Locking folding knife and knife lock mechanism

A folding knife, comprising:

• a handle,
• wherein the handle includes a slot having at least one top surface;
• a blade pivotably connected to the handle,
• wherein the blade has a tang, the tang including a contoured peripheral surface and an open block engagement tang surface,
• wherein the open block engagement tang surface has a rounded profile,
• wherein the blade has an axis of rotation;
• a locking block, the locking block translatable on a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the blade,
• wherein the locking block has a planar engagement surface positioned to contact at least one of the contoured peripheral surface and the open block engagement tang surface of the tang when the blade is in an open position,
• wherein the locking block has at least two bearing surfaces engaging the at least one top surface of the slot along two lines, the at least two bearing surfaces positioned so that a force applied by the blade to the engagement surface of the locking block is directed along a line between the at least two bearing surfaces.