Axis locks are a poor design

BTW, a german forumite once made a pair of springs by himself using material of 0.8mm thickness. He couldn´t move the axis bar comfortably enough. Just going back to .6mm comparable BM size, was well.

So, in wich way should the lock be changed?

I would like a shiot hole at the bottom of the scale so dust and so on can rinse out easier. But i wouldn´t be surprised, if this would not work.

Axis do not attach so much dust.
 
WarRaven said:
"Flawed" But i bought one anyways.

LMAO
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Well, I hope you don't have a mouthful of soda when you read this- I wouldn't want to be responsible for ruining your keyboard. :) Yeah, I bought the knife because I was still pleased enough on the whole. I didn't like the thick edge geometry either. Still bought it. Didn't like the edges around the handle. Bought it anyway. Didn't like the use of those tiny torx screws that you can't find a driver for. Still laid down my cash for the knife. Didn't really care for the pink/black color combo on the handle. (this was before they came out with the green/black version) Bought it anyway. I would have liked to try the design with M2 steel instead of 154 CM. And ya know what? I still bought the knife despite all my nit picking, because overall it was about the closest thing to what I was wanting. I have a whole pile of factory knives, and nearly every one of them has been modified in some way to better suit my tastes and needs, because nothing is perfect. This is funny?


WarRaven said:
They may have had poor spring steel to begin with an poorly channeled scales at first, but these i believe have been adressed by BM enough that this is not a problem anymore.
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Well, I certainly hope you're right. I don't have any experience with their latest production. But just for reference, those threads I linked spanned over 3 1/2 years, and more people have chimed in here with failure stories. (don't know for sure when they actually happened though.) So did they take over 3 years to change the design, or did they make up a gigantic batch of springs with bad steel 3 years ago that they're still using up?

WarRaven said:
Flawed design, Omg.
Whether it is a coil,leaf or torsion,they all suffer from fatigue an fail at some point. Does this make them Flawed, no i dont think so.
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I know springs will eventually fail from fatigue, and I agree with you that this in itself does not make them flawed. There is also nothing wrong with searching for something better.

WarRaven said:
So, they have told thousands of people about how bad the design of the spring is, did they mention the companys willingness to help fix thier knife an get them cutting again without alot of grief,not that i have seen, or even matter now does it?
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Yes, I have given them credit for promptly fixing my knife, several times now. The fact remains, it would have been even nicer if it never broke in the first place.

WarRaven said:
I would also add, that from a companies point of view, it would be best to move on to a new design if your present one was causing problems to your end customers an losing credibilty amongst them, and i would hazzard, they would know that best, at least better then some guy that owns one or two and is making a ruckus over it here.
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Hey man, maybe they do know better. All I'm doing here is voicing my dissenting opinion in a sea of praise. As I mentioned, there are litterally hundreds of threads that say the springs are nothing to worry about. Which is largely why I'm being so vocal. Along these same lines, I wonder if Mr. Glesser would be willing to chime in and mention how many/what percentage of ball bearing locks they've had returned with broken coil springs. I'm betting that the number is very low.

so again i wonder, how do YOU come up with it's a poorly designed spring.... to State it is a poor design, is an absolutely clueless statement... I see this as troll'ish type of behavoir.
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The condescending attitude is not needed here. I agree that this entire issue has blown up far bigger than I intended; I should not have made such a flippant remark that could be misunderstood. But- I have been able to state my case without personal attacks, and I supported my position with plenty of other people's real experiences. I am open to discussion as long as it's based on logic instead of insults.

Good day to you, sir.
 
I do understand you by heart because sometimes i am driven between the fact, that the springs on mine work and the wish they would appeal more solid.

Removing the scales of my 520 after half a year of constant edc showed me no issues on the springs and very little dust in the space where the move. There is more dust in the handle after two days edc than i had found under the scales.

Have read good reports of tough springs in the german forum where i was asking if the AXIS is a hard use or not but took the chance and lubed the springs and the scales with Militec grease for advandced protection against rust (the liners of one AFCK did have shown this but i was taking this one on jogging).

I use Axis since march 2003 but this 520 for the longest time and i am looking forward to find out if it stays fine or where its performance borders are.

If i had to i would consider to change broken springs with thicker material just for my heart but as long as they work, they work.

So all in all i think beside those reports of borken springs this design is right and belongs to the most reliable ones and can be considered for hard use. Even though my heart cries out for more proof. :-)
 
Possum,
I owe you an apoligy for coming off the way i did there.

I am sorry m8, i read that an read that over again, and i was put in the wrong mood to post properly.

I understand your position better now after digesting it further now.

Although, i will add, it is the best designed lock system i have,spring, lock an stop bars included, may not be the end all of designs, but has won me over.

So,once again, i apoligize m8, for comin off like an arse, i shoulda thought longer on it.
Still think a coil would get gummed up too.:D


WR
 
The cador is appreciated, War Raven. Thank you.

And I do still love the axis lock overall. In fact, I'm thinking about ripping it off to use on my own personal folder, if I ever get around to making it. (hopefully with Benchmade's consent.) It won't have omega springs, though. ;)
 
Well over a year has passed since I last posted to this thread. I'm ressurecting it because I have a new development to share, and I was wondering if anyone else does too.

