Ambidextrous, Benchmade Axis Lock
Sunday, October 14th, 2007 | Knife Reviews / News
Truly an innovative design on Benchmade’s part. It allows for left or right hand opening, superb open blade lock with little to no play. Benchmade has employed this lcok design on a number of its knives for many years now. With a small amount of practice for some, first time for others, the blades can be opened simply by depressing the lock and flipping the wrist in what would look like an candy cane motion - or shepherds staff.
What follows is the Axis Lock description taken taken directly from www.benchmade.com:
AXIS® A patented Benchmade exclusive, AXIS has been turning heads and winning fans ever since its introduction. A 100-percent ambidextrous design, AXIS gets its function from a small, hardened steel bar which rides forward and back in a slot machined into both steel liners. The bar extends to both sides of the knife, spanning the liners and positioned over the rear of the blade. It engages a ramped, tang portion of the knife blade when it is opened. Two omega style springs, one on each liner, give the locking bar it’s inertia to engage the knife tang, and as a result the tang is wedged solidly between a sizable stop pin and the AXIS bar itself.
Here are few models that use the Axis Lock System:

click here to read more about Benchmade’s Axis locking mechanism.
click here to view some of the Benchmade knives featuring the Axis Locking mechanism
3 Comments to Ambidextrous, Benchmade Axis Lock
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The Griptilian is hands down one of my favorite knives. It fits well and the price is right at $65.00. The 960 is sweet looking but its way up there on the price.


October 18, 2007