I'd like to steer this thread away from being about whether the axis lock is good or not. It's clearly one of the best locks ever made. The debate is whether, given that it is an excellent lock, is it better than the hawk lock.
I don't think there is going to be any convincing you.
Axis is:
1: -Much easier to clean. (It may not be likely to get debris in the Hawk, but it only takes once at the right time...)
2: -Just as fast, and if slower if would be not be a determinable amount. (When flipping you would be holding the bar away from the tang.)
3: -Ability to be turned into a fixed blade.
4: -Other spring material can be used to replace springs.
5: -Fully ambidextrous. (Of course a left handed person can use a hawk, but Axis is the definition of ambidextrous.)
6: -Much more prevalent and tested over time.
7: -Lock is in better placement so as not to be accidentally disengaged by user. (I don't think the argument that someone could disengage it in a fight is a valid one.)
But if and when those two locks do fail, they're done. Axis could technically work indefinitely. And you don't have to put your hand in the way of the closing blade. The axis closes much quicker and easier, something I appreciate when using it around people.
Axis vs the world!!
haha
I can be convinced. I love both and have owned three hawk-locks and at least 5 axis locks and have had great experiences on both.
1: One piece of dirt won't destroy the lock. At any rate, in some versions of the hawklock, literally no dirt can ever get in, so it's a question of easy to clean versus never needing cleaning.
2: The axis lock simply is not as fast as a RAM. It's just not. This is an empirical fact that you can go test in your nearby knife store. And not just a little fast. Fast in the sense that the human eye can barely see the transition from closed to open. Much faster than an assisted.
3: This is a good point, as I mentioned earlier in the thread.
4: This is true, but you can make a coil spring out of plastic if you want. Steel is not a required material of any spring.
5: Both knives are fully ambidextrous. The definition of ambidextrous is literally not "axis lock." We need to distinguish the concept of symmetry from being able to be used in either hand. All locks can be used in both hands equally easily, including liner locks etc. Right handed people feel like it's difficult because they're not very dextrous with their left hand, but for a nearly ambidextrous person (like myself) it's no easier in my left or my right.
6: This is a good point and a good track record must be taken into consideration.
7: On the current models, you're right, but there's nothing inherent in the hawk-lock design that forces it to be in the middle. This problem will probably be remedied in future models.
The argument that, in a struggle, the hawk lock is harder to disengage by an opponent than an axis lock is factually true. A lock exposed to the air versus a lock hidden in your hand should make this quite obvious. At any rate, it's an inductive argument, so it's impossible for it to be valid.
The hawk lock doesn't need your hand in the way and is faster than the axis lock. And like the axis lock, it has redundant springs. I wouldn't be surprised if one coil spring outlasted two omega springs though, all things being equal--but time will tell.