Benchmade 710 - No new axis spring for me.

Originally posted by jmxcpter
BTW, I think that's the first time I've seen Gollnick in full on RANT mode. I think he's tired of these Benchmade warranty posts. He even made a few typos. That's rare for him. He's generally very articulate even if I don't always agree with him.
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I think someone hacked his account!! :)
 
Hm, right now I gotta think twice before buying an Axis Lock...since I´m living in Europe, shipping charges to the US and back aren´t low and I don´t want to send a knife in every time I just want to have it cleaned properly.
In the long run, this might be more expensive than buying a new knife!
 
The one revelation that seems to have become apparent over the last couple of years since the rise in the popularity of bolt action type locks is that they are not a panacea for folder locks. As superior as they are to conventional locks in some respects, they have their own set of inherent problems.

This comes as a surprise because I mistakenly believed that these newer locks would spell a death nell to the conventional locks.

But it appears that sometimes -- for longterm, hard users -- simpler is better.
 
Hi Quiet Storm,

I remember someone posting on the german forum (which has been unavailable for a few days now :( :confused: ), that Benchmade DID send him a few replacement springs to Germany. This sure was exceptional and required some begging, but they did it - obviously because of the high shipping cost.
 
The one concern I had before buying an Axis lock was the Omega spring. If the old posts haven't been deleted to save server performance, you can find my concerns posted through the search function.

While I love my 941D2CF, there is something about the lock on my lil Sebbie, even if it is plain looking and you have to put your finger in harm's way to close it (not really a consideration to me).

So far, the Axis lock has held tight for me. I will admit to not being an EMT, cop or firefighter, so YMMV.

jmx
 
Originally posted by Gollnick
We've been through this again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and.....
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Yep, and you can go on and on posting that tiresome crap as much as you like, but it has nothing to do with how BM actually treats their customers.
Just because you want to talk to people like they're idiots doesn't mean that Benchmade does, and they don't strictly adhere to their written warranty. Neither do alot of other companies.

baraqyal, I expect that if you would call BM, tell them you're sending them a knife with a broken Omega spring, send it to them, and wait a week or so, voila, your 710 will be back with a new spring.
My 710HS which was disassembled weekly for a long time, and had an aftermarket coating (BC1/chromium) raised no eyebrows went sent back for a new spring. I told them all about it before sending the knife. They didn't care, just wanted to fix the problem. Came back UPS 2nd day air, and noone ever mentioned shipping costs to me. Just sent it with a note on an index card that I'd like to have it sharpened, and the spring fixed, along with my address.
My 6 year old, disassembled a hundred times probably, mini AFCK with the stripped screw, a couple that were sheared when the clip ripped off in a car wreck, and a round tip, was replaced with a brand new one because the lock was no longer reliable. Sent it with a note asking them to check out the lock, and got the new one ~2 weeks later.
They sent me a set of torx screws (free) for an AFCK, after being told I wanted to be able to take it apart with the same kit-you know, the one that BM sells that people try to say isn't for taking apart their knives:rolleyes:-I used on my newer knives.

If your knife has a problem that keeps it from functioning as intended, as a result of a defect, or a part that doesn't work like it should, they will fix it, based on my experience with them. BM has excellent customer service.
 
Originally posted by OwenM

baraqyal, I expect that if you would call BM, tell them you're sending them a knife with a broken Omega spring, send it to them, and wait a week or so, voila, your 710 will be back with a new spring.
My 710HS which was disassembled weekly for a long time, and had an aftermarket coating (BC1/chromium) raised no eyebrows went sent back for a new spring. I told them all about it before sending the knife. They didn't care, just wanted to fix the problem. Came back UPS 2nd day air, and noone ever mentioned shipping costs to me. Just sent it with a note on an index card that I'd like to have it sharpened, and the spring fixed, along with my address.
My 6 year old, disassembled a hundred times probably, mini AFCK with the stripped screw, a couple that were sheared when the clip ripped off in a car wreck, and a round tip, was replaced with a brand new one because the lock was no longer reliable. Sent it with a note asking them to check out the lock, and got the new one ~2 weeks later.
They sent me a set of torx screws (free) for an AFCK, after being told I wanted to be able to take it apart with the same kit-you know, the one that BM sells that people try to say isn't for taking apart their knives:rolleyes:-I used on my newer knives.
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Now that's the kind of stuff that's nice to hear and is what I expected from Benchmade. Thanks for posting it.
 
Originally posted by Quiet Storm
Hm, right now I gotta think twice before buying an Axis Lock...since I´m living in Europe, shipping charges to the US and back aren´t low and I don´t want to send a knife in every time I just want to have it cleaned properly.
In the long run, this might be more expensive than buying a new knife!
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I'm sorry but I just don't see the logic in this.

You can clean a knife with gun scrubber or another type of spray. What about all of the knives that can't be taken apart because of how they are made, how do you clean them?
 
I and my friens in Malaysia have quite a few BM Axis lock knives. I do not worry that the spring will break and having to send it in. I just use the dam knife. Knives are made to cut. If the omega spring breaks, I will email BM cust supp and ask them to send me the spring along with a few of the brass washers. If they dont, then I will make them springs meself.

