Help with Benchmade 535-4

Looks legit. I have the same model. Plus it looks like you got a DLC blade too. These were later switched to Cerakote and I like the DLC better on this particular knife.
 
wildboar said:
What's the easiest way to spot the difference between DLC and Cerakote on this blade?
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The easiest way is to look at the part of the blade tang where the Axis bar rests when the knife is locked open. If it's all black it's DLC. If there's bare steel, it's Cerakote. Cerakote is a comparatively thick coating so it can't coat the blade there since it would affect lockup geometry. There's also no Cerakote where the washers mate up with the blade, but that's not as easy to see. DLC is just a surface treatment so it doesn't affect geometry so it can be used at contact areas.

DLC tends to have a flatter look and will look iridescent under bright light. You can see the steel finish with DLC since it's a surface treatment. Cerakote will cover those textures since it's a coating with some thickness.

Cerakote is great at corrosion resistance but an M390 blade doesn't need that, so I'd prefer the durability of DLC there. But the Cerakote on my Mini Adamas has been fantastic and it will protect that semi-stainless steel very well.
 
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