Patent ID: 7437822

Claim:
A folding knife comprising: a handle portion; a blade pivotally coupled to the handle portion and operable to pivot relative to the handle portion about a pivot axis between an open position for use and a folded, closed position; a locking mechanism comprising a leaf spring disposed in the handle portion and being biased to a locked position contacting and in line with the blade for preventing pivoting of the blade from the open position to the closed position, the leaf spring being movable laterally of the handle portion from the locked position to an unlocked position in which the blade can pivot from the open position to the closed position; a safety mechanism comprising a contact surface, a user engagement projection for pivoting the contact surface and a spring engagement surface, wherein the safety mechanism is located in a first recess in the handle portion surrounding the pivot axis and is operable to pivot about the pivot axis between a safety position and a release position, wherein when the safety mechanism is pivoted to the safety position, the contact surface of safety mechanism can contact and prevents the leaf spring from being moved to the unlocked position, and wherein when the safety mechanism is pivoted to the release position, the safety mechanism allows the leaf spring to be moved to the unlocked position, wherein the safety mechanism is resiliently biased to the safety position; and a cantilever spring located in a second recess in the handle portion and configured to exert a biasing force onto the spring engagement surface of the safety mechanism for biasing the safety mechanism to the safety position.