Abstract: A knife having a double-sided ball slide knife blade locking mechanism includes a blade pivotally attached to a handle, the blade having a pair of large circular indentations formed on opposite lateral sides of the blade, and also having a pair of small circular indentations formed on opposite lateral sides of the blade. The knife handle has handle scales attached to opposite sides of the knife blade. Each of a pair of detent elements are positioned intermediate the handle scales and knife blade on both sides of the blade, and positioned such that the detent elements will mate with the indentations. Each of a pair of spring-loaded sliding detent release shafts are mounted within the handle scales and have a tapered interior side configured to wedge between the detent element and a detent housing cover to temporarily lock the detent elements in place within the indentations.