Concealed Carry Handguns – August 2019

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arrying a lightweight knife is
all very good. But if you are
faced with lots of heavy-duty
cutting chores on a routine
basis, a little weight in the blade can
go a long way in making those chores
go a little easier.

Justin Gingrich of Gingrich Tactical
Innovations has designed his GTI Delta
Lock Folder with a wide, thick blade to
handle hard work. But the blade isn’t
overly long, so carrying this knife on
a daily basis is still easy, even though
you might be aware that it’s in your
pocket.

DELTA LOCK
The heart of the GTI Delta Lock Folder
is an innovative, super-strong blade
locking system. Inset into one of the
titanium grip panels is a stainless-steel
bar. When you open the blade, that
steel bar locks into four surfaces at
the back of the blade: two that are
perpendicular to the blade and two

Cutting rope was
easy work for the
Delta Lock Folder’s
beefy blade.

from a V-shaped extension at the back
of the blade. Add up those four points
of contact and you come up with 1 5/
inches of total surface engagement
between the steel locking bar and
the blade. Most liner or frame lock
knives have only about ¼- to ½-inch
of engagement on a single point of
contact. That extra-strong lock gives
you confidence when working with
this knife.

HEAVY DUTY
The blade of the GTI Delta Lock Folder
is 3.25 inches long, 1 5/16 inches wide
and 5/32 inches thick. It’s a sturdy
blade to say the least. It is a drop
point in configuration with a hollow
grind. Put a little muscle behind it and
this hefty blade can perform some
heavy-duty work. The steel is Carpen-
ter’s CTS-BD1. It’s a decent stainless
steel that can be sharpened in the field
without too much trouble.

For one-handed opening, you can use

either the dual thumb studs or the
flipper. The flipper, of course, becomes
a finger guard when the blade is
opened. And that blade opens with
a buttery smooth pivot and locks in
place with a comforting “click.” The
titanium grip panels have a diamond
checkering pattern and that texture
provides for a secure hold without
being too abrasive.

The stainless-steel grip spacers provide
for an open design to allow mois-
ture-absorbing lint and other debris to
pass right on through. The design also
allows the knife to be cleaned more
easily after messing chores.

The pocket clip is positioned for
right-handed, tip-up carry only. I’m
not likely to use the pocket clip. I’m
right-handed, mostly, but usually carry
such a knife in a left pocket where I
can reach it with my left hand should
I need it to defend against a grab for
my gun.

16 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • FALL 2019

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