Prophet River Firearms

The American 440A is a decent starter steel. We use it widely in our Magnum series. It is not to be confused with the higher-quality 440B and 440C.

G10

G10 is a so-called glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP for short) used for the mass production of handles but also for blades and even entire knives.

As a glass fiber reinforced plastic, G10 is a composite material. This type of material consists of at least two base materials. The special feature of composite materials is that the finished composite still retains the individual structures of the base materials. This means that the base materials also keep their own chemical and physical properties. Compared to traditional materials, composite materials are lighter and more durable. They were first used in those areas and industries in which weight reduction is a priority, such as aircraft or race car construction.

In recent years, however, composite materials have also been used for other products, including knives. The base materials used for G10 are glass fibers and epoxy resin. Glass fibers are produced by melting glass and extruding fine filaments from the melt. Glass fibers are highly resistant to chemical materials and physical influences, which makes them weatherproof and age-resistant. They are also incombustible. In addition, glass fibers possess a high tensile modulus, which means that they are relatively sturdy. Epoxy resin is a synthetic resin that can be cured to form a plastic material.

Cured epoxy resin is extremely hard and strong but at the same time considerably lighter than metals with comparable properties. To produce G10, a glass fiber matrix, i.e. a woven glass fiber structure, is embedded in epoxy resin. The two materials are shaped and cured together. The curing process permanently bonds the glass fiber matrix to the epoxy resin. The glass fibers make the resulting fiber/plastic composite very sturdy and durable, while the epoxy resin makes the material lightweight. Handles, blades or entire knives made from G10 are often black or charcoal gray; handles made from this material often have a rough surface.

Linerlock

The linerlock (alternate spelling: liner-lock) is a locking mechanism mainly used for one-handed knives. Knives equipped with this mechanism are usually called linerlock knives.

The linerlock was invented in the late 19th century in the United States and patented there in 1906. This early version of the linerlock could not be opened with one hand though. The first truly one-handed linerlock knife was only developed after the patent for the original linerlock version had expired. The one-handed linerlock knife was designed by Michael Walker, a US knifemaker. In the 1980s, he introduced an improved linerlock knife first called the "Walker Linerlock".

The special feature of this linerlock is the plate between the handles scales used to lock or release the blade. The mechanism derives its name from this plate or liner. The liner is slightly curved inward. In the front, it extends past the bottom of the handle scales so that it can be operated from the outside. Usually, the plate of a linerlock is made from very hard metal such as stainless steel or titanium, because it needs to hold the blade in place even under great pressure.

The linerlock mechanism works as follows: When the blade is closed, it pushes the liner to the side. When the blade is opened, it makes room for the liner pushing towards the inside and locking in place below the end of the blade. In order to release and close the blade, the liner must be moved to the side manually. Modern linerlocks, available since the 1980s, can be operated with one hand, which made this locking mechanism very popular.