Benchmade knives with aluminum bolsters. Why?

Yo Mama said:
Which MT you got?
Click to expand...
Which MT I got....today?;)

Today it's my newest Combat Troodon.
20210731-091933.jpg

Total not I would have considered my cup of tea 5 years ago (maybe 30 years ago;)), but I am unashamed to say that I thoroughly adore my fully serrated tanto impractical brute. It's kicked every other knife out of my pocket for the last couple of weeks save for my desk drawer mail/package knife, a slightly less garish tanto UT.


20210730-125506.jpg
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Which MT I got....today?;)

Today it's my newest Combat Troodon.
20210731-091933.jpg

Total not I would have considered my cup of tea 5 years ago (maybe 30 years ago;)), but I am unashamed to say that I thoroughly adore my fully serrated tanto impractical brute. It's kicked every other knife out of my pocket for the last couple of weeks save for my desk drawer mail/package knife, a slightly less garish tanto UT.


20210730-125506.jpg
Click to expand...
Now that puts a smile on your face right!?!?! I love the CT, large for edc, but fall and winter it's hard to not carry it.
 
Titanium is good when you want a heavy knife with a slippery handle.

Alu can be, or at least is more often, made grippier and is much lighter.

I'll take aluminum over titanium any day
 
If you're not doing a frame or liner lock, where the flexibility of titanium is required, aluminum is generally a better material. It's lighter, easier to machine, and much less expensive. On a Benchmade with an Axis Lock, the bolster just needs to contain the lock mechanism and provide something for the scales to attach to. There's no particular benefit to titanium in that use, since the flexibility and memory aren't needed, and it would just add weight with a marginal increase in strength.

353 said:
Is Ti any warmer than aluminium?
Click to expand...
Danke42 said:
Yes. It's why the used Ti for the SR-71; pilots were getting chilly at the edge of space in the Al U2s.
Click to expand...

Titanium has low thermal conductivity, so it doesn't leech heat from your hand as fast as aluminum does. In the SR71, it was used so that the frame would absorb less heat and retain more strength once it was hot.
 
I don't have a lot of Al knives, but I carry and use my Alox SAKs all the time... and then this thing is a safe queen:
h6rydl1g5a071.jpg
 
Personally I like Ti but Al is certainly lighter, and grippier. I have a couple older BM autos in full Al and I like them just fine. Does it feel cheaper than Ti? Totally and they scratch up more easily but they are what they are and I'm good with that. Also how many cool older MTs are Al bodies? And with a cool blade/mechanism, no one cares about the Al handles. Just a thought...:rolleyes:
 
The main issue is companies treating aluminum as a premium material in 2021. It isn't. Aluminum is cheap. Meanwhile, titanium has been getting both more common and more affordable. Right now, you can find titanium framelocks in D2 or AUS-10 for like $50. Looking at S35VN or M390, Blade HQ currently lists over 150 folders under $150 with titanium as the handle material.

To put it another way, I'm okay with aluminum on my $25 EDC flashlight. I'm happy with it on my wife's $10 EDC flashlight. On a $100+ knife, anything made of aluminum feels like it should be made of titanium.
 
BM 940 has been one of my favorite folders. Carried it in my pocket everywhere, even directly onto airplanes throughout the US, Asia and Europe back before 9/11 happened.
Somebody should've told me that aluminum handles sucked!
 
Case came out recently with a 200 dollar flipper, all aluminum even the lockbar. It does have a steel insert.
 
jlydon said:
Personally I like Ti but Al is certainly lighter, and grippier. I have a couple older BM autos in full Al and I like them just fine. Does it feel cheaper than Ti? Totally and they scratch up more easily but they are what they are and I'm good with that. Also how many cool older MTs are Al bodies? And with a cool blade/mechanism, no one cares about the Al handles. Just a thought...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Is aluminum really "grippier"? This has everything to do with texture. I'm guessing that has a lot more to do with the finish, anodization, coatings, etc.

Titanium is definitely stronger. One thing I don't like about anodized aluminum is how it takes wear. This is more readily obvious on key-chain gear since wear is accelerated in the pocket, both by other metallic items on the ring and possible contact with coins. For instance, the anodized titanium doodads on my wife's key ring look better than the anodized aluminum doodads.

Titanium definitely feels warmer. This too can be impacted by other factors but overall, I don't like the way aluminum feels in my hand. While titanium feels better in my hand, I prefer even warmer materials like wood, G-10, or Micarta.

Yes, titanium is heavier but let's put that into perspective. Here are some approximate numbers for density (in grams per cubic centimeter).

1.80 G-10
2.71 Aluminum
4.41 Titanium (specifically Ti6Al4V)
7.75 Steel (common handle steels include 420 and 3Cr13)
8.96 Copper

So while titanium is heavier than aluminum, is it heavier by enough to be an issue? Versus the other properties, it isn't an issue for me. If it is, factors like overall design and features like milling need to be considered. It's also worth looking at G-10 or even lighter materials like FRN. Of course, then factors like liners and their degree of skeletonization need to be considered too.
 
I don’t mind the end bolsters being aluminum but I don’t like the whole handle in aluminum. I prefer g10, micarta, stabilized wood , bone , antler or a composite for the handle scales. I have only one knife with a titanium frame but it’s covered with g10.
I work and play in the elements and it seems it’s either hot or cold and I prefer something that doesn’t transfer heat. I would like more of my knives to have titanium but the ones I want either don’t offer it or it’s very expensive. So aluminum covered with micarta or something stable is what I look for.
 
I like BM's take on aluminum for handles and bolsters. They have durable finish, better than CRK's Ti finish by a 100 yards. I have some that are 20+ years old.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top