Benchmade 520/525 - how bad do they shred pockets?

mongomondo

mongomondo

SUPPRESSING FIRE
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Sep 17, 2006
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I've been attracted to the 520/525 lately, I like the beefy aluminum handles and thick blade. I also like how the axis lock has a lot of room to travel on these models, but the only bad thing I've heard is that the grooves on the handles shreds pockets. If I wear jeans all the time, do you think this knife will damage the pockets that much?

Definitely not interested in the "ultra" models
 
Up until recently I had the auto version does that count?

If it does I didn’t find them to do any more damage to my jeans then aggressive G10.
 
yeah no more damage then my strider used too. I bend the clip out just a little to add some room when I pull it out of the pocket.
 
Only on the first day I got the 520 did I shred the jeans. Now I use it on average 5 to 10 times per day no shred problem. I do like the grip.
 
I have a 520 and really like it. The slats on the handles are actually flattened under the clip, it's not to bad on the pocket (no worse than a Manix or Military with coarse G-10). The knife is a great design, very well sized and comfortable. The blade is shaped very nicely for EDC work. You don't have to worry about any axis lock wearing, I've carried them for years and haven't seen .050" of movement out of any of them.
 
The other option, albeit an expensive one, is to buy some WilkinsGrips and stick’em on a Griptilian blade. I recently put a pair of aluminum Wilkins on my BM 552. They are great. It is now a beast of a knife, much like the 520 Pardues. It is easily one of my top folders now. The WilkinsGrips aren’t quite as aggressive as the 520’s design. They do offer a good grip though.

I had looked at 520’s recently, but I remember, several years ago, the guys at the Benchmade forum talking about the pocket shredding design of the 520/525’s so I decided against it.

From the sounds of it here, maybe they aren’t that bad after all.
 
I have a 520, but I don't wear pants, so I'm afraid I can't help you.

Seriously though, it does wear out pockets eventually. You can help the situation a little by bending the clip out slightly so it grips a tad looser. With jeans, your pockets will hold up longer. Higher quality jeans will obviously be more resistant. Higher priced jeans will usually fare worse, because for some reason a larger price tag is indicative of weaker fabric. Fashion over function, and all that.

6 and two 3s. Get it anyway. It's a great knife. Mine's in my pocket right now, chewing on the denim as we speak. Chomp chomp chomp, nom nom nom.
 
mongomondo said:
Anyone have pants or the 520?
Click to expand...

Mine has shredded some pockets due to how I wear the knife. Sometimes pulling it out is really rough, sometimes it's not.

Also, the blade isn't as thick as you'd think. I'd have to check when I get home, but I don't think it's as thick as a Military.
 
My jeans stay shredded where pocket clips come in and out. I just don't worry about it, my knife is my friend, the jeans only cover my butt.
 
Mine was pretty rough on pants till I took the clip off and tweaked it a bit---now it doesn't have a death grip, but I'm not gonna lose it either.
 
The real pocket shredder I have is a Kershaw ENERG-2, great working knife for EDC, but h.ll on wheels for tearing up a pair of Levi's. Rubber inserts in G-10 and a paddle pocket clip....pocket shredding combo.
 
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