BenchMade Quality...

D

Drew66

Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Messages
101
Ok, so yesterday was the big day...finally the UPS guy showed up with my BM806D2. First impression...that's a darn big knife! Very smooth, and wickedly sharp. The only problem I could find was that the blade wasn't centered. At first I thought that they left out a bushing, but that wasn't it. After carefull investigation, it turns out that the blade is warped to the right about 2.0mm at the tip. :mad: You cannot get any closer to the liner without the blade rubbing when this thing is closed. And I am not talking about misalignment...the blade is bent. If you lay a staight edge against it you can really see it.

Needless to say I'm pretty disappointed. This is a little too large to slip through quality control. I still think they are great knives, and definetly will get it replaced, but they need to tighten up on the quality a bit. As an aside, my new BM943 is razor sharp and absolutely perfect. :D

Anyone else experience this kind of thing?
 
Yes,

once i ordered an 800- model. The blade was shaped different on both sides, meaning the point, where the two grinded areas, towards edge and towards false edge, meat was nearly one centimeter in difference. BM tried to excuse this by telling, that those older models where grinded by hand...

I don´t give much about this. **** happens. BM´s warranty dep. is wellknown for it´s service and that counts for me, aslong as i recieved a CRKT Crawford/Kaspar with exactly the same problem, you´ve describted.

I hold a 806D2 too, and it came centered + - .5mm.

I tried to get information about BM´s QC-rate, but till know they didn´t answered this question. Maybe i try it again. But perhaps you´re right, they should do a bit more in this.

Have fun with your next one, and perhaps, tell me how you are satisfied with the D2 blade.
 
Just got off the phone with Benchmade. Should be no problem. They will replace it and they seemed shocked that it got out of the factory that way. Hopefully the replacement is perfect. I will let you all know how it goes.
 
I think you will be very pleased with the replacement. The newer ones are drilled for right/left, tip up/down carry and have bronze washers. Good luck and let us know how you like the knife.:)
 
If you send it back to Benchmade, they'll take care of you. I must have sent at least 5 knives back already for various problems from axis springs breaking, to holes melted in the blade through stupidity. Every single time, regardless of who's fault it was, they fixed it up to like new condition and sent it back to me. They are a top notch company.
 
Does anyone know if when sending knives back to BM for Lifesharp if it is $5 per knife for shipping or would it be $5 for all if I sent two or three in at once.
Thanks
 
Drew, I'm not saying you are wrong, or that your blade isn't somehow bent, but I find it extremely hard to believe that something like that slipped by QC. I am looking at the blade of my 806 in the closed position, and the way the swedge is ground, it almost gives an optical illusion of the blade being bent. I can assure you that my blade isn't bent. Take your blade and look down the actual edge side in the open position, and see if you get the same illusion. I just don't see how the blade could acutally be bent without causing a funky looking edge grind at the bend. When I got my 806, the blade leaned more to one side, but this was very easily remedied by adjusting the pivot screw. Now, my blade is perfectly centered, and has a super smoothe opening that is easily flicked open without pulling the axis bar back. Yet, if you look down on the spine of the blade in the closed position, the illusion is still there of the blade being bent. I would bet that is what you see instead of the blade actually being bent. Again, not calling you a liar, just maybe you are a bit mistaken or fooled by the illusion? Please don't take offense at this post.

Mike
 
Originally posted by SPHayes
Does anyone know if when sending knives back to BM for Lifesharp if it is $5 per knife for shipping or would it be $5 for all if I sent two or three in at once.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I always just sent a 5 dollar check regardless, and it always arrives by UPS.
 
There was a time when BM was having SERIOUS issues with knives coming out of the factory with all sorts of defects, from warped liners to blades that wewren't even sharpened!

The last couple of years has seen BM do a complete turnaround, and they are making, IMO, the best factory knives, both in design and construction.

A warped bade does sound odd, but who knows...

--dan
 
Well, I will check it again when I go home tonight. But laying a straight edge against the blade doesn't lie. I understand your point about the illusion. That's what I was hoping it was at first. I did not play with the pivot screw...maybe I will try that just to ensure what I am seeing is really there.

I hope I am wrong, but I really don't think I am. In this case it would make be happy to be wrong!
 
