Backlock is a popular and secure blade locking system that prevents the blade from closing on its own. Mikov uses it on its Fixir, Hunter, and Hablock hunting knives, as well as on the Crocodile knife.
The Backlock features a spring-loaded latch with a protrusion at the end. This protrusion fits into a recess in the blade, where it is held in place by spring pressure. To close the knife, press down on the part of the pin protruding from the back of the handle. This releases the locks holding the blade in place, allowing you to close it freely. However, closing the knife usually requires the use of both hands, which can sometimes be a disadvantage.
For the backlock mechanism to function properly, the knife’s moving parts must be precision-machined during production and ensured to have the same hardness. If this is not the case, the protrusion could be compressed, causing the knife to close on its own.
When purchasing a knife, it is therefore important to check whether the lock holds securely and the knife does not close on its own. But above all, you should consider whether this is truly the type of knife that is suitable for your purposes. With some types of knives, you need to apply relatively strong pressure to release the lock, so children, for example, might have trouble closing it.
Although the backlock is a very common and popular locking mechanism, some people prefer other types, such as the framelock or linerlock, which we’ll discuss another time.