Sticky Axis Lock?

EZ Bake · May 31, 2013

I've never experienced a sticky Axis lock before, but my new Ritter full-size Grip seems to stick a little if I flick it open. It's not a huge deal to me, but I also noticed that when it sticks, the lock-bar seems to be a little crooked. I saw there was an excess of oil on the tang/lockbar area, so I cleaned it up some and it's helped a little, but is this just something that goes away with break-in or is there a pencil-lead trick or something?

It's definitely not bad enough that I'd send it back or that would keep me from buying another one, but I've owned a few Axis-lock Benchmades and never experienced this before.

Jastab · May 31, 2013

I've had sticky axis locks before, and from my experience it will wear in and go away. You did the right thing by removing the oil from the tang.

pbcg · May 31, 2013

It will go away with use. Just needs to break in a bit.

I had 1 out of 4 Contego's I bought have a sticky lock and it smoothed out pretty quickly. The caming surfaces just need to wear a bit. One of the downsides associated with production knives.

It will fix itself with use or operation of the lock.

southernknives · May 31, 2013

I've had several. I like 'em when they stick, it's like a fixed blade. Like everyone else said it will wear in and go away.

zl1 · Jun 1, 2013

My dad's Mini grip was a bit sticky but eventually smoothed out after use.
Just keep using your knife!

Moxy · Jun 2, 2013

My 940 was sticky for a while. Just make sure the tang and lock surface is clean and dry and it'll go away.
Pencil lead is just a temporary fix.

Accelerator · Jun 2, 2013

Interesting, the only sticky locks that I've experianced were with coated blades or lockbars. I know that the Ritter has neither a coated blade nor lockbar so that tells me that it's probably just a matter of break-in. Give it a little time and work the heck out of it whenever possibly and it should be smooth as silk before too long.

Moxy · Jun 2, 2013

There are a few coated ritter blades. Only the M4 versions I think. Even so the lockface is left bare. The blade is coated and then the lockface is machined.

Accelerator · Jun 3, 2013

Moxy said:
There are a few coated ritter blades. Only the M4 versions I think. Even so the lockface is left bare. The blade is coated and then the lockface is machined.

Hey Moxy, you're correct, the Ritter did come with a coated blade on some variants. I am assuming that the OP picked up one of the non-coated versions from KW since he mentioned that it was new. If in fact that it's just new to him, it very well may be that it's one of the coated models.

EZ Bake · Jun 3, 2013

Accelerator said:
Hey Moxy, you're correct, the Ritter did come with a coated blade on some variants. I am assuming that the OP picked up one of the non-coated versions from KW since he mentioned that it was new. If in fact that it's just new to him, it very well may be that it's one of the coated models.

Yeah, mine is non-coated (Orange). A few days of my obsessive compulsive knife-flicking and it's gone away.