Combat Elite RRF vs. Benchmade Rukus

[Hair]

Right on.

I only said "clumsy" because of the Axis lock's reputation of being extremely smooth and easy to use. More so than any framelock I have used as the framelock by nature is more "clumsy" to unlock.

I still prefer the framelock to the Axis lock overall, but was playing Devil's advocate with Esav.

Reading over my comments in this thread again, I really look like I am down on the RRF. In reality I really like the Rukus and the RRF and want both. I only took the Rukus' side because Esav's post seemed very anti-Rukus, so I wanted to take the other side and defend the knife I have a slight preference for. I have no problem with Esav's view, but I wanted to give the other side (my side) and show that his comments about the Rukus could also be applied to the RRF.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

You don't need to play devil's advocate. The devil can speak for himself

The axis lock is too smooth. If I want a knife to reach for when someone is shoving up against me, I do not want one that will disengage if he hits against it. We have people who worry that a white-knuckled liner lock will disengage. But an axis lock can be released even if you are holding the knife properly.

Anyway, unless you're planning on getting into a Sandbar Fight, you want a short, sharp blade that your opponent won't see, not a short sword he can't miss while you're waving it around.

 

[Hair]

I don't disagree, but self defense is really not one of my criteria for buying a knife.

 

[Nathan S]

The axis lock is too smooth. If I want a knife to reach for when someone is shoving up against me, I do not want one that will disengage if he hits against it. We have people who worry that a white-knuckled liner lock will disengage. But an axis lock can be released even if you are holding the knife properly.

Anyway, unless you're planning on getting into a Sandbar Fight, you want a short, sharp blade that your opponent won't see, not a short sword he can't miss while you're waving it around.

I'm not going to get into the self defense aspects, but I will say the axis lock is as secure a lock as there is on the market. It can have other drawbacks (it's a pain in the butt to clean if you gunk it up, for example), but the axis lock shines for strength, reliability and ease of use. Of course, any folder's lock, given the right conditions, can be made to fail. However, I think you'd have to work pretty hard to accidently disengage the axis lock, particularly in a knife as long and hand - filling as the Rukus.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Nathan, I'm not talking about disengaging the lock of my own knife. If you get into a fight with an open axis-lock knife in hand, your opponent striking against it can disengage it because the lock is out there, unshielded, and his action striking at the front of the knife, will push the axis bar backwards.

 

[Nathan S]

Nathan, I'm not talking about disengaging the lock of my own knife. If you get into a fight with an open axis-lock knife in hand, your opponent striking against it can disengage it because the lock is out there, unshielded, and his action striking at the front of the knife, will push the axis bar backwards.

Yes, I guess this could happen, though it would take a very particular series of events to make it work. And, in that case, I would think that disengaging the lock would be the least of you problems. I mean, your hand is right behind the lock, so if your opponent is striking the lock (with his blade, club, hand or whatever), he very likely is also striking your hand. Which would wound you and possibly cause you to drop your knife.

 

[beefangusbeef]

I think if your opponent strikes your knife he has more to worry about than you do............... unguard, though shall taste my steel. Geesh, images of swashbuckling rukus fighters coming to mind Or even worse maybe the other guy has an italian stilleto. Yes I can see it know, you are confronted by Tom Cruise in a dark alley and he, the last samurai, pulls his tac auto stilleto out and shouts unguard, As he swipes at your axis lock rukus, the lock fails and you are stopped! His hand now gouged and cut, it slowly regrows back into place. I suggest if you're carrying your rukus for SD, just carry a pistol more than likely if a 4+ inch blade concealed is going to fly where you are then a pistol more than likely will too.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Pistols are not always a legal option, thanks.

Let's drop the self-defense scenario, and think about this:

I was walking along a nearby trail and saw a bird on a branch, caught up in fishing line. I took out my Vaquero Grande and was able to reach into the bush and gradually slice the line away, freeing the bird.

With the branches nearby in the way and the bird thrashing around, that Rukus might have been a problem: twigs pushing against the knife and my hand could have released the axis lock.

Sitting at home flicking your blade open and closed, you'd never notice this sort of thing, though.

 

[Nick Hyle]

Esav, I'm not trying to be a troll here but - I've heard about this hypothetical Axis weakness to accidental release for years. What I haven't heard is even one case of it happening, not from use in the field, not from guys sparring with Axis-lock trainers - and we aim for the hands!

So I'm just asking, have you personally heard of an occurence where this bump it and it unlocks thing happened, or it just a "looking at the engineering" hypothetical? If someone has heard of it, has anyone heard of it happening more than once?

They're folders. As a number of people have said, they all come pre-broken. But I've been carrying mostly Axis locks for a few years now, and beating the crap out of them, and I've never had anything like that happen. (A distinction shared by Spyderco lackbacks, in my personal experience.)

I'm reading what it wrote, and it sounds much more confrontational than I want it to, sorry, too much coffee. My intention is to have a civilized conversation, not a crazed and fanatical Benchmade defense.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

No, it doesn't sound confrontational.

Axis locks are great, and certainly in normal daily carry, they are fun, reliable, strong locks. For heavier duty, fixed blades are best, but like firearms, aren't always legal or appropriate or accepted.

I know the axis bar doesn't slip back at a light touch, but it's not something I would want to have in the back of my mind, using the knife in tight quarters.

 

[Nick Hyle]

No, it doesn't sound confrontational.

Sorry, I just seem to have been on a real "I am a butthole" rampage lately.

For heavier duty, fixed blades are best, but like firearms, aren't always legal or appropriate or accepted.

No argument. Nothing like a solid slab of tool steel in your hand.

I know the axis bar doesn't slip back at a light touch, but it's not something I would want to have in the back of my mind, using the knife in tight quarters.

I'm going to file this under "We all have quirks." I mean, I realize it's highly unlikely that a Smith & Wesson revolver would fail - but having had one junk itself in my hand (apparently a leaf spring slipped out of alignment) I rely on something other than a S&W for backup these days - because it would, like you said, be there in the back of my mind, bugging me.