After my Dad lost my Ares, I carried other knives for a while before finally getting a Benchmade Presidio at a knife show last fall. I've been carrying it every day since.

Just the other day, one of the omega springs broke.

Still have to contact Benchmade about it, and see if they've lightened up on their policy about shipping it to them for repair, or if they'll just mail me the new spring.

I own one other axis lock knife, which is a small Osborne design from Benchmade that was a gift from my brother for being his best man at his wedding. I generally only carry it to church or other occasions, and don't use it much. So I've only owned two axis locking knives that I carried and used over an extended period. Both have had omega springs break on me. I guess Benchmade hasn't corrected what I percieve as a problem over the years, as is often mentioned.

I haven't spent an hour searching for others' experiences yet, and don't really care to right now. So would you mind chiming in here if you've also had problems?
 
Well, I have another new development since just last night. I was fiddling with the knife while I was on the phone, and then the other omega spring broke, too. :mad: My knife is totally non functional now. Guess I'll have to get on the ball with benchmade's service department.
 
I have 5 griptilians, carry 1 daily, used it for 2 years (heavy use) -no failures. Still works as good today as when I bought it new.
 
Well, i chime in, because i didn´t have such problems. I have a Grip, a 520, a 5000A and two AFCK.

The AFCKs are from 2003, as i firstly came into the forum.

Consider the shit, that can happen to a liner lock in relation to the shit, that can happen to a axis lock, reality not theory. Guess, how oftenly axis knives are sold in comparision.

There is no regular basis for calling the axis a "poor design".
 
Blop said:
There is no regular basis for calling the axis a "poor design".
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Once again, (for the fourth time now?) I want to make this very clear.

I am NOT calling the axis lock a bad design.

Those are someone else's words, who misunderstood my poorly written comment.

I AM calling THE OMEGA SPRING a bad design.
 
the possum said:
Once again, (for the fourth time now?) I want to make this very clear.

I am NOT calling the axis lock a bad design.

Those are someone else's words, who misunderstood my poorly written comment.

I AM calling THE OMEGA SPRING a bad design.
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Better/clearer put! :thumbup:
 
What I use, sharing use with a Mili:
-one [710] had a spring break after after 6 months of use.

What I gave to someone to use, although with lesser demand:
-one [530] was fine after a year, after which it was stolen.
-one [930?] is fine after six months.
 
the possum said:
Once again, (for the fourth time now?) I want to make this very clear.

I am NOT calling the axis lock a bad design.

Those are someone else's words, who misunderstood my poorly written comment.

I AM calling THE OMEGA SPRING a bad design.
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No offense! It is just the name of this thread.

This german guy who made omega springs himself, wrote, that a little thicker and the axis bar was hard to move, so i guess, the diametre is limited by comfort use.
 
I own over twenty Benchmades, most of them Axis locks and carry one of them most days.

I have recommended Axis lock Benchmades to many of the guys at work, so there are around a dozen there. In five years none of us have had an Omega spring break.

It's my lock of choice. If a spring breaks, I'll happily rely on the other spring until I can get to one of my other twenty knives. I'll return it to Benchmade and they'll sort it out.
 
Steven-

The axis lock is my favorite lock of choice as well. I consider the principle of how the lock bar works sheer genius, and would still recommend it to others. I guess that's why it frustrates me that it's held back from true greatness (in my own mind- I'm not discounting all the other folks who really love everything about it) by what I percieve as a poorly designed spring. I would love to see the omega replaced by coil springs.

I own over twenty Benchmades, most of them Axis locks and carry one of them most days.
If a spring breaks, I'll happily rely on the other spring until I can get to one of my other twenty knives.
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So, do you rotate them through your carry rotation? It sounds like any given one of them has only been carried and used a little bit. I.E., one twentieth as much as my knife, since it was my main carry knife.

I am in a bad financial situation and cannot afford to have spares on hand. I couldn't even afford this one- I had to trade a knife I've had since high school for it. Right now I'm just carrying some of my old slip joints, and while they get me by, I miss the handiness of my Benchmade.
 
Yes, I rotate through them, so any wear will be spread across my collection.

However, for the dozen or so colleagues that own an Axis lock Benchmade (mostly Mini Grips and Grips) it is their only knife, and there have been no failures, so I think it's safe to say that a broken omega spring is a very rare occurence.

You'll have to send your Presidio in, but Benchmade will sort your knife out.
 
I've had my BM551 for about 6 years, over two years ago had a spring break.Sent it back for repair, still using it with no problems. Wish Benchmade would sell the springs instead of sending it back for repair. I have a few more BM Grips to use if it happens again. They are my favorites.Gary
 
Well, oftenly they send spring overseas to us for free, just because it is a bit hard to start two ways half around the world.

But yes, i would pay for that option, to buy springs, too.
 
Had one omega spring break on my 940. Sent it back to Benchmade, got it fixed. A few months later, the other side broke. Hmm...

I like the blade design, but I don't carry that knife anymore.

TR Graham
 
I recently bought a 942 and I was wondering if a omega spring broke on my knife is there a charge or is it covered under warranty.And what about other parts like screws and pocket clips ?
 
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