Benchmade CPM-M4 Chopper.

Not sure about blade thickness but I am also curious about the heat treat on this blade. I also question the absence of a pointed tip of some sort. It loses a lot of versatility without one unless you are using it for competition chopping only or using it only chopping or food prep at the campsite.
 
they have 60-62 i think on some of their cpm-m4. I like that this is specifically called a chopper personally. You see a lot of camp knives used as a hatchet...at least this one says chopper :)

Would be nice to see a nice thick slab of cpm-m4 though.
 
that would make one hell of a vegetable slicer! I am curious how much of a market there would be for something like that
 
Reeek said:
Not sure about blade thickness but I am also curious about the heat treat on this blade. I also question the absence of a pointed tip of some sort. It loses a lot of versatility without one unless you are using it for competition chopping only or using it only chopping or food prep at the campsite.
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i think that's exactly what they were going for
 
That's cool they built a true competition style chopper. I agree that it's a little too pure for me. I'd prefer a tip.
 
Competition blades = meh.

I am very interested in CPM m4 in a chopper application however. I would love to see how it holds up at a high RC against the often heavy lateral stress applied when chopping/removing the knife from material. I have my doubt, but i'll be waiting to see how this pans out.
 
CPM-M4 is the top pick for competition blades why all the doubt?


I would love to have one but I just have no use for it.
 
230grains said:
Competition blades = meh.

I am very interested in CPM m4 in a chopper application however. I would love to see how it holds up at a high RC against the often heavy lateral stress applied when chopping/removing the knife from material. I have my doubt, but i'll be waiting to see how this pans out.
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There was a very large thread on this a while back. Several Bladesports competitors chimed in saying M4 was the only steel that could take a thin edge and still hold up to the chopping. And then of course somebody started talking about INFI and sidetracked the thread.

230grains said:
Competition blades also are not known to have the longest life span.
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Really? This must be a widely accepted fact that slipped by me..
 
CPM M4 was chosen for its high bending strength. Its impact toughness is A2-class which is tough but not super-tough. Choppers don't need to be super-tough, however. Human arms are simply not that strong and wood is not that hard.

The standard hardness for an M4 chopper is 61 rc, you need the hardness for fatigue resistance and to minimize edge rolling.
 
tjsulli790 said:
There was a very large thread on this a while back. Several Bladesports competitors chimed in saying M4 was the only steel that could take a thin edge and still hold up to the chopping. And then of course somebody started talking about INFI and sidetracked the thread.



Really? This must be a widely accepted fact that slipped by me..
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I'm not saying it wont be good, in fact I'm VERY interested in a cpm m4 chopper. The only experience I have with cpm m4 is in a smaller blade, and I absolutely love its potential. I've just yet to see it in use personally on a large chopper. I just know in actual use, not competetion, a blade can come under stresses that aren't normally found in chopping 2x4s, large knots, frozen material etc.. I'd love to see how cpm m4 handles all of that, as like I said, I haven't seen a large fixed blade in that steel.

As for my comment about comp blades not having long lifetimes, I guess it's more hearsay than anything else. But I have heard more than once that the life time of these blades aren't the best because of chipping at high RC.

I wasn't trying to knock the knife, the design isn't for me as I like a point on my blades, but the idea of an m4 chopper really arouse my interests.
 
In chopping competitions there are plenty of choppers made in M4. It's actually the steel of choice. There is no chipping. The choppers get retired because the repeated chopping introduces fatigue wear and the edge can simply break off from the accumulated stress. The higher the hardness the better the resistance against fatigue wear, but it also depends on the steel. Stainless steels are especially bad when it comes to fatigue wear.

Here is the original thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=667879
 
although many of us seem intrigued by m4 steel i like it in the spyderco mule & quality folders.this mania with chopping is analogous to going fast in autos.even though many of us like to watch racing few of us buy dodge vipers. guess what i'm saying is beckers,busses & big rats are enough for most people to vent energy on chopping.if you're really agressive get a kukri.
 
Not for everyone. This knife was designed by BSI Board member/competitor and custom knifemaker Warren Osborne for BSI competition. While I am sure that it will be excellent for some other purposes, there are other designs with a less specialised use that would make better utility knives. AFAIK the knife has not yet been released. BSI does not specify what the blade thickness or total weight of the knife has to be, as long as it is no more than 2" wide at any point, max blade 10" and max OAL 15". It also has to have a safety cord on the handle. The only other BSI knife that's made commercially is the Crowell/Barker comp knife in D2 from Browning, and this has a more "camp style" blade shape.

The cutting comp is about cutting - the knife must also be able to perform delicate tasksas well as chop - not something that dedicated choppers like Khukuris are good at. It is not just about frenetic energy - skills and techniques are also being tested. Would be interesting to see how a Busse competition knife would compare to what else is out there - wonder if they'll take up the gauntlet?
 
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Most "competitions" devolve into odd sports dominated by weird rules and mutant competitors. I'll take the technology boost but I'm not going to get fanatical about it.
 
I would think somewhere in the 1/4" aka .250" range for thickness, but maybe not. Just a guess. I like the handle and overall shape of the knife, but like some others, I would like it to have a point. Who knows, BM may develop one if there is a loud enough outcry.
 
I like the shape of that blade a lot. For a knife that big, I don't know what I'd use it for other than chopping or as a draw knife, so I wouldn't really have use for a point on it. Though in reality, I don't have much of a use for a big chopping knife either with my current living situation and lifestyle. It's all about just wanting and wishing for me, and not any filling of actual need.
 
although many of us seem intrigued by m4 steel i like it in the spyderco mule & quality folders.this mania with chopping is analogous to going fast in autos.even though many of us like to watch racing few of us buy dodge vipers. guess what i'm saying is beckers,busses & big rats are enough for most people to vent energy on chopping.if you're really agressive get a kukri.
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so if you aren't going to chop or take advantage of its toughness you can boost the Rc up to 65 or even higher and get a different, but amazing performance
 
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