BM 710 vs BM 750 vs BM AFCK

Joined
Apr 14, 2000
Messages
123
Hey everyone, how are you all doing? I am trying to decide on either a BM 710, 750, or and AFCK. It's a very hard decision
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I know the 710 and AFCK come in M2 steel and the 750 I hear is easy to take apart and clean..I am a newbie with knives although I learn more everyday. I'm trying to pick the best knife that would suit my needs. I want to carry this knife everywhere with me and use it for utility reasons. Self-defence is just a side-effect of having a knife for me. I probably won't use it very hard everyday but I'd also like to take it camping and hunting with me where it could be put to hard use. Could someone please break down each aspect of these knives and explain what each one would accel at, the maintenance factor, and what disadvantages there are with these knives. The more opinions the better. Thanks!
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For your use, I would recommend the 750. As said, it is easier to clean, which will be a big plus in camping. The integral lock is much stronger than the liner lock in the AFCK. The 710's Axis lock is nice, but they are more prone to getting clogged with dirt than an integral, and hte Axis is considered a gravity knife in some jurisdictions.

How's that for short and to the point?

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
Second the 750. Too bad it can't be had with M2 also
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It's only a mistake if you fail to learn from it!
 
The 750 seems like really nice knife. And out of these three I like its looks the best.

I have a couple of more questions.
1) Why do people keep talking about the AFCK if the 710 seems pretty similar with a great locking mechanism?
2) How is the 750's lock compared to the 710's?
3) How would the 750 do in a field test?
4) If the 750 and 710 were compared for their cutting ability what would the results be?
and finally
5) How 'quiet' is the 750 when clipped to your pocket. Does it sit low without a bright clip that catches your eye?

I really with that the 750 was available in M2. Oh well, not TOO much of a difference I hope.
 
I own a BM 750 and am very impressed. No blade play, grind lines decent, reasonably sharp out of box (though nowhere near my Spyderco's), feels very natural in the hand, very stable lock.

I only wish they made a smaller one, so I could have a pair (like the 710/705).

It has a recurve blade similar to the 710, so cutting should be fairly similar.

It sits quite low in the pocket (clip isn't bright & shiny either).

As far as lock strength, check out a fellow forum member's test http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum54/HTML/000126.html

I think the bottom line is: HANDLE A BENCHMADE BEFORE BUYING! If fit & finish are good, you have a winner, especially with the 750. If not, wait till you can find a good one or buy something else (like a Spyderco
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Evasion,
You have really hard decision! All three are very well designed and made knives and each would serve you flawlessly. So the decision depends on your personal preferences only. I'll try to tip up some points of difference, thinking about them could make your decision easier (I hope
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Handle material. 710 Axis Lock and 800 AFCK have G-10 scales and 750 Pinnacle has bead blasted anodized titanium handle. Think what you like more in your palm.
Handle shape. Pinnacle and AFCK are handling quite differently (for me at least), 710 even much more differently. Here is nothing to describe, simply try to handle each and compare your impressions.
Handle strength and flexibility. Pinnacles handle is considerable the strongest among theses three knives and AFCK handle is the most flexible in blade's plane. Think how essential is this point for you. For ex. I'm continuing to carry my AFCK (although I have all three knives) because I have no intentions to use my urban-carry knife as a prybar but for cutting purposes all three knives are strong adequately.
Blade shape. 710 and 750 both have the blades with noticeable recurve. This adds some cutting force but makes them more difficult to resharpen, especially if you have flat benchstones only. The new Eze-Lap folding diamond sharpener with oval surface could be solution in this matter. AFCK blade can be sharpened on each high quality benchstone without any problems.
Blade steel. 710 and AFCK are available with ATS-34 or M2 blades but 750 - with ATS-34 only, so far. It is no noticeable difference in edge retention and cutting abilities when cutting. But M2 blade could be more impact resistant and less prone to chipping when hits some hard thing. On the other hand the M2 blade is more expensive.
Price, of course if it is the matter for you. Difference between 710 with M2 blade and the less expensive AFCK with non-coated ATS-34 blade could be about $30-40 in retail.
Locking device. Axis Lock here is a clear winner, please see my reviews: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001301.html http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001605.html
I tried to explain and justify my opinion. I could put Mono-Lock at the second place in strength competition but I'm still going with my AFCK. Maybe I'm simply stubborn as a mule...
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Carry mode. 710 is designed for tip-up carry, 750 and AFCK - for tip-down.
Truly ambidextrous is 710 only. You can open AFCK with left hand but you can not remove the clip on the handle opposite side. 750 clip also can't be set up for left-hand carry and it has single-sided opening stud.
All three knives have mat black pocket clips and stand above pocket edge no more than 15 mm.
I didn't bore your deadly just?
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Now try to tip the points more essential for you and through away less essential. Try to handle all three knives, handling comfort is one of the most important knife properties in my opinion. Check your local law regulations, maybe model 705 or Mini-AFCK 812 would be more suitable for concealed carry.
Hope this could make your decision easier.
Or buy them all and add also BM Nimravus fixed blade for camping and hunting.
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Whichever knife would you choose I would strongly recommend - don't take it apart for cleaning! It will void of your warranty. For knife cleaning it's enough to wash it in running water, if no - wash it in sharp stream.

