154CM & chipping

A

Active Verb

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Jun 30, 2004
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I own two BMs, a 525 and a 705. Both blades are 154 CM and have chipped, albeit small chips. I went with this metal choice in part based on the idea that 154 CM was intermediate in edge holding and toughness. But, I'm disappointed that the steel seems to chip so easily. I used them as EDC and don't do anything particularly rigorous. I open mail, cut fruit, open boxes, etc. Probably the same thing many BF members use their EDC for. The fix will be to sharpen it out on my Sharpmaker. Two questions

1. How common is chipping? Do most EDCs have chips?

2. Is it steel choice or knife use that is more important in preventing chipping?

Thoughts?

Verb
 
The only 154 I've ever had chip was when the user hit a nail (the iron kind) with the edge, and even then it was a very small chip. The heat treating and thinness or thickness of the edge has more to do with chipping than the steel choice, IMO. Of course, usage definitely plays a huge part.
 
Any edge can chip regardless of the steel. I was cutting boxes with one of mine once that was held together with more than just tape but had staples in it also. The big flat ones too. I hit one of those with my blade and it chipped. I don't consider these type of chips to be abnormal.

You don't see too many reports around here of many problems at all with 154CM except maybe an occasional ? about how to get it sharp. None of my blades in this steel have ever chipped or been prone to that but as I said any of them will chip if they hit the right object in use.

Not trying to point fingers or anything but since we are talking about two knives and both chipped while in the same hand it seems logical to look at the hand that held them with more scrutiny than the blades. Maybe you are rougher on them than you like to think.

STR
 
Not trying to point fingers or anything but since we are talking about two knives and both chipped while in the same hand it seems logical to look at the hand that held them with more scrutiny than the blades. Maybe you are rougher on them than you like to think.
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STR, it's perfectly possible. I don't perceive myself as being overly rough with the blades. At the same time, like most EDC owners I don't think or scrutinize very opening or use. Maybe I should. To be frank, this thread is a reality check. And I may be the problem. Just comparing notes to other BM 154 CM EDC owners. If there isn't a groundswell as there seemed to be with the SV30, I will grind out it and be more careful which frankly is what I will do in any case. So, :D , thanks for your attention. It's probably me. I think STR has a point.
 
Any hard thin blade will chip, whether it's a carbon steel, S30V, or 154-CM. Nothing is very tough when it's 60 Rc and in a tiny little knife.
 
I've got a couple blades in 154CM, and I've never had them chip. I do use mine rigorously. My 710 and CQC-10 both get used to cut some pretty tough stuff on occasion.

Peace.
A.
 
My 710 used to chip when I put a 30 degree edge on it. Now I put a compound edge by finishing off at 40 degrees and no more chipping. I've never had a problem with my 722 at 30 degrees.
 
Active Verb said:
I'm disappointed that the steel seems to chip so easily. I used them as EDC and don't do anything particularly rigorous. I open mail, cut fruit, open boxes, etc.
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This could be an initial edge problem, grind all the damage off and resharpen.

Is it steel choice or knife use that is more important in preventing chipping?
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The difference in steel toughness from the really brittle ones to the really tough ones is about 100:1. You can fracture the really tough steels, but it is exceptionally difficult, and some I have seen are so tough you basically have to tear them apart.

Larrin said:
Any hard thin blade will chip, whether it's a carbon steel, S30V, or 154-CM. Nothing is very tough when it's 60 Rc and in a tiny little knife.
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A number of steels have toughness peaks at or very near 60 HRC, and Benchmade in general doesn't run really acute edges. If you go overly thin on a tough steel it won't chip, it will just tear.

-Cliff
 
hhm, odd.

All my 154 blades,no chips or tears.

Maybe i baby mine too much, i have thinned the edges on a 705 to quite a low angle, still no problem, shaves hair an inch above the arm.

I guess i spoil them, o well, their mine to spoil lol.


WR
 
I've chipped 154CM in similar use. Not often, but occasionally. Probably just hit a junky inclusion in one of the boxes.

Phil
 
I have a BM 940 (154CM RC58-60, I guess it would be 58), it chips when I use it to cut wood (30 degree bevel).
But other 2 knifes (Endura VG-10 RC59-60, raven RC61) don't chip at all.
So I think strength of blade prevents it from chipping
 
Have my 710 in 154CM reprofiled to 12.5 to 15 deg. per side and haven't had any chips and I use it pretty hard. Sorry to hear you've had problems. A spooky cutter in 154CM when profiled tight like I like em ....:D
 
I've never had any 154CM chipping problems with my Benchmades. The worst chipping I've seen was actually a 440A kitchen knife that belonged to my father. He was always careful to use a poly cutting board, and he never used it to cut anything harder than a chicken breast, but after a month or so of usage, the edge looked like the inside of a great white's mouth.

Shao
 
154CM is kinda tough for a stainless, if done right. I EDC a Camillus Cuda Quik-Action since 2004, and I use it hard. Never encountered one single chip. I cut wires, bunes, scraped metal, and once I accidentally dropped it from 1.5 meter high (5 feet), and the poor knife landed tip first on a friggin' hard ceramic tile. No chipping whatsoever, just dulling.
 
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