Benchmade Mini Griptillian Binding Issue

[ColdSpyder]

Hi all. I'm kinda new here and have a pretty modest collection of Cold Steels, Spydercos, Kershaws, and recently started getting into Benchmades. I recently got a Persidio 522, Griptillian 550 HG and they are awesome. Smooth and no blade play at all. I just received a mini grip 556 blue in the mail yesterday and I noticed immediately it was not smooth and felt like the blade was binding, like the pivot was too tight. I loosened it a bit and was ok, but would still bind up every so often like there was rubbish caught in the bushings. I took it apart and noticed one of the bushings had some puckering on the edge, like when it got punched the edge didn't cut clean. I tried lightly cleaning the edge up to make it smooth and looked ok. Put it back together and was better, but still not super smooth like the other two I have. If I loosen up the pivot so it feels "normal," I get some side to side blade play, so I know that's not right. I'm planning on sending it in to BM for warranty next week. Has anyone ever experienced this with heir mini grips or any other BM?

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

My mini grip has never been real smooth but I waved it and just deal with it. I have never seen a washer that is deformed but if I did I would probably take some fine sand paper and put it on a flat surface and try to fix it. But if you don't want to mess with it Benchmade has a great warranty department and will fix it up better than new. If you are sending it in and want another knife sharpened you might as well send it to as it is free and you are already paying for shipping.