Is this unusual Axis lock behavior?

[James Y]

I have a 705SBT and for a few months the action became so tight and clogged-feeling it would take effort to open it, and I had to push it the whole way closed. It was not the pivot screw being too tight, because I had already loosened and adjusted it before the gunky feeling even started.

Yesterday I took my 705 out of the drawer, where I had left it for a few months. Amazingly, it's now smoothe as butter. I can even open it as easily as my other, smoothest Axis locks, and close it with a wrist flick. What had happened to clear out the problem by itself??? I am wondering if the gunky-feeling action will return again when the weather changes???
Jim

 

[Flatscan]

I've noticed behavior like this with my 705, but generally only when I take it travelling between temperatures. My guess is that the Delrin washers expand with heat, since 80-degree weather makes the knife stick, while 30s will make it loose.

Adjusting the pivot screw fixes the action until a significant change in temperatures occurs.