Axis lock, revisited

H

Hoodoo

Joined
Aug 18, 1999
Messages
2,355
Well, it's been out for awhile now. Anyone have one of those springs break yet? My 705 keeps humming along and my new Mel Pardue 720 has me talking to myself. Smooth. VERY smooth. Where's the fly in the ointment?


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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Could be it's just a damned fine locking mech. My Axis locks are doing well after a year and a half of constant carry and daily use. No spring-breakage.

By the way, would anyone be interested in having me put in bronze washers and make extra omega springs for your Axis model? If I can generate enough interest, I'll order a bulk of the supplies.

Professor.
 
Most definitely Professor. Just let me know where and when to send my 710 to ya.

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There are no rules- Thou shalt win at all costs.
 
I'm definately interested. Let me know where to send and how much $$$$

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Dennis Bible

mylogosmall.gif
 
Hey Professor, put me on your list with needs for 2 710's, 1 705, and 2 730's.

Jeff Jenness
 
Thank you gentlemen. If you would, please email me your request and I'll save your emails and take care of them in order. Let me know if you want to send your knife to me or whether you can install the parts yourself. We can discuss shipping, etc. on an individual basis.

I need first to see if parts are available for the variety of models listed, and if bronze washers will be available thick enough to compensate for the thickness of the stock nylatron washers.

I should have Axis springs the same tension available in a week (home-made), and I'm getting slightly thicker spring material to beef-up tension if you're interested.

My only other concern is that I don't want to get in trouble with BM or Bill McHenry/Jason Williams. I'm gonna get the ok from both if possible before I proceed. Thanks again.

Professor.
 
I still love my 710.I haven't had any problems with the springs either.What type of wire are you going to use prof.?I make orthodontic appliances and use omega loop springs to move teeth.I have a couple of specialy pliers made for bending omega loops.I usually use a wire called Elgiloy or Duraloy it was originally developed for watch springs.Also I have a part serrated 710 and contacted Benchmade today about getting a plain M2 blade put on and they said that they dont upgrade blade materials but that an ats-34 blade would be $25 a coated ats-34 blade would be 35.I wonder why they wont give me M2?Good luck Prof.it sounds like a good project.
troy
 
The springs might infringe patent and license issues. I could see that.

But when McHenry (or was it Williams) posted the info on building your own Omega spring a while ago, he probably created an inadvertent easement to his patent. Always good to be ethical though. Please ask.

But the washers are not a proprietary anything. Should be OK for you to do that at a minimmum in my non-lawyerly opinion. Simple aftermarket parts, they are. They are what I am most interested in anyway. If I had a source for these, I would have picked them up long ago.

Phil
 
Gentlemen,

I just had a long conversation with both Jason Williams and Bill McHenry, inventors of the Axis mechanism, about this very topic. They both advised against my providing customization services to others since the legalities have far-reaching dynamics into both patents and production licensing. I can totally understand this, and this is why I called them first before going through with this undertaking.

So for now, I can only do the next best thing...

Tell you where to get the stuff so that you can do it yourself!!!

www.smallparts.com has both the spring wire in varying thicknesses as well as the bronze washers. Start by going to the site and ordering the catalog.

With the wire, you don't need to heat-treat the bends where you wrap it around the Axis module and on the other end where you lock it into the hole. Use a caliper to determine the correct gauge wire in either stainless or carbon steel (your choice; carbon has more "umph"), order the wire, and then shape it with needlenose pliers till you get it right. The catalog will describe each type of wire and specify which is best in terms of "continuous springiness" and reliability.

The catalog also has the bronze washers. BM's stock nylatron washers vary in thicknesses with different models, not just with inner and outer diameter. Crack your BM open and measure the thickness, the outer and inner diameter, and then order two to three bronze washers to meet the thickness and diameters. Ideally, two bronze washers on each side of the blade will increase resistance to friction when kept lightly oiled as opposed to one bronze washer on both sides working singularly against stainless steel (blade and liner).

Well, there it is. Sorry this idea couldn't get off the ground, but I didn't want to step on toes and I didn't want to end up in trouble either! Thanks for your interest.

Professor.
 
Additionally, www.smallparts.com also has aluminum standoffs in varying dimensions if you want to replace those pesky Delrin spacers and create an open-frame "Rekat" look.

Professor.
 
Why oh why do people constantly question the omega springs on the Axis? I have a 14 year old Ruger 10/22 with +100,000 rounds through it. It has a whole lot more springs than the Axis and they receive much more punishment than a lowly pocketknife ever will. Have they weakened at all? Not that I can tell. Have they ever broken? No. Sure, one could go any moment, but I think it's very unlikely. I believe the same is true of the Axis lock's springs.
Bottom line is quality springs will last a very, very long time especially in a low stress mechanism like the Axis lock.
 
Dakota,

I agree wholeheartedly, but but but we're freaks!
wink.gif
Seriously speaking, by beefing up the thickness of my 730's springs, I increased lockup force and eliminated the back and forth (not lateral) blade play that most Axis models have when they're new and need to be broken in.

Happy New Year everyone.

Professor.
 
Whoa, hold on! "Back and forth (not lateral) blade play"? Clue me in. I've got four Axis locks, and that's not registering. I'm sitting here with a one day old 710HS trying to figure out what you're talking about.
What did I miss?
 
about the bronze washers, are they more solid while the blade is locked than the stock washers?
i'd like to know because i have a little (very, very little) lateral blade play and would like to get rid of it (the pivot pin tension is just right, that doesn't need to be adjusted)

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~Fumbler
the crazied knife weilding Sarah McLachlan fan =)
 
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