My new Benchmade

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Emanon0825

Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
17
Ok so i have recently bought a Benchmade Mini Grip 556 (154cm steel) and had a few questions since I have no experience with knives.

First of all, what kind of general maintenance should be done? So far I haven't really needed it why carrying it around but i'm sure that things will come up. The package says to use some kind of metal sealant and i know a lot of people like tuf cloth but i'm hesitant to just in case it comes into contact with food. I know mineral oil is safe but is it truly necessary and is there possibly any negative effects with mineral oil? Some people i've spoken to say the 154cm steel is resistant enough to not worry about applying anything to the blade which would be great because I would not have to deal with wiping the blade or having the blade oily from mineral oil. Would just washing with soap and water and drying with a towel every once in a while be enough? In case it makes any difference I live in arizona so its pretty dry but I sometimes visit family in california and occassionaly visit family by the beach. Would only putting mineral oil when I visit them be ok or would i still not need to with the 154cm?

Next question, will the sharpmaker be a decent sharpener for this knife and if so what is the best technique to use with the SM (i.e. angles?)? I would like to learn free hand eventually but I need something in the mean time that will decrease my chances of ruining my griptilian so the SM seemed like a good idea. Also, i know the SM is only good for maintaining the blade but how do i know if i've gone to far to be able to sharpen on the SM?

Also, i know a lot of people like the blade centered and mine is not. It is not touching the scales but is definitely not centered and doesn't really bother me but is it truly a QC issue and should I exchange for a new one even though i'm quite happy with the one I have?

Sorry for such a lengthy post but i'm a little overwhelmed with so much info on the forums :s So far even though I haven't really needed the knife I love that I have it in my pocket and I think its just a beautiful knife and like to just look at it :joyous: In fact, i have even been looking into some traditionals like Case which seems like it will be later down the road. Again, sorry for so much but thanks for sitting through it hehe
 
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Ok i just realized I should have placed this in the maintainance forum and I apologize because I can't seem to find a way to move the thread over, sorry about the mistake :s
 
Firstly, no you don't need to oil the blade. I've had my grippy for 5 or so years now, never oiled the blade. I also run the blade pivot dry (washers, etc). Oil seemed to slow it down and dirty it up. Phosphor bronze washers are good enough to not need oil. The sharp maker is fine for sharpening, that's all mine has ever seen. I actually used to spray mine down with brake cleaner when I worked in the shop and would spray it out with an air nozzle. They don't take much maintenance at all, just use it and enjoy it. I've cut wire with it and no blade damage occurred. It's one of the few knives I know I can depend on whe. It comes down to it. As far as centering the blade, check the blade tension at te pivot. Mine runs when I open it but it's basically centered.
 
Like SuzukiGS750EZ said, I'd skip the blade oil routine. 154CM is pretty good as a stain-resistant steel. I've gotten so I don't even oil the pivots on my folders anymore beyond what the factory does when they ship them out. Blowing out the innards once a week or so with some air should be about all you need to do.

The Sharpmaker will work fine for the 556 if your bevel angles are lower than the SM rod angles(15 deg or 20 deg per side). If they are, then you'll sharpen the edge. If they aren't, you'll just be polishing the shoulder of the bevel. Use a black Sharpie and mark the bevels on both sides of the blade. Mark just the bevels, not the rest of the blade. Then try a few light strokes down one bevel at whichever angle you want to use. Personally, I'd use the 40 degree setting because I like somewhat stronger edges even if they aren't quite as sharp. Watch where the rod removes the Sharpie. That'll show you what you're hitting with the SM. If the Sharpie is removed down at the edge then you're hitting the right sot. If the Sharpie is removed farther up the bevel but not at the edge, then you're not sharpening the edge and you'll have to decide how to proceed with a bevel that is more than 40 degrees inclusive (both sides together).
 
Thank you very much guys! Yeah i'm glad that the 154cm won't need the oil routine and I'm glad to hear that the mini grip is a really dependable knife, it sure feels very solid and I am very satisfied! I willl be sure to check out the pivot SuzukiGS750EZ and if anything i will just leave it since it does not seem to be an issue. Also, thank you, dalefuller, I will be sure to blow it out with some air once in a while and thank you for the sharpie trick! I was actually worried about not sharpening the edge. I will use the sharpie trick and hope that the 40 degrees will work which sounds great because having a stronger edge even though its not as razor razor sharp is probably better suited for me.

Again thank you for the help :)
 
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