My Axis lock broke

T

the possum

Joined
Jul 31, 2002
Messages
2,954
The "Omega" spring on my Benchmade Ares Axis lock broke last month. It was never abused. The stub of broken spring now prevents the blade from fully locking or closing most of the time. I will grudgingly send it back to the factory for repairs, but I thought I should let all of you know about it, since so many people are very enthusiastic about this design. I remember when I bought this knife, I thought the tiny wire spring looked awfully weak. Turns out I was right, but I bought it anyway since the word 'Benchmade' was written on the blade.

Come to think of it, I have a few suggestions for the guys at Benchmade if they're listening. The design also requires the underside of the handle scale to be cut out so the omega spring has room to move. Near the lock bar, the unsupported G-10 is only about as thick as a business card! I haven't broken it *yet*, but am very concerned about its strength. Small coil springs would not only be more durable, but would not need this large area of thin, unsupported handle material.
I would also like to see the tang strengthened since it is the weakest link. My blade keeps coming loose, so I would also really love to see a second set screw to keep the main pivot screw tight. I don't think I should have to buy some super glue to hold a $100 knife together.
 
There's an old saying, "any monkey left alone in a room with a typewriter will eventually type Shakespear." Or, as my sainted father used to say, "A sample of one doth make fools of us all." Or, as one of my professors used to say, "Only a fool draws a line with only one point."

In other words, the fact that your one Axis lock broke under your specific usage does not mean that the Axis lock in general is bad. Benchmade has shipped probably tens of thousands of Axis locks and there doesn't seem to be a flood of problems.
 
I have two that I carry daily.Not a bit of a problem in two years.Sorry your spring broke.
 
Springs eventually breaks. Sorry to hear yours broke.
 
All you need to keep a pivot screw from loosening is blue loctite.

As for the Axis design, it may not be perfect, but IMO it's definitely one of the best and most reliable folding knife lock mechanisms out there. Sorry to hear yours broke. That doesn't mean the Axis lock sucks. Perhaps there was a defect in that spring. An occasional defect can happen in any type of knife from any maker.

Jim
 
one real problem with thin wire springs is heat. When they get over used.........that is used repeatedly for a considerable amount of time, they get hot, and that causes the failure, since they are tempered and therefore fairly hard. You can have the same problem with many automatics that are made with wire springs.
 
hell, everything breaks eventually, and springs will break or wear out eventually too, but it sounds like you just got a dud, i still personally think the axis lock is the best lock out there right now.
 
FWIW i had to loc tite the pivot screw on my 806, but, i have had to do it with virtually every one of the knives that i use a bit. no biggie imho.

i have heard the omega springs can break, but its supposedly rare. and have never heard of the G10 breaking/cracking/etc, unless someone was modifying it.

nothing wrong w/BM,they are tops, imho, at least for production knives

benchmade makes some great stuff, if only all manufacturers were as good..................

good luck, i am sure BM will fix the thing ASAP

greg
 
I remember when I bought this knife, I thought the tiny wire spring looked awfully weak. Turns out I was right...
Click to expand...
Could you add some details that would help us understand this failure. When did you buy the knife? Was it new when you bought it? How much have you used it? What have you been cuting with it? What exactly looked "weak" about the spring when you bought the knife? Were there sharp bends, nicks, or other defects?
 
Sorry for the negativity, guys. Guess I'm just a bit miffed that out of all the thousands of Axis locks out there, mine had to be the one to break. :grumpy:
I do use this knife for cutting and stabbing all kinds of stuff, but no chopping, prying, or throwing. When I said it looked weak, there were no visible flaws with the spring itself. It just seems like a weak design. A small piece of wire about an inch and a half long must take all the stress and flexing every time the knife is opened/closed. If it were a small diameter long coil spring (kinda like the springs in cigarette lighters that hold the 'flint') the same amount of stress would be spread over a piece of wire 2 or 3 times as long. This was one of the biggest complaints with the Colt peacemaker. When Bill Ruger copied the design later, he changed all the flat springs to coil springs for increased durability.
 
I think it's useful for everyone to hear about interesting failures, and I understand why someone would be irritated at being the person who experienced them (although your tone was a bit harsh -- sometimes things do fail, after all). In this case, this is the very first time I've heard that a spring failed, and it prevented the knife from working properly. We do know that spring failures are rare, but they do happen -- and in every other case, the second spring allowed the knife to continue working. 'course, it's cold comfort for you to know that spring failures almost never occur, and never ever before has a spring failure caused the knife to stop working, but at least now you can claim to be the 1 in a million!

Joe
 
I have a 710HS with a broken spring. It's been that way for almost a year now, and still works fine. I actually prefer the lighter action of the single spring. I will eventually send it in, but I'm in no hurry.

It's frustrating to be the lone guy with a broken spring, especially when everyone else is gleefully telling you how perfect their knife is. It's actually more comforting to have a lot of folks complaining along with you, and sharing your pain. :)
 
Had mine a year and a half, it's my EDC and never had a problem, if you get BM to send springs, it's not hard to replace them, if you do a search there is a photo breakdown I did. If I get a chance I'll post a link to the thread or pictures.
 
BTW, that business card thin G10 is waaayyyy stronger than you think. G10 is incredibly tough stuff which is why it is so popular in knife handles. You would have a tough time breaking it in two if you took the scale off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top