And before someone else comes along and says it, fixed full tang blades are almost always better / safer for hard use.
This!
The only option you have when you want a solid knife for hard use is a fixed blade.Even the very well made $500 knives with the best locking mechanism wont be as strong and will fail on you.
I learned it the hard way, I cut myself pretty bad with a folding knife that closed itself on my fingers.
A folding knife is made to fold first, if you want it not to fold then get a fixed blade or non-folding knife.
I second that statement. If youre going to be using the knife for serious work or are going to be putting stress on the blade, get a fixed blade.
I think a fixed blade would be a better choice in the long run (wear/tear, blade length, etc), although I am kinda biased due to cutting my finger to the bone because the locking mechanism failed and it went deep.
Can I ask what knife it was...????
Yeah,, might have been labeled heavy duty, but that buck isn't..!!! I like buck knives, anc they are made in usa.. But there folders aren't what I would call heavy dut..!! Strider,Grayman,ZT, those are heavy duty...
Traderator and Sylvain got it right!!
When you make a folder, you are essentially starting with a knife that is broken in half, and then engineering a way for it to open and stay that way. It will never be as reliable or strong as a same-quality fixed blade.