I'm either going to buy a Benchmade Crooked River, or a Zero Tolerance 0452cf.
Not sure which one to get. Specifically I never had an axis lock knife before, and am wondering how reliable they are?
Which locking system is more reliable the ball bearing frame lock on the Zero tolerance, or the axis lock on the Benchmade?
Also how much of a difference is there between sv30 and sv35 steel? (My current folder is a Kershaw blur with a sv30 blade, so I am familiar with sv30.)
If I was to get the Benchmade is their any difference related to durability, between the wood handle option or the g10 handle option?
I'm torn between the better steel of the zero tolerance or the axis lock on the benchmade.
Benchmade Crooked River
Zero Tolerance 0452cf
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You wonder about reliability of the Axis lock? It can take anything you throw at it that I knife is meant for. If you abuse the knife, then any lock can fail and be unreliable. Even if you do abuse it, the Axis lock is quite strong (just skip to 2:30 if you don't want to watch all of it):
[video=youtube;V5N1dzv-zKI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5N1dzv-zKI[/video]
[video=youtube;874q2iFsvb8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=874q2iFsvb8[/video]
*** Sorry about the Grammer let's try again... What insight do you have on axis locks? I heard even a perfectly functioning axis lock will have side to side play? Will the zero tolerance lock up tighter simply because of the frame lock?
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Lock up is not side-to-side. Lockup is vertical play. Both ZT frame locks and the Axis lock are rock solid in the vertical play arena. The Axis lock is designed with phosphor bronze washers, while the ZT uses bearings. The Axis lock is supposed to be adjustable by the user to their preference. If you keep the blade looser, there will be some side-to-side play. If you keep it tighter, there won't be. The Axis lock itself is the detent that keep the blade in the handle instead of a detent ball like the ZT. Some folks want the blade so loose that pulling back the lock causes the blade to swing freely like a pendulum, and then complain about side-to-side play. Unrealistic expectation. There will be side-to-side play if you keep it that loose. I use Nano Oil mixed with WeaponShield, and I can adjust my Axis locks so that the blade easily flicks open when I pull back on the lock and use a wrist flip. It also has no side-to-side play since I use the proper lubrication. With other lubricants, I might end up with some barely perceptible play, which doesn't affect squat when cutting. The two ZT knives that I have owned were wonderful knives (ZT0801 and 0808), but not as adjustable as the Axis lock.
The Crooked River has either G10 or Dymondwood. It isn't regular wood. It's a resin-impregnated layered wood that is incredibly durable.
As for s30v or S35VN, you really won't notice a difference in real-world use. If you are one of those sharpening snobs who wants mirror-finished bevels (OK, OK, I admit it! I want those on my office/dress/church knives!), then the S35VN might give you a better result. If you will be happy with hair-popping sharp, either steel will do very well.
The fit & finish issues with Benchmade came to a head when they enforced MAP through their dealers, resulting in an increase in prices to the end consumer (you & me) almost overnight. Suddenly, uneven bevels that weren't a big deal before became completely unacceptable (Benchmade knives are sharpened by hand, not on a machine with a jig). It bugs me a lot because I have to put a new bevel on one side to make them even. Blade centering that was off by half a millimeter was photographed, magnified, and griped about incessantly as if it ruined the knife. They were lumped in with the few legitimate complaints of blades touching the liner (which can usually be adjusted by the owner, but is happily taken care of by Benchmade's awesome customer service), making it seem as if QC had suddenly gone downhill. Things didn't really change at Benchmade, but customers' expectations increased to match the increase in price. I was mad enough about it that I tried to find a different ambidextrous lock that is as nice as the Axis. Even after trying Spyderco's version, I realized there isn't one that matches the Axis lock. Now, I just buy on the secondary market instead of buying new.
Benchmade and ZT both have excellent customer service. Having used both, I give the edge to Benchmade. As for which knife to get, I suggest trying to find a dealer where you can handle both. You may find that one or the other doesn't fit you the way you want. Either knife will be an excellent choice.
