The Benchmade 710 Axislock, the knife formerly known as the "Vortex." This knife is the flagship knife bearing the new Benchmade Axis lock, a significant departure from the traditional lockback, and liner-lock designs that Benchmade is noted for using. This is a high-flash knife, pushed to milk the last ounces of design quality that can be evoked from laser-cutting and milling machines. I purchased the 710 version, with plain, satin finished blade. The 710S has partial serrations at the rear of the blade, while the 710BT and 710SBT versions have a BT2 proprietary teflon coating for rust-proofing.
Measurements of the Axis-lock were taken, using a cheap metal ruler.
Length Closed: 4 7/8"
Length Open: 8 7/8"
Blade Length: 3 15/16"
Blade Thickness: Less than 1/8" (Benchmade website quotes 0.115")
Handle thickness w/o clip: 7/16"
Handle thickness w/ clip: 11/16"
Handle widths were taken at the front of the knife at the thumb ramp, at the narrowest part of the handle near the forward grooves in the handle scales, and at the widest point near the rearward grooves on the handle scales at the butt of the knife. These measurements were taken in both the closed and open position. This gives an indication of how far the blade protrudes from the handle in the closed position, which affects the usefulness of the closed knife as an impact weapon held in the fist. A knife with a blade that protrudes far away from the handle is extremely uncomfortable as a punching aid. The Axis works well in this role, and has a pointed pommel for strikes with the butt end of the knife. Non-lethal self-defense is a good thing.
Widths:
Thumb Ramp (open): 1 3/8"
Thumb Ramp (closed): 1 3/8"
Forward Grooves (open): 7/8"
Forward Grooves (closed): 1 3/16"
Rearward Grooves: (open): 1"
Rearward Grooves: (closed): 1"
Benchmade quotes their statistics, which are available at the company website:
<A TARGET="Gumball" HREF="http://www.benchmade.com">Benchmade Website</a>
A very thorough review which contains CAD drawings of the Axis-lock mechanism, and animated pictures of it in motion are written up here:
<A TARGET="Gumball" HREF="http://www.equipped.com/axis.htm">Axis-lock review at Equipped.com</a>
This is my first Axis-lock knife, but it certainly won't be the last one I purchase. Since most people are wary of disassembling Benchmade's knives to avoid nulling the Lifetime warranty, I'll begin by commenting on the factory condition of the knife.
Unlike many other people who have complained on the forums, the blade of this knife does not contact the plastic spacer. This Axis-lock arrived just recently from the distributor, and assuming that the distributor isn't holding a great deal of old stock, it seems Benchmade has corrected this out of the box defect.
The textured G-10 handle scales, and skeletonized stainless steel liners are held together by the pivot pin, the Axis-lock bar, and two small diameter body screws at the butt-end of the knife. Both small screws could be turned an additional 3/4 of a turn fresh from the box. Torx drivers are necessary to perform this operation. I purchased a set of cheap Torx drivers from Canadian Tire for $10 Cdn. I suspect the naming of my set of drivers is wrong, but a T7 is required for the two rear screws, a T9 for the three clip screws, and a T10 for the pivot screw.
In addition, the pivot screw tension was set loose enough that there was a small bit of small bit of lateral (left/right) play in the blade in the open position. This play was not sufficient to allow the blade to scrape the steel liners when opened using the thumb stud. At this tension, the knife was smooooooth to open. A quick adjustment with the T10 driver, and some blue Loc-tite had the pivot tension more to my liking. I got the tension to the point were there was no lateral blade play, the knife was still smooth to open, and the Axis-lock springs could still retract the blade if it was jarred open from the closed position.
I should note that this took a few minutes of fiddling. The "sweet-spot" for this tension falls within a very narrow range; you'll likely have to tweak the tension a few times to find the ideal setting. Once at the sweet-spot, there is no lateral play in the open blade even when the Axis-lock bar is retracted. The only knife I've seen with a smoother action, adjusted for no lateral blade play was the Darrel Ralph Apogee, a handmade knife that commands four times the price of an internet-purchased Axis-lock.
When opened, the Axis-lock has a very minute amount of vertical (up/down) blade play. I liken this to the slight up and down wiggle felt in the typical Spyderco Zytel lockback. This wiggle doesn't affect my Spydercos, and it hasn't bothered the Axis. I took the Axis apart and rotated the stop pin, in a futile effort to see if there was a surface abnormality that prevented secure mating of the blade tang and the stop pin. No such luck. The wiggle is still there. The Axis-lock bar is actually free to rotate, and since the lock-bar, and the stop pin are the only places that mate with the blade tang, I'm stymied as to the source of the wiggle. If anyone has any hints, please let me know.
Finally, there was a gritty feel in the Axis-lock's action when closing the knife, at about 30 degrees short of fully closing the knife. Curiously, this friction was only felt at this position while closing the knife, and not while opening the knife. This "sticktion" has largely disappeared over the last 200 openings and closings, along with a healthy dose of Teflon-impregnated Tri-Flow bike lubricant.
