Concealed Carry Handguns – August 2019

C

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