810 just got back from warranty work and is still not right

F

Fatadkins

Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
1
I purchased an 810 Centego in August. After just three weeks of edc, it developed up and down blade play that was beyond excessive. I called Benchmade and the customer service rep could actually here it through the phone. So I sent it in.
I received it yesterday with a work order stating what was done (replaced axis lock bar, springs, oiled, sharpened) and it still has blade play. I was better than when I sent it in but after a day of use it's getting worse. I have a before video but haven't got around to shooting the post repair video.
This especially sucks because I was without my new favorite knife for almost a month and it looks like I'm gonna be sending it back 👎🏾
 
Noticing a change in lockup in one day... I'll need video and picture. 810 isn't exactly made for opening letters, but neither is it made for beating with a hammer. Only knife I ever had 'go bad' was one I was intent on destroying.
 
Post up the before video... If it was better when you got it back, for the knife to have up and down blade movement, either the lockbar or the blade tang would have had to wear substantially. Under " normal " use, that isn't going to happen in a day.

It isn't impossible to have the pivot loosen up and induce some side to side blade movement, but even that isn't something that happens all the time.
 
I've had my share of benchmades, both my adamas and contego had up and down play. Not sure if the ramp was ground two shallow or springs to weak.. But a trip to benchmade didn't help either. I think certain benchmades just have this issue..


Try this , force the lock bar all the way forward with your fingers and test for up and down play. Mine use to have zero play when I did this, but on the springs tension alone always had play.
 
Many of them them have a small amount of up and down play.
 
shinyedges said:
I've had my share of benchmades, both my adamas and contego had up and down play. Not sure if the ramp was ground two shallow or springs to weak.. But a trip to benchmade didn't help either. I think certain benchmades just have this issue..


Try this , force the lock bar all the way forward with your fingers and test for up and down play. Mine use to have zero play when I did this, but on the springs tension alone always had play.
Click to expand...

That sucks. Some have claimed the knives are designed for the Axis lock to wear over time. I'm pretty sure they didn't mean the time it takes for you to buy and actually open and use the knife a couple times. Of course there is no blade play when the bar is pressed all the way forward, unfortunately that is not exactly how the knives are designed. This issue has become more prevalent over the last 5 years. Specifically with some models more than others. Strange that no official word on this has come out, and everything so far has been educated guesses and conjecture. All my grips and minigrips are solid, the Adamas and Contego are bad.
 
RevDevil said:
That sucks. Some have claimed the knives are designed for the Axis lock to wear over time. I'm pretty sure they didn't mean the time it takes for you to buy and actually open and use the knife a couple times. Of course there is no blade play when the bar is pressed all the way forward, unfortunately that is not exactly how the knives are designed. This issue has become more prevalent over the last 5 years. Specifically with some models more than others. Strange that no official word on this has come out, and everything so far has been educated guesses and conjecture. All my grips and minigrips are solid, the Adamas and Contego are bad.
Click to expand...

That sucks Charlie. I hadn't heard about this... If the bar can be pressed further ahead by hand, and it fixes the problem, I wonder if stronger springs would fix the issue...
 
338375 said:
That sucks Charlie. I hadn't heard about this... If the bar can be pressed further ahead by hand, and it fixes the problem, I wonder if stronger springs would fix the issue...
Click to expand...

With the weight of the blades on the Adamas, Contego, and other heavy duty knives.... They would have to be some mighty strong and thick springs. Don't get me wrong, I like the Adamas and the Contego, but this issue is a strange one and it's been going on for a long time.
 
RevDevil said:
With the weight of the blades on the Adamas, Contego, and other heavy duty knives.... They would have to be some mighty strong and thick springs. Don't get me wrong, I like the Adamas and the Contego, but this issue is a strange one and it's been going on for a long time.
Click to expand...

Good point. If I ever get a model that has this issue, I will know it's not uncommon. It seems like BM would want to address this issue.
I've really been kicking around getting the KSF 908. I wonder if those are having a problem with this ?
 
