Benchmade knives with aluminum bolsters. Why?

C

ChrisLee

Joined
May 26, 2013
Messages
199
Did this start before the Crooked River? I thought the Crooked River was a fluke. BM has the vector 496 which is a 20cv blade but the bolsters are aluminum. How does BM get off making expensive knives with aluminum? Maybe I’m over reacting. It’s just starting to bother me. It’s like overpriced slab constructed balisongs vs actual completely milled handles. Will this lunacy ever end. Maybe more of a vent than a real question.
 
Yeah I am at a loss. What exactly is the issue with aluminum as a handle material? There knives that are well over $100 with FRN scales. The Bugout is going for around $130 right now with GRN. Andrew Demko launched the AD 20.5 with FRN for $150 ish. G-10 is less expensive to work with than common aluminum and there are knives that wear that worth well in excess of $200.
 
One of the best BM knives ever made had full aluminum handles. The original Presidio from back in the day, I have one, is an absolute tank and it had aluminum handles.
 
Light weight and a lot less expensive than titanium, both in cost of material, and cost of machining.

I would assume that any knife with aluminum bolsters, no matter how expensive, would be a lot more expensive with bolsters made out of something like titanium, or even stainless steel.
 
I guess reading BM website showing the Vector 496 as $335 just made me start thinking about this aluminum thing again. I do not mind aluminum at all. It is light and light is good. I just do not see the value here. I know the blade is probably pretty expensive to manufacture. This knife feels good in the hand.
 
ChrisLee said:
I guess reading BM website showing the Vector 496 as $335 just made me start thinking about this aluminum thing again. I do not mind aluminum at all. It is light and light is good. I just do not see the value here. I know the blade is probably pretty expensive to manufacture. This knife feels good in the hand.
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It's less than that basically everywhere besides benchmade. I have a knife that's roughly the same cost and the whole handle is made out of aluminum :eek:
 
I have the Vector 496, with aluminum bolsters, and it is beautiful! Dropped it once on pavement, and it scratched a little. I'm not that concerned, but for pretty knives, it's a bit delicate.

I wouldn't say that I hate aluminum, though. There are too many knives to worry much, and a million different styles to choose from, so just avoid aluminum if it bothers you.
 
mmyron1 said:
One of the best BM knives ever made had full aluminum handles. The original Presidio from back in the day, I have one, is an absolute tank and it had aluminum handles.
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1000%

I’ll NEVER get rid of these. The original is a bit of a pocket shredder, but those scales are grippy! The now discontinued Presidio 2 models with aluminum handles were great tanks too! I’m not a fan of the new models with the CF-Elite scales.

B0cihxS.jpg
 
ChrisLee said:
Did this start before the Crooked River? I thought the Crooked River was a fluke. BM has the vector 496 which is a 20cv blade but the bolsters are aluminum. How does BM get off making expensive knives with aluminum? Maybe I’m over reacting. It’s just starting to bother me. It’s like overpriced slab constructed balisongs vs actual completely milled handles. Will this lunacy ever end. Maybe more of a vent than a real question.
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Aluminiun for handles is O.K.!?
Lionsteel even did a nice framelock from Alumininium!
The bugout is a great design IF...IF it was priced like a RAT 1!!
Benchmade has mediocre quality, thick "strong"🙄edges, and cheap plasticy base models...by the time you pay for decent steel and handles, on a Benchmade model, you could buy a decent midtech or custom
 
Aluminum has a great track record. As long as the knife is designed around it, I dont think you'll see an issue.

I see Aluminum as a weight saver over a cost saver. I would say that titanium has a slightly higher pride of ownership, but honestly titanium is so ubiquitous these days I don't see it as a real upgrade on a part of the knife that is not receiving all the stress for what it costs unless it is a frame lock or something. A well done Aluminum alloy is mucho stout.

Hell, I have a $500 Microtech in my pocket as I type. Tons of Aluminum and these things can take a beating. Check out the torture tests online ;)
 
I must admit that I was never a fan of metal scales, even preferred plastic over aluminum. It wasn't until I bought a 943 and then later a 940 that I finally "got" what aluminum was all about. Not only is my 940 my most carried and favoured knife, my g10 or CF handled 940's now get the back seat.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Aluminum has a great track record. As long as the knife is designed around it, I dont think you'll see an issue.

I see Aluminum as a weight saver over a cost saver. I would say that titanium has a slightly higher pride of ownership, but honestly titanium is so ubiquitous these days I don't see it as a real upgrade on a part of the knife that is not receiving all the stress for what it costs unless it is a frame lock or something. A well done Aluminum alloy is mucho stout.

Hell, I have a $500 Microtech in my pocket as I type. Tons of Aluminum and these things can take a beating. Check out the torture tests online ;)
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Which MT you got?
 
If you don't like aluminum: there sure are lots of other knives out there for you...
 
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