I currently own 18 Benchmades, all of them AXIS models. Three others I sold, two of them being AXIS knives. I have never had an omega spring break and, like Joe, am an habitual knife flicker. (Joe, is that you flicking off again?)
As to centering and other issues, each brand has its proclivities. It has been my impression and sometime experience that centering has historically been an issue with Benchmade knives. A few of my older models--a 705, a 710, and an AFCK--can't be brought back to center by the usual methods without impairing the action, but aren't that far off and it really doesn't bother me. My M390 Barrage and a couple others were patiently tweaked back to dead-on. I couldn't get my 940-1 to center for the life of me, but had read that their S90V blades sometimes warped during heat-treat and indeed that appeared to be the case with mine. I really didn't care for the blade shape or the steel and sold the knife on the Exchange with full disclosure.
BM seemed to have some QC issues a few years ago as well as some really pretty piss-poor sharpening. Any BM I've bought either new or that was made in the last couple years has been dead-on centered and well sharpened, as the company seems to have tackled whatever QC issues they've had and are putting out a more consistently well-finished product lately.
I've often compared Benchmade knives to older Jaguar automobiles--classic design, good execution, but something you've got to love and be willing to keep tweaking to keep running they way they should. I'm happy with the ones I have at what I paid for them. Seems like the OP just had some bad luck and others just don't care enough for the knives to put up with their idiosyncrasies. Your mileage--and expectations--may vary.
