Main Uses for 154cm? What are its limits?

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fbi428

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Feb 17, 2005
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I am planning to buy the BM 942, plain edge, in the near future. There is also (as most of you probably know) a more expensive version available with s30v blade (940ti-01) here.

The 942 is available at lowest price around $120, if you really search, and the 940ti-01 is, for me, a whopping $240. My main uses for the knife would include basic-to-mediocre outdoor activities such as fishing, carving, "hard-core" wittling (haha), camping, etc., and maybe sometimes an occassional use that is more strenuous. Besides the cool looks of the ti-01, is it really worth twice as much money for me, for mostly the blade of s30v? If not, when, as in what situation, would the 154cm blade on the 942 not be able to hold up? Do most people use the 154cm for the above uses, and how well does it do its job (sharpness, durability, etc.)?

Also, what is the grip like on the knives? The handles on both, especially the ti-01, look slippery. I don't expect bm to put out a knife that'll slip out of your hands, but how solid is the grip?



Thanks a lot :D
 
154CM is a premium grade steel. The predecessor to ATS34. Some say it is the American equal to the Japanese ATS34 and when you compare the two they are very close in all ingredients.

I have some knives with this steel and it holds an edge well. Every bit as well as the other premium grades of steel available. I've been impressed with it for edge holding but it is a bit harder to sharpen as the Rockwell hardness of most blades made with it are pretty high usually.

Many of the higher end knives have blades made with this steel so obviously the makers of these knives like it too.

These days there is a lot of talk of all the different steels and which ones are best and S30V along with several others like 154CM and ATS 34 are usually the 'preferred' ones that you pay a premium to obtain.. Personally I'd say these three are in the top five for sure.
 
I have had a 943 for a few weeks now and I have had no problems with the blade performance or the handle. The aluminium handles do look a bit slick, but their rough texture make them very secure, at least for me. I don't use my 943 as much as I do my 558 because of the blade length and the fact that I really, real-l-l-l-y like the S30V steel in the 558, but I certainly like the knife and carry it on occasion.
 
I have a BM 710 and BM 705 in 154CM and I have a Kershaw bump in S30V
a BM 630 in S30V and a large reg Sebenza in S30V. I have to say I like the S30V better then 154CM but not by $120.
 
154CM gets razor sharp easier than S30V.

S30V is more like D2 takes a razor sharp edge with some work but keeps a slightly less than razor for very long.

Can´t say this for 154 cause it sharpens so easy that it never really dulled from razor.

In toughness nobody can proof a real advantage from S30V over 154CM in the way those blades are offered (HRC around 59).

Every test i have noticed never showed a diffeence in real live.

Don´t waste money on the steel if it is not for the design.
 
Something that's been bugging me about 154CM.

I have a BM 9053SBT in 154CM that is slick to sharpen, and stays pretty sharp. I have strop it now and then, but all in all a pretty worry free blade.

I also have a Kershaw 1415 in ATS-34. It's a bastard to sharpen. I can work and work it, and never get that hair spliting razor. BUT... what ever edge I manage to get on the ATS-34 blade stays there for ever.

I suspect it's a funcion of the heat treating and relative hardness of the individual blades more so than any difference in the virtually identical steels. But that's been my experience.
 
I am not familiar with this knife but from the specs I would think that the main difference in price is the Ti handle vs. the Al handle. The different blade steel probably adds only little to the price. To me Ti handles are something special. Definitely the nicest handle material out there, even though it scratches much more easily than steel. But I think for your purposes (as for most I would think) Al or Ti would not make much of a difference.

As far as blade steel is concerned. I like S30V a lot and I think it does hold an edge longer. But really 154CM/ATS34 is nothing to sneeze at.

Between those two I think you should base your decision mainly on the handle material and the looks rather than on the difference in blade steel.
 
I have 3 Benchmades in 154CM, and I like it alot. I would love to see a nice traditional Stockman in it.
 
I have a BM940, blade is 154Cm and its' a pure pleasure !

Was thinking before this knife that only carbon steel could be so sharp.. but now i 've changed my mind !
And it's so easy to resharp it, it takes only one minute on a good water stone.

The handle was a bit "strange" at first touch (like touching a pumice stone :eek: ) but now it's fine and absolutely not slippery !

so I recommand it 200% !
 
I have not seen significant differences in ATS34 vs 154CM but it is probably because of the blades being to the same hardness.

I think that based on what I've read and recently experienced I' say that the top five stainless steels today are
1)S30V
2)VG10
3)BG42
4)ATS34/154CM
5)440C

You won't go wrong to have a blade made of any of these steels.

When it comes to non stainless steels though I prefer
1)O1
2)1095
3)D2
4)A2
5)52100

Even with all the new advances in steel I still prefer my old 1095 blades for most cutting tasks. So what if it is a 150 plus year old steel, it works and it is easy to sharpen, they just look like hell after using them. Even after using a non stainless in just one lemon or one onion or even a strawberry it changes color and some people, particularly the younger generation find this unappealing I guess.
 
Ok from what most of you guys say it seems like 154 cm would work perfectly for my tasks. From this stuff, it doesnt seem like it's worth double the dough for slightly better blade and better handle. And thanks for the handle grip advice freddy. Any other opinions keep'em coming.

Thanks
 
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