940 Edge Does Not Lay Completely Flush

[Phil1987]

I was messing around with my 940 today and layed the edge perpendicular on my kitchen counter and discovered that it didn't lay completely flush with the table. It's similar to the first photo of this guy's knife BUT not quite as pronounced: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/940-1501-bad-grind-or.1510039/

I was finally able to upload a photo of my knife below. As you can see, there's some light coming through below the butterfly.

Please note that I've tried this on multiple surfaces now, and it looks the same on each one.

Is even a very minor dip unacceptable? For those of you with 940's, what do yours look like?

 

[Boxer .45]

I was messing around with my 940 today and layed the edge perpendicular on my kitchen counter and discovered that it didn't lay completely flush with the table. It's similar to the first photo of this guy's knife BUT not quite as pronounced: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/940-1501-bad-grind-or.1510039/

Is even a very minor dip unacceptable? For those of you with 940's, what do yours look like?

Read post number seven.
Would help to have actuual pictures.

 

[Benchmade]

If it's not straight it's not right. Send it in for blade replacement if it bothers you.

 

[TiHawk60]

That was mine, obviously, and yes, I did send it in. They didn't replace the blade, but re-ground the profile. It was perfect when I got it back, just with less steel. I guess it depends on how much you are bothered with it... It still functions just fine, so... looking back, I don't know if I'd go through sending another one in unless it was quite bad, but depends on your situation. If you're a collector and just want to have a nice example of a certain knife, then maybe, but mine are all users and will get worn, sharpened, etc and perhaps some day a blade replacement if necessary, but it'd all be up to the individual.

 

[Cypress]

That was mine, obviously, and yes, I did send it in. They didn't replace the blade, but re-ground the profile. It was perfect when I got it back, just with less steel. I guess it depends on how much you are bothered with it... It still functions just fine, so... looking back, I don't know if I'd go through sending another one in unless it was quite bad, but depends on your situation. If you're a collector and just want to have a nice example of a certain knife, then maybe, but mine are all users and will get worn, sharpened, etc and perhaps some day a blade replacement if necessary, but it'd all be up to the individual.

There are a lot of people (including myself) that would NOT be ok with that, especially if the knife was going to get used a lot. It is literally taking service life off of the knife.

 

[TiHawk60]

Yes, I was a bit miffed when I got it back and compared the blade to the pictures I had taken (took way more than I posted) and compared the various grain structures from the photos to the knife I got back and figured out it was the same blade. Even though I had printed off the thread post from Jimmy and indicated on the paperwork for "blade replacement under warranty." I want to say the paperwork I got back with it indicated that the bevel grinds were "within spec" but that the recurve was taken out via grind... I would have to check it again when home to verify that, though.

 

[Boxer .45]

P Phil1987 put it on something other than the kitchen counter to make sure its the blade not the counter. Just a thought.

 

[Phil1987]

Thanks for all the replies.

The issue I'm having does not bother me at all on an aesthetic level. My only concern is that it would affect cutting performance.

Does something like this have any impact on use, or is it only a matter of not looking perfect.

Edit: I forgot to add that I went to a local Benchmade dealer today and checked out two 940s. Both of them had a similar issue with their edges.

 

[Cypress]

Thanks for all the replies.

The issue I'm having does not bother me at all on an aesthetic level. My only concern is that it would affect cutting performance.

Does something like this have any impact on use, or is it only a matter of not looking perfect.

Edit: I forgot to add that I went to a local Benchmade dealer today and checked out two 940s. Both of them had a similar issue with their edges.

It's not surprising to hear that most of the knives feature dodgy edge geometries. It's been discussed a lot in this forum (and other forums/platforms).

If they remove steel from your knife through sharpening, the thickness behind the edge will increase (given the same edge bevel angle). This makes the knife harder to push through material.

A knife can only go through so many sharpenings before the thickness behind the edge might become an issue for your cutting tasks. I had an Adamas that went through ~20 full-blown sharpenings before the last 3/4" near the tip basically became a wedge that had very little use as a knife. I paid to have Benchmade replace the blade on that Adamas due to the issue. Unfortunately, the Adamas and the 940 share the same blade profile, so I wouldn't allow Benchmade to sharpen their mistake out of your blade.

That's just me though.

 

[Phil1987]

It's not surprising to hear that most of the knives feature dodgy edge geometries. It's been discussed a lot in this forum (and other forums/platforms).

If they remove steel from your knife through sharpening, the thickness behind the edge will increase (given the same edge bevel angle). This makes the knife harder to push through material.

A knife can only go through so many sharpenings before the thickness behind the edge might become an issue for your cutting tasks. I had an Adamas that went through ~20 full-blown sharpenings before the last 3/4" near the tip basically became a wedge that had very little use as a knife. I paid to have Benchmade replace the blade on that Adamas due to the issue. Unfortunately, the Adamas and the 940 share the same blade profile, so I wouldn't allow Benchmade to sharpen their mistake out of your blade.

That's just me though.

Yeah, I don't want any steel removed. Do my pictures my knife in the original post concern you in terms of cutting performance?

 

[Cypress]

Yeah, I don't want any steel removed. Do my pictures my knife in the original post concern you in terms of cutting performance?

Cutting performance, no. I'd be miffed over the principal of paying buttloads for a poorly-sharpened tool.

 

[luke86]

There are a lot of people (including myself) that would NOT be ok with that, especially if the knife was going to get used a lot. It is literally taking service life off of the knife.

Im with you. I would be highly upset if they did anything other than replace the blade with a perfect one. Not sure whats going on with the customer service these days but its not what it used to be. Several years ago that blade would have been replaced no questions asked. I sent in an anthem with a wonky grind asking for blade replacement. They ground it down instead of giving me a new blade. I recently sent in a bugout asking for blade replacement due to lock stick. I flicked and flicked it but the stick wouldn't go away. Received the exact knife back without even so much as an axis lock change. Papers said they changed the omegas and there was no lock stick. After a couple flicks the stick was back. I called and explained my disappointment and they began to argue saying that it didn't have lock stick. I then explained that I had another bugout without this problem so I obviously knew what I was talking about. This was on a Friday. I was told someone would be calling me back on Monday. Monday came and went with no call. I said the heck with it and sold it and moved on. Haven't bought one since.

 

[Knicked Digits]

I don’t have a 940 but I noticed that when I sharpened my mini grip for the first time, there was a small portion near the choil that wasn’t being touched at all. I assumed it might have been sharpened unevenly but the amount and location didn’t bother me. The OPs uneven grind def warrants a new blade in the very least. I’d try to haggle them to pay the shipping as well

 

[luke86]

I really wish they would take a lesson from spyderco's golden Colorado facility on how to sharpen a blade. There edges are almost always even and perfect.

 

[sharp_edge]

I really wish they would take a lesson from spyderco's golden Colorado facility on how to sharpen a blade. There edges are almost always even and perfect.

I have about 12 spydercos and I can say no - it is not like what you said. None of them has perfectly ground even edge. Are they a bit better than Benchmade overall? Maybe, but not so much.

 

[luke86]

I have about 12 spydercos and I can say no - it is not like what you said. None of them has perfectly ground even edge. Are they a bit better than Benchmade overall? Maybe, but not so much.

Are they golden Colorado models? Those are the ones I’m referring to. In my experience they are substantially better.

 

[sharp_edge]

Are they golden Colorado models? Those are the ones I’m referring to. In my experience they are substantially better.

5 Militaries, 4 PM2s, 2 Manix 2s, and 1 Delica. Also sold a few. They are not bad, but definitely not close to perfect, which for production folders of their price range, is acceptable to me.