Question: Do BM Axis Locks wear?

R

rage

Joined
Mar 19, 1999
Messages
124
Helo folks, i've had my 710sbt for about 2 months now, and friggin love it, it is my favorite flipper, i must have swung the blade out about a good 500+ times, and there is no wear in my axis lock, over time do you people think there would be wear as much as the AFCK's get, that I must send it back to benchmade, or can I just keep on flickin. Mainly, do the axis mechanisms wear as fast as say a ti liner on my other bm's.
 
Wherever there's metal-on-metal contact, there's wear. However, the axis's wear won't even compare to an AFCK's. The AFCK has a thin and soft titanium liner rubbing up against a hard blade tang. The Axis has a polished blade tang rubbing up against a polished (and I think hardened) blocking pin. I've noticed very little if any wear. I do notice the cut-out for the blocking pin is extended slightly to account for wear, but so far I haven't seen ANY wear! I know it's there, it's just real slow.

Joe
 
Joe's right, there's bound to be some wear, but according to people's reactions (I don't have one) they seem to have done a good job with any metal-on-metal surfaces not wearing that badly.

As far as the lock wearing - I may be wrong on this, but I thought that the axis was designed so that the lock actually engages tighter as it wears.

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JP Bullivant
 
Hmmm. It's a slightly convoluted definition of "tighter", I guess. As the pin wears, it will engage farther forward, but I don't think the lockup will be any tighter. It'll just have farther to travel to reach the lock-up point.
 
Methinks I read somewhere that the Axis Lock "wears in and not out".
I think I heard the same thing about the Rolling Lock too. Now that is COOL!

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The choices we make dictates the life we lead.

 
Do I understand you guys correct? Will my Titanium liners wear quicker than steel liners and if so is the weight of the Ti liners worth the eventual hassle of replacing the knife. I thought that titanium was used because it is more durable.
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Nope, it's not more durable. I filed on a AFCK I had, and it actually seemed soft.
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[This message has been edited by ThomM (edited 16 August 1999).]
 
Titanium liners, unlike stainless steel liners, gaul against the blade tang and can provide a little bit extra lock-up. that's the good news. The bad news is, titanium will wear more quickly, for sure. Some makers, like Darrel Ralph, have gone completely away from titanium liners for that reason.

You don't have to replace your liners if your liner lock is worn. All you need is an every-so-slightly bigger stop pin. That'll push the liner all the way back to the left, and you're starting new! If you think about this carefully, you'll see why (hint: think about why the blade tang is angled).

Joe
 
Joe,

Thanks for clarifying my words...bad word choice on my part. Point is, wear doesn't cause the lock to not engage.
 
It's just another reason not to buy a liner lock, the lock wears quicker. When I buy a knife I want it to last a LONG time; not wear out in a year or two. I'm aware that you can send it back to the factory or maker to have it fixed like new but this is just another hassle.
 
Joe, that makes sense!
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By bigger stop pin, you mean width, right?

The only problem I see here is what will happen to the blade itself? won't it have a lot more play, now that the space between the bushings or washers and the handle?

Dan
 
The Ti liners Benchmade uses are definitely softer than their spring-treated stainless. I've done a fair amount of filework on both, and the difference is readily apparent. They are also quite a bit thicker, 0.060" vs 0.040".

I'll just throw in my anecdotal $0.02. I've been carrying the same AFCK for over four years and the liner is just a hair further over than when it was brand new.

-Drew
 
I bought an Emerson Commander and when I open the blade it is very hard to close, I need to use two hands. As I've been using this knife it has been getting easier to open and the lock slides over a little more is this the lock wearing out and if so doesn't it seem that it is wearing awful fast?
 
I'm an Axis nut myself; my little 705S is about the finest pocket folder I've ever had; including customs that cost so much I didn't use them and either sold them or put them away in the protective catacomb that is my collection's housing. Both the 705 and 710 are extremely resistent to wear, and most of the metal to metal parts can be replaced. They might not have the brute strength that the Rekat's do (or maybe they do; I haven't heard for sure one way or the other) but for a lighter, more streamlined knife it's certainly strong enough. And probably one of the most wear resistant and reliable folders on the market today (imo). Joe T., where can we find some spare omega springs?

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Professor

Ever notice no other candy tastes quite like Pez? Oh yeah, and the BM Axis rules.


 
Dannyc:

Nope, the stop pin doesn't need to be bigger width-wise. That'd slop-up the whole works, as you've noted. The stop pin needs to be bigger diameter-wise. If the stop pin has a bigger diameter, then the blade will stop just a hair before where it does now. What happens when the blade is slightly forward? The liner can't make it all the way across the angled tang, and sits there on the left side, as if it's brand new.

Joe

PS Professor, I don't know where to get those omega springs! I assume benchmade isn't making them available, which would be consistent with their "don't take it apart yourself" policy.
 
I was wondering if we could get some omega springs from McHenry and Williams themselves, assuming that they're the same used in BM's production versions. They address is on their patent I believe, and that's at the patent site. BTW, why does Elishewitz have a patent on the mini-Stryker? Is it the blade design itself?

------------------
Professor

Ever notice no other candy tastes quite like Pez? Oh yeah, and the BM Axis rules.


 
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