, it was originally designed to cut only the insulation without damaging the metal core. In this way, strippers compare favorably with other tools that are used in electrical work for the same purposes — in particular, from wire cutters.

— File. A traditional file is a tool whose working part looks like a notched surface. In modern knives, files are usually small, finely cut and, like many other full-size tools, are not designed for large-scale and rough work. Such a device can be useful, for example, for deburring or leveling small surfaces. Note that you should not confuse a file with a nail file (see below).

— Tweezers. Tweezers make it easier to work with small details that are difficult to hold in your fingers: its thin jaws allow you to securely hold even very small objects. To further simplify delicate work (in which even a relatively small knife handle can create inconvenience), tweezers are often made removable.

— Awl-sewing machine. The classic awl is a thick needle on the handle, but in knives the design of this tool is somewhat different. Most often, the awl was tetrahedral, somewhat expanding towards the base, vaguely resembling a very narrow and thick blade without sharpening. However, its purpose is no different from the traditional one: piercing holes in dense materials such as cardboard, leather, thin plastic or plywood, etc.

— Adapter for a bit. A device for installing bits — interchangeable working nozzles, which are actually different types of screwdrivers. In fact, the presence of this function turns the knife / multi-tool into a universal screwdriver: bits can have different sizes, be made flat, cross-shaped, tri- or hex, etc. Some models of knives / multi-tools are equipped with their own set of bits and can only work with them; others are compatible with standard screwdriver bits.

— Toothpick. Hygiene device for removing small particles of food stuck between the teeth. Usually it looks like a thin pointed stick and is made removable — picking your teeth while holding a knife handle is not only not very aesthetically pleasing, but simply inconvenient. With regular use, a toothpick should be disinfected periodically — after all, pockets, bags and other places where knives are stored are usually far from sterile.

— Nailfile. Despite the name, this tool is essentially not a file, but a file with a very fine notch, designed for processing nails during a manicure. The use of a file can include both the correction of nails after cutting, and regular filing, eliminating the need to use scissors or tweezers.

— Sling cutter. In modern knives, this term most often means the so-called "safe" sling cutter. It has the appearance of a characteristic hook — folding, removable or built-in (formed by a slot in the handle); with such a device, you can securely grab a sling, rope or belt, and inside the hook there is a sharpened edge, which ensures cutting. Thus, for use it is not necessary to open the main blade, and the probability of cutting oneself is practically reduced to zero. As the name suggests, the main purpose of line cutters is to quickly and safely cut parachute lines (for example, when they are tangled in the air or landing on a tree). In addition, it is convenient to cut seat belts with such a device, which can be a real salvation in an accident.

— Hook. The device in the form of a hook can have a different design and, accordingly, applications. So, in hunting and fishing knives (see "Type") it is made in the form of a characteristic "fang" on the butt of the blade; this fang can come in handy at some stages of butchering prey. In turn, in Swiss models (see ibid.), the hook is one of the folding tools, and here its scope is quite wide: such a device can, for example, tighten a knot, remove a hot pot from a fire, and even make it easier to carry a heavy object , hooking it on a hook and using the knife as a handle.

— Ruler. Your own ruler can be useful for measuring small segments and drawing straight lines — for example, when laying a route on a map or marking blanks for cutting. Folding rulers installed in knives are often made transparent for added convenience. Another option — a ruler in the form of markings on the handle — can be found in multitools.

— Broken glass. Glass breaking device. It usually looks like a small pin on the handle — even a not very strong blow with such a pin is almost guaranteed to break the glass. Rescue work is considered to be the main area of use of glass cullet — in particular, in case of car accidents, when the car door can jam and the window will be the only way out of it. However, there are also less “extreme” applications of this tool — for example, splitting pieces of ice or caked lumps of salt.

— Chisel. A joinery and carpentry tool, which is a rather thick blade, the cutting edge of which is located in the front, in width (and not in length, as in ordinary knives). Such a device is intended for sampling and cleaning recesses in wood, chamfering, etc. It is found mainly in Swiss models and multi-tools. The dimensions of the "knife" chisels are small, they are designed for small volumes of work.

— Magnifying glass. A small magnifying glass that can be used for various purposes. The classic option is to help with looking at small details: miniature objects, small print on maps, drawings, etc. This feature can be especially useful for people with vision problems. In addition, a magnifying glass can be used as a fire source by focus sunlight on a clear day. The term "glass" in this case is conditional, because. in knives, these devices are usually made of transparent plastic — it is not so fragile, and it weighs less.

— Needle (pin). The needle included in the knife tool kit is usually made removable, not folding. Usually, it does not have an eyelet and is not intended for classical sewing, but the length and thickness of such needles often allow them to be used not only for piercing various materials, but also for drawing lines on the surface (scratching).

Note that this is not the whole list of additional equipment found in modern knives and multitools. Manufacturers can equip their products with other devices, such as a crimp for wires, a carabiner for attaching to camping equipment, folding spoons and forks, and even completely exotic features, such as specialized tools for golfers.