BM 940 dull already

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Oct 23, 2018
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I’m rather new to knives so please excuse my ignorance. I recently purchased a brand new Benchmade 940, carried it for a week or so, cut around 15-20 zip ties and now it’s dull as a butter knife.

Is this normal?

Thanks in advance.
 
When a knife gets dull . . next stop is the sharpening stone.

Seriously though it is hard for us to judge this. How big were the ties ? How dirty were they? Did you just once over shoot and run across some other material that was hard enough to dull the edge?
Personally I avoid ties with my knives and use mini diagonal cutters.
 
Zip ties are murder on edges, and I second using dikes, as much safer....I could not count the infirmary trips made on bases caused by folk cutting/stabbing selves with knives when zip ties finally broke...heck, larger ties can bust a jaw off highest quality Swiss small dikes.....at least cut them on a wood table, pallet, bench or chair, with a rocking motion....my last base put out a flightline safety directive (3 days off/no pay) as to being observed using anything but dikes on zip ties, so frequent were injuries, and some SERIOUS maiming injuries among them.

Also, the factory edge may have had a wire burr edge which rolled with those hard suckers, and might have lasted longer had it been stropped prior to using..
 
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When a knife gets dull . . next stop is the sharpening stone.

Seriously though it is hard for us to judge this. How big were the ties ? How dirty were they? Did you just once over shoot and run across some other material that was hard enough to dull the edge?
Personally I avoid ties with my knives and use mini diagonal cutters.
Normal, brand new ties w/o touching any other material other than a little dirt.
 
Personally, I think ALL youtube "intermet expert" knife reviews should feature dicing zip ties on a bench top, and pull cuts, as one of the harshest tests there are in testing knives...
 
Depends on what the zip ties are made from. From what I understand not all zip ties are made the same. So, yes, it could be that some zip ties reek havoc on blade edges. That’s why I don’t use my knife on zip ties.
Also, some smaller zip ties have a strand of cable embedded and when you use your knife to cut it with, you flatten some of your knife edge and curse like a sailor. Ask me how I know. :mad: That’s why I do not use a knife to cut zip ties.
 
With the latest crazes here, of flipping until metal smokes, and sharpening at slightest glint until a bowie reduced to toothpick in 3wks, I have a lot of trouble getting thru to people that often all they need is a smooth piece of brass or steel of stoutness enough to lean on...

much damage is simply a roll or dent which can be straightened and one keep right on cutting until actually dull, which is longer than most folk think, as for a working edge to complete tasks.

It is a lost art and even idea, where I see advanced Randall collectors theorizing a small polished steel block in a combat vet stone pocket was for maintaining the stone pocket shape after breaking the stone, I kid you not...
You can feel the burrs and dings and feel when you have stroked them out (away from blade, please), after working both sides.
 

This guy tests on cardboard and many other tests by others on rope etc show its a good steel. But not all materials are going to fair the same such as zip ties and the surface below the zip tie that the knife touches below it when cutting through.

Not to mention a factory edge isn't always perfect.
 
Personally, I think ALL youtube "intermet expert" knife reviews should feature dicing zip ties on a bench top, and pull cuts, as one of the harshest tests there are in testing knives...

I suggest that cutting zip ties is not safe efficient way to use a knife. If I had to use a knife to cut a zip tie it would be a utility knife with a disposable blade. Better yet as others note use diagonal cutting pliers.
 
Depends on what the zip ties are made from. From what I understand not all zip ties are made the same. So, yes, it could be that some zip ties reek havoc on blade edges. That’s why I don’t use my knife on zip ties.
Also, some smaller zip ties have a strand of cable embedded and when you use your knife to cut it with, you flatten some of your knife edge and curse like a sailor. Ask me how I know. :mad: That’s why I do not use a knife to cut zip ties.

For those of us from places where high quality zip ties are used, from smallest to largest, we can state without qualification that cutting zip ties is second only to cutting small screws and bolts as for testing edge durability and toughness...

And I was serious as to it being a test, as known quality/even to brand/size, and known backer could be used, and it a lot more a real world test than dicing variable manila rope from around the world, and knowing how few people ever see manila rope in the west as for daily use. Meanwhile, folk DO regularly (ill advisedly) cut zip ties on a daily basis, as they are used in all manner of packaging/industrial applications...it would be an education for those single purpose "slicey" edge fans, for sure.

As for thin utility disposable blades on zip ties, many ties are very tough, the thin blades not up to the force on pull/push cuts, and can result in blade snapping, the broken front embedded, and out of control hand charging straight over exposed razor blade stub at full force....when you see that happen, you learn it makes a ZIING sound like a bone saw thru a whole chicken....and nearly same results....and this all from someone being scientific and safe, and reversing cutting edge to forward and doing nice safe push cuts away from self....
 
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I cut a lot of zip ties with my knives and have dialed my technique into a science.

The knife has to be super sharp and I have to be sure I can make a controlled cut. If I can't be sure of that controlled cut then the snips come out.

Yep...did and said that, myself, many times....so did and do all the guys working shops and warehouses nationwide....

and the trips to ERs for stitches and slashed tendons just keeps on rollin'...

nowadays, older, wiser, slower healing, I know I will never have another whatever I might slash, and so it waits the extra second or even minute for me to round up the dikes, as that saved extra second versus a lifetime possible crippling just is a very poor exchange rate.
 
Wire cutters.
Yeah I was just fixing the roof on my rustic snowblower port and had to haywire and zap strap the roof to the poles while replacing hardware. When it was time to pull it all off I reached for the knife in my pocket and stopped myself. Sure I could have twist cut the zaps off since they were under tension but instead I used the cutters even though they meant an extra trip up and down the ladder.
 
It's a knife. You use it to cut things. If you cut things it will dull. If you cut harder things it will dull faster than if you cut softer things, but it will ALWAYS dull.

There's nothing wrong with your knife, sharpen it up and get back to it.
 
You used your knife for its intended purpose, just sharpen it up (or send it to BM for Lifesharp service) and get back to it. If you don’t want to dull it as quickly, avoid the zip ties.
 
When you own a knife theres a couple things you need to take into consideration. One of those things is what angle the edge is sharpened at for what you are cutting. The BM might not had the right angle for your needs. If you are cutting rope etc all day a less aggressive angle of 30 degree's might hold a edge better for you.

There's lots of great sharpening systems out there that take the guess work out of things
 
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