BM Ares, 154CM, and reprofiling the edge.

[sph3ric pyramid]

I recently traded into a BM Ares, and I'm not particularly satisfied with how it cuts, although I'm sure a lot of this has to do with the blade profile itself.

I've brought down the edge (the factory grind was ridiculous), but now I'm thinking that I want to blend the edge with the primary grind and add a microbevel (the blade will end up looking pretty bad, but...) or regrind the blade to allow for a thinner edge. It's already fairly close. However, I have no idea how the steel is going to hold up. I'll mostly be using the knife to cut cardboard and plastic packing materials; any comments would be welcome.

As an aside, I haven't been been able to play with knives or read the posts around here in quite some time, and am suddenly feeling the urge to buy out the nearest knife shop. It's pretty bad.

 

[Blop]

What do you mean with: Blend the edge ?

Are you going for some kind of convexing the blade and edge?

I am sure, you get the wrong knife. Maybe you should follow your heart and buy out the next shop for another one?!

 

[sph3ric pyramid]

Yeah, it'd be something like that, but the bevels would be flat, like a zero-grind with a microbevel for durability (which, I suppose wouldn't be a zero-grind anymore).

I seem to have a problem with holding onto knives that cut well. I've given away a Dragonfly and a Calypso Jr., traded off three Militaries (one of my favorite designs) and a Lil' Temperance. I think it's mostly because I keep coming back to the AXIS lock. I've thought about having a replacement blade made for the Ares, and have considered buying the Ritter Griptilian. But I like the handle design of the Ares, and since I have it already...

 

[Temper]

As an aside, I haven't been been able to play with knives or read the posts around here in quite some time, and am suddenly feeling the urge to buy out the nearest knife shop. It's pretty bad.

email me if anything takes your fancy

 

[GarageBoy]

BM is interested in the tactical look, I guess. Their best slicer is the 710. STILL wish they'd do a full grind. How about a Bencherco? or a Spymade?

 

[WadeF]

BM is interested in the tactical look, I guess. Their best slicer is the 710. STILL wish they'd do a full grind. How about a Bencherco? or a Spymade?

Have you tried the Doug Ritter Grip? I would say it slices better than the 710.

I have a BM ARES and I reprofiled it to 15 degrees per side, if not a little less, and put a micro bevel on it. It slices fine now.

 

[logo]

BM is interested in the tactical look, I guess. Their best slicer is the 710.

As WadeF said, the Ritter Griptilian ist better - and a Presidio is at least as good. TSEK and Mini TSEK were also not worse. Monochrome is also quite good.

STILL wish they'd do a full grind. How about a Bencherco? or a Spymade?

They did. Ascent 8x5 series.
Now they make an auto, Mini Reflex with a full flat grind

A Ritter has a very high flat, and it works.


sph3ric pyramid - You can re-profile an Ares and it will slice better, but I'm with Blop, it will be never as good as Ritter or Spyderco Miliraty for example. If You want to have a slicer, take rather an another knife.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

However, I have no idea how the steel is going to hold up. I'll mostly be using the knife to cut cardboard and plastic packing materials...

Flat grind it as thin as you want, unless you hollow grind it, you can't reduce the strength to an extent that the steel will get damaged on that material, assuming a proper heat treatment.

-Cliff

 

[sph3ric pyramid]

I'm intend to buy a Ritter Grip, at some point (the Griptilian remains one of my favorites), and, um, probably all of those knives you guys've mentioned. Eventually.

I think at this point, though, I'm interested in seeing how far I can lower the edge before things start going wrong. I'm mostly worried about cracking the edge when yanking on the knife when it's stuck in some hard plastic, or something similar.

Also, it just seems sort of strange to have such a heavy duty build on what's going to amount to a tough boxcutter. Am trying to figger out what sort of edge I want if it's also going to be used for slightly more abusive tasks, without sacrificing too much efficiency. How tough is 154CM, anyway?

Temper-
Just saw that you're in Saitama, any decent knife shops out your way? Have only found one with a decent selection in Kyoto, so far, which is about as close as it gets to Osaka.

