Axis vs tri ad

D

D154

Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
95
Which is better?

Im not sure about the Axis, I have subjected my Grip to decent all aound trauma, but I have batoned cross grain loggs with my American Lawman.

any thoughts? can the axis take the punishment that the tri ad can? :eek:

Lots of thoughts please!!!
 
I put away my Benchmade Rukus,
and replaced it with a Cold Steel Black Rhino.
Much prefer the Tri-Ad to the axis.
 
kinda like comparing a sports car to a truck, IMO.

the tri-ad is definitely stronger, but axis is more 'user friendly'. I think both are great locks that excel at different points.
 
one other thing to note is the blades themselves. Benchmade's blades tend to be overall smaller than CS.

That would affect hard use as well as the lock. I can't imagine trying to baton with a kulgera, but thats more reflective of the blade and not the lock itself.
 
Depends what you consider punishment.

I think the Tri-Ad lock is a great lock, improvement on the standard back lock. The Axis is also a great lock. In my use the Axis has been less likely to be affected by dirt, mud or blood when hunting. My back locks did not want to engage when there was the same material in the locking area, that is part of the design.

What would take the most abuse? I dont know. Look at Ankersons videos and other videos on the locks.......decide for yourself. IF you want to baton a folder then the Tri-Ad will most likely take the most of it....but that is if you use inproper technique...if you use the right technique you can baton with a slip joint. There was a guy on some forum that was throwing his 550HG grip about 20 meters into a tree and it was fine after bouncing off, hitting it sideways. I just cant find that thread any where.

Both great. Just different. Would be great to have a machine like spyderco's and put the knives through that and see where it would break.
 
The Tri-Ad is the strongest lock if push both to the point of breaking the knives.

Both the Axis and Tri-Ad will take a ton of abuse and extreme punishment to the point of the blades or handles breaking long before the locks will fail.

Both are at the top of the heap with the Tri-Ad being the strongest.
 
I like how tight the Tri-Ad locks up but the Axis is a marvel as well. As Ankerson said the blade and/or handle will fail before the lock. I prefer the easier function of the Axis but I absolutely love both. The axis is just easier to close, plus one handed is also easier on the axis. As for batoning...I probably would not use any benchmade to baton with, moreover any folder. Not a good use for a folder. Some could probably take it but just because they can doesnt mean they should. Save your folder and get a nice fixed to do that job.
 
Best two locks on the market. Easily. Both are extremely strong & are designed to "wear in" before developing play. Both are very smooth too.

The tri-ad is too new for me to have handled too many but the one I've handled was very smooth. A few have an issue of "sticking" a bit in the open position out of the box & have to be broken in for a bit. Most new designs have an issue like this while they're still working the bugs out. Most don't from what I hear & the AK 47 I gave to my buddy broke in fine & is smoother than any of my traditional backlocks. As for strength, check the Demko Lawman videos on Youtube.

The axis lock has had more time & has earned it's elite rep. Smooth as hell & very strong. I've owned & handled plenty & never had one fail or develop the slightest play.

My stepdad is a firefighter/EMT & the Griptilian I gave him when they first came out (in the late 90s I think) is as tight & smooth as it was when new. He got his son one last X-mas so I got to handle both at once to satisfy my curiosity on that score. No difference in the action.

My suggestion is to handle examples of both becaude there really aren't too many knocks on either lock.
 
I have a new Recon 1 2010 with the triad lock but I like the Axis lock better. Its easier to use and can close it with one hand and not once do I ever worry about it failing.
 
Hard to compare the two locks because like the others have said they are different types of locks. Axis lock is hands down the easiest lock to use while the triad lock is the strongest period. Both are great for what they are. I personally like the triad more only because I have a soft spot for lockbacks and dig the brute strength.
 
Why is everyone saying the Tri-Ad is the strongest? Is there some kind of data sheet available for this, or is it just conjecture based on its design? I don't know anything about it, so I'm just wondering.
 
I'll take an Axis lock knife. You can get something like the 940 which is very thin and easy to carry. They also have a lifetime warranty while CS knives have 1 year.
 
KennyB said:
Why is everyone saying the Tri-Ad is the strongest? Is there some kind of data sheet available for this, or is it just conjecture based on its design? I don't know anything about it, so I'm just wondering.
Click to expand...

I think there was some kind of hanging weight test done.
 
can the axis take the punishment that the tri ad can?
Click to expand...

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Will either lock hold the blade open, long after the blade itself has failed or broken? Probably.

Beyond that point, does relative lock strength even matter? (No.)
If it does, how can you test it practically? (You can't.)

I don't understand why people are saying either lock is stronger than the other, as though empirical proof exists somewhere. It doesn't.

When a folding knife is used hard, or abused, say by prying or batoning, it is always the weakest link that fails first. Sometimes the lock fails. Sometimes the blade snaps off, or the frame gets deformed, allowing the stop pin to pop out, or the pivot pin to shatter, or whatever. Once such a thing happens, the knife is broken, and lock strength is a mute point.
In the case of any knife with an axis or tri-ad lock, it is a reasonable bet (assuming you didn't get a lemon) that the lock will not be the weakest link, and will not be the first part to fail.

Testing the locks for any strength beyond that point isn't really practical, or applicable, so why worry about which may or may not be slightly stronger, or which may have held the knife open slightly longer, if the blade hadn't already snapped?

Using a folding knife to do anything other than cut is an act of either desparation or stupidity - or curiosity, in the case of a knife destruction test. If you're looking to prevent the loss of your fingers under such circumstances, either lock seems a prime candidate.
Which is truly, functionally, practically, unequivocably better? You will never know.
 
And, erm, some "interesting" videos...

For the Tri-Ad lock, I find it interesting the mere addition of a blade-stop pin to an ordinary mid-lock can make an entire world of difference.

With Benchmade's Axis lock, it seems like a lot of people have problems with omega springs breaking. Cold Steel actually used to use a licensed version of it before switching to the Tri-Ad lock.

I wonder if the switch is more of a business decision. There's some talk of owning rights vs licensing, and such. I also wonder if it's cheaper to build a mid-lock with one extra pin than an Axis lock derivative.

Also, there are some other things to consider.

If you are concerned about the knife blade breaking, perhaps you would be better off with a fixed blade or a different tool entirely.

Also, I think the best steel the Tri-Ad lock is available in is AUS-8, while the Axis Lock is available in "premium" steel.
 
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I would say they are close enough in strength that the deciding point now lies in personal preference and build quality.
 
kozak6 said:
And, erm, some "interesting" videos...

For the Tri-Ad lock, I find it interesting the mere addition of a blade-stop pin to an ordinary mid-lock can make an entire world of difference.

With Benchmade's Axis lock, it seems like a lot of people have problems with omega springs breaking. Cold Steel actually used to use a licensed version of it before switching to the Tri-Ad lock.

I wonder if the switch is more of a business decision. There's some talk of owning rights vs licensing, and such. I also wonder if it's cheaper to build a mid-lock with one extra pin than an Axis lock derivative.

Also, there are some other things to consider.

If you are concerned about the knife blade breaking, perhaps you would be better off with a fixed blade or a different tool entirely.

Also, I think the best steel the Tri-Ad lock is available in is AUS-8, while the Axis Lock is available in "premium" steel.
Click to expand...

Andrew Demko is making customs with the Triad lock. I am getting mine from CPM154.:) It should be done in the next two months.:D
 
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