Why won't Benchmade sell omega springs?

Benchmades policies are what have kept me from buying a mini-grip. I love the look of the Cabelas D2 griptillian, but if the omega spring breaks I have to send it back to them to have it fixed. I guess Kershaw customer service has spoiled me to the point of not being willing yo do that.
 
Skimo said:
I know there IS a place that sells omega springs, but I've forgotten the site.

As a side note, I have yet to experience an omega spring failure since the axis lock was introduced in 1999(?)
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Well if you remember the site or run across it please report back! I have googled for awhile and not come up with anything. I hate sending stuff off for repair when I can normally do it myself with the correct parts.

I guess I was mistaken about the other parts being available but I am almost positive I have read of people getting parts other than omega springs when something was obviously broken due to abuse. I know you can get pocket clips but I guess us end users are smart enough to put one of those on.
 
Skimo said:
I know there IS a place that sells omega springs, but I've forgotten the site.

As a side note, I have yet to experience an omega spring failure since the axis lock was introduced in 1999(?)
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i have a 710 prototype its marked '98 FWIW.

i have never had a omega spring break either, but if i did its a pretty simple spring, if BM wouldnt sell me one i'd just get the correct size stock and bend it myself.

i imagine they wont sell them because they discourage dissassembly but i could be wrong.........
 
While we are talking about knives here, it wouldn't surprise me if they were worried about people disassembling/reassembling improperly and then suing BM when a lock fails. With lawyers these days it wouldn't surprise me if this was the case.
 
I recently contacted Benchmade about having one stripped screw on my Benchmade Rukus. I got a package from them a couple days ago, it had the entire screw kit for the Rukus including new pivot screws. It also came with a new clip.

I would just send the knife in for an omega spring replacement. They normally give the knife a spa treatment whenever it comes through their warranty department as well. New screws, clip, sharpening, etc. The fact that the omega spring is an integral part of the locking mechanism, it doesn't surprise they won't just send it out to anyone to install. Comparing a torsion bar to an omega spring just doesn't work, as an improperly installed torsion bar doesn't degrade the locking reliability of the knife like a omega spring will. I don't expect ZT to sell and send me a new titanium framelock for my 302, I don't expect BM to sell and send me a new omega spring. They may be different in design but they serve the same purpose, to lock the blade.
 
SIFU1A said:
i imagine they wont sell them because they discourage dissassembly but i could be wrong.........
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^^^^^^^^This.

I can see their logic. For every person that can strip down a folder, there's probably a 100 that wind up with a zip-lock baggie of parts when they're done or a wobbly mess of a folder.

Just look at all the regular folks that can even sharpen a knife without scratching up the blade.
 
I didn’t know this about Benchmade, too bad I found out after I bought the Grip. I like the axis lock, being left handed it’s really the first one handed left handed knife I’ve ever owned but I would have had to pass if I knew parts where not available.

I don’t really care what their legal department says and actually don’t buy that reasoning anyhow.

I can buy any part I want for my Harleys, my colt 1911 and every other gun I own. I can buy and maintain all my power tools buy untold parts for my home electrical system and all the parts necessary to restore and maintain ventilating life support equipment, any of these potentially more dangerous than a pocket knife.. And some knife company won’t sell me a spring. I can make a stinking spring.
 
I'm not sure but I don't think all the omega springs are same. It would seem different models use different size springs with different tension. The 530 and 610 both have axis locks but I doubt that their spring are interchangeable.
 
might be but IIRC they are the same in the 710 and the axis AFCK which are the only 2 i have ever taken apart, but others could be larger/smaller/etc.
 
I have been reading through here and a question comes to mind that has not been very clearly addressed. Say you have a modified Benchmade and it needs a new spring. The mods having voided the warranty, is this policy such that they won't replace the springs if you send it in, and they won't send you any to do yourself? Surely that cannot be the case? That would be incredibly shortsighted of Benchmade. No...that would just plain suck.
 