 

[Blop]

Yeah, it'd be something like that, but the bevels would be flat, like a zero-grind with a microbevel for durability (which, I suppose wouldn't be a zero-grind anymore).

I seem to have a problem with holding onto knives that cut well. I've given away a Dragonfly and a Calypso Jr., traded off three Militaries (one of my favorite designs) and a Lil' Temperance. I think it's mostly because I keep coming back to the AXIS lock. I've thought about having a replacement blade made for the Ares, and have considered buying the Ritter Griptilian. But I like the handle design of the Ares, and since I have it already...

Every blade has its place. Reprofiling may ruin it. Aren´t there some knife makers around? They could make you a blade of the material they know best or you like best in a way that it fits into the knife and to your expectations.

For example: i didn´t like the grinds on the spine of my 520 and wanted to get in touch with tungsten alloyed steel. So i contacted some Makers and get a blade i like very much and a steel i found to be as edge holding as 154CM or whatever and be tough by it´s datas, double than any stainless.

To be honest on folders that level of toughness is more for my feelings than really needed, but the edge comes out fine and keeps to be fine, somehow better than most stainless exept the RWL34.

It was expensive and nowhere inbetween the line of serious price/performance relation. But do we walk inbetween that line? No. It was for my fun and satisfaction, like you.

To change a dagger style into a drop point seems to be somehow senseless to me. But to customise it in that way is somehow cool.



BTW, if someone likes to compare the 4mm spine thock Military to the 3mm spine thick Griptillian and give us his or her conclusion about blade geometry?

I wouldn´t be surprised, if both blade run the same angle to the spine (Millie) or to the sabre line (Gripi). Maybe a degree more to the Grip.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I'm mostly worried about cracking the edge when yanking on the knife when it's stuck in some hard plastic, or something similar.

You can't really flat grind a knife thin enough to fail here, not on most knife stock anyway. I have an ATS-34 blade out of 1/8" stock, full flat grind, of about 11 degrees included, with an edge which has a tiny microbevel about 0.005" thick. It can easily be press cut through the bottom of a coke bottle, or just cut half way through and twisted around to mangle the plastic and bust its way out.

How tough is 154CM, anyway?

Not very, but the above is more on strength which is very high and has little to do with toughness.

-Cliff

 

[logo]

Hi Blop,

I have no Military, but my Ritter's measured grind angle is 7.2 degree with a .4mm thickness over the edge.

It is approximately .7 degree more than the grind angle of the Temperance.

 

[sph3ric pyramid]

Sounds good, thanks for the info. Think I'll try the zero-grind first, and then reduce the primary grind gradually.

And yeah, I realize I might ruin the knife, but worst case, I'll get a replacement blade made; if it goes well, I'll have a knife that better suits my needs. I mean, either way, I get to have fun playing with the knife.

...but I have the distinct feeling the end result isn't exactly going to look very pretty. Oh well.

 

[GarageBoy]

The Ascent series is now sadly discontinued. The mini reflex is an auto, so illegal, though I LOVE that design. Don't mean to hijack, but how big was the full size reflex?

 

[logo]

Well, let we bring an OT to the end

The Ascent series is now sadly discontinued.

Yes, and that's interesting for me - most upgrade propositions of Endura and Delica were full flat grind and a pivot screw.

Those 8x5 Ascents had both features and were very quickly discontinued.

The mini reflex is an auto, so illegal,

Not for me

Don't mean to hijack, but how big was the full size reflex?

4'' blade, .125'' thickness, 9.2'' overall, 5.2'' closed.

 

[Temper]

Temper-
Just saw that you're in Saitama, any decent knife shops out your way? Have only found one with a decent selection in Kyoto, so far, which is about as close as it gets to Osaka.

LOL Check my profile

 

[samhain73]

I reprofiled my 420 (which is pretty similer to the ares) with lansky at the 17deg mark, then set the edge with the sharpmaker at 15deg. looks fine, and slices great. Was pretty easy took about 15 mins.

 

[sph3ric pyramid]

Whoa. Sweet. Okay. Guess I have something new to look through.