Axis lock sticking a bit...?

S

Shawn7656

Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
370
When I flip my Griptilian open hard either using the thumbstud or inertia, the axis lock bar sticks a bit in the locked position. Is this because the knife is new, because I'm using too much force...?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Ya, this issue has been addressed before a couple times.
The consensus is yes, that will happen more when the knife is new. Essentially what is happening is the lack bar is being forced up higher on the slide path, pinching it in that position by the force of opening it so hard.
A way to deal with this is to oil the mechanism slightly, and use two fingers to open the lock. Like thumb and first finger one both sides of the axis lock, pulling down with equal force on each side. After a while it wont be a problem for you and the lock will function as normal
 
Sweet deal. I hadn't ever heard about it, but then again I hadn't ever had a reason to look it up :)

Thanks
 
no worries. Its a great knife and a great lock design, but I guess its not as perfect as everyone seems to make it out to be
 
Shawn7656 said:
When I flip my Griptilian open hard either using the thumbstud or inertia, the axis lock bar sticks a bit in the locked position. Is this because the knife is new, because I'm using too much force...?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Both. And this is a major advantage, one of the reasons many people laud the axis-lock so (i.e. it increases the idea of its "perfection")!
The axis-lock is designed to compensate for wear on the tang, stop-pin, and lock-bar via multiple mechanisms including not only the use of 3 stabilizing bolts/pins, the ability to rotate the stop-pin and lock-bar for access to a clean (un-worn) surface, but also the ability to have the lock-bar travel further up the tang as the tang wears, maintaining a solid lock-up without vertical blade-play for an extended lifetime of use.
When new, all surfaces are unworn, so the axis bar should lock onto the tang very easily with the slightest amount of force used to fully deploy the blade. The less force employed to open the blade, the less wear induced on the various parts; the more force you employ to open the blade, the more wear you induce, shortening the life of the knife - this is true of ALL mechanisms and materials, true of every knife you own.
When you deploy the blade with great force, the lock-bar springs farther forward on the tang because the impact of the blade against the stop-pin induces enough flex in the pins/bolsters to create space for the omega-springs to carry the bar farther; but when the blade rebounds, it impacts the lock-bar in its further position, rebounds again, and when equilibrium is established, you have a tang wedged tightly between two posts as if forced there by a hammer-blow (because that is indeed what you intentionally did, whether you understood that or not). It's simple physics.
Now, I would strongly recommend you STOP openning your knife (and ANY knife) this way for a number of reasons:
1) it's unnecessary
2) it's dangerous given that the increased momentum of the blade means a greater risk of the user losing grip of the knife and cutting something unintentionally (including other people)
3) it increases wear on the knife and shortens the usable life of the tool.

Now, if none of these concerns matter to you, it's your money and you have the freedom to act as you choose. I just want you to understand the reasons (physics) behind your experience and that it is an intentional advantage of the design :thumbup:

Also, my understanding of the design of the axis-lock was that it be two-finger action ambidextrous, that the ability to disengage the lock with only one finger was actually an accident of the design (though also an advantage). Using only one finger does not work that easily on all axis knives.
 
frenchmade said:
no worries. Its a great knife and a great lock design, but I guess its not as perfect as everyone seems to make it out to be
Click to expand...

Well, let's see. I have Striders that stick. I have CRKs that stick. I have Spydercos that stick. Most of my Axis knives don't stick, but a few do (mostly Grips, by the way - not sure why). There is no perfect knife... ;)
 
@Chiral - Thanks for the in-depth answer. I don't open it hard like that often (usually it's not purposefully opened hard), but I will make a conscious effort to try not to. I don't want to hurt my knife unless I have to, so in this case I can definitely do without :)

@JNewell - Strange that the grips do it more, maybe quality control isn't as high since they're cheaper knives..? Who knows. Interesting...
 
I don't think it's a quality issue, and not all my Grips are sticky. I wonder if the tang ramp angle is different? But you'd think that would cause consistent sticking for all Grips if that were the case. Dunno, never really got too motivated to figure it out. :)

Shawn7656 said:
@Chiral - Thanks for the in-depth answer. I don't open it hard like that often (usually it's not purposefully opened hard), but I will make a conscious effort to try not to. I don't want to hurt my knife unless I have to, so in this case I can definitely do without :)

@JNewell - Strange that the grips do it more, maybe quality control isn't as high since they're cheaper knives..? Who knows. Interesting...
Click to expand...
 
I think it's just the nature of having a snug lock mechanism and things seating in, some do stick more than others but basically all mechanisms and brands can be a little sticky. If it's not a ridiculous amount and it functions nicely after a few days of playing around with it then it's cool for me.
 
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