BM 100SH20 Dive/Rafting Knife anyone used this knife?

O

Old Salt

Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
17
Hello everyone, I'm sort of a newbie to the forum, though I have been lurking and learning for awhile. I spend a lot of time around and in the water, sailing, diving and fishing (when I can get away). Anyway, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting knives that I can use in my hobbies. I was visiting the Benchmade website and saw their new Dive/Rafting knife and was wandering if anyone on the forum has used it or has thoughts about it. Particularly interested in the steel. BM says it is H1 steel and is very rust/corrosion resistant while being able to hold a good edge. I would be interested in hearing from anyone out there about this steel and how it compares to other steel. Thanks.
 
I've wondered the same thing. I like the look of it, but haven't picked one up yet.
 
Hey old salt---from one old salt to another. Took a look at the Benchmade site and that is a handsome knife for the water. I spend alot of time at the ocean, offshore fishing, etc...and I am constantly on the hunt for knives that are resistant to saltwater. Am unfamiliar with the H1 steel. I'm certainly no expert and like you, I spend alot of time reading this site and learning. You should try this post again, possibly, on the 'Shop Talk' section of Bladeforums. Alot of knifemaker input there if you're interested in corrosion resistant knives. Talonite and Stellite are two types of cobalt alloy that apparently do not rust. Also, John Boye (I think that is correct name) makes knives out of dendritic steel which does not rust. I looked at his site some time ago but his blades were not long enough for my use. You might also try Myerchin or Meyerchin (spelling?) knives which are excellent and are designed for boaters and marine enthusiasts. Although constructed of 440c, mine has not rusted on me but then again I oiled the heck out of it before and after use last time I was down on the coast around Galveston. Hope this helps you.
 
I am testing one for an upcoming article. Right out of the box, I did what most whitewater paddlers are going to do, I got the knife and sheath wet (dipped in the bath tub - it is -25C here), made sure that there was moisture trapped between the blade and the sheath, then stuck it in my paddling gear bag for a couple of weeks of blade-rotting humidity. After all that, not a spot of rust, or even staining.

The other test that might be of some interest was a sheath test. Lots of dive knives come out of their sheaths when strapped to the outside of a whitewater paddlers PFD. The 100H2O has a locking lever on the sheath. Hmmmm, I thought...wonder how strong that is. So I strapped the sheath to a floor joist in the basement. I could hang off the knife handle without the knife coming out of the sheath. Afterwards, I could still disengage the locking lever and withdraw the knife easily.

The H1 steel doesn't take an edge as well as 440C, but better than other "real stainless" blades I have tested.

Hope this helps

Thom
 
Sounds interesting so far. I'd wondered about the strength of the sheath lock myself - being able to support the weight of a man is a pretty good indicator.

Thom - did you periodically remoisten the blade during the "corrosion" test? Did you put any salt in the water?

Kevin
 
Thanks for the input from everyone. I will have to give it some thought. I have an old (30 years) dive knife I still use. My dad bought it for me when I first got into diving at age 16. It is obviously stainless and is marked Solingen on the blade. Bought it from a Dacor dealer. It has been through the wars, and while it has numerous sharpening marks is still strong and holds a good edge. I still carry it for any serious diving, though I would hate to lose it for sentimental reasons obviously. Nice thing about it that I have not seen on other dive knives is that is has a heavy chromed butt camp that screws onto the tang. You can easily remove it and the hard rubber handle slides off along with the guard, exposing the entire blade for cleaning. I have always taken it apart and washed and oiled it after dives, especially in salt water.
I have had many dive knives that have eventually rusted and broken, usually where the handle and blade meet. No matter how well you try to clean them you can never get all the salt etc from under the handle. Now days I also carry an SOG Seal Pup. Good knive for diving but I havn't had it long enough to see how it holds up.
 
....but the humidity inside the waterproof paddling bag was enough to keep the blade moist. I have actually spoken to the Benchmade folks, and they had the knife in their "salt chamber" (saltwater mist) for some ridiculous amount of time (sorry, bad memory, no notes) with no rusting.

Thom
 
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