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Spyderco Ball Bearing lock, or Benchmade Axis Lock, which do you prefer?

M

MacTech

Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
611
Mods, if this has been done recently, feel free to lock/move/delete it...

Just curious as to what high-performance locking mechanism is preferred here, Benchmade Axis, or Spyderco Ball Lock?

i've tried Benchmade Axis folders, and really like the Axis lock, very solid feeling lock, and i love the ability it gives you to flick a knife open or closed, problem is, the Grips and Mini-Grips (thumb oval models) don't fit my hand well, the ergos are too cramped and the oval binds on my thumb when opening, i'm not a fan of thumbstuds either....

i do have some problems with the Axis lock though, it looks to me to be more wear-prone than the Spyderco Ball Lock, which appears to be self-adjusting in terms of wear, i'm also concerned about the durability of the Omega springs, they seem somewhat fragile, based on schematics, are these anything i need to be concerned about?

i *want* to get an Axis equipped Benchmade, but can't find one that's priced right and fits my hand, the Switchbacks are nice, but more than i want to spend

I have 3 Dodos (2 SE and 1 PE Blue), and i really *love* the ball lock, it seems to address both my issues with the BM Axis, the ball bearing appears to be self-adjusting in terms of wear (the bearing itself shouldn't wear, but it should adjust itself to wear in the tang of the blade), and the dual coil springs on the piston appear to be more durable than a flat "omega" style spring

it also seems to be less prone to failure due to impacts or shocks, as the spherical bearing itself should be noncompressable and the position of the ball should be largely irrelavent, the axis "bar", having a left and right, is less self-adjusting than a ball bearing, it can only adjust itself forward and back, wheras a bearing has no left, right, up or down, it's a sphere....

to sum up, i like both locks, but at the moment, i tend to favor the BB lock more, which do you prefer?
 
I have the D'Allara 2 DP and a Ritter Mini-grip. I feel that the D'Allara DP's ball bearing lock is smooooooother, than the Axis lock. But, on the Axis lock, I like the positive "snick" when it is closing. I LOVE my Ritter Mini-grip, as it is the perfect size for EDC. I like the Spyderco ball bearing lock better. They are both very easy for me to close either right or left handed. I just think the Spyderco is smooooother.
 
The Axis is self-adjusting to wear as well. As the pin (or tang) wears, the pin will travel up the tang, which is angled for just such a purpose. The pin can keep travelling up the tang until it hits the limit of the slots. There usually isn't a ton of space to go, but we're talking about two hard steel pieces. I can't remember anyone ever wearing one out. It's a non-issue.

The durability of the omega springs is another matter. A spring will break on occasion -- it's rare but definitely happens. The good news is, the second omega spring will work on its own until you send it back to benchmade. But, I agree that in theory, Spyderco's coil springs should almost never break. Probably give the ball lock a slight nod there, with the caveat not too over-emphasize this, since an omega spring breaking doesn't cause lock failure.

I like how the axis is easier to engage. The ball lock is uniformly more difficult to engage, and sometimes my fingers slip right off it and I need two hands.

OVerall, both locks make my "good enough" list, and if a knife has either, I look at other features. I would not buy an axis lock knife over a ball bearing lock just because of the lock, and vice versa. There will always be a difference in handle or blade or opening mechanism that is more important to me.
 
MacTech, short answer - if your fingers like the ball lock, then there's nothing wrong with it. A number of people seem to find that the ball is significantly harder to close than the axis, but if that's not a problem for you, then the ball really doesn't have any downside I'm aware of.

That said, in my opinion, your worries about the axis are fairly groundless - the bar and tang are hardened, it's going to take a LONG time to see any real wear there. :D Springs DO occasionally break - but there are two of them. When ball locks have been around for ten years, we'll see if they actually break less often or not.

I personally prefer the axis, although the biggest reason for that may be that I have about ten Axis locks and one ball, so my fingers are very habituated to the axis and are more comfortable with it. Trying to be objective, I really think the axis is easier to use, definitely easier to unlock, and doesn't seem to have any demonstrated (as opposed to hypothetical :) ) weaknesses.

