Undoubtedly, Cold Steel makes the safest, strongest folders on the
planet. It's one of many qualities that separates Cold Steel from our competitors.
Our latest improvement is our patent-pending Tri-Ad™ lock. Andrew Demko is
the originator of the Tri-Ad's™ novel locking mechanism. It's a successor
to a patented lock design originally created by the very talented John PerMar.
The "Stop Pin"...
The cornerstone of the Tri-Ad's™ strength, among other subtle refinements,
is the inclusion of a new "stop pin" which re-distributes the load of vertical positive
and negative pressures on the lock.
The stop pin receives all positive pressure (pressure on the cutting edge) and transfers it into the handle frame and liners where it can be more effectively absorbed.
Negative pressures on the lock produced, for example, by prying, digging, piercing
or even abusive spine whacks are redistributed because the stop pin receives the
forward pressure from the rocker and transfers it into the liners protecting the
rocker and its pivot from failing.
Self Adjusting...
Finally, outside of keeping the lock free from the buildup of pocket lint in the
mechanism, the Tri-Ad®lock requires very little maintenance. It's designed to be
self adjusting, in the sense that, over time as parts begin to wear, the Tri-Ad's®
design will allow it to adapt so the locking bar always wedges deeper in the lock
channel between the stop pin and the shoulder of the precision cut tang notch. This
feature allows for a very safe and secure lock-up.