I still like Benchmade, but I think I'm done with the axis lock.

ramp1516 said:
I own a BM585 knife and have always found it to be a great knife. This knife is used occasionally, but in no way ever abused, as I treat my tools with great care. I read internet stories of the axis springs breaking, and frankly thought that is must be very uncommon, and people who had this happen must be blowing the issue out of proportion, as it should be an easy way to fix

Well, my perception just changed on both counts, as I recently had a spring break on my BM 585. I figured no big deal, until I contacted Benchmade's customer service dept., with the hopes of getting the issue resolved quickly & easily, .....that is, until I was told they do not just ship out omega springs. For me, doing this would not just be an inconvenience, but a significant problem because I use my knife in my profession, and not having my knife with me could be significant safety issue. Said differently, I cannot afford to be without my knife for weeks so Benchmade can repair it.

What really drives me nuts, is that my understanding my perception was that BENCHMADE IS A PREMIUM KNIFE MANUFACTURER IN THE USA. This carries along with it a certain expectations in terms of the product, and service. I totally understand that things can go wrong with any product, but to me, what counts the most, is how a manufacturer handles it when things go wrong. Frankly, I was very disappointed in Benchmades "policy" on not sending out replacement springs for their knives that brake for no apparent reason & under normal use. Yes, benchmade does have it listed on their website that the knives must be returned for repairs, but come on, this blanket approach leaves users like me who have a problem, with no reasonable way to resolve the issue.

I would assume this is a known issue to benchmade, and IMO they should really address the spring issue proactively by redesigning.... i.e. thicker spring, use different steel, different heat treat, etc)...............but then again, probably $$$ is the preventing factor here..........

So, since I can't afford to be without my knife, I brought it to my firearms armor, who bent up 2 springs ( one for each side to provide equal pressure, since they are not OEM) from .025 piano wire ( which was readily available from my local hobby store). Replacing the springs was as simple as removing the scales, and placing in the newly made springs (although I was told that making them was a little tricky). Works perfectly now.

Just wanted to share my experience, changed perceptions, and solution with all that may find themselves in a similar situation.
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I'm one of those that has never had a spring break after roughly 18 years of using Benchmades with the Axis lock... There have been those that have posted here about their issues with them though.

I have to wonder what the overall percentage is of BM owners who have had springs break. Those of us that spend time here are only a small percentage of people that own and use BM knives.

Those of us that have been using BM's for years, buy them because of the quality, and the customer service. I'll get back to that in a minute.
If the percentage of springs that break is fairly high, and BM would have a good idea how many they deal with, it needs to be addressed. If you do some reading here, you will see that there has been talk of blades not being centered and edges not up to the same standard that they were in years past.

That said, BM isn't the only big company that has had QC issues, but it still doesn't make it acceptable. I agree not sending out small parts can be a pain, but I can also see their perspective.
Some people have zero mechanical aptitude, even on simple tasks. Perhaps this is part of the reason they don't send out most parts. It helps prevent being flooded with boxes of knives that were disassembled, and people weren't able to put them back together again. Perhaps it is partly liability. For those of us that can do the work it seems like a waste of our time and theirs sending the knife in for repair...

Even though many of us might not agree with this policy, you will find countless posts of people praising BM's customer service. As far as not being able to function without a knife while it is being repaired, do you only own one knife ? It's always good to have at least one spare :D
 
I too have had my knife for years, and was surprised when it happened to me. My issue with Benchmade is not their service, which I do have faith in, but their policy. If there was some flexibility in the policy, or if they were more flexible for unique individual circumstances, ( based on a conversation & competence to install the spring which IMO is super easy ), I would have no issue.

How my fix holds up is the million dollar question as I really do like the BM585.
 
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ramp1516 said:
I too have had my knife for years, and was surprised when it happened to me. My issue with Benchmade is not their service, which I do have faith in, but their policy. If there was some flexibility in the policy, or if they were more flexible for unique individual circumstances, ( based on a conversation & competence to install the spring which IMO is super easy ), I would have no issue.

