Patent ID: 8402663

Claim:
A knife, comprising: a handle having opposed lateral channels and a blade groove therebetween; a blade slidably received in the blade groove for longitudinal movement in the blade groove relative to the handle, the blade having a working portion and a first rail on one lateral side of the blade and a second rail on the opposite lateral side of the blade, each of said opposed lateral channels of the handle configured for receiving one of said rails, and said blade movable between a retracted position in which the working portion of the blade is stowed in the handle and an extended position in which the working portion is exposed; said blade further comprising a lock configured for locking the blade to the handle in both the retracted and extended positions; in which the blade groove defines a plane at a first elevation; wherein the lock is defined by a lever arm formed in the blade, the lever arm having an actuating pad at a first end and attached at a second end to opposed spring arms, and the blade further including an open lock edge rearward of the actuating pad and a closed lock edge; and wherein when the knife is in the retracted and locked position the open lock edge and the closed lock edge are positioned in a recessed area in the handle below the first elevation.