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Benchmade 551 noise
- Thread starter medtech
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That's very possible. There was a big chunk in there however... How big is "big"? A 3 to 4 mm pancake of stuff, dirt, lint, whatever...
Not sure exactly, but up near the top of the opening for the pivot release, if a bit of stuff gets in there that prevents the pivot release from going fully forward, that will definitely produce that result, as the engagement on the blade tang will be less than optimal. I think that's what happened, as now the pivot release is definitely fully engaged farther up on the tang.
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That will definitely cause minor amounts of vertical play and I actually mentioned that in a different AXIS lock thread yesterday. I guess from my experience I couldn't see there being as much play as it sounded like there was which is why I made that comment. But without actually seeing the knife it's hard to know exactly what is going on. Regardless, I'm glad you got it figured out. I will mention that I have used a lot of AXIS lock knives and had some in my pockets for years and haven't had much problem with crud in the lock so don't feel too bad about that lock type as I think that was a fairly unusual occurrence.
If you are ever wanting to check out a new AXIS lock knife I highly recommend the 950 Rift. It is a little bigger than yours but is the perfect size for me. It also has really good edge geometry if you like a good slicer. I have 6 of them in various configurations and it is my favorite knife out there. There is not another knife made that I would trade my M4 blade steel Rift for. Except maybe a gold class Rift.
That will definitely cause minor amounts of vertical play and I actually mentioned that in a different AXIS lock thread yesterday. I guess from my experience I couldn't see there being as much play as it sounded like there was which is why I made that comment. But without actually seeing the knife it's hard to know exactly what is going on. Regardless, I'm glad you got it figured out. I will mention that I have used a lot of AXIS lock knives and had some in my pockets for years and haven't had much problem with crud in the lock so don't feel too bad about that lock type as I think that was a fairly unusual occurrence.
If you are ever wanting to check out a new AXIS lock knife I highly recommend the 950 Rift. It is a little bigger than yours but is the perfect size for me. It also has really good edge geometry if you like a good slicer. I have 6 of them in various configurations and it is my favorite knife out there. There is not another knife made that I would trade my M4 blade steel Rift for. Except maybe a gold class Rift.
Thanks for the validation! And glad to hear my experience is not par for the course.
I'll take a closer look at the Rift. Thanks for the recommendation. Is M4 steel a special option, as I see 154CM as the blade steel per the BM website...
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- Oct 20, 2004
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No the M4 was a limited run with only 50 pieces made. The normal production version comes in 154CM blade steel with either black or black/tan G10 handles. I normally get bored with things fairly quick but have had one of these in my pockets since they came out and can't find any faults with it. You probably aren't even looking for another one but I was just throwing that out there.
Here is a multicolored one:
Here is a multicolored one:
No the M4 was a limited run with only 50 pieces made. The normal production version comes in 154CM blade steel with either black or black/tan G10 handles. I normally get bored with things fairly quick but have had one of these in my pockets since they came out and can't find any faults with it. You probably aren't even looking for another one but I was just throwing that out there.
Here is a multicolored one:
Definitely a good looking knife... On my perhaps list.
Have to say that I'm rapidly getting the hang of unlocking locking liners and framelocks, in the dark, without any trouble. The axis, due to the way my fingers move makes it a bit tough to do that easily, onehanded. I've never even attempted it while looking away, as I feel I need to see where the blade is, and then move my index finger over to move the blade toward closure. With the liner/framelocks, I can move the liner with my thumb while moving the blade with my index finger, move the thumb out of the way and close it, without any trouble. What say ye?
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Different locks work better for different people. Do you have any troubles moving your fingers? I know some people have stiff fingers or an injury that limits mobility and certain lock types work better than others.
I personally have no problem with the AXIS lock. I like the fact that I don't have to stick my fingers in the blade path like on a frame lock. I can sit and watch TV and flip a AXIS lock knife open and closed without worrying about my fingers. I pull the lock bar back and then give the knife a little flip to swing the blade open. I do the same thing to close it. Just a light flip will swing the blade closed if the pivot isn't real tight. And since your fingers are up on the lock you don't have to worry about the blade hitting them. It works really well for me and the AXIS is by far my favorite lock type.
I personally have no problem with the AXIS lock. I like the fact that I don't have to stick my fingers in the blade path like on a frame lock. I can sit and watch TV and flip a AXIS lock knife open and closed without worrying about my fingers. I pull the lock bar back and then give the knife a little flip to swing the blade open. I do the same thing to close it. Just a light flip will swing the blade closed if the pivot isn't real tight. And since your fingers are up on the lock you don't have to worry about the blade hitting them. It works really well for me and the AXIS is by far my favorite lock type.
I can flip the Axis lock open and closed with the best, I supposed. Just don't feel really confident about it always flipping closed, as I don't have the pivot adjusted to be really easy for that. Cut myself with the tip of the blade once or twice, inadvertently. Plus, I need to squeeze on the two little studs while pulling back on them, I can do it alright, and my fingers are fine, it's just that it's tougher for me. Perhaps your fingers are a bit longer than mine. That would definitely make a difference.
As for my thumb being in the channel, I've mastered getting it out of there without even thinking of it. It's second nature, and I've had no mishaps thus far.