How To Centering a Benchmade Blade

@Benchmade

This thread or a new one with the information above should be a sticky so members can easily find it. I just used this method and was shocked at how well it worked.

 

Making this thread a sticky for reference.

 

Worked like a charm on my Mini Crooked River. Great info!

 

The sad thing is we shouldn't have to do all of this. This thread shouldn't even exist. If Benchmade put out knives with decent quality control, and blades that came already centered this wouldn't be a problem. Do the employees at Benchmade even LOOK to see if a blade is centered? Do the employees at Benchmade just slap knives together as fast as possible to get them out the door? Do the employees at Benchmade have orders to actually INSPECT a knife before it goes into the box? For the record I own six Benchmade knives, and I buy from a brick and mortar store, so I hand pick each knife. None came with off centered blades, or wacky grinds, but up, down, left, and right play has been an issue with some of my models. I honestly like the knives, but I just wish Benchmade went the extra mile with their quality control to prevent the small issues that keep them from becoming a truly excellent/stellar knife company. As I write this there is an Adamas in my pocket. I love that knife, and would never part with it.

 

I disagree. My old man has carried a Mini-Grip for around 5 or 6 years. It used to be centered. I just worked on it last night and this tip did the trick. Sure, I want my knives to come centered but this is an easy fix if they don't and if the knife does go off center I'm glad it was shared with me.

The Adamas is a brute.

 

I'm having one hell of a time getting this to work on the 781.

 

The 781 is going to be tough to move the blade in any direction. The handle is extremely rigid compared to the knives with liners. Is your pivot screw snugged down without side to side play?

 

FWIW, I've always had good results by taking the knife down to pieces, polishing off the washers, blade lobe, and liners on a loaded strop. Then putting it back together while leaving all the body and clip screws loose. Then adjust pivot tension to slightly tighter than desired. Now tighten up the the body screws so they're just barely finger tip tight on a torn driver. Do this in order from furthest from the pivot to closest. Go back through the pattern in order and turn each another 1/6 of a turn. I've seen very few benchmade whith could not be centered without putting them in a vice. But for those as need it, this is a good method. I just wish it weren't necessary for new knives so often.

 

This was an excellent post. One of my 710s had a blade that was slightly off to the left, the opposite of the drawing above in post #1. What I did was the following:

1. I loosened the pivot and body screws
2. I “slid” the scales in opposite directions until the blade was centered.
3. I tightened the last body screw tight, while holding the scales in the position that left the blade centered.
4. Then came the next body screw, followed by the pivot.
5. I put a drop of loctite 242 on the pivot and put the knife away.

So far, the action is great and the blade is still centered. Hope it stays that way.

 

I just wanted to chime in and thank everyone on this thread. I have some aftermarket scales for my Benchmade Bugout. The centering with the stock scales was slightly off, but it got worse with the aftermarket scales. This fixed everything for me. I have perfect centering now.

Thank you all!

 

how do I fix the centering on my 200 puukko

 

Bench vice and a hammer?

 

Anymore hints or tips on the 560-bk1 would be appreciated. I have loosened the pivot screw and tried prying on it. It seems to align temporarily then when I tighten it it goes back to the right.

 

Deleted post

 

It worked, thank you for advice Steve.
But I'd rather knife companies, for example Benchmade, Spyderco etc, made knives with closer tolerance, so no one would need to bend, twist or put unneeded and excessive pressure to make them centered.
If a blade of a folding knife is off center and, after being disassembled and PROPERLY reassembled, still remains noticeably off center and it can't be fixed any other way but using bending, pressure and force, that just goes to show that the parts of the knife lack precision and quality control while processing. IMHO.
Regards,
Alex

 

This is so wrong!

 

To which post is it?

 

Simple. Place in in the middle of the room. But be careful. While you might fix the centering, you may inadvertently create blade play. And no one should play with knives.

 

ANY post that recommends forcing the blade one way or the other to fix short comings in manufacturing.
That is so wrong!
There is only one way to 'Correctly' setup a knife. I already posted it.

 

For me its worth going on line because its cheaper for me to buy a knife off amazon which will save me $50 over going in store, and then just sending the knife into Benchmade to get fixed. It is a pain in the ass, but thats what you have to do these days because more money doesn't mean quality.