Benchmade should hire me for stress-testing

K

KennyB

Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
2,312
Welp, I just wore out my second AXIS lock in 6 months. Not, "It took six months," I busted one, sent it in for warranty, got a new knife, and now 3 months later I've worn this one out too.

I guess Benchmade needs to give me a job flipping and closing their AXIS locks all day.

It's definitely my fault, I had a habit of sitting there "flipping" them open and shut. Not exactly what they quality-controlled for.

Thankfully on this one only one of the springs broke so it's still functioning.

I took it apart to get the broken spring out as it was grinding and messing up the opening, think I can still send it in for warranty?

I think I'm going to move away from AXIS locks though. I mean sure, they don't quality control for some guy flicking them open and shut all day long, but I think for the price they should.
 
flipping open and closed isn't exactly abuse (unless you were really going at it) so i dont see why BM's warranty wouldn't cover it.
 
Robert.B said:
flipping open and closed isn't exactly abuse (unless you were really going at it) so i dont see why BM's warranty wouldn't cover it.
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If you took it apart, they consider that voiding the warranty though. Call em' up, I am sure they will take care of you. I have been nothing but pleased with Benchmade customer service.
 
Make your own springs. I do and it works great. Get .025 piano wire from a hobby shop.
 
you can also buy your own replacement springs from people like McMaster-Carr, Fastenal..etc

For the time, effort and shipping, should be able to buy quite a few springs
 
Well, it´s absolutly clear, if you look forward to different lock types after two failures. But i was flicking them open, different models, over seven years and none failed. So, give BM a chance to find out, what the problem was. They may have lost a customer but should win more experience.
 
Omega springs, some like it some don't...

I prefer the spring in the BB lock of Spyderco if we are taking about something ramming the locking thingy into blade tang. Seems and feels more durable.

Feel free to disagree, just my opinion.
 
Cotherion said:
Omega springs, some like it some don't...

I prefer the spring in the BB lock of Spyderco if we are taking about something ramming the locking thingy into blade tang. Seems and feels more durable.

Feel free to disagree, just my opinion.
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I agree, but I was thinking today. The spring used in the BB lock can be influenced to things such as sand and other debris a bit more then the concealed omega springs. I would love to see the BB lock going through the same tests as the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgRTTz-lt6c
 
Wow, busting an AXIS lock... I hadn't even considered that I was potentially doing harm to my AXIS knives when I flip them.... cause I flip them a LOT. Watch TV flipping them... hundreds of times per night.

Anyone else wear these things out or might this just be an isolated thing?
 
marthinus said:
I agree, but I was thinking today. The spring used in the BB lock can be influenced to things such as sand and other debris a bit more then the concealed omega springs. I would love to see the BB lock going through the same tests as the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgRTTz-lt6c
Click to expand...

Lockbacks (sand in groove), framelocks, axis and linerlocks suffer in sand. Framelock for me is because sand got in between my stop pin and blade tang (part touching stop pin of my ZT300) and the gap between my hanlde and blade.

If you want sand proof I personally would go for the ZT 0500. I'd get them now cause I thnk they may be discontinued and they are excellent folders!

I agree with you, it got a big problem in that spring is exposed but for my poliwog and D'allara, I've opened/closed it countless times everyday (alternate between them two) for about 3.5 years and not a single problem with them springs.

Omega I'm not too fond of. Kinda hit or miss with some people exeriencing problem and some not but too many problem to make me worry.
 
Blop said:
Well, it´s absolutly clear, if you look forward to different lock types after two failures. But i was flicking them open, different models, over seven years and none failed. So, give BM a chance to find out, what the problem was. They may have lost a customer but should win more experience.
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Nah, BM have plenty of other non-AXIS knives I would consider. I was just always cautious about them in the first place because I went, "Hmm, springs, more chance to break," and now I've gone through two of them.

I was considering getting some replacement strings though. Piano wire sounds good, but I don't know if I could bend it in the right shape. Any links to those other places people mentioned? Are they actually springs fitted for Benchmades, or are they just springs in general that I can manage to make work?

Mostly I was just worried about them covering me under warranty because I took it apart.

@topher0

Yeah, that's basically what I ended up doing with mine a lot too. Then last night I noticed it felt kind of "gritty" so I started checking it out and cleaning it up and noticed that the spring was loose, so I took it apart to get it out of there.


On the plus side, I can still use the knife with one spring on the AXIS lock.
 
mine died in a year, but i didnt constantly open and close the knife. most likely a bad spring temper.
 
Why in the world would anyone just sit all day long flicking a knife open and closed?
 
RevDevil said:
Why in the world would anyone just sit all day long flicking a knife open and closed?
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When I'm doing nothing I like my hands to stay busy (can't think of a better way to put that--so go ahead with the jokes :p). I spin pens myself mostly though, not flick open knives, although I do sharpen knives (freehand) to keep busy, too. There's something calming that comes from repetition of a simple action.
 
I broke the Omega spring on almost every BM axis I've ever had. Out of 4 Axis lock BM I have one left. And I'm talking of a time period no longer than a year or two per knife. Now, I only have that one Perdue Axis knife, and all my other BMs are liner locks or frame locks.
Axis locks are good, until they break; and sorry, I don't want to fix a knife I paid a whole lot of money for with a piano wire. The fact warranty voids if you disassemble the knife SUX. If you don't want people to disassemble your knives, make it riveted or some shit, just leave the adjustable pivot.
Axis is very hyped up, People should really consider the fact that the failure could occur when you most need your knife, and that IMO is a bad risk to take, with any knife.
 
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