The factory edge is quite respectable. It will easily shave hair off your arm. In fact, prior to purchasing this knife, I had sent 6 knives back for warranty purposes. Each of those knives came back hair-popping sharp, an indication that Benchmade really does listen to the complaints of poor factory edges from us internet users. However, the edge is still too thick for my liking, and this is the first Benchmade knife I have seen that has an atrociously thick edge at the tip. Whittling performance at all points along the edge was adequate, except at the tip, which stunk. Yet the knife shaved at all points along the blade, including the tip.
Conclusion?
The edge bevels were mated well, and no burrs were present along the blade, but the edge was too darn thick at the tip to properly wedge through the layers of wood I was trying to cut.
I should mention here that non-knutty people who saw the knife thought the tip was perfectly sharp. However, as the discriminating connoiseur (read: knife-oholic), I demand performance above and beyond what satisfies 95% of the rest of Benchmade's customers. Perhaps I'm expecting too much.
In any case, the knife was resharpened and re-profiled free-hand on a 2.5" x 12" SiC benchstone. The edge bevel now measures slightly more than 1/16" in height. I've taken an AFCK blade bevel to 1/8" in height, but the edge was very vulnerable to chipping. Since the Axis-lock has a thinner blade, and significantly higher flat grind, the edge bevel doesn't need to be as thin to give great cut-through performance.
It should be noted here that all but the rear 1" of the knife can easily be resharpened on a benchstone, and that this procedure took all of 5 minutes on the above benchstone, which was vised in place on my work-bench. The knife can be pressed done with very hard pressure from both hands, without fear of the stone slipping and sliding, allowing all the applied force to be transferring into scrubbing steel from the edge.
Try that on a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and while the bevels will be slightly more predictable, this level of accuracy is not necessary when grinding in relief bevels (as opposed to the actual cutting bevel) In addition, I predict the total sharpening time to be at least half an hour if not a full hour. Can you tell I'm a big proponent of free-hand sharpening?
The rear 1" of the recurve presents a nasty concave relief in the blade edge that neatly defeats any effort to re-sharpen the knife with a benchstone. Here, I had two choices. I could use my Model 203 Sharpmaker with the medium stones, or use the Eze-Lap Model M diamond coated rod sharpener. I elected to free-hand the relief bevel using the Eze-lap, and succeeded in scratching the blade while trying to avoid accidentally sharpening the sides of the thumb studs.
Sigh.
Once the relief bevels were finished, I used the medium stones on the Sharpmaker to remove the burrs along the blade edge. The Sharpmaker works great when used to remove burrs. A very quick stropping was done on leather to remove any loose microserrations. The result was an edge that wouldn't shave, but felt fairly grabby when run along the edge of my thumb-nail. Thanks to Joe Talmadge, Mike Swaim, Steve Harvey, and others for experimenting, and discovering that this coarse edge doesn't shave, but really kicks butt when slicing. Try it, you'll like it.
I'd like to discuss the handle now. The plastic spacer runs nearly the full length of the knife, giving the knife significant rigidity. This solid feeling is aided by the fact that the steel liners appear 25% thicker than the AFCK liners.
However, when looking down at the top of the knife, with the blade pointing away from the user, the right edge of the spacer is perfectly flush with the liner, while the left side is depressed lower than the left-side liner. The mis-match can be felt by running a fingernail against the liner/spacer interface. This looks like a sloppy fit job at the factory until you disassemble the knife. After doing so, it becomes clear that the spacer has a perfectly machined corner on the right edge, but a rounded corner on the left, explaining the perfect fit on the right side, and sloppy mating to the liner on the left side. I don't know why this could be, unless this is perhaps the endpiece of a Delrin sheet that is rounded on the edges as delivered by Benchmade's Delrin supplier. In any event, function is not compromised, just a small nit to pick.
The forward saber grip with the thumb resting on the thumb ramp feels very secure, even after splashing the grip with water. The reverse grip with the thumb capping the butt of the knife is similarly strong both under wet and dry conditions. However, in the forward grip, when the thumb is moved off the thumb ramp and instead is wrapped around the handle in the hammer grip, the grip suffers. There are two major reasons for this:
1) The handle is too long for the butt of the knife to nestle into the palm of my hand. With a smaller handle, the butt of the knife can actually be pressed into the palm of the hand, reinforcing and stabilizing the grip in a manner analogous to a push dagger. A knife handle that works extremely well for me in this way is the Benchmade 910 Stryker.
2) The protrusion from the underside of the at the index finger knife is less secure than a dedicated index finger cutout, as found on the Benchmade 800 AFCK. The index finger cutout presents a wall of grip material that is directly perpendicular to, and effectively blocks, the path where your fingers slide onto the blade. The swelling protrusion of the Axis-lock is a far shallower deterrent to your fingers; in the hammer grip, my hand constantly wants to slide towards the blade if I thrust the knife into a solid object. I prefer the index cutout of the AFCK, with no upper thumb ramp. With the index cutout, the onus on stopping the forward slide of your hands is distributed among four fingers, rather than being concentrated by the thumb ramp onto your thumb.
