Patent ID: 8296958

Claim:
A locking system for a folding knife comprising: a) a handle having a forward region and a rearward region, b) a blade pivotally attached to the handle at the forward region, the blade having a tang region with a tang surface, the tang surface comprising a tang indentation on the sharpened edge side of the blade, c) a lock back bar pivotally attached to the handle, the lock back bar having a tang engagement portion configured to engage the tang surface of the blade, d) a biasing member configured to bias the lock back bar so the tang engagement portion forcefully engages the tang surface, e) a release member operatively configured to reposition the lock back bar to lower the closing rotational resistance upon the blade, f) whereas the lock back bar is configured to be orientated to reposition in a direction away from the tang surface by repositioning the release member where the release member repositions the blade engaging member to lower the rotational resistance upon the blade and the lock back bar can independently reposition in a direction away from the tang surface by applying force directly to the lock back bar; wherein the release member being positioned to be pivotally attached to the handle so a cam surface of the release member engages the lock back bar, the release member having a lateral engagement member extending through a surface defining an opening in the handle on the lateral region of the handle.