I recently got one of these, I guess they're a discontinued NRA Outdoors knife series. It's a springless lockback design, and it's the only knife out of six Benchmades that I have that has been difficult to open out of the box. It's very stiff, and despite my best efforts, it doesn't flick open. Part of the problem is how close the thumb stud is to the axis of rotation, and that the blade is relatively light, but even still, it's not quick to deploy.

I currently have it soaking overnight w/ some Kano Kroil liberally squirted into the mechanism. However, could the stiffness just be due to the locking mechanism? Or do I just need to open and close this thing a few hundred times to smooth it out?

Note that the knife does not have any pivot screw heads exposed, which is another unique thing about it compared to the other five knives.

Here's a link to the NRA website, as the Benchmade website doesn't have any of the NRA Outdoor series knives info.

Click Here

Cameron

I handled one of these a long time ago. I believe that you're right in your inability to flick the knife open being a combination of the placement of the thumbstud and the resistance of the lockback. I've always known lockbacks in general to be one of the harder styles of folders to flick open.

I believe Feuer has this same model. You should PM him on his experience with this model if he doesn't see the thread.

few hundred openings should do the trick.

try liquid graphite..

This is one BM I have never looked at perhaps I should try one.

I bought my son one of these, mainly because you can't flick it open. Maybe after thousands of openings and some lube it will, but then again maybe not. The pivot isn't adjustable, so the tension is what it is until it gets worn in.