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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland

[This message has been edited by Sergiusz Mitin (edited 04-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Sergiusz Mitin (edited 04-20-2000).]
 
Sergiusz Mitin is very thorough. He pretty much covered all the bases. All three ae excellent knives. I am sure you would be happy with any of them. I would just look at the pro's and cons of each and pick which one best suits you likes and needs.


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Dennis Bible
 
Thanks Sergiusz. I have read all your reviews. They are great
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That is one of the reasons that I have so much trouble picking between these knives and I'm still thinking about the starmate
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Doesn't that hump at the bottom of the AFCK's handle cause discomfort at times? I wish there was somewhere I could handle these knives. I have one more question.
If I was in the field with a 750 or 710 and all i had on me was a 1" x 3" sharpening stone on me how would I sharpen the knife's recurve areas?
 
A smooth creek stone? Ovoid in shape? :sarcasm:
Seriously, if you have a stone that is fairly narrow (1 inch may be narrow enough), you would probably have no problem. I think I have used my Spyderco 303 Doublestuff to touch up the edge on my 710. The hard part of either of the recurved blades is if you decide to reprofile (thin out) the edge so it cuts better (feels sharper). Ideally, a flat bench stone would be the way to go; however, this isn't easily done with the recurve. You need something like the Sharpmaker for that. But, I think for just standard sharpening of the edge, you COULD use just a narrow bench stone. Just IMO, mind you.
One thing to note. IIRC, the thing about the recurve that makes it really shine is the way it cuts just short of the belly of the blade (i.e., just nearer the handle). NOT the little area where it dips down really near the handle. This according to an old post by Joe Talmadge, IIRC. In my experience, sharpening any part of the blade OTHER than that little dip down area has not been any problem.

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iktomi
 
AFCK handle is very comfortable for me, this hump on the bottom of the handle nicely supports my little finger in both saber or hammer grip. I newer use reversed grip because I'm not going to make myself hara-kiri, so far
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Try to handle this knife to ensure it is comfortable for you also.

It would be pretty tricky but possible to sharpen 710 or 750 on 3x1" stone in field conditions. However your knife would be sharpened so-so and you would shortly waste your stone rounding it side edges, especially if it would be natural Arkansas whetstone.
For 710 and/or 750 field sharpening I could recommend (additionally to already mentioned Eze-Lap tool):
  • DMT Diafold Serrated Knife Sharpener - in fact it is small conical diamond coated sharpening steel hidden in folding (like balisong knife) handle. It is also very useful sharpening serrations.
  • DMT Diafold Half Round File.
  • Any V-style portable sharpener with round ceramic rods, for ex. from Katz Knives or GATCO.
  • GATCO Tri-Seps, also can be used on serrated blades.
  • Any diamond coated folding sharpening steel, for ex. from Eze-Lap or Edge Craft. They work like telescopic antenna, diamond coated rod is hidden in the hollow handle and can be moved out to working position.
Choosing any diamond sharpener for field use choose it in the fine grit (about # 600), it allows you to restore fine working sharpness if your edge is not heavy damaged or chipped.

