Is this Sanrenmu knife a copy of some other knife?

Habbekuk said:
To be fair I must say that I had about 70 SRM's passing through and those three mentioned above are the only complaints I have. I sold quite a few to some workmates, and now they regularly ask me if I have some trade goods for them. It often happens that the knife I brought for show and tell doesn't come home with me.
Those workmates are not "real knife people" but they are all engineers and are capable of seeing the difference between a good value tool and "POS junk manure"
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Please don't tell me you're buying Sanrenmus and taking them into work and flipping them to your pals! That's what ya call being a real entrepreneur! :D
 
Okay, as I've previously posted, I tried that whacking stress test on my Sanrenmu GA-763, and it did not fail.

Well, here's my video with a 21-gun salute (that's how many times I hit it).

Enjoy.

Click on link: Sanrenmu GA-763 Axis Test

Btw, this was my second test on the same knife (didn't video record it the first time).
 
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I am having a hard time understanding that I only paid $12 with shipping for my 710....It just does not make sense... I feel like I am ripping off the Chinese for once.
 
@vortex,

I didn't open it, although folks at UK forums hinted using needle plier that fits into 2 of the 3 holes.

What I did, oiled it with cooking oil, sewing machine (Singer) oil, washed it with liquid shower gel, ran it under hot water while opening & closing. I guess the soap lifted the oil, while the oil lifted the factory grease. This was done over the course of several sessions, while I was trying to thin down the bevel.

I also tested my 763 with oil on the lock & tang. Whacked it, it didn't fail. Repeatedly.
On the other hand, another SRM that looks like klotzi (wharncliffe blade) will sometime fail (the lock disengage, not bent/broken). It still lockes open for daily task, but I won't stab with it.
Lesson learnt: test the knife. Regardless of brand.

One last thing, the steel will rust easier than SAKs. I shaved woth one, accidentally cut off a small infection, got blood on the edge. Cleaned it with water only, and the next day saw that spot has spots. Ceaned up with metal polish & buffer fine. I keep them lighly oiled nowadays.
 
Chris "Anagarika";9343343 said:
@vortex,

I didn't open it, although folks at UK forums hinted using needle plier that fits into 2 of the 3 holes.

What I did, oil it with cooking oil, sewing machine (Singer) oil, wash it with liquid shower gel, ran it under hot water while opening & closing. I guess the soap lifted the oil, while the oil lifted the factory grease. This is over the course of several sessions, while I was trying to thin down the bevel.

I also tested my 763 with oil on the lock & tang. Whacked it, it didn't fail. Repeatedly.
On the other hand, another SRM that looks like klotzi (wharncliffe blade) will sometime fail (the lock disengage, not bent/broken).
Lesson learnt: test the knife. Regardless of brand.

One last thing, the steel will rust easier than SAKs. I shaved woth one, accidentally cut off a small infection, got blood on the edge. Cleaned it with water only, and the next day saw that spot has spots. Ceaned up with metal polish & buffer fine. I keep them lighly oiled nowadays.
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How was the shave? :D
 
Chris "Anagarika";9343343 said:
@vortex,

I didn't open it, although folks at UK forums hinted using needle plier that fits into 2 of the 3 holes.

What I did, oiled it with cooking oil, sewing machine (Singer) oil, washed it with liquid shower gel, ran it under hot water while opening & closing. I guess the soap lifted the oil, while the oil lifted the factory grease. This was done over the course of several sessions, while I was trying to thin down the bevel.
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I'll give it a try, thanks!
 
Shaved very well, thank you! :D

The only one not ok yet is my black SRM 710. As mentioned elsewhere, the black coating process might have softened the tempering.

@vortex, you're welcome!
 
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I've been thinking about those whacking the spine tests of the two axis lock knives. The Benchmade failed and the Sanrenmu failed after wetting the lock.

The beauty of an axis lock is that if it or the blade is worn, it will, by its nature, take up the slack and remain tight. I have worn one frame lock to the point that the knife rattles when you shake it the blade is so loose. It won't fail the spine whack test, however. If the axis lock can take up the slack of wear; it has to be prone to failing the spine test as there has to be a slope allowing the lock to slide so as to tighten the lock on the blade in compensating for wear. The more gradual the slope is the less likely it is to fail the test but unless the slope reverses; it can fail. [I really think it does reverse at some point causing a positive lock even if it slides.] Lubrication will obviously make it more prone to sliding which is why the water caused the SRM to fail after it has passed the test with none.

