The elegant Lochsa

Gorgeous. One of my grail folders. Scott Cook makes great knives.

So, what's the difference mechanically from what Spyderco calls "a Chris Reeve-style frame lock"?

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There's no mechanical difference in the lock, but the Lochsa has a monolithic frame, i.e. the frame is machined from a single continuous piece piece of titanium. Chris Reeve knives have two titanium slabs that are screwed together with spacers between the slabs.

Spyderco also calls it a Reeve Integral Lock, or RIL. That simply means that the lock is integral to the frame, or is a frame lock. Although all the Reeve knives I know of have titanium scales on both sides, anything with a metal back scale frame lock could be considered Reeve style regardless of the front scale material.

Rick Hinderer modified the Reeve frame lock by adding an unlock over travel stop disc. LionSteel of Italy took this further with their Roto Block disc that can also be rotated to fix the lock bar in the locked open position. On several models LionSteel has added a steel insert on the bearing surface to prevent erosion of the softer aluminum or titanium lock bar caused by rubbing against the harder steel blade as well.

If you want a mono frame folder without waiting two years and or paying custom prices, LionSteel also manufactures knives with monolithic frames made from titanium or aluminum depending on the model. You'd have to ask one of the long time knife collectors here who was the first to make a monolithic frame folder.