///////////////Man I'm PISSED////////////////

J

jacko

Joined
Dec 26, 1998
Messages
310
I have a B.M. A.F.C.K. and I was just cutting some simple thin nylon straps, The kind you would find on news paper bundles. I used the serrated part to cut and the damn strap chiped one of the serrated teeth. I could not beleave it! I know from the threads I have read in the blade forums that Ats-34 if not heated right chips or breaks, But this is a joke.

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"ALWAYS WATCH YOUR SIX"


 
Hey, Phil, I think a lot of people are in agreement, too, that Benchmade hardens their ATS-34 blades a few points too high, too, and that can lead to brittle points, which I assume will be similar to the points on the serrations. I imagine it'd be covered by warranty. Buy the M2 version!

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
 
Or better yet when you send it in for repair express your concerns for the ATS-34 steel and maybe they will replace it with the M2 version. It may cost a few bucks but that would be cheaper than buying a new knife.

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 
One point does not a line make. It's hard to say why your blade broke.

Fortunately, it is a Benchmade. It has a lifetime warranty and BM has a good reputation for prompt warranty service. So, return it.

If BM does have a process problem with these blades, then they're gonna get a bunch of 'em back and they'll correct that process. You can not convince me that BM enjoys replacing expensive blades under warranty. They will correct the problem. But, the correct way to give them that feedback is to return your knife with a nice, factual letter explaining exactly what happened.

Chuck
 
something ive been saying all along....told to me by the late harvey mcburnette...that big companies have to heat treat big batches of blades....he was referring to one very big very well known company....and that the ovens are too large to have perfect temp control....so the middle ones dont soak at full temp for long enough...the ones one the outside by the coils get too hot...and there is a magic circle in between that gets it just right....problem with large anything... quality control......as popularity goes up... so does production...and mr murphy is right there to do his stuff....one mans opinion...passed on from a legendary knifemaker...

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
I've heard that too about large factories and heat-treating. Not only are there "sweet spots" in the oven, but different sized blades are often placed together resulting in a wide variation in hardness. I've always said it; if you want a decent knife, don't waste your money on Benchmade toys. You get what you pay for. I'd rather have a blade made from 440C with a real heat treat then something made from some new "state of the art" wonder steel that was improperly done. Heat treat first, then good edge geometry, then steel quality. Since the first two are not easily apparent, many factories just gloss over them.
 
You mean i have to worry about my 910 stryker and 9100 Bm having blade problems? Say it aint so , Sam.
 
Oh the other hand,
There are thousands of AFCK users out there who have had nothing but excellent service from their knives.
Mistakes happen, send it back and get a new one. A minor annoyance at most. BM will make it good.


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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!


 
It is a problem, it has been reported for (literally) years, and Benchmade has done nothing about it as far as I can see. I own an AFCK and have worked on dozens of Benchmades and seen mine and many others chip or lose their points under light stress. The problem is not ATS-34 - my own knives in it don't do that! The problem is that they treat it too hard. The AFCK is still my favorite design, and Benchmade is still one of my favorite companies, but I'd be a whole lot happier with them if they'd treat the steel a point or two softer. That, and substantially improve their quality control. But their designs are first-rate, their materials are some of the best available, and the service (a pity to need it so often), as mentioned, is superb.

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
 
I've grown cautious cutting those straps with anything other than a relatively cheap blade. Luckily I don't have to cut them often. I destroyed a ceramic Boker on a packing strap once.

I can see the stuff being used to test blades. That would be some useful info!

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Knowledge without understanding is knowledge wasted.
Understanding without knowledge is a rare gift - but not an impossibility.
For the impossible is always possible through faith. - Bathroom graffiti, gas station, Grey, TN, Dec, 1988

 
Hey, shouldn't this thread be over in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
Anyway, I have an AFCombatK with a black blade and no serrations, and I will remember to not cut packing straps
wink.gif
.

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"All of our knives open with one hand, in case you're busy with the other"
<OVAL OFFICE JOKE>
 
I have one of the Benchmade CQC7's and about 2 or three years ago I too was doing some very light cutting and the blade chipped, to my complete amazement. I am sorry that this happened to you, but now I know that I was not alone in this experience. That Benchmade is the ONLY ATS-34 blade that has ever chipped on me.
 
Just wondering, do the bars around your topic name give the degree that you are pissed? Like bars in the army, if so just as a suggestion, I would add a few stars next time.

-Ryan
 
Poor heat treating, blades chipping and breaking. Inconsistent performance. An identified pre-exsisting problem (that appears to still exsist).

On the plus side, these are factory knives and only cost like $10 or $12.00.

After all who would continue to buy knives (in excess of $100 in some cases) from a company that seems to have a production problem that has not been fixed?

Ok, so Im a smart ass. But it does give you cause to think.



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Les Robertson
Moderator
Robertson's Custom Cutlery
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/rcc/makers.shtml
I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
 
Gollnick, well said.

I often wonder if it's the angle or the heat treating. I too had a 970 that chipped pretty badly, but that's because I took a swing at a metal towel rack in a hotel when I saw an enormous cockroach on it. The grind on the 970 was as everyone knows pretty thin, and I've had no brittleness troubles with other models though I admit I can see it happening. Please add positive constructive criticism over at the Benchmade forum and perhaps they'll bring the hardness down a few notches. After all, they are pretty responsive to consumer input.

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Professor

Ever notice no other candy tastes quite like Pez? Oh yeah, and the BM Axis rules.


 
I have started a topic on the BM forum called "ATS-34: Rc too high?" I wouldn't mind seeing the Rc dropped down to about 57 to 59. It'll still hold a good edge and will be tougher (less chip-prone) to boot.
Maybe if enough people respond to mine or similar threads on the BM forum things will happen.
Jim
 
Hi Cocroach killer, geez I thought you had to worry about Grizzlies over there. where wre you staying? hotel hydrogen? or plutonium plaza? I,ll have to bring over my Gerber combat to ensure I can deal to the termimites while on the toilet ! you guys reckon everthings bigger down Texas. scary. W
 
I have had some problems with ATS34 chipping, (only certain ATS) I also think ats that is too high of rockwell ruins the qualities of this steel.....I have a Kershaw that chipped, and is very hard to touch up!!! I think ats preforms better at say 56 or 57??? The Chris Reeve ats seems to be just right...and others as well.. Benchmade keeps hardness high...BUT, they will replace the blade for 15.00 or $20.00 I had an afck break a few years ago. They replaced it for $15.00 plus ship out..I now use the M2!!!Ask if you could get the M2 installed????
Bart
 
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