I am assuming that despite this slope, there is a place where the slope goes the other way forming a positive lock. So why does it fail? My guess is that the whack causes the lock to bounce. With the BM; the lock jumped far enough to clear the reverse slope and it failed. The SRM bounced but the additional friction before being dipped in the water caused it to bounce straight up (or not at all) and it fell straight back down (or didn't move) and passed the test. When lubed with water the lock bounced the same way as the BM clearing the positive lock area and the test failed. A little friction there is likely a good thing.

I haven't inspected one closely enough to be sure but if my thoughts on what is happening are correct; I don't think either would fail in normal use because given any steady force; the lock wouldn't bounce. Even if it were forced hard enough to slide, it can't clear the reverse slope without a bounce.

I'm sure a Benchmade expert can confirm or deny my suspicions particularly in regard to the reversing of the slope. I don't own an axis lock so take my thoughts for what they're worth ... not much. Incidentally, I have and use an SRM 710 and almost feel guilty about how much I like it and how little I care about it...
 
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I think the only way to get an axis lock to fail is if it was defective and the pin doesn't engage over the tang. I know this is very rare for Benchmade knives, not sure about the knockoffs.
 
Judging from both those videos it looked like the lock was engaged because they took quite a lot of pressure before giving way. I would think if the lock weren't over the tang at all, the blade would have little or no resistance and would fail even without a sharp blow and would slam to the closed position... In many cases the blade didn't even close.
 
Mal2,

Mine didn't fail. Even with oil on the lock & tang. However, your theory is very plausible. It's the combination of spring (pushing the lock forward), slope & friction between the lock & tang.

I've managed to finally sharpen the EL01. Really love it. Size is too big & overall look is 'combat' for using at office around sheepies, so am thinking to get EL02. It's big, but overall look is 'cutter' ;) lol
 
Since I don't have any experience with the axis lock having only handled them and looked at exploded diagrams; I decided that the SRM 763 was so cheap; I'll order one and have a look. The EL 02 looks pretty substantial and is certainly cheap but if I really like that lock system a Griptillian might well be my next. I need a new sailing knife and there is a salty Grip; the stainless West Marine brand wasn't very stainless....
 
Thought I'd add that I got the 763 (axis lock) and, like the 710, am downright ashamed of how well I like it and how little I care about it (long story but it was free). Like the 710, it took a little tinkering to get it just like I wanted it but it's perfect now. The lock is solid and passes a good whack but, until it wears some, I could see it failing if the perfect lubricant were reducing friction between lock bar and tang to nothing. That is almost totally theoretical.

It's a little too utilitarian looking but if the thumb studs and the clip were removed; it would look OK.... Incidentally, the bottle opener was, I'm certain, not intensional; just a result of stop bar/tang design.
 
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I've kept and use the 2 SRM 710's for utility cutting but I was so overtaken with guilt, shame and self fear & loathing when I got the 763, that I gave it away the same day it arrived. A real POS.

The pirated axis style lock had springs that could barely be manipulated. They were so gritty & stiff that it was a laugh after owning many BM Axis locks. Never again! :barf:
 
You really should have sent it back. That is neither typical nor acceptable. I doubt I'll buy another for reasons of conscience; despite it not being my job to police patent violations. I really agree that it is pirated, though there could be some sort of agreement, but I wouldn't avoid it because of the knife's quality. If I like the lock after some use; the 763 may well have made BM a sale.
 
cziv said:
I've kept and use the 2 SRM 710's for utility cutting but I was so overtaken with guilt, shame and self fear & loathing when I got the 763, that I gave it away the same day it arrived. A real POS.

The pirated axis style lock had springs that could barely be manipulated. They were so gritty & stiff that it was a laugh after owning many BM Axis locks. Never again! :barf:
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Both my 763's are perfect in that regard. Yours might be a fluke. or maybe mine are.
 
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