Just so others know, I got some 0.024" stainless fishing leader and made 2 omega springs. That is the same diameter as the original omega spring that was in the knife.

About 10 minutes with a pair of needle nose pliers and a tapered punch to wrap the wire around had me 2 home made springs. I put it back together and it works perfect. The springs were not perfectly made but were close to each other and the original spring. So it's not too hard for those out there that are worried about the omega springs.

As far as the concern about sending in a modified knife, I would think that as long as it was in good working order they would not have a problem and would simply replace the spring. I told the lady that I had taken it apart and voided the warranty and she didn't seem to care. I'm sure the main reason they have the policy is so they do not receive a bag full of parts that may have been damaged. Even if the warranty had been voided they still state that they will fix the knife for $20 plus parts. I would think a case where this would apply is where someone had beat on the back of the blade and snapped it in half. I don't think they would charge this for a broken omega spring that broke because of stress.

While this is partly speculation I think it is probably fairly accurate. Again, sorry for the long post.

Ryan
 
jpsmith said:
I have been reading through here and a question comes to mind that has not been very clearly addressed. Say you have a modified Benchmade and it needs a new spring. The mods having voided the warranty, is this policy such that they won't replace the springs if you send it in, and they won't send you any to do yourself? Surely that cannot be the case? That would be incredibly shortsighted of Benchmade. No...that would just plain suck.
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No they will fix it if you have moded the knife, they just won't fix it for free.
 
I am quite glad to hear so. Thanks for the info and bolstering my waning confidence in Benchmade.
 
Holding back omega springs is Benchmade's way of saying their customers are total idiot sheeple, hence their need for idiot proof policies.

Maybe they are shooting for exclusive government and law enforcement distribution contracts and want to cozy up to the local politicians and various government agency policy makers by imitating there contempt and disrespect for those that are intuitive, inventive, and prefer to think and do things for themselves ?

I can see it in the future Benchmade products advertisement available to government, law enforcement, and military only

I really like benchmade products but I am starting to get irritated by nonsense like this.
 
Or it could be a way of keeping track of broken omega springs and checking for possible reasons as to failure.

If they sold them to anyone, then there would be a lot of extras out there and no way to really have an indication as to any problems.

Personally, I'd like an extra or two for my various knives.
 
greater said:
Holding back omega springs is Benchmade's way of saying their customers are total idiot sheeple, hence their need for idiot proof policies.

Maybe they are shooting for exclusive government and law enforcement distribution contracts and want to cozy up to the local politicians and various government agency policy makers by imitating there contempt and disrespect for those that are intuitive, inventive, and prefer to think and do things for themselves ?

I can see it in the future Benchmade products advertisement available to government, law enforcement, and military only

I really like benchmade products but I am starting to get irritated by nonsense like this.
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Clips and screws are one thing, complex internal componants are another.
 
spidyman said:
A spring complex, I think not!
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Granted replacing a broken spring is probably one of the least complicated things you could have to do on something, but when you're talking about knives it is complicated.

There are people, mostly people here, who would be fine with replacing the spring, or as we've seen, fashioning their own.

90% of Benchmade's civilian customer base would not be fine. It'd get bungled, they'd break something, they'd put something in backwards.

I can get the hard drive out of a tower computer in under a minute. I've seen people, smart people, destroy the thing trying to get a floppy disk out.

Never underestimate people's stupidity.
 
I think it is probably a liability issue, as several others have mentioned. If a knife owner botches the repair and winds up getting hurt as a result, the knife owner lies, states it was a factory defect, and Benchmade gets a lawsuit.

Not to say the average Benchmade owner would lie, but with possibly significant $$$ on the line as a reward, anyone could be tempted in these days of over zealous litigation. While the policy may inconvenience a few users, limiting corporate liability is a smart move. If a few want to rant and rave that it could affect sales, that small number of users are probably insignificant in over all sales and welcome to move to a different brand as opposed to opening a Pandora's box of product liability lawsuits. I.e.. lose a few thousand in sales vs. losing a few million in a trumped up lawsuit settlement.
 
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