It is funny reading these new comments when what the thread is about happened ¾ of a year ago. So everyone has been dealing with it for a while now and apparently many people haven't noticed. Because it's not a big deal, sometimes I think people just likes to complain.
It can take a while for some problems to really crop up. Maybe that's starting to happen now. For instance, it took many years for the credit problems with Fannie and Freddie to really manifest themselves, and in the end, it wasn't good.
BTW Benchmade has one of the absolute best warranties in the business. Don't make assumptions about the warranty because of hearsay you read on the internet , and find out for yourself how truly good it is.
And Folderguy, it sounds like you got a lemon with your 930 or more likely when you took it apart and put after market scales on it, something didn't go back together right. They say not to take it apart or warranty is void so they don't get bags of parts from people who don't know what they are doing. If you take your knife apart and put it back together without breaking anything they will honor their warranty. Many people love the AXIS lock but I guess it isn't for everyone? I think it is the best engineered lock on the market which is very strong, ambidexterious, safe and easy to use. I personally wish I could get every knife with an AXIS lock as I much prefer it over frame/liner locks and back locks. I'm curious what specifically you don't like about it and what makes other locks better than it?
(Some of my comments are in
bold, above.)
So maybe I got a BM "lemon"? Hmmm, I'd hope that to not be the case! If their quality control isn't there, that isn't good. I prefer to think there's a different sort of problem, that may be a design flaw in the Axis lock that renders it prone to having some issues, like I have had.
I made new scales for my 930, but I don't like to use the term "aftermarket" because that's like calling those who will go and work at a company that's being struck as "scabs." "Aftermarket" is a pejorative term (to me) in this circumstance. "Aftermarket" sounds sort of illegitimate to me. But what do I know? I'm not a "purist" in these matters, and choose to personalize some, or many, of my knives. It matters little to me if some future collector won't like my modifications. The knife is mine, and doesn't belong to anyone else. One of the main characteristics of the right to property is the right to use and abuse. And I do "use" my knives... Safe queens most are not.
I assure you I know how to take apart a Benchmade Axis locked knife, and put it back together correctly. In fact I did it several times in the course of making the scales.
What happened was some crud got inside the lock after I'd finished the scales and started carrying it daily. It worked just like new from the factory. The issues didn't occur right away. Don't remember exactly when, but the lockup became loose. Was I flipping open the poor knife? Of course I was!! Hello.... was I abusing it? Hmmm... I don't think so, but that might be a matter of some interpretation. Anyway, some crud, probably from inside my pocket, as I was carrying it daily for some time, got inside the lock and prevented the locking mechanism from going fully forward, resulting in a loose lockup. Wiggle loose. I never imagined that would be the problem and tried different things to remedy the situation, but only when I took it apart did the flattened crud drop out of the lock. That was the problem. Put it back together and everything's fine now. However, that lock may be prone to getting dirty. You tell me. Most folks apparently haven't had the problem that I had, and if it happens again, and it probably will because I carry the knife still, just not daily, some dirt from inside my pants pockets, or perhaps lint, will find a way to get in there and muck it up again. In my experience, pockets in dress slacks will develop some lint. Just the nature of the beast.
If you like the ambidextrous feature, that's great, all the more power to you. I'm a righty, and don't really care about that for me.
I also find the lock a bit difficult to actuate one handed. Maybe my fingers are 1/4 inch too short or something, not sure... Just don't like the feel of it. And yes, I can open and close it one handed. Much less comfortable to do than just about any liner or framelock folder that I have. And I include the Tri-Ad lock in that. I open and close it one-handed without any trouble at all.
Would I buy another? Perhaps. There are some other BM models I'm considering, but I sure don't look on the Axis as a major selling point, at least not for me. Hope that explains it.
Folderguy
P.S. People can rave about Benchmade's warranty. I personally don't want to get to know them. I'm sure they're very kind and considerate and compassionate and all that. But it's a little like getting to know the service manager at the car dealership. I don't want to know him, because I don't want things to happen to my car that will require his tender loving care. I want the car to run fine, and not break down. I'm sure the service manager is a great guy, I just don't what to know him. Same with BM's customer service.
When I first read all the disclaimers for BM's warranty, it was a bummer. And so I just figured it was worthless, as I was going to flip the knife open, and do stuff with it that they would say is "abuse." Truth be told, I consider BM to be light duty, very light duty. Not tough, not strong, just a decent knife.
