An r/knifeclub Owner Bend-Fixed His PM2's Lock Stick

Lock stick — the slight, sticky resistance when a frame or liner lock disengages — is one of the most common complaints about folding knives and one of the least understood. An r/knifeclub member has posted the fix that worked for him, and the story behind why the knife needed it is the more interesting part.

The method was simple. He took the liner out and pushed the lock bar outward, to the left, so it would bend slightly and not travel as far into engagement. That reduces the contact pressure between the lock face and the blade tang, which is where the stick comes from. The result, in his words, was a slight remaining stick but less than the knife had from the factory.

The backstory explains why he was willing to experiment. At some point the original lock bar cracked and the detent ball fell out. He eventually sourced replacement liners from eBay, shipped from China, and installed the new liner with the lock bar before adjusting it. So this was not a stock knife being tuned for preference — it was a repaired knife being brought back into spec, which makes the bending approach more defensible than it would be on a new knife under warranty.

That distinction matters for anyone reading the thread hoping to fix their own knife. On a knife still under warranty, bending a lock bar is a good way to void coverage, and the same result can often be achieved by cleaning the lock face, checking for a burr, or letting the interface wear in. Deliberately bending a lock bar changes the engagement geometry, and on a liner lock that means less material overlapping the tang — safe when done slightly, less so when done enthusiastically.

Verdict: a useful data point for anyone with a repaired knife and persistent lock stick, and a good reminder that the fix for a sticky lock is usually less force on the lock face rather than more. Approach it after the simpler remedies have failed.