I'm not sure exactly what you are doing when you say you are laying a straight edge against the blade, but there are very few spots on a blade that will be a completely straight line from the tang to the tip. If you are lying the straight edge along side the spine of the blade, then yes it isn't going to touch the straight edge the entire length. The grinds on the blade, especially around the edge are going to dip in farther, giving a one-sided view that looks bent when placed against a straight edge. You will notice that both sides of the blade are ground, and when laid against a straight edge, will appear to bend towards the tip. If your blade was truely bent, then laying the edge on one side will show the blade bending away from the edge, but laying it on the other side, it will be bending toward the edge. The only part on the 806 that is straight enough to lay a straight edge along, it the very top of the spine. You must realize that in order for the blade to have a very sharp point, yet still keep it's overall strength, the grind is going to change somewhere past the midsection of the blade, thus it will not lay flat against a straight edge. Take your ruler, and do your test on both sides. If both seem to bend away from the straight edge, then this is just the change in the grind, and nothing more. Your blade is fine, and there is no reason to return it to BM. If, however, the blade appears to bend away from the straight edge on one side, yet it bends toward the straight edge on the other side, then it might be bent. But, with the grind being like it is on the 806, you are most likely going to get the first result.

Mike
 
Originally posted by dano
The last couple of years has seen BM do a complete turnaround, and they are making, IMO, the best factory knives, both in design and construction.
Click to expand...

I have to agree, I have a 710HS and a 806D2 and they are 2 of the finest production knives that I have. I just looked at my 806D2 and the blade position is perfect, thats too bad that you got one the slipped through the cracks. I am sure that Benchmade will make it right and you will be pleased. Hang in there. Later
 
send it back. You're paying good money for a great knife and deserve to have one in top condition (I'm judging you as a Benchmade consumer, not a person. You may deserve more or less on that count).

My 806D2 was perfect out of box (still is)) and has the best fit and finish of all of my Benchmades. My 710 satin 154CM is a bit screwy despite being sent back twice. With repeated cycling, it's getting better, but it's just an odd duck compared to the rest. Send yours back for replacement so it will be perfect out of the box.
 
I've owned Benchmade's since I first saw them in '95, and I have never experienced any problems on the ones I own, or have owned since then.

I must be one of the lucky ones.
 
I work in QA, and know that things do slip by; it just happens.
I have dealt with Benchmade and know they will make it right!
Let us know,
Rob
 
I'm still betting that there is nothing wrong with the knife, that he is just getting fooled by the grind of the swedge when he lays the straight edge against the blade. If anyone else has an 806 and a straight edge, try it for yourself. You will see what I mean. It does almost appear to be bent, but it isn't.

Mike
 
My opinion of Benchmade is that their designs are about a 9 out of 10, and that their construction is anywhere from a 9, to one to three points below that, sometimes.

I currently own a TK-1 (Tether Knife), a Mini Griptilian 555 (oval hole, mod. sheepsfoot), an AFCK mod.800, and an H2OS combo-edged dive knife. Of all of them, I think the 555 is the best quality, fit-and-finish-wise. The designs of all of them are very pleasing to me.

Now that I know how to sharpen pretty well, I notice that knives I buy are never as sharp as I can get them myself. In most cases, I inevitably resharpen the knife before it even sees use. There was one exception: a Spyderco Delica that I bought for a friend. It was a late-enough production knife that it had the Boye-detent in the lock lever. That knife came SHARP! But I have not acquired a Benchmade knife whose edge did it for me right out of the box.

I did notice that my newly-acquired AFCK did not have what I would call an excellent edge on it from the factory. I reground it on my Spyderco Profile, but it's only about 80% as good as I think it should be. (I could have spent HOURS working that thing until it was perfect, but I see no compelling need.) Also, my AFCK gives the appearance, when closed, that the blade is slightly off-center. The tip is closer to one side of the handle than the other. This seems to be rather common, from what I read of Benchmade knives on BladeForums. When the blade is open, it seems straight, and has no wobble in any direction.

Overall, Benchmade is a company whose knives I will keep on buying. They are factory production knives, right? So even if their edges are not as sharp as I like when they come from the factory, that's something I can take care of on my own once I buy the knives. But before I can do that I first need a well-designed knife, and on that point they never let ya down.
 
I have to agree with you CODE 3! I've been buying BM's for a long time now and have never gotten one that was bad. I just recently got a new 710HS and it has really good QC. I've also got a 806 and it to is top self. BM is my favorite knife company. They will take care of you.
 
PeacefulJeffrey,

The 921 was the sharpest out-of-box Benchmade I've ever received. Both ones were mystifying in how sharp their factory edges were and that's after receiving many Benchmades with shaving-sharp edges. Not that you should track one down for that reason, but just to make it known. My 806D2 saw a lot of diamond-sleeve work on the Sharpmaker, but now it's a happy 30 degrees.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top