Does it hurt your BM axis lock knife to flick it open and closed

L

Lucky Strike

Joined
Oct 2, 2006
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131
Pulling back on the axis lock on my BM 552 and flicking the knife results in a satisfying "smack" type sound as the blade swings open as well as being really fun to do.

Am I hurting my knife's lock though by doing this? I don't want to wear it out prematurely.
 
First off, you don't have to pull the lock back to flip it open...only to flip closed. I can't imagine it being good for it, but I have practiced that type of opening enough to become proficient with both my 551 and it's accompanying trainer and not had any bad effects that I can see. I don't open the knife like that on a regular basis however.
 
May I very strongly suggest that you all not be flipping your knives open where people, especially law enforcment officers, can see you doing it. If an LEO sees you doing it, you are asking for problems of the "gravity knife" kind and non-knife people seeing you do it will lead to them complaining to the police and to the political types about it. That is how bans on knives happen.
 
I never flip my knife open in view of public. I have only practiced in private. In the extremely unlikely event of a SD event, I figured I wanted it out and open asap...that is the only reason I practiced the technique. I agree with you fullerH, that opening in that manner in a public area would not be a smart thing to do.
 
I used to double up on my Ares just for kicks. I'd pull back on the bar, flick the blade open, closed, and open again before releasing the bar. Never noticed any wear or denting of the stop pin.

I pull the bar back on all my axis models, can flick it open with less force than needed for overcoming the detent.
 
I don't think that you will hurt your knife in any way by doing this...as long as you don't use undue force.
It's more about the technique than the force.
 
I have been flicking my AXIS lock Benchmades for years without any sign of anything bad happening.

Flick on. :D
 
bigbcustom said:
I never flip my knife open in view of public. I have only practiced in private. In the extremely unlikely event of a SD event, I figured I wanted it out and open asap...that is the only reason I practiced the technique.
Click to expand...

May I suggest not to use this technique in the unlikely event of a SD situation? With the adrenaline spraying out of your ears it might not be wise to pull stunts like this - better use both hands. :)

-Connor
 
I EDC my Manix everyday because it is great for utility at the shop, and SD when I'm walking down dark dank alleys where the ninjas roam. When in public, I pull my pocket sword of of my pocket, ever so slowly, as to not alarm the sheeples or their sheperd Big Brother. Then I open the blade about 30-40%, quickly snip whatever needed cutting, and swiftly put it back in my pocket, invisible as always. Now when the ninjas attack, my blade comes out in a most uninvisible fashion, shinning its proud uncoated nicely ground surfaces in a most unabashed manor!

Sorry, I may have drifted off topic a bit. I flipped my mini grip like this close to infinity times, and it still has zero blade play. From what I have see, Benchmade hardends their pivot screws much harder then many other companies (my Spydercos might not even be hardended!) therefore they have much less wear. Plus the axis lock is quite unique in the way that it has three points of contact instead of the usual two. Theoretically pivot screw wear that would be disabilitating to a lockback would not even be noticed by an axis lock (also theoretically the universe was formed from a tiny compressed lump of matter that exploded into infinity and created intelligent life through trillions of random events orcistrated just perfectly... off track again, gotta stop doint that!)

Hope I helped
 
Î remember, that the BM - Forum moderation never saw this as a problem to the axis knives and encouraged everyone to call BM if doing this would cause a problem.

In general i would always avoid things, i expect to be bad but keep in mind, that using always causes wear.

In that case there seem to be knives that can be damaged by flicking and there seem to be knives that only wear by this. Not necessarily a significant wear more a theoretical.

I think axis knives belong to the second group but personally i don´t let them smack the stop pin like they should be blown out of my hand. Moderate but strong enough to open it in a smooth move.

Gripis sound louder because the scales are hollow.
 
Connor said:
May I suggest not to use this technique in the unlikely event of a SD situation? With the adrenaline spraying out of your ears it might not be wise to pull stunts like this - better use both hands. :)

-Connor
Click to expand...


if ya practice at all its really pretty easy to inertia open knives - ya might not have time to use 2 hands imho.

oh, and it wont hurt an axis lock to inertia open them, nor to "brownie pop" them lol..
 
I think flicking an axis lock knife is much easier and simpler than using two hands. You also practice it wayyyy more, so at least for me, it'll come very naturally to me. I might flick a Benchmade a hundred times a day...

And yeah, I flick axis and bb locks all the time with no ill effects so far.
 
I've been flicking open and closed my BM710 nearly everyday since I got it around April of 2000. I haven't had a HINT of a problem. Also I agree with not flicking it around the poilce and people.
 
Ditto on nill flickage around PD.... but for your question, I wouldn't flick it too much. I've never had a Benchmade axis lock break on me, but I've had SOG and Cold Steel axis locks both break on me from being flicked like that, and I'm talking in a matter of like two weeks!!

Benchmades got a little better axis lock, though. So it will prob hold up longer. :D
 
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