The axis is certainly more popular here, but it's been around longer and has many models so it's hard to say the ball has had a fair chance to show itself equally yet. Ask again in ten years.
 
Heh, so it's similar to the question "Porsche or Ferrari, which one's better?" ;)

answer, they're *both* good

glad to know my fears of Axis wear/failure are groundless, now...if BM only made an Axis-equipped, hole opening folder that fit my hands, (and my wallet) i'd be happy, i *hate* thumbstuds

at least we can all agree that, using the car analogy, Smith & Wesson knives are the "Yugo with 3 blown cylinders" option here ;)
 
I personally prefer the Axis lock by far. I dislike the ball bearing lock for a couple of reasons such as Joe Talmadge said about the fingers slipping off of the ball bearing while trying to close the knife. Also I dont really like the knives that have the ball bearing lock enough to purchase and I prefer thumbstuds to holes. The axis lock allows you to flick the knife open and closed which I have learned to love and become addicted to :D .
 
MacTech, have you ever fondled an 806? No promises about your wallet - especially now that they're discontinued :rolleyes: - but it's a great knife and I'd be surpised if the ergos were too cramped for your meat hooks.

If you were looking at Griptilians and they weren't quite it, and you like holes, and you're cheap :D , have you thought about the D'Allara drop point? Great knife, inexpensive as a Grip, big, big handle.
 
BM 806, eh?, time to do a search....

yes, i have rather large hands (i wear a size XL ski glove), yet the Dodo is a perfect fit for my hands...

If you were looking at Griptilians and they weren't quite it, and you like holes, and you're cheap
Click to expand...
you say that like it's a *bad* thing... ;)

have you thought about the D'Allara drop point? Great knife, inexpensive as a Grip, big, big handle.
Click to expand...
Actually, i have thought about that one, that and the Rescue version....
 
I have the D'Allara and do not like the ball bearing lock. Too cumbersome to work one handed as it's recessed to far.

I have several Axis locks and feel that they are vastly superior
 
All things being equal I would prefer the Axis lock mostly for the reasons already cited in this thread (ie, Joe Talmadge). It is just slightly more consistently comfortable to operate. But, we all know that things are seldom equal so, its the other features that I look at. I generally find that Spydercos exude a more outgoing personality and uniqueness to their character which makes owning them a bit more fun. They dominate my collection right now but, no collection is complete without some of both.
 
Being new to this, I guess that out of ignorance I was thinking that the essence of a knife is the blade.I sorta figgured that the piece is built around the blade and if the handle and mechanics were functional the blade would be the deciding factor. Reckon that I have a lot to learn.
 
I use both and like both. They both have advantages and weaknesses. Ultimately though, I think I prefer the axis lock. Both work great though.
 
I've got a few axis lock knives. Like 'em as they are easy to operate.

So is my Dodo (sooner or later a D'Allara drop point will be mine), and I like it too.

As things currently stand, I prefer the axis.

Looking at my knives just now, I notice ...

A possible failing of the Ball Bearing lock will be packaging IMO. A smaller lock than the Dodo's would be about impossible to operate. Conversely, to increase ease of use with a bigger bearing, a limit of size will be reached as far as practical carry dimensions of the knife are concerned. The Bearing Lock drives the knife's design more. (But then, so does the Spyderco Hole.)

The axis appears more versatile when adapted to various designs.

Can't waite to see what Sal has coming down the line with the Bearing Lock, though.
 
Hi Orthogonal1,

The next "evolution" or "refinement" of the ball bearing lock is in the Spyderco/Shivworks collaboration called the P'Kal. The model should be out by late summer. I've seen pics posted, I'll see if I can show one.

We use a very small ball (which performs the same as the large ball), but the ball has a "ball holder" to aid in releaing the lock.

sal

----------------------------------------------------------

Continual refinement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind
 
Thanks for the imput, Mr. Glesser.

I'm under the impression the ball-bearing lock will have a long and fruitful future.

I'll be watching.
 
"Porsche or Ferrari, which one's better?"

The answer to this question, my friends, is simple: Lamborghini.

That is all.
 
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