My 6 year old Benchmade valet finally broke an omega spring. I had noticed the action was getting weird, in addition to never being good, so I decided to take it apart to see what was what. This is the only crossbar lock that I own, and I'm wondering are they all this bad? Do some companies make them more durable than others? I had eventually wanted to try a 940 but if this is what I have to look forward to with minimal use and some fidgeting it's not worth it.
How do brands like Kizer (Original 2, pokiman, etc), Hogue (Deka), Kershaw (Bel Air) crossbar locks hold up?
by _mnb7
6 Comments
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Pictured is the liner, and omega springs from a Benchmade 485 Valet
Taking less than five minutes every 6 years to replace springs that can be bought really cheaply just isn’t something I’ll ever be convinced is a big deal, much less a disqualifying thing for owning a Benchmade
I replace all omegas with ones from AliExpress they are stronger and make the action feel a lot better
Kizers clutch lock seems to be solid. I think they even give you extra set of springs. My bugout and 940 both broke their omega springs. My griptillian has not yet and I’ve had it for 8 yrs or so.
I’ve heard others never having any issues with omega springs before that’s had their knives for a while. I think it’s just different experiences.
I have a lander 2 and it uses the clutch lock by Kizer and it’s held up.
Two of the three Benchmade knives I’ve owned popped their springs within months. It’s a massive safety liability to say the least.
I’ve sold them all since, while their customer support continue to devolve, prices going up disproportionately, and quality control still sucking. my hogue deka has yet to have issues years later with more or less perfect quality control.