Axis Lock : Size and ergonomics ?

Matt Shade

Matt Shade

Joined
Nov 24, 1999
Messages
4,981
I'm looking for a knife to replace my delica, or at least fill in while I make a new handle for it. Everyone seems to really like the axis lock for its reliability and strength. What I want to know is how thick does it make the knife in comparison to a normal lockback like a delica ?( my delica is about 3/8" thick not counting the clip) I carry my knives clipped in my back pocket, so I don't want anything extremely thick that will wear out the back pocket on my jeans or get caught on stuff all the time.
And how convenient is the axis lock for one hand use? I know you can open it one handed, but can you close it one handed? And if you can, is it fairly simple to do?
Thanks.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
Matt, they are the same thickness as most other Benchmades. Same thickness of the liners and G-10 scales. You can open it one handed, just pull back the locking bar and flick it lightly like a gravity knife. To close it, just pull the bar back and flip the blade back in lightly. You can flick a lot harder with these knives without worrying about wear. The axis bar is wear resistant. It takes a little getting used to and it gets hard on the thumb at first, but after that you get really used to it. I'm starting to regret selling my 730 now.


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Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!
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Yup, last weekend I bought a 710S, and I also discovered all you need do is pull back the notch(es) to unlock, and you can very lightly flip it open or closed. The action is very smooth. I tend to pull on both buttons, using my thumb and index finger simultaneously.

But yes, it will be thicker than a Delica. My Axis is approx. 7/16" thick.
Jim
 
I carry my primary knife in my hip pocket as well. Neither my 710 nor my 730 give the slightest problem there.

The Axis lock will take a little while to get used to, but after a day or two it will de second nature.

Closing the knife one handed also no problem. You can flick it closed as mentioned above, or simply pull the stud back with your thumb and swing the blade closed with your index finger. Neither the thumb nor the finger are ever in the path of the blade in closing.

There is another option for opening an axis lock that seems to work well, especially out of the hip pocket of a pair of jeans. If you twist the knife about 45 degrees as you pull it out of the pocket the outside stud will catch the top of the pocket and open the knife as it is drawn, very much like the Emerson Wave.

Let us know what you end up with.


Mike
 
Or, if all else fails, you can open the Axis Lock knife the way you're supposed to, by pushing the blade open with the thumb stud. Works like a charm. Actually, as often as not I just grab the handle and give it a shake to overcome the spring tension. You don't have to touch either the thumb stud or the lock release button.

As for using the lock release buttons to deploy the blade, I don't recommend it. If your timing isn't very good, you may not release the button soon enough, in which case the blade can rebound against the stop pin and bounce back at you.

If thinness is important to you, have a look at the new 940 Osborn model. It's the thinnest of the Axis Locks. At least that's the impression I get having handled them all and measured none.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
I'm also wearing my knives in my rear pocket and I have assumed this quite comfortable both for Model 710 Axis Lock and Model 730 Ares. Please follow these links for more info.
All Axis Lock equipped models are very easy to operate with one hand both right and left. They are fully ambidextrous.


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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland
 
Thanks Guys
Sounds like I wouldn't be sorry about buying something with an axis lock. Now all I have to do is figure out which knife to get when the time comes.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
Originally posted by Matt Shade:
What I want to know is how thick does it make the knife in comparison to a normal lockback like a delica ?
Click to expand...

I don't have my Delica here, but an Executive and I think they're comparable. It's 7 mm thick excluding the clip. My Benchmade 720 is 15 mm excluding the clip. The lock mechanism protrudes 2 mm on each side, so the rest of the knife is 11 mm thick.

I haven't measured the smaller 705, but I understand it's pretty wide too.

The Axis lock is good, but what you describes makes me doubtful it'll be the best choice in your case, from a carrying standpoint.

And how convenient is the axis lock for one hand use? I know you can open it one handed, but can you close it one handed?
Click to expand...
Very easy to close with one hand, and no finger has to be in the way of the edge while you're doing it.

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Urban Fredriksson
www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Latest update: A Russian hand made hunting knife

"I've always been fascinated by Scandinavian knives [...] they're simple, in an advanced way".
- Bob Loveless
 
The new 940 Osbourne Axis is thinner in profile than the other Axis models (closer to the thickness of your Delica), and is roughly the same length closed as your Delica. You can find them; they pop up for sale here on the For Sale forum pretty often. That's where I got mine.

Professor.
 
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