The choke-up grip for this knife is poor, in my opinion. If you look past the lowest point of the index finger protrusion, you can see a short upcurve of handle, where your index finger can rest in the choke-up grip. Notice also, that because of the upcurve, should you squeeze hard with that index finger while cutting, your index finger will squirt right onto the sharpened edge. Ouch!
For comparison purposes, here are the keys that my out-stretched right hand can reach on the standard IBM PC keyboard.
Thumb: Z
Index: F4
Middle: F6
Ring: F8
Pinky: [
There are grooves laser-cut into the steel liners at the thumb ramp, and on the knife underside at the index finger. The grooves have been cut flat across the peaks, so there are no pointy apexes. The G10 scales are not grooved at these locations, so they provide a buffer against the grooves of the liner. The net result is an increase in traction, but not one so great as to abrade the skin on your fingers.
For increased comfort, the corners of the G10 scales have been fully rounded at the factory, versus the conventional beveled corner that is stock for older Benchmade models. Apparently, the early Axis-locks lack the rounded corners, although this can easily be added using some sandpaper. Feel in the hand is noticeably improved after the corners of the scales are rounded.
The blade is composed of ATS-34, heated treated to 59-61 on the Rockwell C scale. The blade has a flat grind that goes up to within 1/4" of the blade spine, considerably higher than the AFCK. As a contrast, at the point at the center of the AFCK blade hole, the blade grind stops 1/2" from the blade spine. The higher grind of the Axis lock seems to appreciably increase its cut-through ability. The knife is sharpened all the way to the back of the blade. This makes sense, since the user's fingers should never be in the blade path while closing, unlike in liner-locks, and it helps to milk the excellent cutting edge: handle length ratio.
On the Axis-lock, there is a deep swedge that runs 2 1/16" back from the blade point, that is very reminiscent of the now discontinued Benchmade 401 Panther Weehawk series. Personally, I hate swedges with a passion, although I acknowledge that they may lighten the blade, and increase the penetration ability. However, I think they weaken the tip of the blade, and more importantly, make the knife look significantly meaner and more alien to the average person. In my opinion, that's too much to give up for a small increase in piercing ability. I believe the possible weight savings to be negligible.
The clip placement is for a tip-up knife; the clip can be secured on either the right, or left side of the handle at the butt end of the knife. In concert with the dual thumb-studs, and Axis-lock bar that passes through both sides of the handle, the 710 Axis-lock is a truly ambidextrous knife. Approximately 11/16" of the knife protrudes out of the pocket to avoid interfering with a body screw mounted at the extreme tip of the butt end, so this clip is not mounted as high up as is found on Benchmade's pivot-mounted clip knives. I don't find this to be a problem in daily carry.
As this Axis-lock is a newer version, I have noticed that the clip is slightly different in this model, compared to my other Benchmades, which are 1-2 years old. In this Axislock, the lip at the end of the clip just past the concave depression is bent slightly upwards, to more easily accomodate sliding the clip over a belt or pocket. Unfortunately, this up-turned lip digs into the palm of my hand while cutting, so I switched the clip out for an older clip, where the lip lies completely flat. That was the end of that ergonomic nightmare, which would surely have raised blisters in hard cutting.
A handy trick I've noticed, as a right-handed user, is to use the left-handed clip holes to tension the clip. I'm very finicky about the tension in the clip, and I always modify the factory tension to suit my needs. Unfortunately, this means removing and replacing the clip numerous times to set the tension "just right", which has the potential to strip the threads in the steel liners. Therefore, I used the extra set of clip holes that are drilled for left-handed users to test out the clip tension, preserving the threads for the right-handed clip holes.
Another neat trick that I picked up on BladeForums, I from Marion David Poff in his Kasper AFCK review (Thanks Marion!), is to use friction tape on the clip to aid in the draw. I used the same tape that is used to provide traction on the floors of bathtubs, and other ceramic surfaces. This tape is very water-resistant and sticky, and I found it in the black colour in the bathroom section of a local hardware store. A two foot strip, which is plenty for all my knives, was a paltry $1.06 Cdn after tax. This tape is amazing at increasing the grippability and indexing of the knife clip during the draw. I highly recommend you try it. For those people who are concerned about "resurfacing" objects they bump into with their sandpaper-coated clip, I suggest putting the tape only inside the concave depression of the clip. This effectively shields outside objects from the tape. As my middle finger naturally falls into this depression on the draw stroke, the tape still provides significant friction and aids my grip.
Another structural feature of note is that the steel liners are skeletonized for reduced weight. While this does not seem to compromise rigidity, it potentially leaves gaps and spaces for food debris and lint to collect. I don't know of an effective way of cleaning around the entire contour short of disassembling the knife; I don't think compressed air can follow the entire perimeter of the cut-outs.
This is a possible major gripe with this knife. There is a milled-out section in the G10 scales of the Axis-lock to accommodate the omega-shaped springs. This hollowed section of G10 is noticeably weakened, as it can be flexed slightly using thumb pressure. In addition, the hollow looks to be the perfect "gunk" trap, as anything that works its way inside has a difficult time working itself back out. Although there is a circular cutout in the steel liner to expose part of this hollow, I am not convinced this is enough for easy maintenance. I believe that water that makes its way into the hollow will stay there for a good long time. Hopefully the springs are made of a very rust-resistant material, though I'm not at all anxious to test this.
