Broken Axis lock?

YetAnotherKnifeEnthusiast

YetAnotherKnifeEnthusiast

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Had a cup of coffee with a local police officer today, and he's a knife guy too. A while back, I recommended an 940 Osborne to him, and today I asked if ended up getting one. He said no, another cop talked him out of it. The other cop apparently had a bad experience with the omega spring breaking? Said he sent it in for service, it was returned with a new spring, and then broke again a few months later. Now he doesn't trust that lock type. Those are the only details I know about it, no clue how he managed to break two omega springs. I've NEVER had a problem.

I'm not calling the guy a liar, but I find it difficult to believe.

Anyone here experience a broken omega? Is this more common than I've been lead to believe?

EDIT: I told him if he had fears about broken locks, go for the Manix2 :D
 
I’ve had an omega spring break on me in a Benchmade before. Had to send the whole freaking knife back to them for repair. Knife was less than a year old when it happened, so I didn’t trust them anymore after that.
 
This breaks my heart. The one benchmade I've owned (I lost it when I moved) was perfect in every respect. I felt like it could've been passed down to my great grandchildren and STILL been perfect. I was upset for a very long time when I realized I lost it. I was on a Spyderco kick at the time so it wasn't in my pocket. It was in a box that got left behind or something.
 
91bravo said:
I’ve had an omega spring break on me in a Benchmade before. Had to send the whole freaking knife back to them for repair. Knife was less than a year old when it happened, so I didn’t trust them anymore after that.
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This doesn't sound like the Benchmade I used to know. I guess their quality has gone down in recent years?
 
This is not a BM hater comment. Just my own experiences and first hand observations.

I have seen a few bite people reaching in their pocket because of a weak spring and no detent. Most recently an Adamas.

What they all had in common was that they were edc's on the extreme end of hard use. Technicians that constantly have them in hand, day after day.

Never had a problem with my own but sold them all anyway.
 
I had an omega spring break on a mini grip several years back. I ended up making my own replacement out of some springy wire, and it worked fine like that until I sold it on eBay (with a very clear description of the homemade replacement).

While I still think the axis lock is a fine locking mechanism, I stopped buying axis lock knives after that.
 
There have been scattered reported instances of Benchmade omega spring breakage for about as long as the axis lock has been around. I don't have any numbers, but based on how many reports I've seen vs. how many axis locks Benchmade has produced it's gotta be less than 1%.

Very rare, but it does happen.

If my life depended on the full functioning of the knife, I'd go buy a fixed blade. For all other circumstances, the chance of it happening is so slim, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
knarfeng said:
There have been scattered reported instances of Benchmade omega spring breakage for about as long as the axis lock has been around. I don't have any numbers, but based on how many reports I've seen vs. how many axis locks Benchmade has produced it's gotta be less than 1%.

Very rare, but it does happen.

If my life depended on the full functioning of the knife, I'd go buy a fixed blade. For all other circumstances, the chance of it happening is so slim, I wouldn't worry about it.
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If possible, fixed over folder any day of the week.
 
I had the springs break on a mini Grip and a mini Freak in the first year of purchase. Made my own replacement springs out of guitar strings and haven't had any issues since. It wouldn't stop me from buying a Benchmade with Axis lock in the future, but I'll just assume the springs will break at some point. I can fix it myself in a short time with better spring material than what Benchmade has used in the past 🤷‍♂️
 
YetAnotherKnifeEnthusiast said:
I fully agree with the whole "fixed over folder" argument every day of the week (and twice on Sundays) but the glaring problem I have with that is simple: It is illegal in my state to carry a fixed blade :(
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Yabut, does your LIFE depend on your knife? Likely not.
And unless your life actually depends on your knife, the chances of a broken omega spring making the knife completely unusable are so small as to be safely ignored.

There are two omega springs in an axis lock. For the knife to be completely unusable, both would have to break.
 
YetAnotherKnifeEnthusiast said:
Do you know, I have never even SEEN a Triad lock in person! (Shame on me) I may have to pick one up.

One of my toxic traits is that I tend to view Cold Steel as a 90's brand and I don't give it the respect it deserves.
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RnskNpN.jpg


Cold Steel has some VERY sensible pocket knives.
 
YetAnotherKnifeEnthusiast said:
This breaks my heart. The one benchmade I've owned (I lost it when I moved) was perfect in every respect. I felt like it could've been passed down to my great grandchildren and STILL been perfect. I was upset for a very long time when I realized I lost it. I was on a Spyderco kick at the time so it wasn't in my pocket. It was in a box that got left behind or something.
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That is the way mine feel.
It is my OPINION that the people who break springs insist on (or are unaware of how the locks works) and use one finger (thumb) on one side of the knife and get the bar so cockeyed consistently that the lock spring on one side commits suicide . Probably on the side that is being ignored . . . poor thing .

I should make it a mission to use a Benchmade daily until a lock spring fails. I don't fidget though so that might take longer than I have left to live (and if you look up my moniker that is quite a long time to come ) .
I do carry a Mini Griptillian EVERY WORK DAY in my back pocket for a spare but probably a week goes by between opening / closings.

I think this is where I usually post one of my favorite quotes so here goes :
"We need someone who can bind an elephant with a spider's web ; not stun him with a kick ! "

I've always fallen into the first group so I don't break much .
 
I've broken a couple omega springs out of more then a dozen Benchmades (almost always pull back with both fingers not one). I never send them back in. Replacement springs are cheap to get and they are easy to replace. I have never broken one of the higher quality after market omega springs. I used to worry about this, but it's just not that big of a deal to me anymore... Grab a couple replacements for a few bucks and use the knife you love. Tends to increase the detent as well.
 
Sticky said:
RnskNpN.jpg


Cold Steel has some VERY sensible pocket knives.
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A LUCKY ! ! ! !
Been a while .
Following my normal (or Abby Normal depending on popular opinion) . . .
my normal MO is to remove one of two blades on two blade folders.
I have two Luckies ; one I kept the serrated and one I kept the plain edge.
Dang that was when these were $70 brand new . . . boy those were the days like a decade ago . . . one could get a knife with a REAL carbon fiber handle . . . a super steel (S35VN ) . . . all for $70 . . .
oh LOOK you still can ; price hasn't changed in all this time .
!
Must be magic .
 
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