Knife with blade-mounted pivotal lockback latch

A knife comprising:

• (a) a handle having a longitudinally extending slot formed within it, and a back strip disposed opposite the slot;
• (b) a blade having a cutting edge, said blade being pivotally attached to the handle at a first pivot point adjacent one end of the blade and pivotal about said first pivot point between a closed position in which the edge is disposed within the slot and an open position in which the edge is exposed;
• and
• (c) a lever pivotally attached to the blade at a second pivot point spaced apart along a length of the blade from the first point at which the blade is pivotally attached to the handle, said lever having a gripping portion that is disposed outside the slot when the blade is in the closed position so that the gripping portion is adapted to be grasped by a user's fingers and rotated about the second pivot point, rotation of the lever bringing an edge of the lever against the handle, forcing the blade from within the slot and toward the open position, said lever being further pivotal about the second pivot point to engage the back strip of the handle at a point spaced apart from the first pivot point when the blade is fully opened, to lock the blade in the open position.

A knife comprising:

• (a) a handle for holding the knife when the knife is being used;
• (b) a blade that is pivotally mounted to the handle at a first pivot point disposed adjacent one end of the blade, said blade being thus rotatable about the pivot point between an open position in which the blade is exposed and a closed position in which the blade is at least partially seated within the handle;
• and
• (c) a lever that is pivotally mounted to the blade at a second pivot point spaced apart along a length of the blade from the first pivot point at which the blade is mounted to the handle, said lever having a gripping portion that is substantially exposed when the blade is in the closed position, adapting the lever to be readily grasped by a user, rotation of the lever bringing an edge of the lever into contact with the handle and applying a force to the second pivot point as the edge of the lever slides along the handle that tends to rotate the blade about the first pivot point from the closed position toward the open position, enabling the user to rotate the blade toward the open position with the lever, without initially gripping the blade itself.