Help me put a date on this 970

[Silvanus]

Hey guys. I don't post around the Benchmade subforum much but I was wondering if I could get some help putting a date on this Benchmade 970 Specwar CQC-7 I just purchased. I don't have it in my possession yet, it's still in the mail but I have the sellers pics here. This model isn't marked with ATS-34 so I know it's a little newer. The screws don't appear to be threaded into the G10 either also leading me to believe it's on the newer end of the spectrum. Honestly though I know pretty much nothing about these models. Any info is appreciated.

 

[ourgon]

From wikipedia CQC-6 article

In 1994, the president of Benchmade Knives, Les DeAsis, approached Emerson to manufacture the CQC6 on a larger scale as a factory production model.[16] Preferring to keep the CQC6 as a custom-only knife, Emerson instead licensed a similar design of his, the CQC-7

Catalog from 1994
http://www.pbase.com/balisong/image/39055781

But it seems it was released for customers in 1995
http://www.pbase.com/balisong/image/37088008

 

[RevDevil]

I have one of those too, it's a great piece of history in my mind anyway. A good friend here sent it to me one day and completely took me off guard.

 

[jkarp_53]

Your 970 is a prize, it's in great shape and straight from the old school of classic Bernchmades. Congrats!

 

[mtngunr]

I was trying to date my 800 in above post and thank you for links....i am pretty sure (as mentioned in my "spyderco" thread) the 800 predated the Emerson but not as much as i recalled....or maybe it was....of course, i thought we were talking '91 and turns out '94...but it was early late summer at a gunshow when i got the 800, and assume Sept...the Emerson followed shortly but not sure if it made it that year....same '94 catalog insert as linked above...and inserts probably done late '93.

 

[kilogolf65]

I have a 970 I picked up from a user here and it does not have the ATS-34 on the back side of the blade - same as the one in this post. I heard that these models were older. Anyone know if that is the case?

 

[Professor]

It's interesting, the first 970's to come out did not have the threadserts on the opposite handle for the body screws. They were tapped and threaded directly into the G10 on the opposite side. This was a rolling change about midway through production, possibly due to nagging perfectionists . Another thing I noticed is that yours is a newer black-oxide clip, as the older black-oxide clips had smaller font and were a little longer in shape beyond the point that pinches the pocket to the non-screw end of the clip. Not sure about the blade steel designation question, but I'm fairly sure mine said ATS-34 on the flat (non-chiseled side) somewhere in proximity to the thumb disc.

Whatever the case, that's a beauty you've got there. My 970S and 975S were my first foray into non-Pacific Cutlery / Bali-Song USA, newer-production Benchmades. Also my first knives with titanium or G10. I came from the stout, all-stainless Spyderco Worker and Co-Pilot, and it blew my mind what great knives these BM's were, as skeptical of the construction as I was at first. I was in my partial-serrated stage then, naturally from being a Spyderco user. When I finally graduated to Axis locks in 1999, I gifted my 970S to my Grandfather, who thought it was pretty danged neat also.

Great knife there!