How my fix holds up is the million dollar question as I really do like the BM585.
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There have been other members who have done the same fix as you did, and had good results. I would almost bet this will be the last spring you have break. At least on this knife :D
I have read where BM makes exceptions on shipping parts for people who live overseas, which makes good sense. Maybe some day they will relax their policy here, but I would really be surprised.
 
This thread is blasphemous.:D

The Axis lock is so ingrained into my muscle memory that it's like an extension of my hand. I own other locking folders but I couldn't tell you the last time I used or carried one. Everything else just seems slow, clunky and inelegant in comparison.

 
Wow that is an impressive collection of knives = 13X backups. I especially like that red trainer ;-). Agreed that the BM axis is a great, USA made product which is why I purchased it in the 1st place. I love the super smooth action of the axis lock, and ambidextrous design.

As for the Benchmade "policy" on springs, if it is a matter or legal/liability concern which prevents them for sending out springs, it could be addressed....... create a form on the website with a limitation of liability waver, end users fills out the form & provides agreement, which kicks off an automated process, and benchmade drops a few springs in an envelope with a stamp.

IMO this would take some work upfront for benchmade, but it should improve the over all process efficiency for both benchmade and the customer. Customers with broken springs who are capable of replacing them (which is likely many, as it is a very simple process), get the replacement part quickly & easily. Benchmade's liability concerns would be covered by the form, and they improve their process, ( reduce the volume of returns for repair = less having to open, sort, repair, repackage, and ship, all of which costs benchmade labor & resources), which creates better operational efficiency and provides long term benefits of saving BM time, money & resources.

I would also be willing to bet there would be less frustration when the problem of broken springs happen, less online chatter of the issue, which should also be better for Benchmade.

Really do love their product, and if this achillies heel in their policy could be addressed in a better manner, I believe it would be a win/win for all.
 
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I have carried my AFCK D2 nearly daily (with a few breaks of maybe a couple of days or a week or so) since I bought it in 2003.

It has been around the world with me (literally). It has been used in the woods, it's been wet, gritty, and bloody. It has been used in below freezing temps, and used in above 100 degrees both CONUS and OCONUS. The springs have never failed in it. I sent it back into the "Benchmade Spa" for a tune up a few years back, but other than that, there has been no work on it except maintenance by me of oil and cleaning (with an rare disassemble).
 
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I too, have used my benchmade for years and years, in all different environments, and always shortly after using, I have cleaned, lubricated, and treated the knife with great care. The disappointment, is that the knife can perform reliably and flawlessly for years, and years, then a failure can happen out of the blue, from normal use.

Purpose of my posting, is to discuss a more expedient solution, for others in the same boat like me who really like, and depend on their benchmade knife.

Since my original posting, and at the suggestions of another forum member, I did acquire a back-up knife. I wanted something similar to the BM 585 in size & shape. I went with a Cold Steel Mini Recon 1 Spear Point. Although the opening & closing is not nearly as smooth & easy as my benchmade, I am very impressed with the design of the triad lock, and it will be interesting to see how it holds up over time, relative to the axis lock on my BM585. The only negative IMO is that it is not made in the USA.

The piano wire fix I did on my BM585 is holding up well with no further issues. Lockup seems to be slightly better ( tighter & more secure) than stock. I am optimistic that this fix will not only perform better than the stock springs, (as the spring wire is ever so slightly thicker), but also hoping it will last longer (i.e indefinitely). The other added benefit of this fix, is that I have enough piano wire left over, so I bent up a few extra springs, so in the event of another failure, within minutes, I can replace the broken spring.
 
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Benchmade policy states that disassembly of their knives voids the warranty.
It would seem that the act of sending out any internal part for the end user to install himself, would be contradictive of there own policy.
Seems pretty straight forward to me.
 
Benchmade does not define what is, and is not considered "disassembly", and in sending out pocket clips for consumer replacement (which is a great positive in their warranty policy), they are already creating somewhat of a contradiction.

Removing 3 screws to replace a pocket clip is fundamentally not much different than removing 4 screws needed to remove a scale ( at which point an omega spring can be slipped on or off the axis bar). Furthermore neither action is fully disassembling the knife, and in both cases, the knife still remains fully functional ( albeit somewhat uncomfortable with a scale removed).
 