A further gripe with this milled-out area is that it prevents the Dremelling of index scallops to facilitate easier access to the thumb studs. It's standard practice for me to Dremel these scallops (which are found stock on the 910 Stryker model) into every G10 scaled knife I own. Try that on an Axis-lock, and you'll be sending it back to Benchmade with a twenty dollar bill, and an apology note, after you break through into the hollowed area.
This is exacerbated by the fact that the thumb studs lie directly against the handle, and are not mounted on the blade a short distance away from the handle, where they would be more easily accessed by the thumb. In addition, the thumb studs are exactly the same height as the scales. On the good side, this neatly prevents snagging of the dual thumb studs during the draw stroke out of the pocket.
I snag the studs while drawing out of the waistband at the 1 o'clock carry position, and at the 4 o'clock position at the kidneys. The kidneys draw is particularly bad for snagging. Since I carry mostly in the front right-hand pocket, the dual studs don't present a problem for me.
The Axis-lock buttons are raised well over 1/32" (nearly 1/16") above the G10 handles. To lower the chances of accidental lock disengagement, I'd prefer these buttons to be machined flush with the handle scales. I feel this is a better compromise, though it would certainly make intentionally unlocking the knife more difficult.
Any other gripes?
A major complaint I have is with the recurve. I'm a big proponent of knives that can easily be resharpened on the simplest sharpening system of all, a flat benchstone or rock. I think Lansky/Gatco type sharpeners might require multiple clampings before an adequate sharpening job is performed. I feel it's a little unfair of Benchmade to ship a knife that cannot be properly sharpened without a Sharpmaker, or other rod sharpener.
On looking at the Axis-lock, since only the last 1" couldn't be sharpened on a benchstone, I conclude that the first 2.9" of the blade, including the belly, are mechanistically exactly the same as the forward rake of the AFCK. Both blades have in-line points dropping down to a generous belly followed by a smooth upcurve. The difference is that the last 1" of the Axis-lock has a downcurve that generates the "recurved" blade. In this way, I look at this last 1" much like an inch of serrations on a combo-edge blade. It's a b*tch to resharpen on a benchstone, and subsequently won't be frequently employed in daily usage. Particularly since the thumb studs present an obstacle in cut-through slicing anyway.
I say ditch the recurve, and make it easy on the average Joe to resharpen. Give the Axis-lock the AFCK forward rake, which really only affects the last 1" of blade, lose the recurve and have done with it. I'm considering obliterating the recurve using a Dremel to eliminate the downcurve on the last 1" of blade.
The other major gripe is aesthetics. I'm sick of black, G-10 handled scales. The decorative grooves in the scales serve nothing to enhance the grip, and serve as a mockery of sorts, that this knife once came in an aluminum handle. Given Benchmade's track-record of colourful anodization, I was originally looking forward to a green-anodized aluminum handled Axis-lock. That won't happen as long as G10 is the handle scale choice du jour.
The only production knife I've received compliments on is my red-handled Benchmade Leopard Cub. Even the similarly sized Spyderco Delica makes some people nervous. I figure the black handle must be at least a contributing factor, although I concede that the Leopard Cub has a more traditional knife shape than the Delica.
Did I already mention that I hate the swedge? The knife blade, in my opinion, would be so much more graceful with a simple flat grind to the spine, and no swedge. It'd cut even better than the current flat grind, and would probably not lose much penetration ability. I love this simple grind, which can be seen in Benchmades Leopard and Spike series of knives.
Finally, pick up a Benchmade 612 Leopard Cub or a Benchmade 640 mini-Spike, and observe the graceful way the curve of the handle spine melds and continues into the curve of the blade spine. Notice the way the Axis-lock could also have been engineered for the seamless fusion of the blade: handle juncture were it not for that ugly, protruding thumb rest. Of course, the stop pin would have to be relocated slightly.
On the bottom half of the knife, the same blending of the blade and handle could be accomplished if not for the small cutout at the base of the blade. I've been operating the Axis-lock for the last little while, and I don't see any mechanical reason for this cut-out's presence, other than to perhaps facilitate resharpening. I'd rather "fill-in" the cut-out, and just leave it as an unsharpened edge. While cutting material using long slicing strokes, there is the possibility of snagging material in the present cut-out.
Well, it seems like I've got a fair amount of gripes with this knife. However, to me, the ugly aesthetics, thumb stud snagging, and annoying recurve and swedge are of secondary importance. The Axis-lock has passed my spine-whacking tests, and very importantly, passes the torquing foos-ball style tests. The knife cuts noticeably better than my AFCK, and in the forward saber grip with the thumb on top of the handle, the stock Axis handle is significantly more comfortable than my modified AFCK handle. The Axis has replaced the AFCK for daily carry, and is the using knife I reach for most. Most importantly, I know my purchase promotes the movement away from the liner-lock as a utility locking mechanism.
