threshold
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2012
- Messages
- 179
Hey everyone - i'm relatively new on the forums, (though ive been creeping in the BUSSE forum for a while now), and trying to learn what i can from the incredibly knowledgeable members here. I have actually been using knives most of my life, but only recently started really trying to educate myself on the specifics of steel qualities, etc...This seems like an amazing community and i'm glad to be a new member. Please let me know if i am out of line on anything...That being said, I thought i would introduce myself with some ramblings -
I have carried fairly inexpensive folders for many years now (mostly CRKT) based on the assumption that i wanted to use them hard and not worry about breaking, losing, etc... and i've always been very happy with CRKT. I have the good fortune of living in Portland, with lots of local manufacturers (or local companies anyway) to choose from. Well i realized recently that they were not actually manufactured in Oregon...I guess the 'Columbia River' threw me off. I think its awesome that they are a local company, but I want to support local manufacturers when i can. I was at Northwoods knives (same as KnivesShipFree, great shop!) a while back with a buddy who ended up coming home with a Benchmade 940. I was immediately taken with the AXIS lock system - I do love the CRKT M-16 series, they are great knives and have always done what i need them to do, but the superior quality of the Benchmade was obvious (but - it costs over three times as much). The newer CRKT i have has a dual lock system that makes it pretty tough to use with one hand. Its got a liner lock, and then a little spring loaded pin that locks the liner in place under the blade. Liner locks are ok i guess, but they have always kind of pissed me off actually. Having to reach in and push the liner out to release the blade seems like a strange place to put your hand (OK, i guess not that big of a deal really). What i love about the BM axis lock is how smoothly it opens and closes, one handed, with a far superior locking and release system. Once you pull back the lock post, the blade is completely free to swing with very little friction. when it's locked, its $#%ing locked. I'm a designer by profession, and i was blown away by how this thing works. I just wanted to sit there and flip it open and closed, over and over. The next day I found a limited edition Benchmade 941 TI-01 on craigslist (lucky score!), and it had been carried but not used. I absolutely love it -By far the highest quality and most enjoyable EDC i have ever used. The other day i got a Benchmade Nimravus fixed blade with a broken tip, missing scale screws, machined aluminum slabs, and 154cm steel as the icing on a trade - i loved the design, and i love that its a less-than-1/4" middle sized fixed blade. I was interested in trying my hand at reprofiling the blade and maybe even try CNC machining some custom micarta scales (even though the aluminum ones are cool as hell). I normally use a Swamprat Ratmandu in this blade length range that i love, but it is pretty burly for some types of work.
Well today I went to the Benchmade facility in Oregon City just to check out their shop and thought i would see if they could help me out with the knife. They pointed me to the warranty window in the factory store and i went to check it out. An awesome sight -this is where they fix, customize, and sharpen everyones BMs. The guy at the window told me they could reprofile the blade, or fully replace the blade for 35$! I guess this is an option on any of their knives, if you tip it. I think its only 25$ for a raw blade, 35$ for a coated blade. Well on this full tang fixie, that's pretty much the whole f'ing knife. I asked if there were any steel options, and he said that he thought this model had either 154cm, D2, or M2! I went with M2, and i'm stoked! I asked if they had any sheaths made for it i could buy, and he brings out a nylon/kydex combo and hooks me up with that too. No extra charges. Best customer service i've ever had. If i can expect that kind of service from Benchmade, barring some kind of catastrophic blade failure then i'm pretty sure they've earned a lifelong customer. That's not to say i won't buy other stuff too...I had recently been interested in a CRK Sebenza, and i still may try one someday, but for now my interest in quality folders has been quenched with Benchmade - I know they are not 'custom', but they are made in my backyard, their quality and customer service really is exceptional, and after the AXIS, I can't imagine using a liner lock system anymore. Now i can focus on BUSSE. Good night good sirs/ladies.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=nimr...&tbnw=145&ndsp=45&ved=1t:429,r:96,s:280,i:292
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=941-...48&start=31&ndsp=41&ved=1t:429,r:61,s:0,i:269
I have carried fairly inexpensive folders for many years now (mostly CRKT) based on the assumption that i wanted to use them hard and not worry about breaking, losing, etc... and i've always been very happy with CRKT. I have the good fortune of living in Portland, with lots of local manufacturers (or local companies anyway) to choose from. Well i realized recently that they were not actually manufactured in Oregon...I guess the 'Columbia River' threw me off. I think its awesome that they are a local company, but I want to support local manufacturers when i can. I was at Northwoods knives (same as KnivesShipFree, great shop!) a while back with a buddy who ended up coming home with a Benchmade 940. I was immediately taken with the AXIS lock system - I do love the CRKT M-16 series, they are great knives and have always done what i need them to do, but the superior quality of the Benchmade was obvious (but - it costs over three times as much). The newer CRKT i have has a dual lock system that makes it pretty tough to use with one hand. Its got a liner lock, and then a little spring loaded pin that locks the liner in place under the blade. Liner locks are ok i guess, but they have always kind of pissed me off actually. Having to reach in and push the liner out to release the blade seems like a strange place to put your hand (OK, i guess not that big of a deal really). What i love about the BM axis lock is how smoothly it opens and closes, one handed, with a far superior locking and release system. Once you pull back the lock post, the blade is completely free to swing with very little friction. when it's locked, its $#%ing locked. I'm a designer by profession, and i was blown away by how this thing works. I just wanted to sit there and flip it open and closed, over and over. The next day I found a limited edition Benchmade 941 TI-01 on craigslist (lucky score!), and it had been carried but not used. I absolutely love it -By far the highest quality and most enjoyable EDC i have ever used. The other day i got a Benchmade Nimravus fixed blade with a broken tip, missing scale screws, machined aluminum slabs, and 154cm steel as the icing on a trade - i loved the design, and i love that its a less-than-1/4" middle sized fixed blade. I was interested in trying my hand at reprofiling the blade and maybe even try CNC machining some custom micarta scales (even though the aluminum ones are cool as hell). I normally use a Swamprat Ratmandu in this blade length range that i love, but it is pretty burly for some types of work.
Well today I went to the Benchmade facility in Oregon City just to check out their shop and thought i would see if they could help me out with the knife. They pointed me to the warranty window in the factory store and i went to check it out. An awesome sight -this is where they fix, customize, and sharpen everyones BMs. The guy at the window told me they could reprofile the blade, or fully replace the blade for 35$! I guess this is an option on any of their knives, if you tip it. I think its only 25$ for a raw blade, 35$ for a coated blade. Well on this full tang fixie, that's pretty much the whole f'ing knife. I asked if there were any steel options, and he said that he thought this model had either 154cm, D2, or M2! I went with M2, and i'm stoked! I asked if they had any sheaths made for it i could buy, and he brings out a nylon/kydex combo and hooks me up with that too. No extra charges. Best customer service i've ever had. If i can expect that kind of service from Benchmade, barring some kind of catastrophic blade failure then i'm pretty sure they've earned a lifelong customer. That's not to say i won't buy other stuff too...I had recently been interested in a CRK Sebenza, and i still may try one someday, but for now my interest in quality folders has been quenched with Benchmade - I know they are not 'custom', but they are made in my backyard, their quality and customer service really is exceptional, and after the AXIS, I can't imagine using a liner lock system anymore. Now i can focus on BUSSE. Good night good sirs/ladies.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=nimr...&tbnw=145&ndsp=45&ved=1t:429,r:96,s:280,i:292
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=941-...48&start=31&ndsp=41&ved=1t:429,r:61,s:0,i:269
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