L
L-6
A high carbon, band saw steel that is very tough and holds an edge well, but rusts easily. It is, like O-1, forgiving steel for the forger. If you're willing to put up with the maintenance, this may be one of the very best steels available for cutlery, especially where toughness is desired. Typically used in swords.Carbon-0.65-0.75%, Manganese-0.25-0.80%, Chromium-0.60-1.20%,Nickel-1.25-2.00%, Vanadium-0.20-0.30%, Molybdenum-0.50%
Lady Leg (handle shape)
Has thigh, calf and foot, very rare
Lake, Ron
One of the very first folding knife makers to become well known.
Laminated Steel
Very hard tool steel core, the outer sides are of softer material that gives great strength. Harry Morseth began the use of this material in the U.S. about 1946. It had been used for centuries in Scandinavia and in Japan.
Lanyard
Sometimes used to attach a knife to clothing or belt.
Lanyard Hole
A hole usually found at the butt of a knife handle to attach a thong or lanyard
Laser Scrimshaw
Using a laser to mass produce scrimshaw designs on knife handles.
Leg (handle shape)
Calf and foot only, heel is a cap lifter
Letter Opener
A letter opener with a pen blade in the handle
Light Trapper
A slim, swell end serpentine with two full sized blades.
Liner
Thin sheets of metal between the blade and the handle material of folding knives.
Liner-Lock®
Michael Walker modernized the old use of the center liner for locking a blade open. Never successful outside of linemen's knives until Walker developed a knife with easy moving blade and positive lock and a detent to keep the blade closed.
The Liner-Lock, as its name indicates, uses the liner to lock the blade in the open position. The Frame-Lock uses the same concept, but since there is no liner, a "locking bar" is cut from one side of the knife frame and is used in much the same way the liner is used to lock the blade in the open position. Chris Reeve is often given credit for inventing the Frame-Lock. He certainly was a very early user and popularized it in the Sebenza. A knife with this lock, which is stronger than the liner lock, is usually a premium knife with higher quality workmanship and materials than the typical liner lock. This lock is widely used by ourselves, Benchmade, CRKT and all of those using today’s modern designs and techniques for knife production.
Lobster
Pen knife with blades both top and bottom.
Lockback
A folding knife that has a lock release at the rear of the back of the handle. The lockbar locks into a notch in the tang of the blade.
LocTite®
Material used to keep screws from unscrewing.
Loveless, R. W.
The Dean of Hunting knife makers. He has made enormous contributions to the hand made knife field; is a great designer of hunting knives. Loveless knives are the most expensive and the most sought after un-adorned hunting knives in the World. Died 2010 at age 81.