Disappointing D2

T

the1cman

Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
11
All I heard is how tough these knives were so I got one . I've had It almost a year I use it for every thing It's tool steel it should be as tough as my Snap On tools well i dropped it open from about 5 to six feet and the blade snapped . So I got on line to get some info about sending it in Mind you before this knife I've had Gerber & kershaw knives send them in get new one three weeks later. On this warranty form they want me to send them money can't be right so i call Yep I'm told that for any broken blade they charge . I don't pry with my knives that's what I got screwdrivers for just hard on knives I figured this Is the Knife for me....Not buying another Benchmade Again
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You dropped it from 6 feet and didnt expect any damage? The blades on benchmades are tough, but the hardness they run them at in order to get good edge retention means that they are less likely to survive things like dropping or prying. Sure gerbers would survive, but because their HRC is probably like 20..... lol
Was it benchmades manufacturing the reason that it failed? No, it failed because you dropped it. Plus, Its only like 25 bucks to replace the blade..... not like their asking you to bay half of what the knife cost
 
You shoulda bought Craftsman tools. When they break you just drive to Sears and replace it no questions asked.
With Snap On you pay five times as much and have to wait for the stupid truck to roll by and deal with the pushy salesman.
 
Sorry to hear of your loss. :(

As the heat treatment for edged tools and general usage tools are very different, there are going to be major differences in the toughness category. Knife blades are usually treated to higher hardness for better edge holding properties, but generally at the expense of toughness. Tools not needing edge-holding, high-speed cutting ability, metal cutting usage, or other applications needing high wear resistance are generally heat treated to a spec that yields the most toughness.

I'm honestly not personally a fan of most larger-scale production D2 blades as I personally find it to lack the toughness of some other comparable steels with equal or better edge retention and much better corrosion resistance. (Also, I think more expensive production knives using D2 should be using the better CPM-D2.)

If the surface the knife fell on is hard, and/or if the knife landed on a position in which the most possible force was transferred to the blade, it's very common to see blades suffer pretty serious damage. Still, my personal opinion is that, depending on the fall, the fashion in how this knife broke does not seem to be what I would call normal, for what it's worth. I would expect more likely to see tip and edge damage than a catastrophic failure as such. Of course the fall itself could explain why the damage was worse, if it was a nasty drop. Other people may disagree with me here, which is why I am noting this as my personal opinion. Hopefully, if you call Benchmade and let them know of your unhappiness that they can work with you to reach a solution you are more happy with.

One of the many people on this forum who is an expert in metals may request a high-resolution image of the fracture.
 
I've used their warranty service. Pretty good. I am sure they won't charge you if upon examination the blade shows a defect that caused it to snap. They replaced a blade for me for free on an auto styker just because it gave loose lockup after a few years of use.
 
cncpro11 said:
You shoulda bought Craftsman tools. When they break you just drive to Sears and replace it no questions asked.
With Snap On you pay five times as much and have to wait for the stupid truck to roll by and deal with the pushy salesman.
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I Have all kinds of tools .I stopped going to Sears because no one knows anything there any more and there is to much plastic in their tools any more Prefer Snap On And with one call I can have any tool within an hour from my Snap On guy.I don't mind paying a little for a good tool and he has never told me that i owe him 25.$ for any knives that I have bought from him and he carries big name knives
 
Krissig12 said:
You dropped it from 6 feet and didnt expect any damage? The blades on benchmades are tough, but the hardness they run them at in order to get good edge retention means that they are less likely to survive things like dropping or prying. Sure gerbers would survive, but because their HRC is probably like 20..... lol
Was it benchmades manufacturing the reason that it failed? No, it failed because you dropped it. Plus, Its only like 25 bucks to replace the blade..... not like their asking you to bay half of what the knife cost
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Its not money its the fact that right up front they want your credit card number so they can charge you . not once have I given Gerber or Kershaw my credit card number and I'v sent them some pretty messed up knives .
 