[This message has been edited by Sergiusz Mitin (edited 04-20-2000).]
 
My choice out of the three is the 750. Let me tell you why. Number one is the lock. I love it. The Axis is great as well, but regular liner locks just don't do it for me anymore. I couldn't get used to the handle on an AFCK, and the Axis didn't feel right either. Not that the handle on the 750 is an ergonomic masterpiece (it's not) but I find it better than either of the other two. I am a sucker for recurved blades, so I find the blades on both the 710 and 750 to be very appealing. The AFCK blade is nice, but not so much as the other two IMO. I reprofiled the edge on my 710 and 750 with a Gatco Lansky type set and didn't have a problem. No visible rounding on the edges of the stones. I've since resharpened the 750 on a DMT Aligner set quite easily. Sharpening with a 1 X 3" wouldn't be fun, but it would be possible. I think a rod or triangle type would work better in the field. Dissassembly of any BM voids the warranty, and really isn't necessary, but I do it. The Pinnacle is extremely simple, as is the AFCK. If you can't figure those out, I'm not sure you should have them in the first place. That is not a knock on anyone, just a not so humble opinion of mine. The Axis is slightly more complicated, but not much more so. I do a thorogh cleaning every so often and relube. If everything goes back together properly, BM probably won't know it's been disassembled.

My pick is the 750 by far. You might also consider the 730 Axis.

I too wish there was a "little Pinnacle". It would make a great daily carry.
 
I have a Pinnacle and a Starmate. Sorry can't help with the AFCK. The Pinnacle rides significantly lower in the pocket using the clip. It is also thicker, but smaller (length, width) than the Starmate and feels more comfortable in the pocket, using the clip or not. The edge on the Starmate will come sharper, and is much thinner than the Pinnacle. The Pinnacle needs a reprofile which takes some time, to become a good slicer. The hole opens easier than the stud, personal preference, but the stud on the Pinnacle is positioned very well. I love the Titanium handles, I can't explain it, but it feels right to the touch. The Pinnacle is more balanced, the handle on the Starmate is so much lighter than the blade. It's easier to clean the Pinnacle without taking it apart because it is hollow all the way through, if you know what I mean. Lastly, when you grip the Pinnacle, it "tightens" the lock, the harder you grip. The starmate looks scarier, the Pinnacle looks more like a worker/utility knife. My Pinnacle is ATS-34 (maybe too hard if not heat treated right?) The Starmate is CPM-440V. I can't comment on the steels, they are both excellent. These are my experiences and observations, your mileage may vary. I recommend both these knives without hesitation. Oh yeah, it's a little harder to sharpen the recurve blade on the Pinnacle. Hope this helps.

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A knife is by default a tool, it's only a weapon when a human chooses to make it so.

 
I'd second most of the opinions here except for one knife being "more prone to clogging".
Clogged both my BM710 and Pinnacle and neither one of them stop working but both sounded nasty with sand in them
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Also, who takes their knives apart outdoors? If you have to clean it, rinse it, dry it a little and WD40 it or Tuff glide it or gun oil it or whatever. That's enough to keep it alive until you get home. Unless your camping trips take months..
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Eventually, to ease on the outdoor cleaning problem get yourself a fixed knife
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The bottom line is that both Pinnacle and 710 are AWESOME knives (can't say much about AFCK). Pick the one you like more visually or the one that feels better in your hand. You can't go wrong here.

Cheers,
Kris

P.S. I carry 710 more often just because it is slimmer.
 
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