Opening a BM 710

Simon Yu

Simon Yu

Joined
Feb 13, 2000
Messages
370
I just received a package of 3 knives from Skyland Cutlery that I ordered on Sunday today containing a Spydercard, Spyderco Cricket, and Benchmade 710. All nice little things (well, not so little thing for the BM).

I'm pretty impressed with the axis lock and the construction in general of the 710. My only problem is that it's a little hard to open. Anyone have a fast, one-handed way of opening it that they'd like to share? My current way of pinching the blade with thumb and index finger to get it a little open and then sliding it open the rest of the way with my thumb won't work if my hands are a little sweaty so any advice is welcome.

Oh, and can someone tell me what the BT stands for in terms of the coating material?
 
The knife will loosen as you open it more.Oil the pivot pin.BT I think stands for black teflon.

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have a"knife"day
 
The axis lock requires a little practice to open and a little use to break in.

Just put your thumb on the stud and flick it open. A little snap of the wrist made be required. It really should be instinctual. After you get the hang of it. You do't need to snap your wrist.

Regarding the BT = Black Teflon.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.

Nifrand: I've been thinking about picking up some lubricant for my knives and other tools. Any suggestions you have on what to use?

Sirgrumps, do you mean place the thumb directly on or under the stud? In either case, it definately will take a little longer to break in.
 
Opening using the thumb stud was a little awkward for me as well when I got my first such folder. I've found the trick is how you cradle the knife in your palm to much sure your thumb can make the whole rotation open.
I hold the handle far forward almost to my fingers and curl my finers and pinch the side of the knife that allow my thumb to rotate all the way.
The other way I've been opening my 710 (and all my axis-locks) is that I hold the knife and pull back on the lock release and just give a quick flick. Opens really quick. Just make sure your relase the lock lever when it gets fully open or it will rebound off the stop pin. By the way, some people say this will damage the knife but I've been doing it to my 710 for 1 year with no problems yet.
Good luck.

Walter
 
I have little brother 705.
I flushed the guts with WD-40 to get all the little machine shavings out. I then cleaned and dried with a pipe cleaner. After all that I use Rem Oil. A little goes a long way. After that and a little break in period the blade will leap open.
 
I would also say shoot it out with some WD-40 first. Don't wrist flick it too hard or the lock bar will get jammed. Someone else posted that it happended to them, so I tried it with the one I got my Dad. Yup...lock bar got jammed. I haven't been flicking my nicer knives too often lately due to the fact that Kit Carson said it's not a good idea. I have cheaper knives to flick
smile.gif
.

Welcome to the forums!

~Mitch
 
Wow another 710 topic, right up my alley. Being a hard to break blade flicker from way back I gotta say the 710 is one of the easier blades to open w/o a flick/snap. Just by holding it palm down using the weight of the blade after pressing and holding the lock stud it will mostly open by gravity alone. To finish the opening operation to lock position just turn the wrist smoothly to a palm up postiion while blade's in opening cycle. Once the blade fully opens to stop you just release the thumb on the lock. You can vary the speed and angle of wrist turn to suit yourself, from a not recommended hard-snap open to a smooth gentle cycle where the blade just clicks nicely in place. Closing this blade is just is slick using this same m.o. in reverse...quite smooth really...with no undue wear on lock mech. Equally slick ambidexterous with just a little practice. Certainly no violent snap needed for this truly civilized knife, just a little bit of smooth coordination with thumb control and wrist. This knife has finesse, if I want a violent snap on opening I'll grab my Dalton and hold on tight.
smile.gif


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Only perfect practice makes perfect
 
that's strange.. the 710 was my first folder and in my opinion the slickest to open and close.. the most reliable is to thumb push the stud then flick.

I didn't have to oil it or anything.. I guess it spoils me as my thumb is now so weak it can't disengage my carnivour =(.

Axis lock carnivore! Axis lock AFCK! VIVA AXIS LOCK AFCK!!



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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]


 
Simon,
Each good folding knife simple must to be a bit harder to open in first part of the blade's way. It occurs because locking mechanism is designed to hold the blade securely in closed position and to prevent unintended opening. Knife which is too easy to open may damage your health in certain circumstances.
Taking this in consideration I can say certainly - BM model 710 is one of easiest to open knives with thumb stud I whenever tested. Just put your thumb tip on the stud and push forwards along handle's edge - nothing more required!
Of course it may remain some metal dust in pivot or locking mechanism area of the new knife. Try to remove it washing your knife under running hot water, then dry the knife (the best way would be to blow with compressed air) and lubricate pivot and lock area spraying on the light lubricant. Maybe some particular knives might need some breaking in - some dozens of opening-closing cycles on well-lubricated knife.

Mine didn't require it and had very smooth and easy to operate action out of the factory box.


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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland

[This message has been edited by Sergiusz Mitin (edited 02-17-2000).]
 
After washing out the pivot area and then wiping away some of the dust and metal shavings still left in there after that, it sure opens A LOT more smoothly. Still kinda hurts my thumb to do so though so I think I'll be picking up some WD40 this weekend. Thanks everyone!
 
My BM705 arrived a few days ago - a bit smaller than the 710 but the same idea. It's a pretty smooth opener with the old thumb flick. Closing it is my problem.

I was reading some of these threads the night I got it, practicing my left handed open with a one handed close. Sure enough, my index finger slipped in front of the blade and WOW was that thing sharp. It made a nice skin flap all the way from the side of my finger down to the nail.

That was two days ago. So at work today there I was, waiting for some data, sitting at the computer practicing my left handed open and close. Guess what? Yep. Same thing. Exact same spot too. That 705 opened my flap up a little more. You would have been proud though. I pulled it out, stood up and walked to the bathroom like nothing happened. Not a single one of those women sitting near me noticed.
wink.gif
Talk about emotional conflict. I felt like a dork who just pulled off a real smooth move.

Daniel
 
If your opening technique is right and it is hard to open I doubt oil would solve the problem. Try loosening the pivot screw. If you dont have a torx screwdriver find an allen that will fit, it should do the job.
 
Probably the fastest way to open the axis lock without using the thumb stud is what I call the one-two-flick. Holding the knife in Your hand, first flick it downward (This will move the blade - and the locking bar - a few few degrees/millimeters towards the ‚open' end position), then immediately flick it upwards, fully opening the blade. The trick is to keep the wrist loose. With a little practice, this can be such a small movement that it looks like the knife handle didn't move at all.

Take care (and be sure to not to accidentally throw the knife while practicing
biggrin.gif
),
Tobse !
 
Good call, Tobse. This is the method I often use with the 710 Axis lock, and with my Spyderco Enduras and Wayne Goddard Lightweight, the Cold Steel Vaquero Grande, etc. Just grab the handle securely and shake the blade open. You don't have to touch the thumb stud. This method is ideal for knives that are carried tip up (clip mounted on the butt end of the handle). It works best if the blade is larger than three inches.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
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