We all love Benchmade knives, despite the high price. But what is it that we love most about them?
Is it the mystique? The brand image? The form factor? The use of super steels? The uniqueness of the blade profiles?
Sure, all of these things are great, but they’re not what underpins the brand. That would be the AXIS Lock, pioneered by Benchmade Knife Company, and which has taken over the knife industry.
About the AXIS Lock
When Benchmade released the AXIS Lock approximately 30 years ago, it was brand new to the world of knives. But it would change the course of knifemaking forever.
What it was at its most basic was a bar that sat between the frame and knife scales, and which was held in place by a roughly U-shaped spring that would allow it to slide either forward or backward in a channel.
At the rear, the lock disengaged, allowing the knife to swing open or closed. In the forward position, with the knife open, the bar locked into a corresponding recess at the base of the blade, wedging it in place.
This is effectively how all knife locks work, but what made Benchmade’s AXIS so revolutionary was strength.
Not to mince words; this is one of the strongest knife locks ever developed. It is likely the strongest of all time. It is nearly impossible for the lock to fail without catastrophic damage to the entire knife, not just the bar that locks it in place.
But when you really get down to it, it isn’t just strength that makes the AXIS Lock such a selling point of Benchmade knives. There is more to it.
For one, unlike some other lock types like liner locks and framelocks, it doesn’t favor a right or left-handed user. It is also not prone to accidental disengagement, like these or other lock types, such as lock backs.
The AXIS Lock is also inherently safer than many other types of folding lock mechanisms. Chiefly this is because the knife lock can be disengaged while keeping the user’s hands and fingers completely free of the blade. This helps prevent accidents while closing the knife.
The AXIS lock is also very fidget-friendly, for what it’s worth, further adding to its value. Not a huge differentiating factor, but still nice to have.
For what it’s worth, and if this will serve as any sort of testament to the quality and usability of this type of knife lock, the AXIS Lock has been endlessly duplicated by other knife manufacturers. Other brands have called it a DuraLock, Pivot Lock, Slide Lock, Bar or Crossbar Lock, and Clutch Lock, among others.
One thing is clear: the safety and usability, not to mention the strength of the AXIS Lock that have come to typify Benchmade knives have made it an enduring legacy that has been endlessly mimicked by the lessers.
And it is, above all other things, what makes Benchmade knives worth the high prices they command. Get familiar with an AXIS Lock (or one of the many clones it has sired) and you will not be going back to anything else anytime soon. Go ahead and try that challenge.
Explore Benchmade Knives at BudK
Here because you wanted to know what the one thing was that set Benchmade knives apart? Well, now you have it, but remember this: it isn’t the only thing. There is a lot more to love about knives stamped with the Benchmade butterfly.
Check out a full catalog over at BudK. You might just like some of the other things you discover there as well.
