Benchmade 710 Axis lock question

R

Rubicon63

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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I have a new 710 D2 and have a question for those who also own one. I have had it for two weeks and have been opening and closing it to loosen up the lock. It opens and closes like butter now. The blade locks like a vault with no blade play if I wiggle it back and forth from the middle of the knife. But if I grab it by the tip and wiggle it I feels different. I get a the very smallest amount of play. Visually I can't see it but I can feel it if that makes sense. If I lock the knife and push hard against the lock there is no play at all but releasing the lock takes more effort. I called BM and they said to sent it in but before I did that I wanted some opinions.....Thanks
 
Rubicon63,

I have had the same problem with a new 710D2 (see this thread) and a new 940 Osborne. I followed the directions and really cleaned things out well, then I rinsed it out well with the pivot screw open (alcohol & lighter fluid both work well over top of a couple of rags) cleaned it all up with q-tips (including taking the pivot screw out) and really getting everywhere.

I then lubed it liberally with Rem-oil, or an equivalent. I dried up the excess lube and found a much nicer sweet spot for adjustment. You need a drop of blue loc-tite on the pivot screw (make sure it's been cleaned) and carefully thread it in. Keep checking for blade alignment, blade wobble and ease of deployment until it's satisfactory and leave it be for 24 hrs. and you're set.

If that doesn't work, warm up the pivot with a blow dryer and that'll allow you to take the pivot screw out and you can send it back to Benchmade.

I've fixed mine perfectly and had the same problems. QC has gone in the toilet (for me) with my last 2 BM purchases.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=715486
 
Have you tried cleaning the area where the AXIS lock engages the blade? You could have a slight crud build up in that area. Few drops of 3in1 oil, WD-40, or Liquid Wrench would be enough to moisten it, then wipe it clean with a cotton swab.

I've heard of many people that like to turn their Benchmades into gravity folders. Personally, I do not like the idea of being able to simply flick my wrist and have a blade come flying out. I usually set the pivot screw to a slightly tighter setting so that it requires a bit of effort plus a wrist flick to open the knife. The stop bar that holds the blade in place at the point where the AXIS lock engages can take a beating and potentially lessen the life of your blade.

Have you tried adjusting the pivot screw?
 
No but I need to. I was not sure if adjusting the pivot screw would help with vertical blade play in my experience that only helps with horizontal play. I'll give it a try.
 
sounds normal to me. it might not even be play, it might be the knife flexing. it's nearly a 4" blade, that is a lot of torque you can generate if you grab the tip. even my SnG flexes a little bit.
 
I was wondering that my self. All of the other Axis lock I own have much shorter blades. I thought it might be because it's longer.
 
If you have a knife that has a big spot in the middle that it folds around and the blade is somewhat easy to open, there is going to be some other movements. What you describe sounds completely normal in any folding knife.
 
I went through 3 BM710 knives before finding one with 0 play. Even if I tightened it all the way down here was some vertical bladeplay. The 4th one I got is perfect and is as solid as any other knife I have.
 
It is a simple operation to remove any play from an Axis Lock Benchmade, with a combination of cleaning, lubrication and pivot adjustment.

It is worth investing in a T10 Torx driver for the pivot, (plus a T6 if you want to do a complete strip), a good lube (I use Militec1) and some blue Loctite (I use 243).

Every Axis that have have is play-free, which is one of the reasons that I have bought so many.
 
Any - and every - B-M with G10 side, 420 liners, and an AXIS lock will have some play when wiggled from the tip with the handle held at the opposite end. You have the thinner cross-section of the blade perhaps flexing, the looseness of the pivot some like for easier 'flicking' open, and the flexure of the handle, although, in fairness, the 710 has a stiffening back spacer. You have the moment arm of the entire blade length, when you grab it by the tip, to increase the torque you can apply to the pivot - and the washer spacing to contend with, too.

Now, another fly in the ointment... your lube. Too thick - and with some absorbed dust, pocket lint, or Q-Tip cotton fuzz, and you have drag that requires loosening the pivot just to work, allowing flexure. I'm betting that loosening the pivot, spritzing both sides with a decent aerosol cleaner/lube (Like a large can of RemOil from WallyWorld ~$5.) - knife held over an old rag to catch the run-off - to flush the old lube. Work the blade a bit, then close it and tighten it as required. You can wipe the rest of the knife down, too. Blue Loctite that pivot screw, if desired.

B-M QC... is fine. The greatest variation over the years has always been the tightness of that pivot screw - and the sharpness/uniformity of the blade's edge. Both are manually done - and not everyone likes the same tightness - and sometimes, the sharpener may just have been anticipating his next caffein/nicotene/sugar fix. American workers... we aren't always the best!

A little story. I got a 551 Grip and 201 Activator+ that came - out of the box - so dull, they needed heat to cut through butter. Five years later - that Grip and it's 440C met my then new Sharpmaker - as did the 201's D2. A new career to sharpen, they did finally get quite sharp. I tried a third B-M, finally, a year ago - followed by a dozen more since then - in less than a year! All came sharp. The oldest production, a 720, was from '01; the most recent production, a 760BK, from last year. Equally high standard of QC - and armhair poppers. Give B-M another chance... I am glad I did!

Stainz
 
Just a quick update I bought a second 710 this week and what I felt on the first bade is exactly what I feel on the new one. It is a non issue. Thanks to all who posted replies!
 
BTW, This is the exact method that has resolved my 710 & 940 blade wobble & adjustment issues. In order:

I blew the pivot area out with Rem-oil pressure can.

Took out the pivot screw and rinsed it out with alcohol. Then drying/cleaning everything up with a damp (alcohol) q-tip.

Next, did a 3 day application of Miltec-1 using a blow dryer and a couple drops each day to the pivot top & bottom and let set 24 hrs.

Repeat Miltec-1 treatment.

Repeat Miltec-1 treatment.

On 4th day, 24 hrs, after last Miltec-1 treatment, I lubed them gently with Latama Quick Release (1 drop to each side of pivot, work in - hitting top & bottom).

Adjusted the pivot screw after cleaning and treatment.

This isn't the case with all of my Benchmades just the last two of them were giving me problems.

I was able to find a larger sweet spot in the re-tightening, which got me a perfectly tight, centered, blade on both models, silky smooth deployment and no blade shake/wobble at all. Thanks guys. :D
 
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Well... I just bought a new 710 D2 and it has zero play what so ever. No play even if I hold it at the tip and wiggle it around. I have two mini Grips and a 707 and TWO of them have a small amount of bladeplay. Had to fix it with teflon tape on the pivot screw. But the 710 is fine.
 
A slight amount of play has no affect whatsoever on the performance of the knife. I can loosen up my 705 until it rattles when you shake it and it still locks up securely and works fine.
 
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