Really (really really) stiff liner lock on mane blade of Hunter XT

[noah]

I’m a lurker at best, but figured I’d pick the hive brain on this one. I just received a Hunter XT (corkscrew edition). I knew about the wrong-way liner lock on the main blade going in, but  seems /way/ to stuff to unlock to me. The liner lock on the curved+serrated blade is about what I’d expect from a liner lock, unlock-stiffness wise, but the one on the main blade is so stiff as to be almost unusable.  I physically can’t move it to the unlock position with my left thumb using what I think of as normal motion; I can (barely) get it to unlock if I use the tips of the first two fingers of my right hand, but even that’s hard. If it matters, the sound the main liner makes when it clacks into position is significantly louder than on the curved blade. Is this remotely normal/expected/a known thing on 111mm knives in general or this model in particular?

Thanks.

[nate j]

Hmmmm….

I don’t have a Hunter XT, but do have a handful of 111 mm liner locks.  There seems to be some slight variation knife to knife, but I haven’t run into one that is as difficult as you describe.  I also can’t recall a noticeable difference between the blade lock and cap lifter lock.

Are you left or right handed?

Is this a brand new knife, or was it used when you got it?

Can you describe (or take a pic) of the technique you’re trying to use to close it?

[noah]

I’m right-handed (mostly; with a baseball bat or hockey stick I’m a lefty). The knife was ostensibly new; bought it from a retail website. In the original box, all the papers included, but the blade needed cleaning and had some fingerprints so may have been handled/returned at some point in its past.

As far as how I’m trying to do it; here, have a quick video:

https://flic.kr/p/2q8Fynw

[Farmer X]

I wish I could be of more help, but there are two things that spring to my mind. A good cleaning (immerse in warm water for fifteen minutes, scrub with blue Dawn dish soap, rinse, dry, and apply fresh oil) couldn't hurt. And maybe use will help the lock disengage more readily?

[nate j]

Video was very helpful.

I also dug out a couple of my 111mm knives to fiddle with and refresh my memory.  I was reminded that some of them are quite stiff, though not unmanageable.

I’m not convinced this is going to completely resolve the issue, but I’d like to ask you to try modifying your technique as follows, and let us know how it goes:

 - Use your dominant/right hand on the knife rather than your non-dominant/left hand.  For some people, both their hands have very nearly identical strength; but for others, their dominant hand may be much stronger, and they may not recognize this.  There’s a lot of noise about it being a left-handed liner lock, but when I hold the knife in a forward, edge up grip as shown in the pic, i can just as easily use my right thumb to pull the lock to the right as to push it to the left.

- Don’t reach with your index finger to close the blade while attempting to simultaneously disengage the lock with the same hand.  Doing this is reducing the amount of force you’re able to apply to the lock.  Grip the knife handle with all four fingers of your right hand, use your right thumb to disengage the lock, and then use your left hand to close the blade.