338375 said:
Good point. If I ever get a model that has this issue, I will know it's not uncommon. It seems like BM would want to address this issue.
I've really been kicking around getting the KSF 908. I wonder if those are having a problem with this ?
Click to expand...
I have a mini tanto stryker, it's probably better than the minigrip. Zero blade play on that one and it is very smooth.
 
I really liked the adamas and contego. For the thickness of the adamas it was very comfortable in hand, and I happen to like d2. I spent quite awhile examining what the problem was, thinking I could fix it.

If memory serves me correctly, when I pushed the axis bar forward it would move up further just a bit and then be stopped by hitting the end of the cut out in the liners it rode in. I sent it in, they replaced a bunch of stuff and sharpened it but when I got it back same issue. Pushing the bar forward stopped the up and down but there was literally no room left to wear at all.

The contego had the same issue, and for what ever the reason I could not FOR THE LIFE OF ME lol center the blade on the contego. I'm no rookie at centering blades, I used all the tricks and nothing worked.

Bummer as the contego uses m4, one of my favorite steels and has the most awesome blade to handle ratio, and I like the reverse tanto. I gave them both an honest go.

I had a griptillian for a short time and it did not have the issues the adamas and contego had. Really quite mind boggling.

RevDevil said:
That sucks. Some have claimed the knives are designed for the Axis lock to wear over time. I'm pretty sure they didn't mean the time it takes for you to buy and actually open and use the knife a couple times. Of course there is no blade play when the bar is pressed all the way forward, unfortunately that is not exactly how the knives are designed. This issue has become more prevalent over the last 5 years. Specifically with some models more than others. Strange that no official word on this has come out, and everything so far has been educated guesses and conjecture. All my grips and minigrips are solid, the Adamas and Contego are bad.
Click to expand...
 
You may have had a slightly warped blade. I've had a couple knives with a warped blade, no amount of tinkering fixed it either.
 
Just took another look at some of my knives, early Axis locks (Balisong marked 710 and 720 KOTY) have very good engagement of axis bar on tang, no blade play and good amount of lock bar travel remaining. 950 and 950-1201 have minimal blade play, need to be washed and tightened. 741 and 810 have minimal blade play, not a lot of engagement on tang, 810 has very little room left to adjust. 15020 is tight as a drum, on par with 710 and 720.

I think this may be a weak point in the design of the 810, short ramp engagement on a weakly shaped ramp.
 
I've also had this problem. I love everything about the 810 (except, some hot spots lol) so I decided to keep it, and I'm glad I have. I first noticed this little problem after the first couple hours of "slight use". By slight use I mean, making feather sticks, chopping tiny limbs off trees (no bigger than .75 of an inch). Just messing around in the woods while I had my dog out playing around. It was annoying, so I went home and adjusted it.. (never said that I disassembled the knife) :cool: After adjusting a little it was right back to normal.. and clean. But once again, with minimal use. Not even as hard as before, it was back to having up and down play. It's just something that I've found I'll have to live with.
 
I too have several Benchmade models that have a slight amount of up/down blade play. Some have been returned to Benchmade for repair, and they have returned unfixed. Odd. One came back almost 100% fixed. Sometimes it infuriates me, others I just give up as something I have to live with if I want the axis lock. This topic has been discussed before, sometimes by me, but I think the design of the axis ramp on some of these just lends itself to this problem. My 940's, 300sn, my 730-####, 720, and 615 have no blade play. My 810, 275, my 732, and my 950 have slight up/down play. After all these years, I usually just inspect before buying and then pay full msrp. I've always been jealous of those posters who've never had any issues with their Benchmades.
 
One possible reason for up and down blade play could be that the liners have deformed over time if the knife has been abused.
 
I sold mine that had the problem.Seems that a little stronger spring could resolve the issue is my thoughts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top