Benchmade aluminum handles???

coop1957

coop1957

Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
2,624
A question about the aluminum handles on Benchmades .... Persidio and Sequel 707. Is the black coloring all the way through on the aluminum or just on the surface? What I dislike about most aluminum handles is that every little scratch shows up dramatically. Nice flat black handle with a scratch that is bright and shiny. This happen to me with a Kershaw Blur.
Can anybody help me out hear?
 
Aluminum is metal. It is aluminum colored (silvery) inside.
Black finishes are just that: finishes. Some are tougher than others. All can be scratched with enough effort.
 
Yep my 707 has been removed from EDC rotation because the black finish scrapes off too easily. After a weekend spent in the same pocket as my keys it was a real mess. I wish that the plain silver limited edition model wasn't so hard to get.
 
any handle made of alloy or ti will scratch/scuff, thats just a fact of life, like the sun coming up in the morning.

that said some of my fac knives have ti handles (spyderco ti ATR, crawford kasper/perfigo) and some like the ti ATR dont scuff very easy, but they will scuff.

ya just have to not worry about it, i do suppose the anodised alloy handle ones show the scuffs worse.
 
I have both a 525SBK-701 with the gray handle and a regular 520. There is slight scuffing on both but no real gouges. For a user knife both of these are great, the steel (s30v on the 525 and 154cm on the 520) holds a great egde and the locks are solid. As pocket jewelry you're going to want to look elsewhere. Depends on what you are looking for.
 
Coated Aluminum is my least favorite handle material for reasons stated. I'll take almost any handle material over coated Aluminum.
 
I actually like some scratches and wear marks on metal handles....it shows that the knife is a real user and not just a safe-queen. :thumbup:
 
CRKT's aluminium's grey coating is quite durable in my experience. Though it is sort of like bead blasted first so it may not the same as what is being discussed here so far :)
 
I carry the 520 for long, haven´t carried it in 2007 for a year, but now again.

I used to scratch the top of the handle while sharpening. Besides, there are two or three little spots, that shine, when exposed into the light, but aside they are almost unnoticable.

I don´t carry keys, where the knife is.
 
I have several Benchmade autos, & they all scratch. I have never understood why BM insists on aluminum handles on anything with a finish. Normal wear & tear is expected, but $200 for an auto that looks like it's been stored on the interstate after 2 weeks owning it is a bit discouraging.
 
Thanks for all the feedback and confirming my suspisions. I hope BM hears us customers and goes back to the good old days of G10 handles.
 
I cant stand aluminum handles, but for now, just consider it as adding character to you knife..
 
A couple of months ago I sent a suggestion to Benchmade to use the Mil-Spec Type III hard anodizing in black and olive drab for their 943 and 941 respectively.

Heck, you guys may as well ask Benchmade to use the mil-spec type III hard anodizing for the other aluminum handled Benchmades. I have some Surefire flashlights with the type III hard anodizing. That finish really holds up well. None of my Surefires with the type III hard anodizing have any scratches.

It would be interesting too, to find out how much the hard anodizing would increase the cost of the knife.
 
Different strokes for different folks; I like aluminum handles, some people don't. Benchmade makes plenty of knives that don't have aluminum scales; off the top of my head I can think of the Ruckus, the 710, the new Kulgera and the griptillians.

I also don't really mind scratches. If the knife doesn't show any scratches, that's great but I'm really not going to complain if it does. Frankly if I was so incredibly worried about the appearance of the knife I'd spend more $ and buy a nice mammoth ivory, micarta or mokume handled knife.

I can't see anything wrong with anybody putting harder anodizing on a knife, light or anything else, I'd consider it a nice bonus. I can't particularly see myself spending time or money specially seeking it out though. There's a tremendous appeal for me in worn tools; they show a history of use and a partnership with the owner. When's the last time you looked in the mirror and saw a face without any wrinkles or blemishes of any kind?

The best looking cameras, knives, etc. show a lot of wear, and show exactly how and where they were used.
 
allenC said:
I actually like some scratches and wear marks on metal handles....it shows that the knife is a real user and not just a safe-queen. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Same thing for me.Doesn't bother me in the slightest.
 
i have EDC'ed my BM520 for almost 2 years and the coating was scratched and generally getting worn.....so i took off the scales and glass blasted them and brought the knife back to like...and it is still looking great months later.
i really like to look of the black spacer and screws.

bmmods026.jpg



bmmods018.jpg



andy
 
Would you guys be willing to pay a more for a Benchamde knife, with an aluminum handle, if the handle had Mil-Spec Type III hard anodizing?
 
Man, I hate it when one of my tools looks like I actually use it occasionally. :D
 
Rich357 said:
A couple of months ago I sent a suggestion to Benchmade to use the Mil-Spec Type III hard anodizing in black and olive drab for their 943 and 941 respectively.

Heck, you guys may as well ask Benchmade to use the mil-spec type III hard anodizing for the other aluminum handled Benchmades. I have some Surefire flashlights with the type III hard anodizing. That finish really holds up well. None of my Surefires with the type III hard anodizing have any scratches.

It would be interesting too, to find out how much the hard anodizing would increase the cost of the knife.
Click to expand...

Rich makes an excellent point about the durability between types of anodizing. My Fenix P3D has the same type III hard anodizing, and it still amazes me the kind of abuse the light has seen without scratching. It's been dropped, stored in pockets with keys and knives, and t still doesn't show any wear.

My Phantom paintball maker is all aluminum, and the anodizing is pretty durable as well, but probably not the same type III. Then again, I've had accessories on it like aftermarket barrels that were obviously cheaply anodized, and would scratch if you breathed on them wrong.

Whatever the added cost, I think buyers would really appreciate better anodizing on BM's aluminum handles.
 
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