Axis lock vertical blade play

B

Belly

Gold Member
Joined
May 21, 2000
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216
In a recent thread, I talked about how I find many axis lock models with vertical blade play. I pass on these, but a few sneak into my collection. I recently bought a 275 Adamas that seemed like it was solid, but after a few days it developed the slightest amount of vertical blade play. This bothers me a lot, and none of the knives I have with this blade play have ever been able to resolved. For example, with a recent 746, I tried loosening and tightening the pivot screw, opening/closing frequently, lube, no lube, different lubes, and even sending it back to Benchmade twice. They replaced the blade, and various other screws etc., but nothing resolved the issue. None of my ploys worked either. I have also tried rotating the stop pin, but that has not worked either. I am pretty much fed up with sending the knife back to Benchmade too. I have had multiple other issues with them and I have little faith in their ability to actually 100% resolve the issue.

I have a 940, a 950, a 615, and a 720 that are 100% solid. My 275, 746, and my 735 each have slight vertical blade play.

In that last thread, cutter17 mention some ideas. Cutter if you're out there, or anyone else, have any of you had these issues and fixed them on your own? I am referring only to axis lock vertical blade play.

Thanks all.
 
Hi Belly. Sorry to hear that your Adamas is having some issues. The things you have tried are usually the fixes for vertical play, i.e. rotating the stop pin, adjusting pivot screw (sometimes this can affect vertical adjustment), cleaning it out. I took mine completely apart last night, really for the heck of it, didn't have much going on. You might want to take the front grip off of the knife so that you can get a better view of the axis bar. It could be that something is binding it, or blocking it a tiny bit, keeping it from a full lockup. Have you done any hard work with the knife? Not that it shouldn't be able to take it though. You'll need a T10 torx for the pivot screw, and a T6 for the three frame screws. When you take the three smaller screws, and pivot screw, out and lift the G-10 grip off, you do not have to worry about anything springing out onto you as it all stays in place. Check to make sure the Omega spring is clipped where it should be, and is working like it should. You can remove the spring and that way you can check the other spring to make sure it is working as it should. Clean out everything while you are in there, including the pivot and washers, make sure there is nothing blocking the axis bar, by opening the blade. You might continue to move the stop pin around, and remember, it only takes a very slight movement. BM did not use the hexagonal stop pin for this one, maybe to keep cost down, and put a round pin in. Make sure the blade ramp is also clean, the area where the lock bar slides onto the blade tang. Also try this; when holding the knife open, use your thumb and forefinger and push forward on the axis bar and see if that does anything for the play.

These are the things I know to do, but most of my tinkering is on non Axis lock knives. Though the ones I've had were always solid in the lockup dept. as is my Adamas.

I keep a real tight pivot, tighter than most people I believe. When I had the Adamas tightened to this setting I noticed upon opening that I could detect a tiny bit of up/down, but once it detected it, it was gone, as the movement of the blade allowed the lock bar to move that one hair further up. I also think I simply had too much oil on it. It was lubed when I got it, and I added some of my miltec 1 to it. Once cleaned out though, it has worked like a charm, a very tight charm.......but I gots strong thumbz!!

Let me know how it goes!
 
I wish I could help you man, but neither myself, benchmade's repair department, or the dealer I bought my first and last axis lock knife from were able to fix the up-and-down blade play in my 520 Presidio. :grumpy:
 
Thanks guys. Sorry to hear that.
Cutter, thanks. I'll have experiment.
 
That is the single thing that consistently steers me away from the axis lock , if I recall I only have one BM axis left in my collection and that knife never see's pocket time. No matter how safe BM or whoever else says that play is ( the lock is designed that way from what I have read ) I cannot get past blade play in any direction unless it is a vintage slip joint. As a matter of fact I have not yet held a new or used BM axis lock that did not have some manner of blade play.

hmm.

Tostig
 
Believe it or not, I'm actually glad to hear others confirm the same things I see. So many people don't seem to have any problems but literally 3 in 4 of the axis lock models I check out have vertical play.
 
