BM 710HS and 806D2 questions

[Starfish]

I'm pretty interested in both of these knives, but it seems to my uneducated viewpoint that they are pretty similar - both have the axis lock, are 3.9" long, similar weight, thickness, and tough steel.

I'm sure, however, that there must be some distinguishing factors that make one more suitable for certain tasks than the other. What are your opinions on these two knives, and what kind of role do you see for each? I.e., is the 710HS more of a utility knife, and the 806D2 more of a "tactical" knife? Or vice-versa?

Thanks for your opinions,

Matthew

 

[SIFU1A]

both are great knives, but, imho the 710 is a little more of a utility vs tac knife, the 806 just is bigger/badder looking to me

either one would do the job though, utility/tac/etc

i personally prefer the 806, if i could only have one of the 2, but thats just me


sifu

 

[Sergiusz Mitin]

Matthew,
In my opinion (I have both knives) both 710 and 806 fall into the same category of big heavy-duty folders. BTW, I would be very happy if we could slowly, step-by-step, escape from pretty confusing and very few saying, purely faddish term “tactical”. Especially in the comparison context – more or less “tactical”...

To save the space and the time I’ll skip what is common in these designs. What distinguish them? Objectively looking not too much.
* Recurved part of the edge (710) adds some cutting power but at the same time is harder to sharpen (needs somewhat more experience and specialized sharpening tools another than simple flat whetstone).
* Deep forefinger groove (806) adds some handling security but this no way means that 710’s handle is not secure, it just handles different way. As to me AFCK handle works better for me but I guess a lot of people could evaluate them inversely.
* The difference in steel performance is marginal and hardly noticeable in real life use. ATS-34 or 154CM at newer runs (710) hold the sharpness in pure slicing (hemp rope for ex.) slightly better and it is more rust resistant. D2 provides slightly tougher, less brittle edge what is less prone to chip meeting some hard obstruction or lateral force at very edge. But again – the difference is really too little to determine knife choice.

My advice would be – try to handle them both and choose the one what fit your hand better. This is the most important difference between them.
However you can’t go wrong with either as well as no one will work in your place

 

[Starfish]

Thanks for the opinions.

I hope I didn't muddy the question by introducing the word "tactical". I put the tactical/utility comparison as just a possible difference between the two.

Mostly, I'm interested in a pure utility knife. Of course, I've heard a LOT about the 710, in M2 steel. However, I've heard next to nothing, relatively speaking, about the utility of the AFCK in D2 steel. And even less comparing the two...

Thanks,

Matthew

 

[YoungCutter]

Something also potentially worth noting... the 710 is a clip point whereas the 806D2 is a drop point, what this means is the 710 is theoretically the better penetrator... just FYI.
Another more obvious characteristic is the 806D2 uses a hole and the 710 a stud.
I own neither but have handled both - the 710 never pleased me in the ergonomics department, the entire AFCK line (the 800, the 804, and now the 806D2) has always been very impressive to me in terms of ergos, however.
Generally speaking what you are comparing is a Green apple to a Red one, they're both equally sized and equally tasty, but their tastes are also distinctively different, I suggest you "taste" (read: handle) both before making up your mind and dropping the big bucks.

P.S. don't actually try to eat the knives in front of your dealer!