messed up benchmade!

Joined
Jan 16, 2001
Messages
156
well.. i sent my mini afck in for repairs... and when it came back the three screws along the spine of the handle (the ones going through the G10) were on so tight that they wouldnt budge and whoever at benchmade that worked on it must have used a power drill or something because after they got so tight... they stripped the heads on every one of them so now theyre waaaay too tight and i cant loosen them if i ever needed to. im going to put new ones in but i cant get them to back out! what can i do without any serious surgery?
 
I think Benchmade doesn't like people taking their knives apart. That's why they void the warranty if you do. Where new screws placed?

[This message has been edited by el cid (edited 03-23-2001).]
 
They probably put Lock-Tite on them. They aren't too tight, they are merely glued-in. A soldering iron, touched to the head of the screw, will heat the Lock-Tite, causing it to release temporarily.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
This is gonna sound nuts, but I had to do this with an old BM970 once.

If the screwheads are stripped, there's no way to back them out even if you use the soldering iron trick to release the loc-tite. What you can do is, either with a diamond-coated steel scribe or engraver or engraving dremel attachment... very carefully (can't stress it enough) create a slot in the screwhead to use a jeweler's slotted screwdriver to remove the screws once you cook the loc-tite. Then order some new 2-56 uncoated (only choice) stainless torx screws from R.B. Johnson in Clearwater, Minnesota. I don't have the addy handy, but I could find it if you email me.

The only other option is to send it back to the company, but I don't know what you're reasoning would be for screw replacement. Hope this helps. It's involved, but it works. Best of luck.

Professor.
 
Its true Benchmade doesn't want you to disassemble your knife, however its your decision whether you want to or not. If the screws came back striped and they were not before the repairs, thats more than enough reason to call Benchmade and ask them to replace or repair the item. Originally they sold you a knife with good screw heads, if it came back from repairs in worse condition that needs to be remedied.

The few times I have had to call Benchmade in reference to repairs they have been extremely cooperative, I would call them before too much time passes.

It doesnt matter what your reason is for wanting good screw heads, you as their customer deserve it.

Dark Nemesis

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Crimson Horizon
Nothing but edge baby...
dark.nemesis@home.com
 
Send it back to BM. I'm sure they'll make it right. Use the "self-help" method only as a last resort.

Dick
 
I wouldn't mess with it myself. Why give them an excuse to void your warranty. Send it back to BM - AGAIN! Isn't there a rumor about Bm owning stock in FedEx and UPS and that their corporate mission (evidenced by QC)has nothing to do with knives, but just to generate more and more shipping costs?
 
i tried to talk to benchmade and they didnt seem to willing to help so i have decided to discontinue business with them.... as far as warranty goes. I might still own their knives, but ill fix them myself i guess. I dunno... i was dissapointed
 
I am not at all surprised with this. The last few months have been very poor by Benchmade with regards to customer service. They won't even answer my e-mails for gods sake.



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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
I like the idea of how to fix the screws! My 970's heads are stripped as well... of course, I've taken it apart a few times... those little Allen heads can strip SO easily...

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Of course, that's just MY opinion - I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
 
That is totally out-of-the-ordinary. Benchmade customer service has been more responsive to my inquiries than any other company I've ever dealt with. Literally. I don't know what the people who've been having problems are doing, but I simply cannot believe that it has been on Benchmade's end, given my experience with them. I mean, I should be getting a box from them, any day now, and that is to fix something I did, not a defect in the knife. It just boggles my mind when people report that Benchmade has been anything less than outstanding in the customer service department.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
My Benchmade knife had problems with the screws also, I went to Eagle hardware and got longer screws and nuts and screwed it together and cut the excess off with a dremel tool, the only problem is that its harder to take the knife out of the pocket due to the screw heads and the clip holding the knife tighter on the pocket. The fix cost only about two dollars.
smile.gif
 
metacarpels,

Another happy BM customer!
wink.gif
Good luck with your screws (I would take Professor's suggestion and fix it yourself). BM has been off my list for a while now. Too bad, as they have some excellent designs.

Chris
 
This will work if you do it right.. take a hack saw or file and cut a straight grove in the screws to make room for a straight edge screwdriver make it a tight fit take a solder gun like already suggested and heat them up on at a time then try to back them out this works for me on a lot of diffrent kinds of equipment including knifes take your time and be carfull not to scratch it up

Good luck Tim

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Some say the end is near. Some say we'll see armageddon soon. i certainly hope we will. i sure could use a vacation from this bull Sh!t three ring circus sideshow of freaks
 
e_utopia, while I am glad you have not had any problems, I HAVE. I must admit to feeling a little annoyed that you consider it my fault that BM cannot be bothered to reply to my e-mails. Oh and I used 3 seperate addresses just in case one e-mail did not work, still nothing. They did look after me first time round, but I made the mistake of mentioning that the AFCK I had suffered from blade play (like thats uncommon!) Since then I have been banned (without telling me why) and they point blank ignore my e-mails. As a customer this sucks all the way.

BM are a company that I had respect for, I think the 750 is an amazing knife for the money. I think my 710 in M2 is one of the best knives EVER made and my Nimravious in M2 is a GREAT medium camp knife. I have yet to be really disapointed with a BM knife, the AFCK was the only model with any real trouble (oh and my Mini AFCK is doing the same now
rolleyes.gif
, but I still love it). Come to think about it, I am being VERY reasonable about the whole thing. To ignore a customer once is a mistake, to keep doing it is unforgivable, I wish someone who does not mind being banned from the Benchmade forum would post a link to this, maybe then BM will actually listen to me.


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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
alright... its tough to admit but ive been analyzing the situation... and i came to the conclusion that I myself did not give benchmade a sufficient chance to make right their err. The knife wasnt terribly cheap and i got the feeling that I was too harsh too fast... Im not saying they werent careless, but heck.. i think i could have been more understanding...
 
I have the same problem with my Mini AFCK, when I told mine apart to replace the back spacer with standoff, I found that one of the screw had stripped thread also.
 
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