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I've owned 5 different Benchmade 710 knives and they all had vertical bladeplay. I even sent in 3 of them to be fixed and they came back the same. I also had to send in a mini-Rukus and an older 520 Presidio for vertical bladeplay.

Only recently I purchased the 275 adamas and another 520 presidio that don't have any problems.
 
How does the slight blade play affect the knife when it is being used to cut stuff?

Will it suddenly close on you?

Or does it just bug ya?
 
Granted. It just bothers me. If I had to guess I would assume the lock is safe. It does make me wonder though.
 
That bit of doubt can be fatal... To your peace of mind. My one Axis folder is a mini Ritter Grip. It has no discernable play when locked open.
 
I've sold all but my 720s' so I can't compare them to other models any longer.

Seems the 705/943, 720/550, 520/615 have different chassis.

I noticed a different in action on the ones made to be autos ... like the 520 vs. the originals 710/720.

My 720s' actually get tighter as they break in.

Just a though but wonder if the auto designed liners don't have as tight of tolerances.
 
Thats interesting. I've only had 3 axis lock benchmades and none of them had any sort of vertical play. They all had some side to side play though. I was under the impression that axis locks would always lockup solid vertically because of the axis spring pushing up on the blade tang.
 
I ordered two of the 275 Adamas folders, one for my son for Christmas. The last Axis Lock I had, that saw use, was the Rukus 610. For a year of use, mind you it was light use as my needs are not great, it had no play in any direction. When I test for blade play, I grasp the tip of the blade and wiggle up/down, and side to side, and do so with some vigor! I tested both of the 275 Adamas folders this way and neither showed any play. I did tighten the pivot, as I said above, and it made the blade fall into lockup lightly causing the lock bar to not fully engage, and thus vertical play, until I grasped the blade with the up/down movement, letting the lock fully engage with no play at that point.

The blade play thing is just a personal thing with me. As far as it causing the lock to fail, I don't think it will because the lock bar is still being pressed forward by the omega springs, wedging the locking bar between the blade tang and the frame.

Btw, I have also had the Onslaught, and the M4 Rift, both Axis Locks, and again, no play ( gave both to my son). I don't think they are supposed to have play, but Benchmade may count a small amount of movement within specs.

Belly, any improvement?
 
i own two benchmade axis and they have zero blade play. i own a couple of enlan and bee axis knockoffs and they have zero blade play. i own one ganzo axis snoddy knockoff and it has a slight bit of vertical blade play until i wiggle it to get the pin for a lack of a better term to seat further on the ramp and keep it locked up tight and solid. i've been lucky.

that said, almost every backlock i own has blade play vertically. none when i push down on the spine, but when i use it to cut something hard like dead palm fronds, the blade will push backwards under moderate pushing. so the axis isn't the only knife lock to have some models have play.

that said more than minor (all relative) blade play annoys me as well. i'd be just as annoyed as you folks are, especially after sending to benchmade to get it fixed and it comes back as the same.
 
I have seen and owned several with bladeplay. Most are slight and I can tolerate it. I don't like bladeplay in any liner or frame lock at all. Almost all of my current 9-10 benchmade knives are rock solid. Although I held a new bone collector that you could shake up and down and hear the slop. The dealer sent that one back.
 
I'm at work plus I have never disassembled a knife. I'll have to work on it over the next few days. I was hoping it will wear in with more openings. There is no visible impediment to the bar movement. If I give the bar a push the lockup is then solid but it's not like the bar is loose or not moving forward.
 
Belly said:
I'm at work plus I have never disassembled a knife. I'll have to work on it over the next few days. I was hoping it will wear in with more openings. There is no visible impediment to the bar movement. If I give the bar a push the lockup is then solid but it's not like the bar is loose or not moving forward.
Click to expand...

That was the exact problem my Rukus and Presidio had. I mailed it in and they fixed it. On the work order it says they replaced the omega springs and blade stop.
 
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