ATS-34 or M2??

vactor

vactor

Joined
Oct 24, 2000
Messages
622
ok everyone, being rather new here i have a question on blade materials. i am looking at purchasing a second Benchmade 710 with the axis lock, as i like the one i have so much. however, i just read that they are available with an M2 steel blade (as opposed to only the ATS-34). i read that the M2 steel is a harder type tool steel and may be more difficult to work on, but may retain an edge for longer periods of time (use). is there an advantage to each? should i care? i plan on getting the BT2 coating again, and both are available with the BT2. opinions, as always, welcome.

btw, the 710 kicks total butt!!
 
I love Benchmade's M-2 steel. It is tougher than the ATS-34, and takes a very fine polished edge if you like polished edges. Unless you live at the ocean, get the M-2. It is no harder to sharpen than any other good steel. In the world of production knife blades, Benchmade M-2 rules.

[This message has been edited by Steve Harvey (edited 10-25-2000).]
 
I have a pre prod model 710 in M2. I now own about 7 knives in ATS-34 and 3 in M2 steel. With the BT2 coat I have to say M2 rules. It kills ATS-34 in my testing and goes and goes and...goes! Use MS Tuf cloth and forget rust problems. I live right next to the sea, no problems for me! M2 is tougher, stronger and takes a vorpal edge with ease. It is sooooo nice to sharpen, you will not belive it! Unless you want to reprofile, then it is a tough old git to remove!

W.A.

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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tenneson
Ranger motto
 
If you are going to get the BT2 coating anyway then get the M2. M2 should be a lot toougher than ATS-34. The only downside is corrosion resistance which is pretty much taken care of by the BT2 and tuff cloth.

It is a much harder choice for me because I cant stand BT2. The advantages arent worth it to me because I hate the BT2 so much.

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Dennis Bible
 
again, excuse my ignorance: but what is undesirable about the BT2 coating? please do not take this as a criticism of your opinion, but it seems you may have a bit (lot) more experience in this than i do. from what i have read, the BT2 coating would reduce the corrosion of the material underneath, and is supposed to provide a bit more 'lubrication' as i understand it to be teflon based. both of these traits would seem to be positivives ...

one of the downsides i can see is that the finish is marred rather easily. i let a friend of mine see my 710 and i went to get a coke, and by the time i returned, he had used my new knife to punch holes in, and cut, galvanized steel heating/ac ventilation ducting, and sawed some 1x1" mdf. so my blade was dulled as heck and the BT2 was marred. but other than that, it has held up amazingly well. i just have to get the knife re-sharpened. shoot.

oh, and what are pros/cons of a combo edge? i like it, and i know it is nearly impossible to sharpen, but allows for cutting of all kinds of stuff... any other thoughts? too bad they do not have a Ti liner, as the ONLY downside i see in this knife is that my 880 darkstar feels significantly lighter in the pocket (i love that one too!).


thanks all.


[This message has been edited by vactor (edited 10-26-2000).]
 
I think the reason some folks (myself included) shy away from the coated blades is exactly what you mentioned. They mar easily, and I have yet to see a mfr. offer an affordable "re-coating" option if you send it back.
For me, the only way I would own a coated-blade folder is if it would be carried for defensive purposes only, and not utility cutting. That being said, I do have DA-Socom which is black-T coated, however it had already been scuffed around a little when I bought it and was priced accordingly. My rule of thumb for production blades is satin finish or stonewash, and on custom blades it's satin finish only, and I'll pay extra for it if need be.
I really do need to get an Axis lock model, though. Hmmmmm....BM 940?
smile.gif


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Knives
 
ptpalpha hit the nail on the head. It really is just a personal choice but I don't like BT2 because it quickly looks like crap. I will concede that you get better protection from the elements. I just don't like it. I go with satin or stonewash.

I used to like partially serrated blades but after reading Joe T's plain versus serrated I lean towards plain.

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Dennis Bible
 
Ya, the coating looks like hell after a couple of hard jobs. Then after a year or so of hard use, it mellows out to what would almost pass for a patina on a low alloy blade. I would take my M-2 blades without the coating if I had my druthers. To me the steel performance is more important than the shine though. Not that the 154CM blades don't perform pretty well too.
 
ok, so if my criteria for blade choice is 1) edge retention and 2) corrosion resistance, and let's say i do not care about looks, them the M2 with the BT2 coating would be appropriate? M2 for better edge retention and hardness, BT2 for corrosion resistance, and then it looks like crap after a while, but so what right? any difficulties in sharpening this combo other than the M2 being tougher to work with? (i think i am right on this one, but again, corrections are welcome).
 
Benchmade's ATS-34 holds an edge really well for a high alloy steel, and I agree with shootist16 about 99%. When I got my first M-2 AFCK I did a face to face to face edge holding comparison with an ATS AFCK, and a CPM440V Military. I cut stuff for days waiting for one of them to feel more dull than the rest but it never happened. I gave up. My opinion is that you would have to cut really nasty stuff on a daily basis, sharpening several times a day in order to appreciate any difference in edge holding between those three knives.

I did notice a slight difference in how M-2 works on a sharpening stone though. It is definately slower to work when reprofiling the edge with a course stone. It is not however harder to sharpen. It takes the same number of strokes, more or less, to bring back the razor edge of an ATS blade as it does the M-2 blade. If anything, I think the M-2 blades are easier to sharpen because they don't form big floppy burrs that take extra effort to strop away the way the ATS blades do. You don't have to be so careful about doing lighter and lighter strokes to get a real fine edge with the M-2.
 
I hate to say it but M2 has worked much better for me than ATS-34.

W.A.

------------------
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tenneson
Ranger motto
 
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