Axis locks are a poor design

It's covered under warranty, also include 5.00 for shipping & handling.They will replace it. Had new handles on a 551 replaced at no charge. They have an excellent warranty service. The only downside is it takes about a month getting it back. Thats why I have a few more 551s. Can't seem to function without one on me.Gary
 
Steven Andrews said:
I think it's safe to say that a broken omega spring is a very rare occurence.
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I guess that depends on how you're defining "very rare". When this thread was first started a year & a half ago, it contained like 20 examples of broken springs. I haven't searched for more, but since ressurecting this thread, we have already heard of five more broken springs right here.

Keep in mind there's really no way to overstress or abuse these springs. They can only be compressed as much as the lock bar slot will allow, and they're not under any real strain when the knife is being used. They are just breaking on their own while doing what they're (supposedly) designed to do. If we had 25 reports of blades snapping in half while slicing paper, would we be so forgiving? Why are the springs given a free pass? Is it just because they are percieved as a small non critical part? My knife is completely out of action right now as a result of broken springs.
 
It will help to see, when those things were happening. We have had some more reports but when did this happen?

Some say, inproper finished scales might cause breakage too. This is no excuse. It´s just that, based on the posts here, you can´t support the topic.

If we sort out what has happend, i guess we find, that ally scales are propotionally more presented than plastic scales.

If that is true, Benchmade should have an interest to proof whats up with the finish of aluminium scales.
 
Blop said:
It will help to see, when those things were happening.
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I don't know about the others, but in my cases, I saw the last spring break when I was just thumbing it open and closed. Not even while using the knife. I know at least one other happened the same way, and am pretty sure my third failure was the same.

Blop said:
Some say, inproper finished scales might cause breakage too. This is no excuse. ...ally scales are propotionally more presented than plastic scales.

If that is true, Benchmade should have an interest to proof whats up with the finish of aluminium scales.
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My Presidio has aluminum scales, but the Ares had G-10 scales, and I doubt G-10 can wear thru spring steel like that. I have not disassembled the knife, but from what I can see of the springs, I do not see any abnormal amount of wear from rubbing on the scales. Either way, I agree it's no excuse.
 
I must retract my previous statement [#52]. I thought a spring broke in my 710 due to a rattling noise. I opened it up and turns out the stop pin was rattling. But this brings up another bitter point: why isn't the stop pin screwed in? If they want to manintain the clean look/function of the scales, they can countersink it into the steel liner like a $30 Gerber Mini-Covert.
 
I've got a griptillian that I use on a daily basis. No problems yet. It works as if it were new. Going strong for 2 years now. My hard use shows too!
 
I have a Benchmade Ares, and a BM940. Had them both for a few years now. Both work smoothly now as the day I got them.

Absolutely no trouble at all. None. :thumbup:
 
I have a BM 943SBT that I used heavily. EDC'ed it for a couple years and after Hurricane Ivan used it extensively and hard during the cleanup. It was also my first user axis lock so I flicked it thousands of times. Eventually one of the omega springs malfunctioned. It didn't break, the spring came away from the axis pin itself. Not a break but the end result was the same, only one spring engaged the axis pin. Very disconcerting. On the other hand the security of the lock did not seem compromised. I continued using it for about a month before sending it back for warranty work. Benchmade absolutely will fix any omega spring problems (if you ever have one) without any questions. Les certainly isn't as much fun or educational on the forums as Sal, but the customer service at Benchmade is topnotch. I say all this with BM's being my primary EDC and having owned (still do) most of their models (50+). I would never recommend using a knife that was partially compromised but in a pinch based on personal experience, I have and would again use an axis lock with a single failure until I could get the knife in for warranty work.

pete
 
kel_aa said:
I must retract my previous statement [#52]. I thought a spring broke in my 710 due to a rattling noise. I opened it up and turns out the stop pin was rattling. But this brings up another bitter point: why isn't the stop pin screwed in? If they want to manintain the clean look/function of the scales, they can countersink it into the steel liner like a $30 Gerber Mini-Covert.
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There had been some reports of rattling stop pins on the 710. The pin on the 806 wasn ´t screwed too but i never heard, they would rattle.

Never models like the 520 or 420 have screwed pins, but i count this on the fact, that there are automatic models, where BM might have expected higher forces pushing on the pin.

Don´t know about standard on other new models.
 
I don't have any rattling but the stop pin on my BM551 spins around, doesn't seem to effect anything. It still locks up solid. It is one tough folder. I believe the BM525 & BM530 has the stop pins screwed in. Gary
 
Been using the same mini-grip for over a year and using it hard every day. Not a problem at all with it.
 
Dang, this thread is still around? For the late, late comers, I don't actually think axis locks are a poor design--I was quoting someone else.

I've had several, and their derivatives from other companies, and they've all been flawless, years later.

But I could say the same about a lot of the locks I've had. Actually, all of them but lockbacks.
 
I finally got ahold of Benchmade. They won't ship out just the springs, as per their policy. Their service department is running about 30 days behind, so with shipping time, looks like my knife will be gone for at least a month and a half. :( Makes me wonder how many knives are coming back for warranty work if it'll be a month before they can spend 5 minutes putting new springs in mine.
 
the possum said:
Makes me wonder how many knives are coming back for warranty work if it'll be a month before they can spend 5 minutes putting new springs in mine.
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Depends on how many they sell.
If they sell a million knives even 1% becomes 1000 returns for warranty.
5 Minutes for 1000 returns = 5000 minutes divided by 60 minutes/hour = 83 hours. Which is two full weeks of warranty repair on just 1% of one million sold.

I'd prefer 30 days wait for good service, and probably a quality sharpening, on a good product than a short wait for a poor product I know will break again.

;)
 
Cliff Stamp said:
A high defect rate is still actually low, when you factor in the amount of safe queens and paper cutters, the number of reported problems is always going to be small even on problematic products.
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I'm not quite sure I see the logic here. A defective axis lock safe queen is still defective, whether the owner knows it or not. If a knife design is problematic, it will acquire a reputation despite those "low" numbers that are being reported because defects are always relative. The .45 automatic pistol has a reputation for both inaccuracy and phenomenal stopping power. Both aspects are based in reality, but are grossly overstated. And those reputations, I might add, have persisted long after those "realities" were readjusted.
 
My griptillian 551sbk rattles when its tapped while closed. I think its the stop pin. Is anyone else having this kind of problem?
 
My 710's stop pin sleeve is free to rotate and rattles when the knife is closed.

It isn't a defect and the knife locks up like a vault, so it doesn't bother me.
 
I read that earlier with some interest. I have a 610 Rukus that has been problem free for the past year. I also know that sh?t happens and that Benchmade doesn't "trust" the average consumer to repair/replace the omega spring, and I guess that I can understand that, but it does not mean I agree with it. My interest was in the .025 music wire that was used to make a new spring. Has anyone else tried that? I think i will try my local hobby shop to see if they have anything like that, just for a rainy day of course.
 
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