July 12 2016

gomipile · Sep 28, 2011

I imagine that a wave of interesting knife designs will be introduced by various manufactures starting on July 12 2016.

Can you guess why?

Cold Kill · Sep 28, 2011

Because?

The Government · Sep 28, 2011

Crom will reveal the answer to the riddle of steel.

gomipile · Sep 28, 2011

The Government said:
Crom will reveal the answer to the riddle of steel.

For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts. [Points to sword] This, you can trust.

Tim616 · Sep 28, 2011

Remember, this is only considering that 2012 didn't happen and we all went into battle vs. the zombies with our collections.

trey999 · Sep 28, 2011

Some patent must be expiring on that date.

Gadfly22 · Sep 28, 2011

trey999 said:
Some patent must be expiring on that date.

Bingo. AXIS lock patent filed July 12, 1996. Expires 20 years from that date: July 12, 2016.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5737841.html

Ken44 · Sep 28, 2011

I hope your talking about more than the axis lock. You said a "wave of interesting knives". The axis lock has been out long enough that I don't see it as "interesting", just another good lock.

Btw, just wait and tell us in 2015, I think we can wait

gomipile · Sep 28, 2011

Ken44 said:
I hope your talking about more than the axis lock. You said a "wave of interesting knives". The axis lock has been out long enough that I don't see it as "interesting", just another good lock.

Btw, just wait and tell us in 2015, I think we can wait

Because a knife is more than a lock, and the AXIS is one of the better lock designs not in the public domain. I can't wait to see what the big manufacturers and individual bladesmiths do with it. You can bet your sweet bippy that the smiths on this forum alone will make some amazing ambidextrous designs with AXIS locks once they're allowed to.

elkins45 · Sep 28, 2011

Gadfly22 said:
Bingo. AXIS lock patent filed July 12, 1996. Expires 20 years from that date: July 12, 2016.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5737841.html

SOG and Spyderco have already created their own functionally similar versions, although I'm not sure if Buck or Kershaw have done so yet. Point being that the Axis patent is fairly well irrelevant already.

RevDevil · Sep 28, 2011

I guess the Axis lock look alikes from overseas are getting an early start on this thing eh?
Personally, an interesting knife design is 99% more than the lock.

Tostig · Sep 28, 2011

gomipile said:
Because a knife is more than a lock, and the AXIS is one of the better lock designs not in the public domain. I can't wait to see what the big manufacturers and individual bladesmiths do with it. You can bet your sweet bippy that the smiths on this forum alone will make some amazing ambidextrous designs with AXIS locks once they're allowed to.

I sincerely doubt that.

Tostig

gooeytek · Sep 28, 2011

If they can't create any more interesting designs with the AXIS lock today, I doubt they would be any better 5 years from now.

Gator97 · Sep 28, 2011

elkins45 said:
SOG and Spyderco have already created their own functionally similar versions, although I'm not sure if Buck or Kershaw have done so yet. Point being that the Axis patent is fairly well irrelevant already.

I'd disagree. For one, I'd love to have axis lock on customs folders, sick of the framelocks already. Second, Caged ball lock, is nowhere near as user friendly as axis lock is, pretty much impossible to operate with one finger. I still prefer it over lockbacks and linerslocks and framelocks, but axis is still better.

gomipile · Sep 28, 2011

gooeytek said:
If they can't create any more interesting designs with the AXIS lock today, I doubt they would be any better 5 years from now.

Of course private designers don't. Benchmade has the patent.

marcinek · Sep 28, 2011

gomipile said:
Of course private designers don't. Benchmade has the patent.

And the patent has stopped the, as RevDevil put it, "...Axis lock look alikes from overseas..." from being interesting? So when the patent runs out, the look alike makers are going to roll out those really interesting models they haven't released?

marcinek · Sep 28, 2011

Actually, July 12 2016 is the date that the chip inside all Harbor Freight 1" by 30" belt sanders becomes self-aware. It should make for a pretty creepy day.

gooeytek · Sep 28, 2011

gomipile said:
Of course private designers don't. Benchmade has the patent.

so you're saying Benchmade designers can't can't do what the private designers are capable of?

crimsonfalcon07 · Sep 28, 2011

LOL marcinek. Love your posts.

But unfortunately, the world is going to end in 2012, so it doesn't matter.

Heck, by 2016, we may see a brand new lock design that's even more interesting. Maybe we'll even see knives made by self-aware harbor freight belt sanders...

gomipile · Sep 29, 2011

gooeytek said:
so you're saying Benchmade designers can't can't do what the private designers are capable of?

I'd use the word "won't" rather than "can't." For the same reason that you don't see Cold Steel putting out the sorts of stuff Andrew Demko does.

Do you see Benchmade making a S90V AXIS lock folder exactly to your specifications? Does Benchmade have an AXIS lock folder which is legal to carry in a <2.5" jurisdiction as it comes from the factory? Does Benchmade have an AXIS lock folder in the same price range as Kershaw's less expensive made in the USA models like the Skyline and Zing? There are plenty of niches that their lineup doesn't fill, and that they simply won't fill.

Putting out the kinds of knives some people want just does not fit into Benchmade's business strategy, therefore they won't. Sure, they could set up a custom shop. They could produce affordable knives to compete with Kershaw, etc. They could produce blades in a wider variety of shapes and lengths. But in all likelihood, they won't.