Locking Mechanism
- The patented Benchmade Axis Lock has been around since 1999 and has an excellent record. That means no reported failures so far. It does have a few advantages over lockback & liner lock knives. The very first thing that comes to one's mind (or that should, after all if something goes wrong, there will be your finger(s) on the line & most likely more than just one) when examining knife locking mechanism is how reliable and strong it is. 710 Axis Lock is definitely one of the best[if not the best] for sure.According to Benchmade it can withstand up to 200 Lbs. without any damage. For comparison, Gunsite which is one of the largest amongst the tactical folders with it's 5" blade, can hold up to 130 Lbs. What else is good about Axis Lock? Easy to operate and intuitive. Nobody has ever asked how to use it, unlike linerlocks ;) The action is really smooth, and with time gets only smoother, assuming you clean your knife periodically ;) Safe, no need to have your fingers between the blade & the handle when closing it. Also, according to Benchmade the wear process is not really going to affect Axis Lock, because of the springs that are pushing moving parts close to each other. So far so good, after 8 years of use there's no sign of wear, still going strong, only getting smoother and smoother :). More information about 710 Axis Lock & the locking mechanism itself check out this interesting article New Axis Lock for Folding Knives.
Like I've said there are no reports of Axis Lock failure for almost 3 years. Earlier I've seen couple reports regarding broken omega springs, but none of them lead to lock failure either. Since the locking bar is supported by 2 springs, the chances of breaking both of them simultaneously are very insignificant. Another problem with Axis is clogging. Excessive lint, mud, blood, etc, can prevent it from engaging/disengaging, but in that case you'd notice something went wrong before using it.
Tuning Up Your 710 Axis
- Well, there's few things that you can do to make things better, the best and the first thing to do obviously it to sharpen your knife. I've already mentioned Joe Talamadge's article How to Make the Benchmade Axis Perform. To be a little more precise this is about making 710 perform better by resharpening, not improving the lock itself ;) I personally, have put primary bevel at 15° and the secondary one at 17°. So, as you can see the edge is quite thin, which makes an aggressive cutter/slicer. That angle is lower than the article recommends, but I find it just fine. No chipping whatsoever, even where the 21°-22° 154CM blade chipped, M2 sharpened at 18° was just fine.One more thing that can be done, but it will be your responsibility to do so, is to disassemble the knife.
Warning - This will void Benchmade warranty. I myself, do that for cleaning regularly for cleaning and adjusting. Clean the lock and pivot area, use a better lubricant than the one comes with it, Miltec will do. Also it does help to polish those areas on the blade that contact with washers and pins, also the tang. I've used 3000 grit polishing tape and the action now is a significantly smoother.
Usage
- As far as the prolonged use is concerned 710 is definitely a friendly knife. At some point, I've decided to use 710 as much as I could, even in cases were I'd use a fixed blade as usual. Obviously this is not always achievable, but for light and even medium cutting(mostly) it was not a problem. All I can say is that 710 was very comfortable and friendly to my fingers and palms. E.g the thumbramp on it is a lot more comfortable than the one on Numravus. It's not very easy(or exactly valid) to make comparisons with the fixed blade because of the obvious differences in knife designs, and the amount of the force that had to be exerted. Nonetheless, 710 has one of the most comfortable handles for the foding user knife.Specifications:
- Model: #710 McHenry & Williams;
- Steel - M2 Steel 60-62HRC, Rehardened 64.5HRC
- Blade: 99mm (3.90")
- Thickness - 3.04mm
- OAL: 223.4mm(8.80") Closed: 124.4mm (4.90");
- Weight: 128g (4.50oz.);
- Handle: G10 scales/double 410 stainless steel liners;
- Lock Mechanism: Axis lock (U.S. Patent #5737841);
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime;
- Acquired - 07/2000 Price - 130.00$
Related reading:
- Benchmade 710-01 D2 LE McHenry & Williams Axis Lock Folding Knife review
- Benchmade 710-02 D2 Limited Edition McHenry & Williams Axis Lock Folding Knife review
- Spyderco Endura 4 ZDP-189 Folding Knife Review
- Spyderco Tatanka C180GP Folding Knife Review
Last updated - 05/19/19