What folder would you recommend?

[mercop]

BM AXIS locks are great until you cut through a target and your thumb unlocks it and it lops off your fingers.

 

[Charles S]

BM AXIS locks are great until you cut through a target and your thumb unlocks it and it lops off your fingers.

Please feel free to provide documentation of this event. Not that I am doubting you. I would just like confirmation.

 

[hso]

swingkingknives,

Since I've been collecting knives for over 30 years and consulting with knife manufacturers for over a decade I've found that there is no one perfect knife for all tasks. Since there are plenty of companies that make serviceable to excellent knives for various tasks it is inaccurate to say that any one company's knives are the "best on the market".

mercop,

We had a Kershaw Bump fold up in hard use in a hammer grip. Tell us about the failure you experienced/saw with the BM.

 

[mercop]

I had heard about it and one of my instructors had a BM trainer with the AXIS lock. It was pretty easy for us to replicate the failure. Enough so that we advise against them.

 

[james_bond]

Go to a a knife shop of some sort and try everything in your hand and then get that is comfortable in YOUR hand and has your desired lock up. make sure to check out the spydercos, Benchmades, Emersons, and kershaws

 

[Charles S]

I had heard about it and one of my instructors had a BM trainer with the AXIS lock. It was pretty easy for us to replicate the failure. Enough so that we advise against them.

Thanks.

 

[mercop]

The way we found the failure was most likely was to cut with an angle #1 (cutting high right to low left) with the knife in the foil grip. Since this cutting is dragging in the same direction needed to unlock the knife it does so. Then as you come back up it closes on your fingers.

It was easy enough for me to do in training that I can not advocate the carrying a knife with the Axis lock.

Everyone has got liner locks to fail by pounding them on a work bench, problem is that I will never be attacked by a work bench. And when I hear of liner lock failing I always wonder if it ever was fully engaged. When one fails it make good knife news so why worry about the details. Several times during my folder into the drill we have had people attempt to cut with a knife they assumed was locked open only to find out it wasn't after it closed on their fingers.

 

[Charles S]

Honestly...If you are talking about a knife that one's life will depend on, either as a fighter or a tool all folders can fail. (I have never had a liner lock or an axis lock fail, but they both can).

If you must have an absolute zero failure rate a fixed blade will be closer to that, but then again even a full tang knife can break.

The way we found the failure was most likely was to cut with an angle #1 (cutting high right to low left) with the knife in the foil grip. Since this cutting is dragging in the same direction needed to unlock the knife it does so. Then as you come back up it closes on your fingers.

Just curious...on the Benchmade 5000 there is a safety for the axis lock that can be used to lock the axis lock in place (either with the knife open or closed). Would or does this fix the problem?

 

[mercop]

Does the lock engage automaticly or do you have to engage it?

 

[Charles S]

The lock is on the spine of the knife and must be manually engaged. Once engaged the axis lock cannot move.

http://www.benchmade.com/about_knives/locking_mechanisms.asp

Honestly the link does not show it well. It is a hybrid of the standard axis lock and the lock for the auto knife.

 

[mercop]

Just another step under stress IMHO.

There were a lot of ideas about weapons and techniques I used to believe in until we tried them during the Folder into the Fight Drill.