Mini Griptillian Blade Centering?

S

SilencedShooster

Joined
Nov 5, 2012
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I was pretty excited last week when my new Benchmade Mini Griptillian showed up, but I was disappointed when I noticed the blade centering was off and it was rubbing on the on the liner on one side. I talked with the place I purchased the knife from, and they swapped it out for another one, and it has the exact same blade centering problem as the first one. I called Benchmade's customer service and the lady said to try tightening and loosening the pivot screw and if that doesn't fix the problem to send it in to them. I messed with the pivot screw, and it made no difference whether it was tighter or looser. I am not very happy to have to pay to send a brand new knife back to the manufacture to fix a problem that should have never been there and be without a knife for a couple more weeks. So here are my questions:

What is you experience with the blade centering on the mini griptillians models?

What causes the blade centering to be off on a knife and is it something I can fix by taking it apart?

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Loosen all screws, don't remove. Set blade to center position. Insert a piece of folded paper/cardboard to hold blade centered. Then start to tighten all screws up (firm but not a death grip) After all screws have been tightened remove blocking and see how that works for you. You may have to play with it a couple of times to get it right. Not the best explanation but it is a start.
 
Whitedog said:
Loosen all screws, don't remove. Set blade to center position. Insert a piece of folded paper/cardboard to hold blade centered. Then start to tighten all screws up (firm but not a death grip) After all screws have been tightened remove blocking and see how that works for you. You may have to play with it a couple of times to get it right. Not the best explanation but it is a start.
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Thanks Whitedog, I will take a look and see if I have a torx bit that small. Do you know if they come loctited from the factory?
 
Hopefully that will work for you, but it may not. The truth is that more Grips come from BM with centering problems than other designs, and they're harder to fix. Honestly, it's usually just a cosmetic issue. In cases where it's really off center (for example, rubbing), BM will fix (or replace) it for you. Even with this caveat, they're great knives and I probably have a dozen or more of them. :thumbup:
 
Whitedog said:
Loosen all screws, don't remove. Set blade to center position. Insert a piece of folded paper/cardboard to hold blade centered. Then start to tighten all screws up (firm but not a death grip) After all screws have been tightened remove blocking and see how that works for you. You may have to play with it a couple of times to get it right. Not the best explanation but it is a start.
Click to expand...

I've found that this solves most of the centering issues that I've had over the years. Here's my methodology:

Loosen all handle/pivot/stop pin screws --> tighten down pivot only with cardboard inserted --> tighten down (all the way) all handles and stop pin screws --> loosen pivot screw slightly and remove cardboard

Then adjust accordingly. Sometimes the right tension on the stop pin screw(s) is just as important as the tension on the pivot screw. Mess with both and you can usually find a happy medium.

(BTW - I ****** hate off-center blades..... it's a totally non-functional problem, but my obsessive detail-oriented brain just won't let it be.....)
 
symphonyincminor said:
I've found that this solves most of the centering issues that I've had over the years. Here's my methodology:

Loosen all handle/pivot/stop pin screws --> tighten down pivot only with cardboard inserted --> tighten down (all the way) all handles and stop pin screws --> loosen pivot screw slightly and remove cardboard

Then adjust accordingly. Sometimes the right tension on the stop pin screw(s) is just as important as the tension on the pivot screw. Mess with both and you can usually find a happy medium.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I picked up a small torx screwdriver on my lunch break, and I will try messing with it tonight. I will let you know the results.

symphonyincminor said:
(BTW - I ****** hate off-center blades..... it's a totally non-functional problem, but my obsessive detail-oriented brain just won't let it be.....)
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This is the same problem I have. Just another thing to add to my OCD list lol.
 
If these solutions do not work for you we would be happy to center it for you.
 
Okay, here is what I found. First I tried symphonyincminor instructions, and it didn't have any results. Next, I disassembled the knife because I thought that one of the bronze washers might be larger on one side than the other. What I did was switched the washers around, so the left washer was on the right and vice versa. This made no difference, so I knew washers were the same thickness and that was not the cause of the centering problem. In my search to find out other causes of the blade not being centered correctly, I found a video on youtube by username Shinwasher that explains how the two scales not being lined up correctly will throw the pivot out of alignment and cause the blade to be off center. I tried shifting the scales, and there is not much play in the scales, but I was able to get the blade moved over slightly. It is not centered, but it does not rub on the scale any longer. I haven't decided yet if I am going to keep it and use it like this, or send it off to Benchmade. It looks like it is probably a defect in the molding of the scales that is throwing the pivot out of alignment that is causing the blade to be off center. But unfortunately, I don't think that this is something that can be modified.
 
That's a lot of work but I've been there with a knife in pieces in front of me wondering: "What the heck?" But it only made me resolve to slow down and take the time to play...knowing that I wouldn't be the only guy to send one in pieces to the factory. Advice: When off-center, I most always loosen the pivot first, and then the handle scales (oh yeah, also remove the clip) and then with a soft cloth turn the tip of the blade towards the side closest to the liner. Once shifted, and it frequently, (but not all the time) works, then I'll tighten everything in reverse. Experience says it's not usually the pivot or washers, but the alignment of the scales.
 
Yep (at least IMHO), which is why Grips are hard to fix, while the regular-frame, full-liner Axis knives (like the 710, for example) are usually pretty easy to fix. :thumbup:
 
I have 7 Griptilians and most of them were centered right out of the box. In my experience, it's a little hit or miss. Doesn't stop me from buying them though.
 
CWIN said:
I have 7 Griptilians and most of them were centered right out of the box. In my experience, it's a little hit or miss. Doesn't stop me from buying them though.
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I've got several that are somewhat off center but none that are a problem, and no, it does not keep me from buying them at all. They are like Lays potato chips... :D
 
JNewell said:
Yep (at least IMHO), which is why Grips are hard to fix, while the regular-frame, full-liner Axis knives (like the 710, for example) are usually pretty easy to fix. :thumbup:
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Maybe another reason why people should stop saying the 707 sequel and the mini-grip are the same, and its not worth the price difference.
 
SilencedShooster said:
Maybe another reason why people should stop saying the 707 sequel and the mini-grip are the same, and its not worth the price difference.
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FWIW (just about nothing), the 707 never rang any bells for me, and one of my sons has had one for years, so I'm very familiar with the 707. I have a couple of 705s that I really like, and I really like the Mini-Grip. Makes no sense, but that's my view. ;)
 
Ran across this video and notice he didn't have to take the knife apart.Hope this helps.
[video=youtube;nSrmTWo4mgY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSrmTWo4mgY[/video]
 
Mine is off center but doesn't bother me. Frankly, I never focused on blade centering until I joined this forum:)
 
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