Benchmade 705/710 ATS34 or 154CM?

M

mjoury

Joined
Feb 13, 2001
Messages
52
I am looking at purchasing a Benchmade 705 or a 710 or both
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. Looking at the Benchmade site they claim a blade steel of 154 (and they should know what their knives are made out of). Every other site I have shopped on says the blade is ATS34. What is going on here? I realize that the two steels are very similar, but I would really like to know what I am getting? Was there a production change? Pre-production vs production? How do I know which one I am getting? etc.


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Marwan
 
There was a production change. Benchmade has switched from ATS-34 to 154CM. BM lists it 154CM on the site, but the dealers still have the ATS-34 versions.
How do you know which one? They usually say on the blade
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by OwenM:
...How do you know which one? They usually say on the blade
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Click to expand...

I noticed that in a picture after I posted last. I guess what I really want to know is whether dealers have the 154CM blades yet and whether they will make a point of sending me one of those if that is what I want.


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Marwan
 
If you ask, and they have the 154CM, more than likely they will send it.

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iktomi
 
The difference, incidentally, is that 154CM is now treated by argon oxygen decarburization (AOD), and is thus a cleaner steel than ATS-34. The reverse was the case prior to this recent change by Crubible Particle Metallurgy, the manufacturers of 154CM.

Walt
 
Walt, do you mean that the ATS-34 used by BM was treated also with this process? But is not now?

I heard that 154CM was not being made well, and THAT is why many went to the copy ATS-34 by Hitachi. Only recently has Crucible got the 154CM up to spec and it is cheaper for BM to buy that, than import ATS-34.

Lets be honest now! I have a few blades in ATS-34 and one in 154CM (well two if you count the loaner Puma Cougar).

What is the performance difference if both are equally heat treated? 5% up or down? Or is it more about rust resistance as it is cleaner?

Cheers!



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Walt, quick correction: the company is Crucible Steel. 'Crucible Particle Metalurgy' refers to a specific series of steels, which doesn't include 154CM.

General, if they weren't marked, you couldn't tell one from the other. Variances from blade-to-blade during the heat treat are greater than the change that the difference in steel will make.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
Thanks!

Sometimes I think we convince ourselves that we have to have the latest thing on the block. It has been my perception that many seem to prefer 154CM over ATS-34. I have read claims of better (i.e. noticable) performance with 154CM. When I bought my BM 750, I felt a little disapointed it was the ATS-34 model and not the new 154CM model. I have since decided that is stupid. You have confirmed this thinking.

W.A.

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

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
Founding president and member number 1! Wana join?
 
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