Difference in Knife Manufacturers

J

Jammer Six

Joined
Jan 26, 2015
Messages
444
Okay, my quandry.

First, I bought an unidentified Benchmade maybe fifteen years ago, and carried it every day until the clip fell off. Then I carried it for a few more years in my pocket.

Can't figure out how to post pictures, or I'd show you. Be interesting to identify the knife, too.

A few years ago, we bought matching Spyderco Delicas in Damascus steel for EDC for my wife and I.

We sort of like them, but the grips are much thinner than the Benchmade was. And the Spyderco opens with a loud "thwack" when the Benchmade just silently snuck open and locked.

So are these the differences between manufacturers? I see that Spyderco doesn't make any knives with a fuller, rounded grip, and Benchmade only appears to make one knife with Damascus steel. I had a Buck 110 for twenty years, and gave it up for something lighter, which I promptly lost because it didn't have a sheath. Took me a while to get used to carrying a knife in my pocket. Buck appears to make knives at the other end of the spectrum: all handle, with a blade.

We like the Damascus steel purely for it's beauty, but the Spyderco scales feel like we're holding something that wasn't designed to be held.

Does Benchmade (which makes the good scales) put out a Damascus knife that I've missed?

How does one get the knife they want without buying a custom knife or becoming a knife maker?
 
How do you mod Spyderco scales, which are all dead flat, into thicker, rounded scales?

Do you actually replace the scales?
 
Many people replace their scales entirely. Now, I haven't actually seen a Spyderco that had been "beefed up" -- most custom scales follow the pattern of the original --but it shouldn't be impossible to do. The scale-maker would really only have to account for the pocket clip by getting some longer screws, I would think. I would reach out to one of the guys here who make the scales by hand.
 
Benchmade doesn't do a lot of damascus steel knives, and most of the ones they do are limited editions and very expensive.

Without seeing a picture, I'm guessing your old Benchmade had an Axis Lock. That's what made it quiet and controllable to open. Did it deploy with a thumb stud or a hole in the blade? What was the blade length and handle material?

We might be able to offer you some suggestions if we had a little better idea what the old knife was like. Does it have a model number or name on the blade?

One brand of knives that I can think of that you might like would be Mcusta. They offer a lot of damascus steel blades, tend to have fuller handles and many don't have a pocket clip and are carried in a pouch.
mcusta-mcu52d-folder-damascus-black-large.jpg

mcusta-take-seki-mc-0076d-large.jpg
 
Jammer Six said:
How does one get the knife they want without buying a custom knife or becoming a knife maker?
Click to expand...

You do like everyone else here does: spend a lot of time looking at knives, using knives to know what you like, and buying knives.
 
Mcusta knives are wonderful. Damascus laminated over VG2. Well made and beautiful also.

Rich
 
Hackenslash said:
Did it deploy with a thumb stud or a hole in the blade? What was the blade length and handle material?

We might be able to offer you some suggestions if we had a little better idea what the old knife was like. Does it have a model number or name on the blade?
Click to expand...

It deploys with a hole in the blade. On one side is the butterfly and on the other is "530V" and an Asian symbol with "LUM" under it. Scales are black, and could be wood.
 
Jammer Six said:
It deploys with a hole in the blade. On one side is the butterfly and on the other is "530V" and an Asian symbol with "LUM" under it. Scales are black, and could be wood.
Click to expand...

S30V. Bob Lum. Benchmade. Google those to find the model.
 
I think the least expensive BM with Damascus is the gold edition 908. Saw it on sale today, can't remember which site, for $399.
Beautiful knife, a bit pricey though.
Joe
The Mcusta recommendation above is a great one!
I have 2 and they are a great value!
 
Maybe someone will know of one, but you can just Google for one.

That's what probably the people here will do to help you. You can do it too.
 
You can also give BM CS a call. There is a lifetime warranty and they have fantastic customer service.
Worth a shot!!
 
Not me. I never would have found it without your help. I had even been to the Benchmade site!

Here's an idea, based on a long life. I can do things you will never, in the rest of your life, be able to do. Believe it.

You, as demonstrated by how easily you found my knife, can do things I'll never be able to do.

My wife demonstrates on a daily basis that cooking is one of those things. Crossing oceans under sail is one of those things. Building bridges is one of those things.

And Google is one of those things.

I appreciate your help with Google, but me using it without help? That would be like dropping you on a boat in the middle of the ocean and wishing you luck.
 
Jammer Six said:
Here's an idea, based on a long life. I can do things you will never, in the rest of your life, be able to do. Believe it.
Click to expand...

Don't assume.

Go to Google. Type in Bob Lum Damascus. press the Enter key. You will find your new knife.

Teach a man to fish....
 
Didn't work. All I found was Lum's site, which uses a hideous green font. Is that what you meant?

I didn't see a knife there I'd buy. Thanks for your help, though, I would have found his site.
 
Whoa, whoa.

I feel like I'm overhearing a chat between our dads. Ha ha. *backs on out

There's always something to learn. * slowly, quietly

The Lum is nice. It's called the Onslaught. One of the nicer cutting shapes with Eastern influence focused on fluidity between cuts. Discontinued and somewhat rarer. I have one; this and the Spyderco Lum are on my favorite's list. It's nice; I like it. I like it a lot.

Oh, and knife companies tend to begin with its own particularly tooling and methods which lend to a particular form, which become the brand. As the brand expands, the shop can get larger and eventhally expand in shape and design. It's brand preference, design choice and all about the money. Show it the money.
 
Last edited:
OP - it is a weak argument to use cooking as an example of things some people are able to do while others can't. IMHO, any adult, male or female, can cook and cook well. It is just a matter of willingness to learn or task allocations between husband and wife in a family.
 
sharp_edge said:
OP - it is a weak argument to use cooking as an example of things some people are able to do while others can't. IMHO, any adult, male or female, can cook and cook well. It is just a matter of willingness to learn or task allocations between husband and wife in a family.
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top