Compare M390 and M4 for me. Lets just talk about steel for Polished-Edge-Sharp

I have thought about it. Granted I don't have a Green 940.
But . . .
  • Aluminum scales too smooth.
  • Anodizing easily scrapes off or even if it reluctantly scrapes off fighting all the way I still won't like the look of it once it has random silver scratches in that pretty green surface.. Partly why I won't buy a heat colored Ti knife and will stick to raw Ti.
  • Blade too thick at the tip; I won't be prying who knows what people pry at who need all that mass down there on the tip.


No . . . the 940 is far from "perfect" . . . my perfect in my little pea brain anyway.

The general size ( length as well as thickness) and shape and longitudinal grip surfaces and lack of finger grooves on the handle is a good start. The blade length, basic shape and even the thickness near the pivot are desirable.
The axis lock is great.

But no . . . for me . . . it is not a dream / grail out of the box.

I would start by going with grit blasted and or textured Ti with the handle even though it makes it heavier.
The G10 looks promising but seems to be less sculpted than the aluminum handles but that might just be the way it looks in the photos.

Lastly after experinecing M390 I am ruined for softer stuff. I have a less exspensive, though of a very high regard knife that arrived just today in S30V so I am giving that a go just to find out what I have been missing.

I am beginning to be a Benchmade fan boy though after the Ritter Grip.
 
Last edited:
M390 does take a very sharp edge. But M4 is one of the top few steels that get the sharpest. Both get very sharp, but M4 is one of the best when it comes to an extremely sharp edge. Both steels are fantastic!
 
make sure and post when you make your decision!
Click to expand...

What I got . . . for now.

I wanted super steel but could not stop thinking about the all black; I couldn't let it go so S30V it is.









First Para 2.

PS: Knifeworks does it right for me every time.
I don't know if they tuned it before shipping it but blade drops and swings out of the box and zero play.

Very first cut was a piercing cut during work. Through a layer of velcro and neoprene to create an opening so a fitting could protrude through the side of a protective boot . Perfection. I'm not going to break that point . . . I'M GOING TO USE IT !
 
Last edited:
Another KSF special is the Benchmade Axis Stryker in DLC coated M4 and carbon scales! Don't look it up, because you will order it right away!
 
Ad58 said:
Another KSF special is the Benchmade Axis Stryker in DLC coated M4 and carbon scales! Don't look it up, because you will order it right away!
Click to expand...

Yep, love that thing!
 
I looked up the ksf exclusive benchmade and it is not DLC coated but cerakote so the coating will scratch--DLC is a lot better finish.
 
jstn,

I want the DLC coating for reduced friction not stealth.
Click to expand...

DLC seems to have the opposite effect for me; it seems to increase drag
Click to expand...

I want to try the DLC coating.
Click to expand...

Take Two

OK, so I push my thumb nail hard against the side of the Para 2 that has the DLC, then I pull the knife back toward me causing my thumb nail to travel down the side of the blade. I sense the amount of drag from friction between the end of my thumb nail and the side of the knife.



Then I do the same with my UNCOATED Manix



There is far, far less drag when doing this with the uncoated blade. The coating . . . apparently . . . INCREASES friction between the blade and the material being cut.

As I understood it from this video DLC reduces friction. What am I missing ?

Oh well I love the way the knife looks.
Would I ever buy another knife with DLC ?
HELLLLLLLL NO.

PS:
jstn,

You were oh so right man !

PPS: photo confessions of an obsessed, knife chat room roving, iPod camera using knife nut :
I activated the camera button on the iPod screen with the end of my nose.
I just had to confess that .
Thanks for being there.
I feel lighter now some how.
 
Last edited:
Excuse me while I quote my self :
The knives on the list are : Para 2, BM 940, BM 810 Contego (but will wind up grinding it thinner and I am not wild about the handle shape (rough texture is OK though).
Click to expand...