This won't be the last Axis-lock I own. And once you've got the pivot tension into the sweet-spot, the slippery-smooth opening action gives that exhilarating "Awwww, yeah!" feeling that I know all you knife-knuts have experienced.
Comments and questions? I'm eager to listen.
Ian
PS: Thanks Dave Williams for finding these neat smileys. Now, don't you have a job or something during the day?
[This message has been edited by Protein (edited 10 August 1999).]
Measurements of the Axis-lock were taken, using a cheap metal ruler.
Length Closed: 4 7/8"
Length Open: 8 7/8"
Blade Length: 3 15/16"
Blade Thickness: Less than 1/8" (Benchmade website quotes 0.115")
Handle thickness w/o clip: 7/16"
Handle thickness w/ clip: 11/16"
Handle widths were taken at the front of the knife at the thumb ramp, at the narrowest part of the handle near the forward grooves in the handle scales, and at the widest point near the rearward grooves on the handle scales at the butt of the knife. These measurements were taken in both the closed and open position. This gives an indication of how far the blade protrudes from the handle in the closed position, which affects the usefulness of the closed knife as an impact weapon held in the fist. A knife with a blade that protrudes far away from the handle is extremely uncomfortable as a punching aid. The Axis works well in this role, and has a pointed pommel for strikes with the butt end of the knife. Non-lethal self-defense is a good thing.
Widths:
Thumb Ramp (open): 1 3/8"
Thumb Ramp (closed): 1 3/8"
Forward Grooves (open): 7/8"
Forward Grooves (closed): 1 3/16"
Rearward Grooves: (open): 1"
Rearward Grooves: (closed): 1"
Benchmade quotes their statistics, which are available at the company website:
<A TARGET="Gumball" HREF="http://www.benchmade.com">Benchmade Website</a>
A very thorough review which contains CAD drawings of the Axis-lock mechanism, and animated pictures of it in motion are written up here:
<A TARGET="Gumball" HREF="http://www.equipped.com/axis.htm">Axis-lock review at Equipped.com</a>
This is my first Axis-lock knife, but it certainly won't be the last one I purchase. Since most people are wary of disassembling Benchmade's knives to avoid nulling the Lifetime warranty, I'll begin by commenting on the factory condition of the knife.
Unlike many other people who have complained on the forums, the blade of this knife does not contact the plastic spacer. This Axis-lock arrived just recently from the distributor, and assuming that the distributor isn't holding a great deal of old stock, it seems Benchmade has corrected this out of the box defect.
The textured G-10 handle scales, and skeletonized stainless steel liners are held together by the pivot pin, the Axis-lock bar, and two small diameter body screws at the butt-end of the knife. Both small screws could be turned an additional 3/4 of a turn fresh from the box. Torx drivers are necessary to perform this operation. I purchased a set of cheap Torx drivers from Canadian Tire for $10 Cdn. I suspect the naming of my set of drivers is wrong, but a T7 is required for the two rear screws, a T9 for the three clip screws, and a T10 for the pivot screw.
In addition, the pivot screw tension was set loose enough that there was a small bit of small bit of lateral (left/right) play in the blade in the open position. This play was not sufficient to allow the blade to scrape the steel liners when opened using the thumb stud. At this tension, the knife was smooooooth to open. A quick adjustment with the T10 driver, and some blue Loc-tite had the pivot tension more to my liking. I got the tension to the point were there was no lateral blade play, the knife was still smooth to open, and the Axis-lock springs could still retract the blade if it was jarred open from the closed position.
I should note that this took a few minutes of fiddling. The "sweet-spot" for this tension falls within a very narrow range; you'll likely have to tweak the tension a few times to find the ideal setting. Once at the sweet-spot, there is no lateral play in the open blade even when the Axis-lock bar is retracted. The only knife I've seen with a smoother action, adjusted for no lateral blade play was the Darrel Ralph Apogee, a handmade knife that commands four times the price of an internet-purchased Axis-lock.
When opened, the Axis-lock has a very minute amount of vertical (up/down) blade play. I liken this to the slight up and down wiggle felt in the typical Spyderco Zytel lockback. This wiggle doesn't affect my Spydercos, and it hasn't bothered the Axis. I took the Axis apart and rotated the stop pin, in a futile effort to see if there was a surface abnormality that prevented secure mating of the blade tang and the stop pin. No such luck. The wiggle is still there. The Axis-lock bar is actually free to rotate, and since the lock-bar, and the stop pin are the only places that mate with the blade tang, I'm stymied as to the source of the wiggle. If anyone has any hints, please let me know.
Finally, there was a gritty feel in the Axis-lock's action when closing the knife, at about 30 degrees short of fully closing the knife. Curiously, this friction was only felt at this position while closing the knife, and not while opening the knife. This "sticktion" has largely disappeared over the last 200 openings and closings, along with a healthy dose of Teflon-impregnated Tri-Flow bike lubricant.
