Benchmade Quality Is Improving....

Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
1,801
I am the proud owner 3 new Benchmades, and one slightly used one. I just received my BM 940, 921, and 806D2 (all plain edge) today. I had received a slightly used 910 Stryker plain satin earlier in the week. For those of you that have followed my ordeal in GBU, I have updated it. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here is a link.. I have to say that Benchmade quality is much better from what I remember a couple years ago. The only other Benchmade I have ever owned was a Stryker 910HSSR with M2 steel, which I unfortunately lost this summer:(. It's quality was no where near the quality of my new knives. Anyway, my first impressions of the new knives I now own are all good. They are razor sharp, and will easily shave, and slice a circle in a sheet of paper while it is held with one hand. I'm glad to see they aren't leaving the very rough grind lines like Benchmade of old. Granted, the edges aren't polished like a Sebenza, but they are a far cry from the edges BM used to put on their knives. When you are used to old BM and Emersons rough edges, these are definitely higher quality. The major complaints about benchmade that most people had a couple years ago was their poor sharpness out of the box. This has obviously changed. The 806D2 isn't quite as sharp as the 940 and the 921, but that is probably due to the thicker blade, and bevel. The bevels are perfect on the 940, and 921, but very slightly off on the 806D2. I can live with that since I will most likely reprofile the 806's edge a bit anyway. I think I will actually keep the edges that came with the 940 and 921 though, since they are so sharp. I haven't hit the sharpmaker yet, but I am interested in seeing if the bevels are mated to the 204. I am very glad BM is now using Phosphor Bronze washers, as this virtually eliminates any lateral blade play that BMs have been notorious for. These are the very first Axis lock knives that I have ever owned, but I did try one when they first started making them. I have to say, I love the Axis lock! It is silky smoothe, and now I know what all the hype is about. Unfortunately, when I tried one when they first came out, I wasn't impressed at all. The lock was awkward to disengage with only one finger, so I had to try to unlock the knife with my index finger and thumb at the same time. Talk about hard! This unfortunately turned me off of the axis lock until recently when I tried a 940 at Bass Pro Shops. I just have to get used to not trying to thumb the liner lock, which is an old habit. I can't wait to really put these knives to use, since I have only been playing with them since I got them. I am interested in seeing how the 3 different blade materials compare. I have used a few different blade materials, but never used S30V, or D2. I think these knives should perform very well for me.

Mike
 
Well, as things usually happen when you give some atta boy's about something, you find an aw sh!t to balance things out. I was looking at my 921s small blade today, and noticed a large flat spot on the blade. Almost looks like the thing wasn't sharpened for about 3/4" in the middle of the blade. Closer inspection showed the edge to be smashed for a lack of better terms. Well, I think, no big deal, I'll just reprofile the edge on my DMT coarse bench stone. Should only take a couple minutes with the 420 steel. I get the edge bevels to meet up again so no light reflects off the edge, then finish up with the sharpmaker, and leather hone. I am pleased with the results. Well, I close the blade again, sort of letting it spring back into it's slot. Guess what?, I opened the blade again to find the edge rolled and dinged again for about 1/2" this time. Apparently the blade will snap up against the spacer, and damage the edge if you just close the blade letting the spring close it without slowing it down. This sucks, and I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed their edge getting damaged. I have again resharpened the edge, and am more careful about closing it when I use it (which isn't much BTW). Is this normal, or is it something that BM should fix?

Mike
 
You should totally send that in. How could it be normal for the blade to blunt itself when it gets folded up? I can see the QA report for that design in my head, "secondary blade slams against spacer upon closing of blade, rolling the edge precisely as designed..." Hah!

Pascal.
 
Originally posted by Medic1210
I was looking at my 921s small blade today, and noticed a large flat spot on the blade....This sucks, and I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed their edge getting damaged. I have again resharpened the edge, and am more careful about closing it when I use it (which isn't much BTW). Is this normal, or is it something that BM should fix?

Yes. :D

Others have complained about the exact same thing.

Matthew
 
My AFO's have that edge/handle touching problem... I made sure that the autopstrykers did not before I started buying a bunch of them. It's a design flaw rather than anything else... The hilt is supposed to contact the handle and keep the edge from touching anything... sometimes the desingners forget that. I solved the AFO problem by cutting a piece of pencil eraser so that it can be jammed into the handle slot, right by where the edge contact appears. You sill have to shave the rubber so that it does not prevent the closing of the blade, but thick enough so that the edge does not cut through it.
 
The tang of the blade is squared where as it doesn't contact the "liner" or "spacer" when it is closed. Since the little blade opens like a slip joint, this liner or spacer is the spring that puts pressure on the tang of the little blade. If the blade snaps closed without stopping it, the spring just flexes past the closed position, and allows the edge to come into contact with it. I mistakenly let a coworker hold the knife today without mentioning the need to slow the blade down when closing it, so I now have to resharpen it again:mad:. Anyway, the rest of the knife is great, but I don't think I should have to be so conscientious about closing the knife. I was just wondering if this was a common occurrence or is this isolated. If it is just isolated, I might send it back to BM to have them adjust it and put a new small blade in.

Mike
 
It seems to be a known issue with the 921s...however, mine doesn't do that. Send it back.

BTW, nice picks! I have all the models you mentioned, and I love them all. Well, maybe I love the others a bit more than the 910, but still. ;)
 
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