Aluminum handle durability?

[dragonist2]

Let me preface this by stating that I do not own a quality aluminum or other metal-handled knife.

However, I AM considering purchasing a Benchmade 943. I especially love the cool blue backspacer. However, what I hear a lot of people on Youtube saying is that the black on the handle scratches easily. It seems that if scraping the knife against any hard corner will result in a ugly scratch, the knife could look very beat up very easily and very soon. Now my G10 and plastic handles knives rarely show marks.

Is it true? Is aluminum really very easy to scratch up, especially on the 943? I'm sure there are ways to baby and preserve it, but I want to use my knife as an EDC.

 

[Cynic2701]

I think it holds up just fine. Here's my 943 that I carried exclusively for three years:

 

[Skimo]

It's aluminum it scratches, how much depends on your use. I've used one knife until the g-10 split, super glued it and it held just fine... Maybe it was epoxy, that was years ago, my point being that everything scratches once you use it enough or use it around stuff that will scratch it up. Office work, the handle finish will probably outlast you... Construction work, you'll be lucky to have it stay scratch free for a week.

 

[cncpro11]

Anodized aluminum is decent enough.
I switch between a Kershaw Knockout and Blur for my work edc.

Both have aluminum handles and neither really show any signs of wear.
I work 6-7 days a week and one of those two knives has been with me for the past 6 months.

If appearance really concerns you,maybe start out carrying a cheaper knife for a month or two and see how it holds up. Real world experience is a bit more valuable than most of what I see on YT.

 

[9blades]

My favorite knife was my sog flash 2 just about the only good thing I can say about that knife is after a month of carry the aluminum was spotless..

 

[tiguy7]

Benchmade also makes/made handles for the 943/940 models in Titanium and Carbon fiber. If you carry the Aluminum handled knife in a pocket that has nothing else in it, the coating on the Aluminum will last a long time. The coating on the Aluminum handles is fairly hard, but it is applied over a soft substrate. Bashing the edges of the handles is not a good idea.

 

[BlackKnife96]

My 943 doesn't get along well with car keys. If you're concerned about the finish don't put anything else in the same pocket.

 

[FordFan]

I think it holds up just fine. Here's my 943 that I carried exclusively for three years:

I always enjoy seeing pics of knives people actually use. I suspect my 940 (4 months old) will look like that in a few years. As for the original question...I think the durability of handles on a 943 is just fine for EDC usage. I might prefer G10 but the aluminum is fine in my opinion.

 

[dragonist2]

Thank you everyone for the input. One comment that interested me was that the coating is a hard cover applied over a soft substrate. Would you say that aluminum is a soft metal? You've just introduced a whole new world of worry. Does aluminum ding up or dent?

Great picture. It looks like just the edges and corners are a little worn. I don't mind that, and it looks like the coating on the body of the knife is still very nice.

 

[Swoop03]

I've had a few aluminum handled knives and they all held up just fine. Even some of those 5$ S&W folders you get from the dollar store for a quick beater knife. My buddy has one thats about 4 years old, still locks up great surprisingly and the blade is half a centimeter smaller from having me sharpen all the dents in dings in it over the years. The finish on it is only lightly worn on the high spots of the handle from hard use.
I've been carrying a microtech utx70 in my pocket for about a month clanking around with keys change and my ps4 squirt and it doesn't have a single scratch.
My squirt has been riding in my pocket for 2 years and i just throw it around and beat it, only the edges are just starting to show aluminum through the anodizing.

Aluminum is soft yes, it is easy to scratch, yes again. But on knives and such, it's anodized and normally a hard coat anodize from what i've seen. That isn't easy to scratch. For edc use I think your knife will look beautiful for years, now it will get worn and scratched even if you baby it. There is no way around that unless you don't use it at all and just display it. For typical edc though it'll stay all nice for a long time.

I personally think a worn finish looks good though, thats about the only reason I'll buy a coated blade. I want to put honest wear on it from use. I think they look better.

 

[Cynic2701]

Great picture. It looks like just the edges and corners are a little worn. I don't mind that, and it looks like the coating on the body of the knife is still very nice.

I'd say that, opposed to a titanium knife like a Sebenza, the finish on the 943 will probably hold up a little better. I think you are worrying too much: carry and use any knife long enough and it is going to get scratched or dinged up, regardless of materials. G-10 can be scratched and chipped; aluminum, titanium, and steel can be scratched and dented; wood can swell and crack etc.

To be honest, you will probably see the black coating on the clip or on the heads of the screws wear away first before anything else.

 

[Andre Basset]

Here's another longer term Benchmade 940S carried since pre-production, more than 10 years ago. The edges and corners of the handle anodizing does wear off as you saw. Anodizing started to fade on the back of the handle with me from either use or sunlight. Pitting developed in the aluminum when dropped on rock or concrete. This is part of the story of the piece. As you can see, I strongly recommend a 940/942/943.

 

[T.L.]

My 940 is holding up nicely. The aluminum had a weird, rough feel to it when I first got it. Rubbed it lightly with a Scotchbrite pad for a few seconds now its nice and smooth and feels great in the hand