Modern lock-blade folding knives encompass a wide variety of lock mechanisms. Although many of them are relatively recent innovations, others trace their origins back hundreds of years to the earliest days of their genre. The grandfather of them all, however, is the back lock. To truly appreciate this brilliantly simple design, it helps to understand the rich history of its evolution.
The oldest known folding knife is believed to be about 2,500 years old. Known as the “Hallstatt Knife,” it was discovered near Hallstatt, Austria, and is estimated to date back to between 600 and 500 BCE. Made of iron and bone, it featured a hawkbill-style blade, a metal bolster, and simple “friction folder” style of construction. Amazingly, the folding knife’s basic form would remain largely unchanged for almost 2,000 years before the advent of lock-blade folding knives.
This was an interesting article, and if anyone knows backlocks, it is Spyderco.