Benchmade 710 CPM M4 - Knifeworks special

nozh2002

nozh2002

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Benchmade710-M4-001.jpg


This is special run for Knifeworks - Benchmade 710 with CPM M4 steel. They were first manufacturers to my knowledge who introduced this steel (first in gold line). I may only welcome this move. Long ago it was only company offering M2 steel, but then they fall out of supersteel race and made knive out of CPM S30V at most... They was noticeble moved aside by Kershaw, which became one of most innovative knife manufacturers. I guess BM learned this lesson and now they starts again offering something interesting to steel junkies like me.

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This is legendary McHenry&Williams 710 model, as I understand first knife with axis lock. Nice looking knife with long thin predatory blade. I already have 710HS - old discontinued model with M2 steel. This one has green handle instead of black, different black coating which covers screws and liners too and of course different steel.

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Otherwise it is same old good 710 McWilliams and Henry with also High Speed steel - CPM M4 this time, better modern PM version of old good M2 from Crucible. With Axis lock and everything else what makes this knife so popular for so many years.

Benchmade710-M4-004.jpg


I take away recurve, as I do for all my knives. It may look different then designed and in this case original look was better, but I can sharpen entire edge to hair whittling sharpness now. On the side note - after so many use DMT D8XX continue to reprofile blades. Again I can imagine that as for any new steel we may hear usual cry about how hard to sharpen CPM M4 - I just did this and did not see any difference - it whittle hair after same effort I pay for any steel. Here is is unrecurved with my old 710HS also unrecurved.

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Thanks, Vassili.
 
So what is your impression of the M4 steel as offered by Benchmade so far in comparison to other knives you own. I assume you'll be testing later (I enjoy your observations).

Based upon comparison to my Benchmade M2 knives, I'm thinking M4 is comparable to M2 with negligible differences noticed so far, e.g. M4 takes a fine edge well and seems to hold that edge for a good time.
 
Eventually I will do formal testing, so far I tested Spyderco Mule out of CPM M4 and it took 4th place - after Dozier's Dw, ZDP and SR101.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Vassili...did you not remove the thumb studs before reprofiling? They look a little...um...different. :shock:

It's always seeing you take the recurve out of your blades, though. I loved what you did with your Kershaw Tyrade!
 
Benchmade710-M4-005.jpg




Well that's one less 710-801 that can be advertised as nib. ;)

What's the edge profile? 10 degrees per side?
 
Tony_A said:
Benchmade710-M4-005.jpg




Well that's one less 710-801 that can be advertised as nib. ;)

What's the edge profile? 10 degrees per side?
Click to expand...

Well, I am not investing in knives, I am not buying knives to resell them for higher price... For me it is more important to have knife really sharp and I prefer knives which hold sharp edge rather then hold price - all this resell value, developed second market, etc not for me.

My standard edge for all my knives is 15 degree per side - 30 degree total. May be a bit more because it is convex a bit on very edge.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Vassilii, I don't want to take this off the subject but I thought I'd pass it on to you that the two knives I know of in SRS15 were switched to SLD , A japanese D2 analog steel.

They were the Bosen Entuko, and the big 9 inch bowie marked "high speed steel", if I remember correctly. I know of no other field knife types made of SRS15.

I tried to get one for a few years. They were always sold out when I had the money. Joe
 
nozh2002 said:
Well, I am not investing in knives, I am not buying knives to resell them for higher price... For me it is more important to have knife really sharp and I prefer knives which hold sharp edge rather then hold price - all this resell value, developed second market, etc not for me.
Click to expand...

All the same I would have removed the thumb studs prior to grinding. :)
 
OMG!

Dude, thumbstuds are very easy to remove. You really didn't have to file them off.

And why get rid of the recurve, that can be sharpened to hair or whatever whittling sharpness with a little more efforts and proper tools.

Well, as log as you like it that way... Congrats on the new knife though.
 
Sorry I hurt your feelings... Yes it is gorgeous this re-curve. But it make it more difficult to sharpen and so I removed it. Sorry I guess I am not quite sensitive and do not appreciate all this real men decorations to do extra work when sharpening just to keep this beauty.

As well I rather cut thumb stud once and for all then bother to removes them every time I need to sharpen. Again I am just uncivilized Russian and do not understand real beauty, harmony and meaning of decorations, not sensitive, almost brutal... Kind of focus on other things.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Whoa, don't need to go political or racial ok ;)
Recurve has its benefits in terms of cutting performance, so I wouldn't qualify it as just "men decoration".
As for the studs, why don't you simply remove them, instead of bothering with filing them...
Like I said, if UR happy with it that's it.
 
I have yet to notice any cutting performance increase from a recurve.

When they start showing up on kitchen and butcher knives, maybe I'll be more convinced of their efficacy. But while the most prolific professional knife users ignore them, I continue to fail to see the benefit in my pocket knives.
 
I always enjoy seeing Vassili's reprofiling jobs myself. I'm typically one who avoids recurved blades, so it's fun seeing what a lot of different models look like with their blades..."ironed out" :D
 
Humans are not very precise beings when it comes to "feeling" and tactile feedback. E.g. to notice with naked eye that one light light is brighter than the other, is has to be, if I am not mistaken ~twice as bright, in lumens that is.

It's simple geometry and math, recurve gives longer cutting surface. Which isn't arguable IMHO. How much of an increase is a different matter. But I could definitely notice that increase when comparing my 2 Hossoms Duelist and Gator.
 
bubinga said:
You didn't happen to do that to one of those Kershaw Shallots in S110V, did you?
Click to expand...

Sure I did! I see no use for this re-curve, it is good only for comic books...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=599480

If you are concern about how hard it was to reprofile - it was easy. This is "sandpaper" steel highly populated with hard vanadium, niobium and cobalt carbides. But as it is not to hard to rip apart sandpaper as it is not hard to re-profile this about 60HRC steel even with this carbides load. What is really hard is to make it whittle hair. No one yet show video of it whittling hair.

Actually it was much more easy then un-re-curve this one CPM M4.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Nice job on removing the recurve and thinning the edge. I am not a huge fan of recurves either, and have my fair share of scratched up expensive knives from using my D8XX to make the knife more to my liking. My DMT XX coarse still powers through any steel I put in it's path with ease after 2 years of hard work, it is good to see your's is still working nice. I have found M4 to be very easy to sharpen while also having excellent edge retention. It is one of my favorite steels, and it will be interesting to see how it performs in the classic Benchmade 710. I would love to see more folders, especially some of my favorite Spydercos offer M4 as an option.

Mike
 
The un-recurving actually looks kinda nice. It's only the color of the paint that makes it look bad (makes it look uneven).

With my new sharpening method, recurves shouldn't be a problem, so I can't wait to get a 710 :D
 
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