Did you specifically ask if they were going to charge you to fix the blade? They often ask for your card just because they want you to pay for shipping there and back (perhaps insurance as well?).
Regardless, dont let this experience ruin benchmade for you. Just a few days ago, I voided my warranty when I completely disassembled my knife to remove the assist mechanism and somehow managed to break both of the omega springs in the lock. Nothing fit together properly anymore and the knife was a total wreck, yet BM still offered to fix it for free. I passed because i managed to fix it myself, but still. They had no reason to be so generous. There policy specifically stated they wouldnt cover it, but they offered to help me out anyway. They are very good people, trust me. Send it in with a note about how it happened, be nice, and im sure theyll help you out as well.
If not, just cough up the 25 smackers and be more careful next time around:) I mean seriously, whats the alternative? Buying a new 25 dollar knife? Id rather have my benchmade back for that cost.
 
Krissig12 said:
Did you specifically ask if they were going to charge you to fix the blade? They often ask for your card just because they want you to pay for shipping there and back (perhaps insurance as well?).
Regardless, dont let this experience ruin benchmade for you. Just a few days ago, I voided my warranty when I completely disassembled my knife to remove the assist mechanism and somehow managed to break both of the omega springs in the lock. Nothing fit together properly anymore and the knife was a total wreck, yet BM still offered to fix it for free. I passed because i managed to fix it myself, but still. They had no reason to be so generous. There policy specifically stated they wouldnt cover it, but they offered to help me out anyway. They are very good people, trust me. Send it in with a note about how it happened, be nice, and im sure theyll help you out as well.
If not, just cough up the 25 smackers and be more careful next time around:) I mean seriously, whats the alternative? Buying a new 25 dollar knife? Id rather have my benchmade back for that cost.
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Yea by my own omission I dropped it and the young lady in customer service said I should include my billing info because most blade issues weren't covered .Im sending it in and its going to be fixed then I wont be charring it or telling any one what a great knife it is I'l go back to kershaw or gerber who never asked me for anything.....
 
the1cman said:
Yea by my own omission I dropped it and the young lady in customer service said I should include my billing info because most blade issues weren't covered .Im sending it in and its going to be fixed then I wont be charring it or telling any one what a great knife it is I'l go back to kershaw or gerber who never asked me for anything.....
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You should contact them, possibly by a formal letter that is sent with the knife, that explains what happened and why you feel their proposed resolution is not going to leave you satisfied with the experience.
 
Kinda surprised, as handle-heavy as that knife is, that it landed right on the blade tip from 6' fall. Surprised also that there was no tip damage as a result. However, I suppose it's not unthinkable that a blade hardened to ~60-61RC would break from a 6' fall onto itself at its weakest point, a big honkin' thumb hole.

In my experience, BM does D2 better than most other production knife companies. I think a lot of companies shy away from it due to the newer steels available and D2's perceived lack of corrosion resistance. But BM chooses not to, and rather embraces it, offering it in several models across their line. I find it to be a great choice for folks who cut stuff with their blades, a growing minority methinks. :)
 
The last I heard accidents are not covered under warranty. The fact that the knife was dropped, makes it an accident. What your asking Benchmade to do is like..... if you bought a new truck (say a Ford) and a year later you had an accident. Do you expect Ford to repair/fix it for free?
 
bjh_deals said:
The last I heard accidents are not covered under warranty. The fact that the knife was dropped, makes it an accident. What your asking Benchmade to do is like..... if you bought a new truck (say a Ford) and a year later you had an accident. Do you expect Ford to repair/fix it for free?
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Good point. Stuff happens. I don't buy knifes based on being able to drop them.
 
LOL. You drop it from 6 feet and break it and you are mad that you have to pay to replace the blade? Man up and take responsibilities for your actions. For $25 they will reblade that for you. Much cheaper than buying a new knife.
 
David Lowry said:
LOL. You drop it from 6 feet and break it and you are mad that you have to pay to replace the blade? Man up and take responsibilities for your actions. For $25 they will reblade that for you. Much cheaper than buying a new knife.
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Had the tip broke yes I agree. ...but the blade beaks towards the bottom can't believe .
 
I don't think a steel blade should snap in half like that from a 5' foot fall can't be right. Call them again and see if you can email pictures and get it worked out.
 
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