The factory edge is quite respectable. It will easily shave hair off your arm. In fact, prior to purchasing this knife, I had sent 6 knives back for warranty purposes. Each of those knives came back hair-popping sharp, an indication that Benchmade really does listen to the complaints of poor factory edges from us internet users. However, the edge is still too thick for my liking, and this is the first Benchmade knife I have seen that has an atrociously thick edge at the tip. Whittling performance at all points along the edge was adequate, except at the tip, which stunk. Yet the knife shaved at all points along the blade, including the tip.
Conclusion?
The edge bevels were mated well, and no burrs were present along the blade, but the edge was too darn thick at the tip to properly wedge through the layers of wood I was trying to cut.
I should mention here that non-knutty people who saw the knife thought the tip was perfectly sharp. However, as the discriminating connoiseur (read: knife-oholic), I demand performance above and beyond what satisfies 95% of the rest of Benchmade's customers. Perhaps I'm expecting too much.
It should be noted here that all but the rear 1" of the knife can easily be resharpened on a benchstone, and that this procedure took all of 5 minutes on the above benchstone, which was vised in place on my work-bench. The knife can be pressed done with very hard pressure from both hands, without fear of the stone slipping and sliding, allowing all the applied force to be transferring into scrubbing steel from the edge.
Try that on a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and while the bevels will be slightly more predictable, this level of accuracy is not necessary when grinding in relief bevels (as opposed to the actual cutting bevel) In addition, I predict the total sharpening time to be at least half an hour if not a full hour. Can you tell I'm a big proponent of free-hand sharpening?
The rear 1" of the recurve presents a nasty concave relief in the blade edge that neatly defeats any effort to re-sharpen the knife with a benchstone. Here, I had two choices. I could use my Model 203 Sharpmaker with the medium stones, or use the Eze-Lap Model M diamond coated rod sharpener. I elected to free-hand the relief bevel using the Eze-lap, and succeeded in scratching the blade while trying to avoid accidentally sharpening the sides of the thumb studs.
Sigh.
Once the relief bevels were finished, I used the medium stones on the Sharpmaker to remove the burrs along the blade edge. The Sharpmaker works great when used to remove burrs. A very quick stropping was done on leather to remove any loose microserrations. The result was an edge that wouldn't shave, but felt fairly grabby when run along the edge of my thumb-nail. Thanks to Joe Talmadge, Mike Swaim, Steve Harvey, and others for experimenting, and discovering that this coarse edge doesn't shave, but really kicks butt when slicing. Try it, you'll like it.
I'd like to discuss the handle now. The plastic spacer runs nearly the full length of the knife, giving the knife significant rigidity. This solid feeling is aided by the fact that the steel liners appear 25% thicker than the AFCK liners.
However, when looking down at the top of the knife, with the blade pointing away from the user, the right edge of the spacer is perfectly flush with the liner, while the left side is depressed lower than the left-side liner. The mis-match can be felt by running a fingernail against the liner/spacer interface. This looks like a sloppy fit job at the factory until you disassemble the knife. After doing so, it becomes clear that the spacer has a perfectly machined corner on the right edge, but a rounded corner on the left, explaining the perfect fit on the right side, and sloppy mating to the liner on the left side. I don't know why this could be, unless this is perhaps the endpiece of a Delrin sheet that is rounded on the edges as delivered by Benchmade's Delrin supplier. In any event, function is not compromised, just a small nit to pick.
The forward saber grip with the thumb resting on the thumb ramp feels very secure, even after splashing the grip with water. The reverse grip with the thumb capping the butt of the knife is similarly strong both under wet and dry conditions. However, in the forward grip, when the thumb is moved off the thumb ramp and instead is wrapped around the handle in the hammer grip, the grip suffers. There are two major reasons for this:
1) The handle is too long for the butt of the knife to nestle into the palm of my hand. With a smaller handle, the butt of the knife can actually be pressed into the palm of the hand, reinforcing and stabilizing the grip in a manner analogous to a push dagger. A knife handle that works extremely well for me in this way is the Benchmade 910 Stryker.
2) The protrusion from the underside of the at the index finger knife is less secure than a dedicated index finger cutout, as found on the Benchmade 800 AFCK. The index finger cutout presents a wall of grip material that is directly perpendicular to, and effectively blocks, the path where your fingers slide onto the blade. The swelling protrusion of the Axis-lock is a far shallower deterrent to your fingers; in the hammer grip, my hand constantly wants to slide towards the blade if I thrust the knife into a solid object. I prefer the index cutout of the AFCK, with no upper thumb ramp. With the index cutout, the onus on stopping the forward slide of your hands is distributed among four fingers, rather than being concentrated by the thumb ramp onto your thumb.
The choke-up grip for this knife is poor, in my opinion. If you look past the lowest point of the index finger protrusion, you can see a short upcurve of handle, where your index finger can rest in the choke-up grip. Notice also, that because of the upcurve, should you squeeze hard with that index finger while cutting, your index finger will squirt right onto the sharpened edge. Ouch!
For comparison purposes, here are the keys that my out-stretched right hand can reach on the standard IBM PC keyboard.