My RM.0.02 sen ( ex @ 3.80 to $) :D
 
My favorite, true, BM LifeSharp story is of a demolition technician who was checking the charges planted in a building they were going to bring down. This was the final check before the actual detonation. He accidentally dropped his BM970 into one of the holes where one of the charges was installed. Getting it out would require removing the charge. To do it safely would be very time-consuming. The count-down was already underway. He simply had to abandon his knife and count it lost. Later, while checking the site for any unexploded materials, what should he find amoung the rubble but the remains of his knife. As a joke, he sent it back to BM for "repairs." In all seriousness, BM sent him a new one.

I've seen the remains of a BM AFCK that was dropped into a campfire. The next day, after the fire had gone out, the remains of the knife were retrived and sent to BM for service. BM replaced it.

That's the sort of service that BM offers. If that's not the service you want, if you want some other service, then just buy another knife.
 
Gollnick,

I certainly did not mean to whine. It was my own stupid decision, and I take responsibility for my actions. I apologize if my post sounded that way.

Benchmade's warranty is extremely clear.

I posted because,
1) People should know that benchmade doesn't sell/send out Omega springs under any circumstance, (so be smart, just send your knife in)

and

2) The rust issue gave me second thoughts about the no-dissasembly warranty.

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions.

-- Rob
 
So are you going to send it in?

Inquiring minds want to know...
 
It's true that they say out right disassembly of the knife voids the warranty, but when he offered to buy the springs, and BM refused, I just think that was a tad mean.
When I phoned up CRKT asking them for the screws, thye didn't ask me for the credit card... but they ask me for the address. I found the whole thing in an envelope within a week. I just think that they should've offered the springs if they don't want to warranty it.
 
Calyth, the thing to keep in mind is that changing a screw is not a major component of the knife like a blade, lock (or lock part), liner, pivot etc...

TheBadGuy has a thread going right now talking about how BM is sending him screws since he stripped one. They will also send clips (with screws) if needed.

Just because it's small does not mean it's not an important component to the safe operation of the knife.
 
The Omega spring on my Ares also broke just like yours. I did choose to send mine in for repairs, since I also needed a new pocket clip. My knife returned fixed for free, but I must complain that they "sharpened" my blade. I spent hours getting a wide convex edge on it that would literally split hairs. They took it to a grinder and now it's too obtuse and dull to cut worth a hoot.

By the way, when I posted about my broken spring, everyone tried to convince me I was one in a million, and that there was nothing wrong with the flimsy spring design. So in less than 2 months there's 3 other people on this same board with the same problem.

I'm still trying to hold judgement on Benchmade's product, but I believe we'll se more broken springs around this board in the future.

Edited: I hadn't read the whole thread and later found that there were 2 more people in addition to the origional poster with broken omega springs.
 
I wish I owned more products that had the amount of problems Benchmade does. 4 or 5 broken springs? Out of how many? If I go to the Acura board, I find lots of people bitching about this or that, and that's a much smaller group than is on here. You're going to have a certain % of failure on anything. The % of Omega spring failure seems to be incredilby small. Am I going to base my future purchases on that? Damn straight. With a record that good, I'll buy many more. :)
 
Springs, blades... locking mechanisms... a voided warranty only means that they reserve the option of not replacing or repairing for FREE...

This covers their butt for all those out there who seem to think that a knife company is responsible for their incompetence. For everyone else, BM has been very generous with their Customer Service. Although rare, everytime I've had a problem with a BM knife, their Customer Service Dept. took care of it for free. Of course, if I were to void the warranty, I would have no problem in being a RESPONSIBLE ADULT, and PAY FOR MY MISTAKES, especially when it's not really that expensive.
 
Baraqyal, you should definately send them the knife back along with the rusted spring. There is far more at stake for BM than warranty issues. If a customer can't take the knife apart and the springs can rust to the point of breaking, then the knife can't be trusted.
From what I understand of the Axis Lock, if both springs were to break the lock would fail (Am I correct?).
 
Originally posted by Patryn
I wish I owned more products that had the amount of problems Benchmade does. 4 or 5 broken springs? Out of how many? If I go to the Acura board, I find lots of people bitching about this or that, and that's a much smaller group than is on here. You're going to have a certain % of failure on anything. The % of Omega spring failure seems to be incredilby small. Am I going to base my future purchases on that? Damn straight. With a record that good, I'll buy many more. :)
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I don't really know if I would consider these omega spring breakages as pretty good odds statistically speaking. I've been at these forums for two and a half years and there is a definite pattern. Sure, it's nothing that requires a product recall but then again if these were liner lock, or lockback failures, it would be considered a catastrophe and people would be up in arms.

I consider knives as durable goods (as opposed to semi durable goods like clothing) and expect years of maintenance free problems as a consumer.

Not to mention that these are the Omega spring breakages that we hear about. There may be more from people at these forums, or not at these forums, that we don't know about.

I agree that it still doesn't change the fact that the Axis lock is a great concept (my 710 rocks!), or Benchmade's willingness to repair breakages. However, I'm sure these problems could be alleviated just by Benchmade letting their supplier of these springs know that there is a failure rate; albeit small. Perhaps they can get a more robust steel spring with a longer life span.

I wonder if SOG's Arc Lock reports the same rate of failure?
 
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