M4 or 154CM ???

A

alexhadj1

Joined
Jan 4, 2013
Messages
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Hey there,

Between M4 and 154CM steel which one you'd prefer for every day-all purpose use ? I find it hard to choose between the Benchmade Presidio 520 or the Benchmade 551BK-1301 Griptilian 2013 Shot Show ! My big doubts for M4 is that is not stainless and the care that would require.....

Thank you.
 
well you said in your last thread you are new to nice pocket knives. with that being said. 154cm is better for a newer guy. i dont know what your sharpening skill's are but they need to be good to sharpen M4 to a razors edge. 154cm is very easy to sharpen and holds a decent edge. it's not important how long your knife holds an edge if you cant get that edge back. under normal use you may sharpen 154cm every other week and you might need to sharpen M4 one time a month. like you stated m4 is not stainless and that can be an issue depending on your lifestyle. being in fire/ems my knife is often covered in water and sweat. so a non stainless is a horrible choice for me. it can also be an issue if you hunt or fish or cut alot of things like food that are moist. that being said M4 steel is some very tuff steel and holds an edge for a very long time. it does require extra care and maintmence.
 
As I replied in the other thread, CPM-M4 is easy to maintain so long as you apply a light oil to blade (as suggested with any expensive knife). The oil is inexpensive. I've used CPM-M4 in several blades in outdoor settings, on rainy days, and near the coast. I have never detected rusting on any of the blades.

CM154 is a good steel but cannot compare to CPM-M4 in edge holding retention and toughness. There is a reason that most award-winning choppers and fixed blades are made in CPM-M4. The CPM-M4 in 2012-2013 Benchmades has been improved with a higher heat treat and holds a ridiculously sharp edge for a very long time.

Given your budget and the two models you're considering, I strongly suggest picking up the 2013 Shot Show Grip. I suspect it will become unavailable within the next couple of months (750 made, first G-10 offering, and the Grip is a hugely poplar model). It will also retain value much better than a stock 520 in case you ever desire to sell it.
 
Pout of those two I would definitely go CPM-M4 for the edge retention. If you wanted something in between, you could go CPM-D2. That's a quality steel that's not so tough to sharpen.
 
Oakengroves said:
As I replied in the other thread, CPM-M4 is easy to maintain so long as you apply a light oil to blade (as suggested with any expensive knife). The oil is inexpensive. I've used CPM-M4 in several blades in outdoor settings, on rainy days, and near the coast. I have never detected rusting on any of the blades.

CM154 is a good steel but cannot compare to CPM-M4 in edge holding retention and toughness. There is a reason that most award-winning choppers and fixed blades are made in CPM-M4. The CPM-M4 in 2012-2013 Benchmades has been improved with a higher heat treat and holds a ridiculously sharp edge for a very long time.

Given your budget and the two models you're considering, I strongly suggest picking up the 2013 Shot Show Grip. I suspect it will become unavailable within the next couple of months (750 made, first G-10 offering, and the Grip is a hugely poplar model). It will also retain value much better than a stock 520 in case you ever desire to sell it.
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Do you know through which online store i can pre-order one? At Knifeworks it seems to be sold out !
 
alexhadj1 said:
Hey there,

Between M4 and 154CM steel which one you'd prefer for every day-all purpose use ? I find it hard to choose between the Benchmade Presidio 520 or the Benchmade 551BK-1301 Griptilian 2013 Shot Show ! My big doubts for M4 is that is not stainless and the care that would require.....

Thank you.
Click to expand...

While M4 holds an edge longer, for everyday carry I'd choose the 154CM. 154CM will do far more than I need to do as an EDC. And I prefer not worrying about "patina" or rust or care. If I were choosing a knife for extensive use such as cutting huge amounts of cardboard for hours at a time, or if I were looking to do a LOT of skinning and cutting of pelts, I'd choose the M4.

Note to oakengroves: M4 is a melt alloy. CPM M4 is a Powder metallurgy alloy. Those two alloys do not perform the same. The OP asked about M4.
 
M4 will hold an edge longer than 154cm although it will be harder to sharpen. I'd get the grip. I think it's a steal for what it's selling for!
 
None of my CPM-M4 knives have shown any kind of rust at all. Just maintain them like you would other knives and they develop a nice patina which helps to inhibit corrosion.
 
Probably 154CM as a starting place, but my personal preference is definitely the CPM-M4. The SHOT show grip is CPM-M4, and I don't know that BM or any knife manufacturer has used ingot cast M4.
 
It really depends on what you're EDC needs are. If you're cutting tons and are an avid sharpener I'd pick up some M4, also I've found it easy to keep rust free YMMV. I will say, 154cm is plenty enough for most peoples EDC tasks and is a favorite of mine.

On a side note, if you can go get some CPM154, I'd say go do it! :D
 
hardheart said:
Probably 154CM as a starting place, but my personal preference is definitely the CPM-M4. The SHOT show grip is CPM-M4, and I don't know that BM or any knife manufacturer has used ingot cast M4.
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IIRC, Benchmade had a sprint run of Griptilians in M4 a few years ago.
 
Do you have in mind an other Benchmade knife which carries also 154CM blade and aluminum handles and is better than the Presidio 520 ?
 
Frank, you're not thinking of the ingot M2 they last used on the ritter grips X years ago? I can't recall any ingot M4 used by any knife company. Plenty of M2 ( Gerber 1980's, Benchmade, Dustar Israeli knives) , then CPM M4 Benchmade, Spyderco, but no ingot M4.

Joe
 
The Mastiff said:
Frank, you're not thinking of the ingot M2 they last used on the ritter grips X years ago? I can't recall any ingot M4 used by any knife company. Plenty of M2 ( Gerber 1980's, Benchmade, Dustar Israeli knives) , then CPM M4 Benchmade, Spyderco, but no ingot M4.

Joe
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Hi Joe,
I think you are right and I was remembering M2. I wish to goodness folks would learn that CPM and Melt are different and would use the full identification of the alloy.

To get back to the original question, then. Even if it were CPM M4, with its ridiculously amazing edge retention, I'd still prefer 154CM for an EDC. I like stainless blades, and would only carry a knife in CPM M4 if I felt I needed that amount of edge retention.
 
Just wondering..........if the OP asked about M4 vs CPM154, would those that have already posted their opinion change their recommendations? Or are CPM154 and 154CM close or equal enough in their qualities/attributes as to be interchangable with one another when giving such recommendations?

I know the difference between the two '154's' as far as 'powdered' and 'finer grained', but from what little I know of the two 154's, it seems to me that CPM154's edge retention (and being a higher-end SS) might fit the OP's needs a bit better than 154CM.

I'm thinking that 'Zookie' might lean that way, as well.

Your thoughts........?

Thanks in advance.
 
For the two 154's, wear resistance at the same hardness is the same since the alloy content and carbide fraction is the same. CPM improves the response to heat treat, so it works at a higher hardness, which is an improvement. It also increases toughness, so there isn't a trade-off. CPM154 would be better than 154CM, but CPM-M4 is still better than that, outside of corrosion resistance. CPM-M4 works at an even higher hardness, with a little bit better toughness, and also has higher wear resistance.
 
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