Benchmade switching liners from Ti to Steel?

Cosmic Superchunk

Cosmic Superchunk

Joined
Jan 28, 2001
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I bought a Benchmade Stryker with M2 steel blade today and when I got home, I noticed something strange about the lock when I took it out of the box. There was no "galling" of the liner lock against the blade tang as was typical with Benchmade's titanium linerlocks and upon closer inspection I realized that the liners were steel. Yep, steel. As in "pass a small magnet above the liners and watch it stick to the liners" type of steel. I immediately took it back to the store where I bought it and attempted to exchange it for another, but it was the last one they had and the display model (with Ti liners) was a bit rough. I guess I should have examined the knife out of the box before I bought it so I exchanged it for something else. Nothing wrong with the knife's lockup/fit/finish but I was expecting ti-liners on the BM 910. :grumpy:
 
I'd be a little ticked off about that. It's one thing to change the liners from Ti to steel, but it should be stated on the box at least. I'd hate it if I bought a 910 and when I opened the box, the handles turned out to be zytel instead of G-10. I hope that BM doesn't start going in the same direction that Gerber has. :(
 
Took it back? Steel liners would be a plus in my book. It's stronger, will wear longer, and the weight difference isn't really noticeable.

Wunderbar said:
I hope that BM doesn't start going in the same direction that Gerber has. :(
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BM has used steel for liner locks for a long time. The 812 mini-AFCK for example. It's not a new thing.
 
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BM has used steel for liner locks for a long time. It's not a new thing.[/QUOTE]
Not on the 910 Stryker. As far back as I can remember, BM has always used Ti liners on the Stryker and Mini-Stryker. If you are expecting Ti liners then you should be getting Ti liners. :)
 
I cant tell by looking at my 910HS, but I tried a magnet and it did not stick to the liners, so I assume Titanium. Black Box, new production.
 
i liek steel liners, they will wear less, keeping the lockup more towards the left, and they keep prices down, the weight difference isnt much at all.
 
Knifeclerk said:
Ti liners are better. They won't warp unless both shocked and heated at the same time.
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Is there a problem with steel liners spontaneously warping that I'm unaware of? Never heard of that happening before.

Titanium does result in a different feel to the lockup of a knife, but I've yet to see anything that would indicate that it was safer or superior. It's primary advantage is that it soulds exotic and sexy to say that a knife is made out of Ti.

Steel is stronger and far less likely to wear. Seems like they made an improvement to me.
 
Remember how they used to use Ti on the 800? The 806 is vastly superior for using an Axis lock and for using steel liners. The 800 had handle flex like nobody's business, and the Ti liners would jam. And while we're at it, I like the oval hole better. ;)
 
Heck, I'd consider it an asset. Wish my Stryker had steel liners. Wanna trade? :D (Just kidding, really...besides that, Mines so ugly I couldn't give it away)
 
I've never understood the benefits of having titanium over stainless for a lock. I cut both steels all the time in my shop for liners and the titanium sheets cut like brass. Maybe just a bit tougher to cut than the brass but not much. The steel is for sure harder on the metal cutting blades of my band saw.

The anodized titanium is pretty to look at and as far as I can tell that is really the only benefit to using that metal over stainless in a Walker locking folder. On liner locks where the tang of the hardened blade steel meets the lock titanium does indeed wear and bend in quicker than a comparable steel lock in the same thickness from my own experiences in both commercial and my own hand mades. This just means the lock up will become less effective at keeping the blade still sooner rather than later if it has a ti lock.

If BM did change the lock and liner to stainless its probably because they know this too and feel that the stainless steel will hold up better in the long run.

Depending on the stainless steel used for the lock it is possible to get the lock closer to the same hardness as the tang of the blade where it meets for lock up. The closer these two surfaces are to the same hardness the better they'll wear against each other and the less likely hood of the blade becoming lose over time or from heavy use.

I would have kept the one you returned.
 
The benefit of titanium lies in the possibility of heat coloring it :)

Else than that, nothing I could think of. Either is fine with me, Benchmade makes good liners as far as I'm concerned. I really love heat coloring the liners though, so I hope they didn't switch 'em on the Stryker.
 
Wunderbar said:
Not on the 910 Stryker. As far back as I can remember, BM has always used Ti liners on the Stryker and Mini-Stryker.
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Hurray for you. Did I say it was ever used on the Stryker? No. I just pointed out that BM has used steel liners for years, that it wasn't something new, which you implied, and gave an example. Try this, I hear it's worked for lots of people.
 
Knifeclerk said:
It does come up from time to time.
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This is interesting. Could you either explain further or point me to where I could find some more information about this?
 
I went back to the store where I originally bought it and asked the clerk to show me the display model and the 910 model in the black box. The display model did have ti liners but the one in the box definately had steel liners. The clerk said it had to be a fluke as it was the first one he had seen with steel liners. There was even a slight difference in weight, but not enough to be a real concern. Since I've already spent my gadget/flashlight/knife budget for the week, I asked him to put it aside for me so I could pick it up next week. ;)
 
OwenM said:
Hurray for you. Did I say it was ever used on the Stryker? No. I just pointed out that BM has used steel liners for years, that it wasn't something new, which you implied, and gave an example. Try this(hooked on phonics), I hear it's worked for lots of people.
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Cute Owen. Real cute. :D
 
The primary advantage to Ti as liner material is weight savings. Warpage with BM's steel liners is really a nonissue, I've managed to do it, but that involved stupidity, a loose car door hinge, and me forgetting that I had used it to prop said door until I slammed it hard twice *this on a '72 oldsmobile, not some lightweight thing** Given how far the liners actually bent I'm more surprised the blade wasn't shattered when I picked it up.
 
Wunderbar said:
Cute Owen. Real cute. :D
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Sorry:p I'm trying one of those week long system-cleansing, detoxification thingies, so I'm "feeling my oats" so to speak. Quite frequently, I might add, and...that's probably enough info :o
 
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