Thumb: Z
Index: F4
Middle: F6
Ring: F8
Pinky: [
There are grooves laser-cut into the steel liners at the thumb ramp, and on the knife underside at the index finger. The grooves have been cut flat across the peaks, so there are no pointy apexes. The G10 scales are not grooved at these locations, so they provide a buffer against the grooves of the liner. The net result is an increase in traction, but not one so great as to abrade the skin on your fingers.
For increased comfort, the corners of the G10 scales have been fully rounded at the factory, versus the conventional beveled corner that is stock for older Benchmade models. Apparently, the early Axis-locks lack the rounded corners, although this can easily be added using some sandpaper. Feel in the hand is noticeably improved after the corners of the scales are rounded.
The blade is composed of ATS-34, heated treated to 59-61 on the Rockwell C scale. The blade has a flat grind that goes up to within 1/4" of the blade spine, considerably higher than the AFCK. As a contrast, at the point at the center of the AFCK blade hole, the blade grind stops 1/2" from the blade spine. The higher grind of the Axis lock seems to appreciably increase its cut-through ability. The knife is sharpened all the way to the back of the blade. This makes sense, since the user's fingers should never be in the blade path while closing, unlike in liner-locks, and it helps to milk the excellent cutting edge: handle length ratio.
On the Axis-lock, there is a deep swedge that runs 2 1/16" back from the blade point, that is very reminiscent of the now discontinued Benchmade 401 Panther Weehawk series. Personally, I hate swedges with a passion, although I acknowledge that they may lighten the blade, and increase the penetration ability. However, I think they weaken the tip of the blade, and more importantly, make the knife look significantly meaner and more alien to the average person. In my opinion, that's too much to give up for a small increase in piercing ability. I believe the possible weight savings to be negligible.
The clip placement is for a tip-up knife; the clip can be secured on either the right, or left side of the handle at the butt end of the knife. In concert with the dual thumb-studs, and Axis-lock bar that passes through both sides of the handle, the 710 Axis-lock is a truly ambidextrous knife. Approximately 11/16" of the knife protrudes out of the pocket to avoid interfering with a body screw mounted at the extreme tip of the butt end, so this clip is not mounted as high up as is found on Benchmade's pivot-mounted clip knives. I don't find this to be a problem in daily carry.
As this Axis-lock is a newer version, I have noticed that the clip is slightly different in this model, compared to my other Benchmades, which are 1-2 years old. In this Axislock, the lip at the end of the clip just past the concave depression is bent slightly upwards, to more easily accomodate sliding the clip over a belt or pocket. Unfortunately, this up-turned lip digs into the palm of my hand while cutting, so I switched the clip out for an older clip, where the lip lies completely flat. That was the end of that ergonomic nightmare, which would surely have raised blisters in hard cutting.
A handy trick I've noticed, as a right-handed user, is to use the left-handed clip holes to tension the clip. I'm very finicky about the tension in the clip, and I always modify the factory tension to suit my needs. Unfortunately, this means removing and replacing the clip numerous times to set the tension "just right", which has the potential to strip the threads in the steel liners. Therefore, I used the extra set of clip holes that are drilled for left-handed users to test out the clip tension, preserving the threads for the right-handed clip holes.
Another neat trick that I picked up on BladeForums, I from Marion David Poff in his Kasper AFCK review (Thanks Marion!), is to use friction tape on the clip to aid in the draw. I used the same tape that is used to provide traction on the floors of bathtubs, and other ceramic surfaces. This tape is very water-resistant and sticky, and I found it in the black colour in the bathroom section of a local hardware store. A two foot strip, which is plenty for all my knives, was a paltry $1.06 Cdn after tax. This tape is amazing at increasing the grippability and indexing of the knife clip during the draw. I highly recommend you try it. For those people who are concerned about "resurfacing" objects they bump into with their sandpaper-coated clip, I suggest putting the tape only inside the concave depression of the clip. This effectively shields outside objects from the tape. As my middle finger naturally falls into this depression on the draw stroke, the tape still provides significant friction and aids my grip.
Another structural feature of note is that the steel liners are skeletonized for reduced weight. While this does not seem to compromise rigidity, it potentially leaves gaps and spaces for food debris and lint to collect. I don't know of an effective way of cleaning around the entire contour short of disassembling the knife; I don't think compressed air can follow the entire perimeter of the cut-outs.
This is a possible major gripe with this knife. There is a milled-out section in the G10 scales of the Axis-lock to accommodate the omega-shaped springs. This hollowed section of G10 is noticeably weakened, as it can be flexed slightly using thumb pressure. In addition, the hollow looks to be the perfect "gunk" trap, as anything that works its way inside has a difficult time working itself back out. Although there is a circular cutout in the steel liner to expose part of this hollow, I am not convinced this is enough for easy maintenance. I believe that water that makes its way into the hollow will stay there for a good long time. Hopefully the springs are made of a very rust-resistant material, though I'm not at all anxious to test this.
A further gripe with this milled-out area is that it prevents the Dremelling of index scallops to facilitate easier access to the thumb studs. It's standard practice for me to Dremel these scallops (which are found stock on the 910 Stryker model) into every G10 scaled knife I own. Try that on an Axis-lock, and you'll be sending it back to Benchmade with a twenty dollar bill, and an apology note, after you break through into the hollowed area.