Removing three screws for a clip replacement, or re-handing RH to LH, is most certainly different then removing the outside skin of the knife and replacing a part that is responsible for the locking or safety of the blade.
 
ramp1516 said:
Benchmade does not define what is, and is not considered "disassembly", and in sending out pocket clips for consumer replacement (which is a great positive in their warranty policy), they are already creating somewhat of a contradiction.

Removing 3 screws to replace a pocket clip is fundamentally not much different than removing 4 screws needed to remove a scale ( at which point an omega spring can be slipped on or off the axis bar). Furthermore neither action is fully disassembling the knife, and in both cases, the knife still remains fully functional ( albeit somewhat uncomfortable with a scale removed).
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You should contact the Benchmade receiving department and ask them about all the boxes of knife parts they are asked to re assemble from people who tried to mod the knife or replace a spring.
 
My observation of how Spyderco and Benchmade actually apply their warranty policies (which are similar) is that they will typically not deny warranty coverage simply because a knife has been disassembled. As long as the knife has been competently reassembled and the problem for which the knife has been returned wasn't caused by disassembly (or abuse), they seem to be happy to provide warranty service. As in almost every other part of life, how you approach a problem and how you approach the other party usually has a big influence on how things work out.

There is a small number of people out there who are either not competent to take a knife apart or are simply crooked. Benchmade and Spyderco have warranty policies worded the way they are to protect both the manufacturer and all of the rest of us (who would ultimately pay for incompetence or what amount to theft).
 
Its been a little while (2+ years ago) since I posted on this topic, however the reason I am coming back to it, is because just yesterday the other original omega spring on my benchmade 585 broke. The one I replaced with piano wire ( which I hand bent to form the spring) when I commented on this post 2+ years ago is still holding up fine. I still like my benchmade 585, but it is somewhat disappointing that BOTH omega springs have now failed. It is not a hard use knife, and I take very good care of my knives. I did end up getting a back-up knife a while back as another member recommended, and I went with a Cold Steel Recon 1 Spear point with a triad lock. The triad lock is incredible with tight lock up, and I don't think it will ever fail on me ( but one never knows). Its not nearly as smooth as the benchmade axis, but in my case, it has been more reliable. I like the 154CM steel in my benchmade better than the Recons AUS8. Not sure if Benchmade still doesn't send out replacement omega springs that fail ?, but regardless it ended up being much faster (20 minutes) for me to replace the omega springs with piano wire I had left over from my prior repair, and has been a good solution to avoid weeks without my knife to get it repaired at the factory.
 
Excactlyy,ya don't have to keep complaining time after time,
Just send it in and get it done properly ,forget piano wire,guitar wire lol.big joke really. Be patiant waiting on the return ,
while waiting buy another benchmade to see you through :thumbsup: its not rocket science.
 
Interesting.. I was under the impression that everyone carried 4-5 knives, according to the pics of the daily carry.
 
In an excellent locking mechanism the weak spot, in this case, is in the springs. Under and out of compression, if anything would go it would be them. So; it's not the lock exactly. But the guys above are saying great things about the CS warranty coverage, and I back this up. The solution for me is to always have backups. A trip to the factory for servicing is always on my list of to do's. It's like having affordable insurance!
 
I agree that sending it back to BM is the best course, however, what about us poor schmucks that live in "Nanny Land"? We really can't send our knives back to the U.S. as upon re-entering back into Canada will result in confiscation by our border clowns, so we may very well be forced to "cobble" together some fix-it. Unless Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, Cold Steel, KAI, etc. opens a repair facility up here(or buys our border clowns all new cars to allow them back into the country) we are fairly SOL.
 
colin.p said:
I agree that sending it back to BM is the best course, however, what about us poor schmucks that live in "Nanny Land"? We really can't send our knives back to the U.S. as upon re-entering back into Canada will result in confiscation by our border clowns, so we may very well be forced to "cobble" together some fix-it. Unless Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, Cold Steel, KAI, etc. opens a repair facility up here(or buys our border clowns all new cars to allow them back into the country) we are fairly SOL.
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Email or call and ask nicely for parts?
 
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