benchmade aluminum handles vs. G10

T

tom poe

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Apr 19, 2002
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i'm leaning towards the smooth aluminum handle, i think it'll draw from the pocket easier and not chew up my pants. but how will it hold up to wear?

i'm going to handle as many as i can the next week or so and make a decision. i like the looks of the 720/940. dig the axis lock.

comments suggestions welcome! thanks.:)
 
You are right about pocket wear. It is because of friction. But there is a downside. Aluminum handles also provide a less secure grip than the same shape in G-10, especially if wet. Depends on your expected uses and conditions if it is worth the tradeoff or not.
 
Having some Al handled and some G-10 handled BM's I've come to conclusion that Al handled BM's are of better quality. Why? I can't say but the differnce is obvious (in knives that I've seen/owned/ do still own ).
 
only negative about alum handles (BM or others) is they will get scuffed up no matter how carefull you are w/them.........same w/ti, etc - grip also sometimes not as good, but not very much diff imho

personally, for a knife to carry a lot, i prefer G10, just for looks, cuz it wont scuff up

sifu
 
The look and feel of BM's aluminum is very nice, and the coating makes it more grip-friendly than you might think. I absolutely love the 940. However, for regular and heavy use, I generally choose
G-10.
 
My EDC has been a 940 for quite a while now. Out of the box, it is easier on pockets, but I suspect G-10 could be smoothed under/around the curved portion of the clip to make it just as clothing friendly without impacting it's "gripability".

Whether the aluminum shows wear or not depends on how you use/care for it. Mine has only a single ding. I don't take any special precautions since this is my EDC, but I don't carry other metal (like keys) in the same pocket. Other than that single ding, the handles show no signs of wear anywhere, not even the edges. In fact, except for the typical wear on the clip (black finish wears on the edges on every BM I've owned), several sharpenings, and the single ding, this knife looks factory new. This is after daily carry for at least a year or more and a lot of handling/use. I agree that checkered G-10 provides a better grip, but the aluminum does have a slight "grain" to it and, with the design of the knife, gives a much better grip than I would have expected from aluminum.

Something to consider is whether you will be using it with heavy gloves on. If so, the checkering on G-10 might help. If you're like me, though, I use my first finger in the curved part of the clip to pull the knife out of my pocket while my thumb rides down the knife in preparation of opening it. Even with heavy gloves, this technique works.
 
I prefer Al handles in general, they offer more rigidity in the knife handle, so often there is better lockup on Al handled knives, but with the axis lock up isnt really an issue.

There are some problems with the Al handles though, Dont be so sure about less pocket wear, my friend complained about his 940 chewing up his pants, they are less seccure during vigorous use especially since BM doesnt have inlays like a microtech, my biggest problem was the "too pretty to use" syndrom, i actually traded my 940 because of this.
 
thanks for the info, i really appreciate it.

but now i'm really confused!:eek: decisions decisions.

it will be edc, i want it to look good, but it is edc.

i'm moving and will have to wait to handle both. then i'm taking the plunge. it's my first high dollar knife.
 
i guess i could sand the g-10 under the clip to get a smooth draw without tearing up my pocket. i wouldn't have to worry about scratching the anodized aluminum. scratched anodized doesn't look too good, usually.
 
tom poe,

Two things you can count on, regardless of which you choose - both are great knives for the money, and, if you later decide you got the wrong one, they are easily sold.
 
I have a 720, a 940, and a 770. The first two come with anodized aluminum scales and the last one comes with carbon fiber scales. I prefer the carbon fiber as it does not show the wear nearly as much as the aluminum, and the same holds true, in spades, for the G-10 scales on the great majority of my Spydies.
 
I was carrying BM 710 with G10 handles probably for 10 months or so, then I got the TAC 710, switched handle slabs, and since then I carry 710-HSSR AL BC(coated last month).
I like aluminum more than G10. It's somehow grippyer, and feels more solid. I don't really have problems with scratching. Also Al handle on 710 is grippyer than Al handles on some Osbornes. Donno whather it's anodization or the surface finish, but that's the way it is.
 
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