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Reviews > Knives > Folding > Benchmade 530 > Roger Caffin > Long Term Report
 Biographical Details
Backpacking BackgroundI started bushwalking at 14 and took up rock climbing at University with the girl who became my wife and my permanent walking partner. Ski touring and canyoning followed. Winter and summer, we prefer long hard trips by ourselves: about a week in Australia, up to two months in Europe/UK. We prefer fast and light in unfrequented trackless country. We would be out walking and skiing for at least three months a year. We have now moved to lightweight gear, much to our backs' relief. I designed and made much of our lightweight gear myself. I am also the maintainer of the Australian aus.bushwalking FAQ web site www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/. | |||||||||||||||||||
Product Information
| Manufacturer | Benchmade | Model | 530 | |||
| Blade Material | 440C stainless steel | Handle Material | Noryl GTX 830 outer, 420J liner | |||
| Blade Style | Spear point | Blade Lock | AXIS | |||
| (quoted) | (measured) | (quoted) | (measured) | |||
| Blade Length | 3.25" (82.5 mm) | 3.22" (81.8 mm) | Blade Thickness | 0.090" (2.29 mm) | 0.090" (2.29 mm) | |
| Weight of knife: | 1.88 oz (53 g) | 1.8 oz (51 g) | MSRP: | US$90 | ||
Product Description
More details are given in my Initial Report, but to summarise, this is a folding pocket knife of very simple construction: a blade, with a flat cover plate on each side. Most pocket knives have a locking mechanism to keep the blade in position when open (or shut): the one used here appears to be custom to Benchmade and they call it 'AXIS'. The blade can be opened with one hand as there is a little black knob at the back of the blade (on both sides) which allows a thumb to push the blade open. This is different from the typical thumbnail groove one finds on many knives. While the blade is closed the locking stud (#1) shown to the right with two curved springs attached locates into a notch (#2) in the blade to keep it shut. When the blade is open the AXIS lock is at the other side of the blade (#4) and the corner there completely blocks the blade from being closed. The springs of course hold the AXIS lock in position. Closing the blade requires that the user pulls back on the AXIS lock knob to get it out of the way. These actions are illustrated in my Initial Report. The smoothness of the opening and closing is enhanced by the use of thin brass shims (#3) between the steel pieces.
Engineering Matters
Disclaimer
The Benchmade representative warned that reassembly could be tricky, but had no problem with my including photos or a description of my taking the knife apart, as long as I included a disclaimer stating that doing so voids the warranty, is potentially dangerous, and is not recommended by Benchmade. Fair enough, although I note that they do sell a Torx 6 driver specifically for the screws on these knives. For its part, BackpackGearTest does not make recommendations about gear or what to do with it anyhow.
The Screws
The special screws used to hold the knife together are all are Torx 6. Drivers are usually available from good hardware stores. I had found that the screws were all done up to about the right tension at delivery. I also found that the tension on the pivot screw was critical to the ease of opening of the blade. This proved to be fairly easy to adjust by holding the body of the knife in a clamp, the Torx driver in one hand and waggling the blade back and forwards with the other. The adjustment required a little care, but was stable.
Cleaning
Having used the knife for nearly four months (the test period), I decided it was time to strip it down and clean it. This resulted in an array of bits as shown to the left. There were some small screws (#1) which only went through the case and into one side of the hinge mechanism (#9), some medium screws (#2) which also went part way through, and three longer screws (#3) which went right through the whole mechanism. I was very pleased to see that these did not anchor into the plastic of the handle but into small brass threaded inserts (#7). Finally, there was one bigger screw (#4, still Torx 6) which went into a stud (#5) to form the main pivot. This pivot goes through the hole (#6) in the blade (#8) and the small support plates (#9). The AXIS mechanism consists of the stud (#10) and the springs (#11). When open the stud (#10) engages in a slot in the blade which is shown in the previous picture.
I found some general grit and fluff inside the handle of the knife - what do you expect when the knife floats around in pockets after all? I also found some dirt encrusted around the pivot mechanism, and this proved slightly more troublesome. I suspect it came from peeling fruit, among other things. While most of the dirt could be cleaned off, I did find some small signs of genuine corrosion, in the form of slight pitting. This is shown (rather poorly) in the enhanced picture to the left, inside the black box. I would have to admit that this pitting is my fault: I should have washed the knife clean after peeling the fruit. The fruit juices do contain acids.
Reassembly
It would be nice to be able to say that reassembly was straightforward, but that would be a wicked lie. Reassembly of a tricky little mechanism like this required that I experiment considerably with it while consulting the series of photos I had taken when I disassembled it. I was very grateful for the pictures!
I found it necessary to first put the support mechanism together - the small plates and the AXIS lock, and to attach this to one black cover. Then I attached the other black cover. Yes, this left the main blade and the brass washers out. With the structure together and stable, I was then able to insert the main blade into the assembly, followed by the brass washers on either side. All I had to do then was line up all the bits and get the black pivot (#5) into the hole (#6). This proved impossible at first. Eventually I realised that the pivot has a small flat on one side which has to be correctly aligned with the holes in the support plates. With this discovery I was able to get the pivot into the hole in the handle and support plate on one side. I then tried to align the washers and the main blade with a rod from the other side, so I could slide the pivot through. This was not possible at first, until I found that it was necessary to pull back on the AXIS lock and wiggle the blade open and shut. The spring tension on the AXIS mechanism had previously been preventing alignment. Once I had the correct sequence worked out, the pivot slipped into place smoothly. I replaced the rest of the screws, oiled the pivot, adjusted the pivot tension as before, and the job was done.
I wonder how the factory puts them together?
Field Experiences
Usefulness
I have carried this knife on every trip we have been on in the last four months. This works out to about one trip per week - so it has been 'out' a lot. However, I have to admit that the knife has not had a lot of use on our trips: we just don't need a super-sharp knife while walking. A butter knife tends to be useful for food. In general my gear does not need alteration while we are out. I have also carried the knife around with me at home and used it where-ever I needed a sharp edge. It has actually had a lot more use at home, doing a myriad of small domestic things. It is very good at opening parcels - provided I take some care not to carve up whatever is inside the parcel!
I did find the knife useful on one trip where we ended up camping on a sandy river bank one night. I had brought small thin tent stakes more suited to hard rocky ground, and of course they were of little use in the dry loose sand. I used the knife to make some fine long thick tent stakes from dead sticks lying around. Doubtless I could have survived without the knife here, but I have to say it did do the job very well!
Sharpness
I mentioned in the previous reports that the blade was delivered 'rather sharp'. It has stayed sharp, and I have only needed to gently hone the edge once, when I was removing the burr mentioned in the Field Report. This should not be taken as too much of a guide to the quality of the steel: I really don't think it has had a hard life. I do note that Benchmade have since upgraded the steel used for the blade, to make it even better - but the price did go up with the change.
Lubrication
The pivot has the steel blade held between thin brass shims for smooth operation, as shown above. This seems to work well. I have also kept the pivot very slightly oiled with a very light machine oil - just enough to lubricate the pivot, but not enough to seep out everywhere. I cannot prove that this has helped, but I believe this to be so as the bearing faces seem 'polished' rather than scraped.
Belt Clip, Bumps etc
I mentioned in my Field Report that I didn't like the belt clip on the side and removed it. I also mentioned that I found the bumps at the back end of the handle to be a bit uncomfortable. I stand by both comments. Apart from those two matters, the knife has been a pleasure to use.
Answers to some specific questions - mostly unchanged
