Benchmade contegno m4

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BladeManiac10913

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Jun 8, 2014
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101
Hello!
Is the bm contegno with m4 steel worth it's price (knife center ~ $180) and if any of you have one would it be possible to hear your opinion on it?
Thanks guys!
 
BladeManiac10913 said:
Hello!
Is the bm contegno with m4 steel worth it's price (knife center ~ $180) and if any of you have one would it be possible to hear your opinion on it?
Thanks guys!
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Theyre great from what I hear. Ive always kinda wanted one, but I just cant justify the price, considering its only a knife that I KINDA want. You know?
 
Krissig12 said:
Theyre great from what I hear. Ive always kinda wanted one, but I just cant justify the price, considering its only a knife that I KINDA want. You know?
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exactly, and i just got my paycheck, so it's hard to not buy a new knife XD the real thing that's excited me about that knife is the m4 steel, as the best steel i have right now is only s30v on my blur and pm2...
 
The 810 Contego is a phenomenal knife, and well worth every penny! Be aware, though, it is a large, solid knife, built like a tank to take heavy use - far from a lightweight folder. If that is for what you're looking, I would go for it, with no reservations.
 
A lot larger in person than I thought it would be. The M4 version is awesome! But any larger and I would never carry it.
 
It's a great knife. I haven't owned one but I've handled several, and all were without any obvious flaws. They were all quite smooth and deployed very easily despite the massive size of the blade. If I had to knock it for something it's that the handle is covered in sharp texturing that makes it pretty uncomfortable to use without gloves. You could always sand it down if it bothers you though.

Keep in mind that it is a BIG bad mofo of a knife, easily among the least people-friendly I have ever handled. If that isn't an issue for you, buy with confidence. They do show up gently used on the exchange pretty often, and for a lot less than the current retail. You might want to keep an eye out for a deal before you buy new.
 
Great knife. The M4 is my favorite of late and BM does a great job w/ it. Worth the $, yes even after MAP enforcement, it's a lotta knife and a big slab of M4 for the loot..Carries better than you'd think.

 
I have never owned one per say, but i handled one at a gun shop and it felt great in hand. I think the reverse tanto blade in M4 is a great partnership that you regret owning. Now, if I could find a 950 Rift in M4 more specifically the blade forums run from a few years ago I could finally be happy.
 
Nice knife and gun combo Icky.^^^ I like the 810 alot. Great knife. Only gripe with it is the high jimping. It hurts. Maybe i'm just a puss but i find it uncomfortable. Perfect design,fantastic steel, quality mammoth of a folder just don't care for the jimping. wish they woulda used the same jimping like on the Grips and Adamas. What i find strange is that the jimping is just as high on the 275 but it's comfortable. I think it's because the jimping on the liners and on the scales makes the jimping thick enough together where it doesn't cause a somewhat sawing effect like on the 810 while in use where it just has the jimping on the liners. Is the 810 a great knife and worth the price? Yep. I hope benchmade makes something exactly like it though with jimping like on the 551/556.
 
Ickythump said:
The M4 is my favorite of late and BM does a great job w/ it. Worth the $, yes...
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I totally agree, Benchmade's CPM-M4 is savage.


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Big Mike
 
Rasco said:
I've also had my eye on a Contego for a while now (as my very first Benchmade ever) and I'm torn between the M4 and M390 versions.
Can someone chime in on the difference between these steels? Or explain to me what I'm looking at here and how it translates to real world usage?

http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=M4%2C%20M390&ni=5,&hrn=1&gm=0
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M390 will hold an edge longer than M4, but they both do very well overall. M4 is tougher if you plan to baton or otherwise beat the crap out of it, but it is much less corrosion resistant than M390 and thus requires less oiling/maintenance. You really can't go wrong either way, just decide which properties are more important to you.
 
I ordered a black M4 Contego at the local gunshop. It arrived with an off-center blade. Showed the misalignment to the manager and took my knife home; I'll send it back to Benchmade for warranty adjustment, later.
The M4 touches up easily on a 325 grit diamond block. With the heavy blade, my Contego will "shake" open; but the detent seems tight enough for pocket carry. Rides decent clipped in a front pocket and is easy to pull.
Maybe a bit overpriced, not sure how it compares with the M4 bladed Spyderco Gayle Bradley.
 
amg137 said:
M390 will hold an edge longer than M4, but they both do very well overall. M4 is tougher if you plan to baton or otherwise beat the crap out of it, but it is much less corrosion resistant than M390 and thus requires less oiling/maintenance. You really can't go wrong either way, just decide which properties are more important to you.
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Thanks amg137.
I've seen M4 mostly on Gayle Bradleys over in the Spyderco forum. Everyone raves about it. But I don't plan on batoning with a folder, so maybe I'll go with the M390.
Is it pretty comparable to S110V S90V? Looks like it...
http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=S110V%2C%20M390&ni=,&hrn=1&gm=0

God, I wish the KW exclusive M390 version was red & black instead of blue & black.
But that's ok, still a great knife I'm sure.

Ok I'm sold. M390 Contego here I come!
 
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Remember that M4 is not a stainless steel. Even though the blade is coated, corrosion can still eat away at your newly sharpened edge pretty quickly. I think people sometimes fall into that trap where they think they can treat a carbon steel blade like a stainless blade just because it's coated or laminated. Then then next thing you know you got rust on your edge and what looks like chips all over the place. Always wipe down the edge with a cloth if it gets wet. A little oil now and again doesn't hurt either.
Can't go wrong with Benchmade!
 
I have one. It was a gift and has the partially serrated edge, not my preference, but still a nice knife. It is a well built knife and came from the factory with a good edge. Only problem I have with it is its a big knife. Its also heavy and has a very aggressively textured handle. After only a few weeks it is chewing up the pocket of my jeans. Other than that its great. It feels good in my hand and has a real solid lockup with ZERO blade play. Mine has not seen any real use since I have had it, so I can't comment much on how it cuts.

For normal everyday carry you might find it too big and prefer something a little less aggressive like the Griptillian. Before I was given this knife I generally carried a Leatherman on my belt or a Case Trapper in my pocket so compared to that it feels like I'm carrying a chainsaw in my pocket. It was too nice of a gift not to carry it, so I am going to give it a chance for a few more weeks and see if I get used to it.
 
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im also considering a contego 810...... im not a fan of blade coatings so m390 may be the one for me. If the M4 came stonewashed or even satin then I would be all over it
 
If you folks are looking for m390 and a bit smaller of a knife (not much at all), different blade shape and stainless, check out the bm 710 pre order on knifeworks (exclusive), they also have the 810 in m390 if you want that shape/size blade.
 
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