This is exacerbated by the fact that the thumb studs lie directly against the handle, and are not mounted on the blade a short distance away from the handle, where they would be more easily accessed by the thumb. In addition, the thumb studs are exactly the same height as the scales. On the good side, this neatly prevents snagging of the dual thumb studs during the draw stroke out of the pocket.
I snag the studs while drawing out of the waistband at the 1 o'clock carry position, and at the 4 o'clock position at the kidneys. The kidneys draw is particularly bad for snagging. Since I carry mostly in the front right-hand pocket, the dual studs don't present a problem for me.
The Axis-lock buttons are raised well over 1/32" (nearly 1/16") above the G10 handles. To lower the chances of accidental lock disengagement, I'd prefer these buttons to be machined flush with the handle scales. I feel this is a better compromise, though it would certainly make intentionally unlocking the knife more difficult.
Any other gripes?
A major complaint I have is with the recurve. I'm a big proponent of knives that can easily be resharpened on the simplest sharpening system of all, a flat benchstone or rock. I think Lansky/Gatco type sharpeners might require multiple clampings before an adequate sharpening job is performed. I feel it's a little unfair of Benchmade to ship a knife that cannot be properly sharpened without a Sharpmaker, or other rod sharpener.
On looking at the Axis-lock, since only the last 1" couldn't be sharpened on a benchstone, I conclude that the first 2.9" of the blade, including the belly, are mechanistically exactly the same as the forward rake of the AFCK. Both blades have in-line points dropping down to a generous belly followed by a smooth upcurve. The difference is that the last 1" of the Axis-lock has a downcurve that generates the "recurved" blade. In this way, I look at this last 1" much like an inch of serrations on a combo-edge blade. It's a b*tch to resharpen on a benchstone, and subsequently won't be frequently employed in daily usage. Particularly since the thumb studs present an obstacle in cut-through slicing anyway.
I say ditch the recurve, and make it easy on the average Joe to resharpen. Give the Axis-lock the AFCK forward rake, which really only affects the last 1" of blade, lose the recurve and have done with it. I'm considering obliterating the recurve using a Dremel to eliminate the downcurve on the last 1" of blade.
The other major gripe is aesthetics. I'm sick of black, G-10 handled scales. The decorative grooves in the scales serve nothing to enhance the grip, and serve as a mockery of sorts, that this knife once came in an aluminum handle. Given Benchmade's track-record of colourful anodization, I was originally looking forward to a green-anodized aluminum handled Axis-lock. That won't happen as long as G10 is the handle scale choice du jour.
The only production knife I've received compliments on is my red-handled Benchmade Leopard Cub. Even the similarly sized Spyderco Delica makes some people nervous. I figure the black handle must be at least a contributing factor, although I concede that the Leopard Cub has a more traditional knife shape than the Delica.
Did I already mention that I hate the swedge? The knife blade, in my opinion, would be so much more graceful with a simple flat grind to the spine, and no swedge. It'd cut even better than the current flat grind, and would probably not lose much penetration ability. I love this simple grind, which can be seen in Benchmades Leopard and Spike series of knives.
Finally, pick up a Benchmade 612 Leopard Cub or a Benchmade 640 mini-Spike, and observe the graceful way the curve of the handle spine melds and continues into the curve of the blade spine. Notice the way the Axis-lock could also have been engineered for the seamless fusion of the blade: handle juncture were it not for that ugly, protruding thumb rest. Of course, the stop pin would have to be relocated slightly.
On the bottom half of the knife, the same blending of the blade and handle could be accomplished if not for the small cutout at the base of the blade. I've been operating the Axis-lock for the last little while, and I don't see any mechanical reason for this cut-out's presence, other than to perhaps facilitate resharpening. I'd rather "fill-in" the cut-out, and just leave it as an unsharpened edge. While cutting material using long slicing strokes, there is the possibility of snagging material in the present cut-out.
Well, it seems like I've got a fair amount of gripes with this knife. However, to me, the ugly aesthetics, thumb stud snagging, and annoying recurve and swedge are of secondary importance. The Axis-lock has passed my spine-whacking tests, and very importantly, passes the torquing foos-ball style tests. The knife cuts noticeably better than my AFCK, and in the forward saber grip with the thumb on top of the handle, the stock Axis handle is significantly more comfortable than my modified AFCK handle. The Axis has replaced the AFCK for daily carry, and is the using knife I reach for most. Most importantly, I know my purchase promotes the movement away from the liner-lock as a utility locking mechanism.
This won't be the last Axis-lock I own. And once you've got the pivot tension into the sweet-spot, the slippery-smooth opening action gives that exhilarating "Awwww, yeah!" feeling that I know all you knife-knuts have experienced.
Comments and questions? I'm eager to listen.
Ian
PS: Thanks Dave Williams for finding these neat smileys. Now, don't you have a job or something during the day?
[This message has been edited by Protein (edited 10 August 1999).]
