Locking folding knife and knife lock mechanism

A folding knife, comprising:

• a handle;
• a blade including a tip and a tang, the tang having a tang block engagement element;
• an axle pivotably connecting the blade to the handle;
• and
• a lock mechanism comprising:
• a locking block constrained to move along a fore-aft linear axis, the locking block including a lower engagement surface, an upper engagement surface, and a rear surface,
• a biasing device carrier pivotably connected to the handle,
• a biasing device oriented between the biasing device carrier and the rear surface of the locking block, the biasing device configured to bias the locking block toward the blade tip when the blade is in an open orientation, and
• two handle block engagement elements oriented above the upper engagement surface of the locking block, a first handle block engagement element being oriented aft of the tang block engagement element, and a second handle block engagement element being oriented fore of the tang block engagement element;
• wherein the lower engagement surface of the locking block engages the tang block engagement element when the blade is in an open orientation;
• wherein the upper engagement surface of the locking block engages the two handle block engagement elements when the blade is in an open orientation;
• and
• wherein a moment applied to the blade toward a blade closed orientation causes a force extending from the tang block engagement element, through the locking block, and into the two handle block engagement elements.