Benchmade 940-1 issues

gosuto

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Feb 7, 2015
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So I recently purchased a 940-1 cause I love the 940 but wanted the better supersteel and darker blade finish, but im a bit disappointed. I knew about the screws being too long but I've got a couple other disappointments. One is blade play, sideways and quite a bit. The other is the action is not smooth when I open it slowly, I can feel the bar kinda scraping across the blade as it opens even though I've scrubbed and lubricated the knife. Anyone else have issues with this? I don't want to have to send a $250+ knife back to factory right after purchase and wait 3 weeks to get my stuff back. Thanks for the advice y'all!
 
I had a 940S-1 and had issues almost identical to yours. Not serious issues, but annoyances considering what the knife is supposed to be. I polished the washers which improved the action, but it still was not amazing. That combined with its relatively obtuse edge geometry, I ended up selling it after a few weeks.
 
So i'll have to micrometer it but it looks like to the naked eye that the stop pin is too long and is leaving a gap between the blade and the washers.
 
Disassemble the knife and check if the stop pin is seated all the way into the handle. Check for debris in the holes, burred edge on the pin, etc.
 
I did, completely disassembled the knife, cleaned out the holes and checked for burrs, but its still got some slop. I ordered new washers I'm gonna polish but I'm also gonna make a new one on the lathe once I mic the dimensions.
 
I may have to try that, mine has always had a half-stop feel at just under 90 degrees when slow rolling it open. The blade catches on something and then breaks open (I always thought it was the omega spring catching), it does not actually stop like a traditional but the grab is in about the same place. It opens fine if you thumb flick it or axis flick it (hold the axis lock open and wrist flick) and it locks up as tight as any axis lock that I have seen...I have been through about a dozen non-auto BM's and they have all had some issue except for my newer model Grip so I sold them all, with disclosures, except for that Grip and this one since I carried it in my Dockers casual pants at work because it was so light but I have always wondered what was causing that grab.
 
Instead of treating this as a project or "kit" knife, why don't you send it back to the vendor?

Even at that price point (I can't believe I am typing this...) I wouldn't expect perfection these days, but at least a knife that functions as well as my Tangram and Ruicke knives that were in the $35 or less price range.

Robert
 
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So I recently purchased a 940-1 cause I love the 940 but wanted the better supersteel and darker blade finish, but im a bit disappointed. I knew about the screws being too long but I've got a couple other disappointments. One is blade play, sideways and quite a bit. The other is the action is not smooth when I open it slowly, I can feel the bar kinda scraping across the blade as it opens even though I've scrubbed and lubricated the knife. Anyone else have issues with this? I don't want to have to send a $250+ knife back to factory right after purchase and wait 3 weeks to get my stuff back. Thanks for the advice y'all!
I had the same issue with a brand new bugout, scraping on open and close. When comparing them to my other benchmade's, I noticed the bar connecting the axis locks where shiny where this one had a lot of shop dust on it. I tried oiling and cleaning it but it was not coming off. All sorted after using a drop of Hop 9 in the spot where the bar rests and working it a bit. I also noticed some of the body screws were loose (maybe from shipping) so adjusted them a bit. Frustrating to have to do that to a brand new knife, but all is well in the end.
 
So i'll have to micrometer it but it looks like to the naked eye that the stop pin is too long and is leaving a gap between the blade and the washers.

BINGO(I think).

Had the same issue with a benchmade. It's a hard fix so I would send it back if you can.

I kind of fixed mine by extracting the stop pin, inserting it into a fixed drill and the use some tiny files to grind down the shoulders of the stop pin. Off course I ended up taking a tiny bit to much so now my BM rattles when not engaged.. But the bladeplay is gone at least.

:rolleyes:
 
Instead of treating this as a project or "kit" knife, why don't you send it back to the vendor?

Even at that price point (I can't believe I am typing this...) I wouldn't expect perfection these days, but at least a knife that functions as well as my Tangram and Ruicke knives that were in the $35 or less price range.

Robert

2 reasons. One, I sold most of my collection to narrow it down to a few high end users, and 2 I'm a machinist so tinkering is fun for me.
 
BINGO(I think).

Had the same issue with a benchmade. It's a hard fix so I would send it back if you can.

I kind of fixed mine by extracting the stop pin, inserting it into a fixed drill and the use some tiny files to grind down the shoulders of the stop pin. Off course I ended up taking a tiny bit to much so now my BM rattles when not engaged.. But the bladeplay is gone at least.

:rolleyes:

Thats why I'm going to measure it and make a new one from some scrap 4140 hardened steel in the shop
 
Thats why I'm going to measure it and make a new one from some scrap 4140 hardened steel in the shop

Why not just try to trim down the shoulders of the factory one? Less work IMO.
 
Why not just try to trim down the shoulders of the factory one? Less work IMO.
I might, but more likely I'll make my own cause if I can't get it operating how I want ill put the factory one in and send it to BM
 
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So it seems my suspicions may have been right. Blade thickness is .114, washers are .025 each. The two anodized standoffs are .165 while the stop pin is .168/.1685. My mitutoyos dont have the sharpest caliper tips so I might be off up to a thou but that seems pretty damn close. Slipped a sliver of paper under one washer and that seemed to tighten the lockup to remove a lot of slop. I will be machining a new stop pin monday and we'll see if the new washers perform better as well.
 
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