AFCK: Axis vs. Liner and other thoughts

[ThinkOfTheChildren]

Many said it would never happen. Many said it was just a pipe dream, but I held hope anyway. Just as I had held hope that Glock would one day open a website. Just as I had held hope that Glock Talk would one day be Class III friendly. So when I came across the first images of it, my heart skipped a beat. Yes, that’s right: the Axis AFCK! I guess that’s 3 of 3 for me

Actually getting my hands on an Axis AFCK would still prove to be a problem. The way Benchmade is playing favorites with their dealers comes close to what could be called price fixing, but that’s a topic that belongs in another thread. My intro is dragging on enough, so let’s just skip to the point: I’ve finally acquired an Axis AFCK.

Since I also have the original AFCK with the round hole, I thought a comparison would be interesting. Sorry if someone else has taken the initiative to do this before me, but it’s actually a pretty interesting comparison.

<img src="http://members.aol.com/imagestopost/clipside.jpg">

Photo 1 shows the most obvious differences between the AFCK’s.

• First of all, the lock has been changed from the controversial liner lock, to the stronger Axis lock.
• The Axis AFCK is only available in BT2 finish, which doesn’t bug me, but annoys a lot of other members.
• Die hard Spyderco fans, like myself, might lament at the change to the oval hole. Benchmade’s claim that it’s "new and improved" are false, in my opinion. It can’t be ignored that Benchmade’s license for the round hole has run out, but some truly believe that the oval hole is better. Even though I don’t like it as much as the Spydie hole, I prefer it to thumb-studs and think it’s a decent solution. Still, I think Benchmade chamfers their opening holes too much which decreases the amount of purchase your thumb can achieve.
• Next, you might notice that the butterfly logo is gone from the handle. Having the butterfly pop out of the handle was not an uncommon occurrence with old AFCK’s, so I assume Benchmade just didn’t want to deal with this in the future. Also might have to do with the next point.
• The clip is now positioned for tip-up carry. Despite my favoritism of tip-up knives, I really did like the way the original carried. Depending on your opinion, this new clip may be a blessing or a curse. Those that must certainly see it as a blessing, however, are our southpaw brethren: the Axis AFCK is 100% ambidextrous.
• In the above photo, the Axis AFCK looks much larger than the original. Part of this has to do with the angle from which I took the photo, but it is actually true: the Axis AFCK is larger. According to the website, it’s only 0.18" longer than the original and the blade is 3.96" rather than the original 3.9". I don’t know what prompted this decision, but it’s not a big deal. The handle is also wider, as you can see, with a slightly more pronounced hilt.

<img src="http://members.aol.com/imagestopost/spine.jpg">

• It might be hard to tell in this photo, but the liners on the Axis AFCK are thicker. In addition, they are stainless steel, rather than the original titanium liners. All of this means that the Axis AFCK is almost a half ounce heavier than the original. It might not sound like a lot, but the difference in balance is noticeable. I would have to say that I prefer the lighter weight and balance of the original.
• The change in lock format has moved the location of the stop pin. To compensate for the lack of a checkered spine in this portion of the grip, checkering has been added to the liners and further forward on the spine.

<img src="http://members.aol.com/imagestopost/leftside.jpg">

• The last photo shows that the grind has been moved slightly up the blade, but I wonder if this was just a quality control issue on my original AFCK. After all, on my original, you can see that the grind is definitely not lined up with the tip of the blade.

The quality control on the Axis AFCK is better than I’ve seen on past Benchmades, so they’ve gained respect from me with this model. Also, I’m very impressed by the out of the box edge that was on it. My original AFCK came with a very thick edge that took forever to reprofile.

The knife carries well and draws very smoothly. The checkering on the G-10 is a bit smooth for my tastes but the legendary handle makes up for it. The over-chamfered oval hole is hard to get a good purchase on, especially because of the BT2 finish. I would prefer to inertia open this model in a stressful situation which is something the Axis lock is great for.

This is my first knife in D2 so I have no idea as to whether I’ll like it or not. At least I know it can take a great edge, based on the way it came out of the box.

Overall, I like the knife a lot. That doesn’t mean I don’t think it can be improved upon, but beggars can’t be choosy. I think I’ll enjoy carrying it, and put a lot more faith in it than the liner lock model.

(BTW - the photos are in B&W because I was having problems with my white balance. Hope they work ok for you!)

 

[Jim Richardson]

I guess I've just been luck, but I've never had a problem with th eliner lock system on my AFCK's. It's been through all the tests d'jour and so far it's be doing what it's supossed to do.

I held one of the new axis locks and I agree, the balance isn't as nice as on the original. I may have to add one soon anyway.
jim

 

[John Puckett]

I've had my axis AFCK for about 2 months now and I really like it. I like the D-2 steel because I put a nice fine edge on it and it cuts really well and holds my edge good. Mine is a perfect example of the knife, NO blade play and mine is sharpened all the way to the very end of the blade, I noticed that the one in the picture wasn't. All in all, I think that this is a really good knife from BM.

 

[medusaoblongata]

I'm thrilled with my Axis AFCK, but I have a few questions for others who have it-

I find it harder to open without thinking because of the oval hole and the thicker liners. Have you noticed this?

And has anyone else caught themselves trying to unlock the liner on their Axis AFCK?

Great knife.

 

[Revolvergeek]

Thanks for the info and pics.

THANK GOD that they finally moved the clip to the right end!!! The deeper handle with the slightly more pronounced hilt loooks good to.
I agree with you about the oval hole completely. I love my Griptillians with the ovals a lot, but the ovals do take a little getting used to.

Looks like another new Benchmade goes onto my wish list....

 

[Mike990]

So knowing what you guys know having owning axis lock AFCKs......given the choice, would you choose Axis AFCK, or the M-2 steel Version of the Benchmade 710, for the same type of use?

 

[JTurner]

Thanks for the comparison and it shows close up why I like the old AFCK better. Look at the clip side pic. I really like how low in the pocket the old style carries. With the newer style and the clip on the other end, that point is always sticking out and sticking out pretty far. Looks to be close to 8-10 times more knife sticking out of the pocket than the older version. Otherwise the Axis lock is a great improvement.

JT

 

[Johnclarke]

I'm just happy to see that they made the beltclip reversable for us southpaws.

I will get a new Axis AFCK just as soon as the opportunity arrives.

 

[Chang]

I recently acquired an Axis Lock AFCK too. It's awesome. I would carry it, except I'm a college student and my campus limits me to three inches. I'm a fan of the tip down carry, and this one is tip up though.