I may just take a big O' flyer and just get Boker's black ceramic Ti handled knife for fifty bucks. It is pretty darned close to what I want as well.
Click to expand...

I was all iffy about the Contego because (for me now) the handle was too tall and had too much finger guard which is kind of in the way for how I want to use it . . .
THEN I sees it. I mean IT. Right ? !
A Benchmade 710 Knifeworks Exclusive in M390
DONE . . . SOLD . . . THAT is what I been looking for ! ! ! !
For sure I can complete the One Month Carry Challenge now. Easy ! This is the knife !

It's great out of the box. I have only had it a few hours. The Chef, bless her heart, dropped it off at work in the afternoon and I put it to good use the rest of the day. No disappointments. TOTALLY PLEASED ME. Edge perfectly sharp and consistent. Point useful. Brainlessly easy to open and close. A tiny bit tight in the pivot but I breathed on it with a Torx and she's great. There is that kind of maybe unintentional recurve thing going on with the grind others have been fretting over with other BM models lately but it is fine with me. Not over ground too much.

Ha, ha . . . it is the Anti Cold Steel in that it is a pretty serious full four inch blade (as apposed to a Cold Steel four inches) and when I whip it open like a "Big O'l Dog" . . . where a Cold Steel would say :

"CLACK ! ! ! I HAVE ARRIVED AND I AM HERE ! ! ! SO EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME NOW ! ! ! "

. . . the 710 when whipped open whispers :

" oh excuse me . . . shhhhh . . . I am totally locked up and ready to work here but don't let me disturb you . . . just keep doing what you were doing and pay no attention to quiet me"





Took the flyer ; bought the Boker ceramic just for fun; I think it is very cool / futuristic materials. Not really a serious user though so I still need the Benchmade.



I must say I am still jonesing for M4 ! ! ! !
Just a matter of time (and money). I was looking at the Gayle Bradley (the older one). I'll probably get that. I like how the liners are polished well along the edges. Not so the 710 . . . but that's just fine too; it's very much a user / work knife. Most likely next year I'll try to get the Bradley. I know . . . smarter to get it now while the getting is good. Buuuuuuut . . . I have been over doing it lately.
PS: I like patina too :)
 
Last edited:
I dont think Ill ever bring myself to use my (currently only) m390 blade. Probably only carry on special occasions. Probably buy a doug ritter in m390 to actually test/use.
I do plan on using my (currently only) m4 blade. But at the same time, she just looks so pretty. Iv only had the m4 for a week and the m390 for 2 weeks.
Actually cut myself on the m4 the other day by barely nicking the blade while oiling it with mineral oil.

The 908bk-1501 is by far the most solid feeling knife Iv ever held in my hand and I cant get over the weight at only 4.38oz for the beefieness. Besides the 940, I think its one of Benchmades greatest wins.








If only I read the box

 
Yes those are some beauties !
Cut finger. I did a similar dumb thing. I was trying to get the dang magic marker off the Griptillian so she looked her best for the photo (not that I sharpened it before the photo; it just had the marker on it from a few weeks ago when I sharpened it, or a month / how time flies). I told my self not to go along the edge with the tissue with the rubbing alcohol on it but it wasn't coming off wiping edge trailing. Once I felt the sting of the alc. I knew I was being an idiot. Hardly did anything, thank Bob, but I knew better.

What do you guys use to take off magic marker ? Do you resort to lacquer thinner ? I have the actual solvent used in markers here in the shop but I hate to have it in the house where I sharpen. I don't want to breath it in our living space. Rubbing alc. works to take marker off plastic but the various blade alloys seam to hang on to the ink more than plastic does.
 
I use denatured alcohol.

For use near the edge, but when you want more pressure.
Put your solvent of choice on a paper towel that was folded a few times. Place that on a counter corner (or any solid surface edge) and draw your knife across that. Feel free to hold onto the other side of the paper towel, keeping your fingers and other soft bits away from the sharp bits.

Use your clean knife and get it dirty again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top