Benchmade planning on letting other companies use the Axis lock?

L

Lucky Strike

Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
131
I know the answer is more then likely no but hasn't Spyderco let other companies use the spyderhole and Emerson has done the same with the wave.

A Manix with an axis lock is my dream knife.
 
There are copies of the Axis already (e.g. CS Ultra Lock, although not too familier with the Ball Bearing lock from Spyderco, it looks similar).
 
Bill McHenry and Jason Williams are the creators of the Axis lock.

How does Benchmade figure into licensing its use by a manufacturer?

Perhaps McHenry and Williams have sold exclusive rights to Benchmade.

Just wondering.

All the best,

oregon
 
BJE said:
There are copies of the Axis already (e.g. CS Ultra Lock, although not too familier with the Ball Bearing lock from Spyderco, it looks similar).
Click to expand...

The ball bearing lock and the Axis lock are about as similar as a Spyderhole and a thumb stud. Both locks work by wedging an object against the blade tang using a spring. The objects used are different, the springs are different, even the grind of the tang is different. The Spyderhole and the thumbstud both provide a place for the thumb to gain purchase for opening the blade with one hand. Once again, the implementation is different.

As far as I know, BMK bought the rights to the Axis lock from the creators. Of course, I could be wrong about that.

As far as Spyderco using the Axis lock, I would rather see them trot out one of the other new locks they have in the works than copy anything from Benchmade.
 
I have and use both all the time (the bb lock and axis lock), and they're effectively the same thing. I don't care--imitation of a good design is a POSITIVE thing in an industry. The BB lock would not exist without the axis lock, I think I can safely say....
 
oregon said:
Bill McHenry and Jason Williams are the creators of the Axis lock.

How does Benchmade figure into licensing its use by a manufacturer?

Perhaps McHenry and Williams have sold exclusive rights to Benchmade.

Just wondering.

All the best,

oregon
Click to expand...

I do not know the details of BM's agreement with M&H. My guess is that if it is exclusive (and my guess is that it is at least to manufacture with the exception of M&H themselves and they've probably got verbage in the contract defining that relationship) that any license to any other manufacturer would require the agreement of both M&H and BM.

Would they do that? Maybe... if they both thought it would be beneficial to them. Perhaps, for example, if the 3rd manufacturer was non-competitive to either of them and adding the 3rd would only serve to increase interest in and demand for the Axis lock.

This isn't about BM or M&H. It's not about Les and Roberta. It's not about Bill and Jason. Les and Roberta have over a hundred employees. I don't know how many Bill and Jason have, but a few dozen wouldn't surprise me. And those employees have spouses and children and others depending on them. This is about hundreds of people. Bill and Jason and Les and Roberta have to act in ways that maximize the benefit to those people.
 
oregon said:
Bill McHenry and Jason Williams are the creators of the Axis lock.

How does Benchmade figure into licensing its use by a manufacturer?

Perhaps McHenry and Williams have sold exclusive rights to Benchmade.

Just wondering.

All the best,

oregon
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly Benchmade is the actual patent holder on the Axis lock. If you look it up on their website under their Locking Mechanism sections it is referred to as "a patented Benchmade exclusive" in the first line. So, either Benchmade is the patent holder or McHenry and Williams have an exclusive deal with Benchmade on it.
 
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