154cm steel

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Wlanderson105

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Apr 28, 2013
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I'm looking at a mini Griptillian by Benchmade but I've heard that the steel, 154 cm, is brittle and likely to chip. What are some thoughts on the knife and the steel?
 
Knife is great, I don't think Benchmade 154cm is too brittle or likely to chip...Benchmade doesn't run it too high and keeps it at 58-60RC. That is my experience anyway, for normal EDC I never had any problems. YMMV. Doesn't matter anyway, even if it did chip it or you break the knife in half, warranty is great and you could get a reblade for only $25.
 
I have never had a problem with BM's 154CM being "chippy". It seems to be run at the sweet spot, doesn't roll badly and doesn't chip, just blunts. It takes a nice polished edge also. It performs right where production 154CM should be expected to perform.
 
154CM is one of my fav folder steels for everyday use. It can handle a variety of chores, it's easy to get back to razor sharp, and it's been pretty tough in my uses (no chips or broken tips). Benchmade, Emerson, and Spyderco all seem to have a pretty good handle on how to set up 154CM. I wouldn't have a worry with any of those companies.
 
In my experience, 154 is a middle of the road steel. Upper end of that pack though. That said, I think BM does it better than most, and I like it. For me, it is very easy to sharpen, takes a keen edge, and is an all around great steel. Good luck.
 
I have a Benchmade 530 in 154cm, and it has not chipped or anything. However, when I bought my mini-grip, I went with the d2 version, and have been pleased with it as well.
 
154CM is an incredibly well balanced EDC steel. It resists corrosion, holds a solid edge, and does not chip easily. I have not seen empirical evidence to the contrary.
 
I have had no issue with the154cm on my benchmade Stryker. It cuts well and sharpens up easy. I like it.
 
I agree with the above comments, however I found the 154CM on my Grippie difficult to sharpen, even with diamond hones. It may be the high moly content, or possibly the grind, which I thought could be less obtuse. Took quite a while with a coarse DMT to reprofile the edge to my liking. Once I got it to where I wanted, though, it was fine. I picked up a Grippie in D2 at Cabela's the other day. It seems to be ground a bit thinner with a less obtuse edge than the 154CM, and it only took five minutes on the red/green DMTs to bring it to a hair-topping edge.
 
I don't know much about the knife, but 154cm steel is totally fine sharpens up well
 
154cm has been around for a long time. I wouldn't worry about its performance if a knife using it comes from a reputable company.
 
never really had the edge chip on my grip but I always lose the tip ive had 4 full size grips 1 mini grip a spyderco mainx and a barrage all 154cm and lost the tip on everyone once reprofiled though it never happens again I think the tips are just to thin for 154cm I never had a problem with my zt0350 that was s30v
 
Wlanderson105 said:
I'm looking at a mini Griptillian by Benchmade but I've heard that the steel, 154 cm, is brittle and likely to chip. What are some thoughts on the knife and the steel?
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I am extremely fond of Benchmades 154CM and have been so for many, many years having used it for a wide range of applications and environments. It's never disappointed me in any way and one of my favorite steels.

If you don't mind my asking, where did you "hear" it is brittle and likely to chip? Just curious...
 
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I have never had an issue with 154CM. I have used a 154CM Griptilian for years and my current "hard-use" blade is a Hogue EX-01 with a 3.5" 154CM blade.

One of my Benchmades goes back to the year 2000 and uses ATS-34, similar to 154CM. I have never had a problem with that one either, but I did get a speck of discoloration on it once. I haven't really babied it.
 
I agree with the previous posters. 154CM is a really nice steel. It may not perform as well as some of the newer "super" steels when it comes to extensive cutting requirements, but it's very easy to sharpen and holds a good edge.
 
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