M 4 Steel Spyderco Vs Benchmade

[FlaMtnBkr]

Both my Spyderco and Benchmade M4 are easy to sharpen to a hair-whittling edge, but the Benchmade gets edge damage more easily and often, and edge holding is noticeably less than the Spyderco.

What kind of edge damage? Wouldn't that be more a function of edge geometry and thickness?

 

[cotdt]

What kind of edge damage? Wouldn't that be more a function of edge geometry and thickness?

Sure edge geometry is a function of edge deformation (in this case it looks like rolling) but the Spyderco M4 got the same edge and it holds up just fine. The Benchmade seems to ask for a thicker edge. It's more suited for cutting softer material like cardboard, flesh, etc.

The Spyderco M4 I use for heavy duty cutting, like hardwood and drywall. For cardboard cutting it outcut ZDP-189 from another Spyderco, so the edge retention is really up there. The Benchmade M4 feels kind of like using AUS-8, but holds its edge a tad bit longer than AUS-8.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

Sure edge geometry is a function of edge deformation (in this case it looks like rolling) but the Spyderco M4 got the same edge and it holds up just fine. The Benchmade seems to ask for a thicker edge. It's more suited for cutting softer material like cardboard, flesh, etc.

The Spyderco M4 I use for heavy duty cutting, like hardwood and drywall. For cardboard cutting it outcut ZDP-189 from another Spyderco, so the edge retention is really up there. The Benchmade M4 feels kind of like using AUS-8, but holds its edge a tad bit longer than AUS-8.

That is strange. I have whittled a lot of hardwood with my Benchmade M4 that is thinned down to 22 degrees. I have also used it a lot out in the shop doing all sorts of things like trimming all sorts of material such as drywall and stripping the insulation off wire. I haven't had any edge rolling or micro chipping. I did drop it once on the concrete and got a really small ding by the tip but that is expected on any thin metal. It also holds an edge much longer than any production AUS8 I have had. I won't buy AUS8 anymore because steel like M4 and ZDP hold an edge for so much longer. Something doesn't seem right if you say it only holds an edge slightly better than AUS8.

 

[orthogonal1]

Sounds like a hardness issue.

The Spyderco Mule and apparently the G. Bradley have been reported to be harder.

 

[JNewell]

Sounds like a hardness issue.

The Spyderco Mule and apparently the G. Bradley have been reported to be harder.

I was thinking along the same lines - but I don't recall seeing figures for the M4 Mule? The GB is definitely harder than most (all?) production CPM-M4 blades (I guess I need to add an AFAIK on that).