New benchmade 535 not sharp 😒

S

Security1

Joined
Mar 21, 2022
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Well, got my first new benchmade today and a little surprised at the sharpness out of the box. I mean, it’s not bad, but all my bucks I bought and 3 custom knives from Etsy were very sharp out of the box. Oh well, I was just expecting more for the price I paid.. I bought the spyderco sharpener so give it a try I guess🤨not that used to sharpening so see what happens! seems like a great knife otherwise. Nice looking blade and handle.
 
It's hand sharpened on a grinder, so the edge quality is going to vary depending on the skill of the operator. That being said, sharpening knives is a skill you want to have in your wheelhouse, so might as well learn ASAP. Because no matter how great the steel is, you're going to have to sharpen it sooner or later.
 
I'm sorry man, that sucks. I don't really care for Benchmade because of all the issues like this, F&F or something like that, and I feel like the axis lock is made obsolete by the action of the compression lock.
 
tokerblue said:
It's hand sharpened on a grinder, so the edge quality is going to vary depending on the skill of the operator. That being said, sharpening knives is a skill you want to have in your wheelhouse, so might as well learn ASAP. Because no matter how great the steel is, you're going to have to sharpen it sooner or later.
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Yes, I know. I believe they use around 30 degrees or 15 a side? Anyway, hope I don’t make it worst! Lol
 
Hashishiin said:
I'm sorry man, that sucks. I don't really care for Benchmade because of all the issues like this, F&F or something like that, and I feel like the axis lock is made obsolete by the action of the compression lock.
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Yah, I like the knife other than the sharpness issue, so if I can manage to sharpen satisfactorily I may give them another chance. If not then I will have to think twice before getting another..
 
Security1 said:
Yah, I like the knife other than the sharpness issue, so if I can manage to sharpen satisfactorily I may give them another chance. If not then I will have to think twice before getting another..
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True that, ultimately it will be it's ability to have an edge, not the factory edge, that will determine if it is a good knife, but I just feel that knives this expensive should be sharp out of the box when Opinel and Mora manages to be sharp out of the box for hardly more'n 10 bucks and they churn out way more knives.
 
My Benchmades out the box have almost never been that sharp. Working edge for sure, but a farcry from spyderco, hogue, or even legacy cold steels.

The worst was the 20CV bugout from bladehq. Touched it up wth the sharpmaker white stones and it held the edge very well.
 
What??? A dull Benchmade??? Sounds normal to me. Benchmade Benchmade I asked for what Benchmade is doing to have better qc over this, but alas never heard back.

That said I love Benchmade, once you get them sharp they are great knives.
 
Yo Mama said:
What??? A dull Benchmade??? Sounds normal to me. Benchmade Benchmade I asked for what Benchmade is doing to have better qc over this, but alas never heard back.

That said I love Benchmade, once you get them sharp they are great knives.
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Well happy to report that a few passes on the spyderco sharpmaker and it’s pretty near shaving sharp😀 Initially was put off by the sharpness out of box but must say I am liking the knife. Like the blue Color, knife blade profile,axis lock and lightness of the handle. I guess the m390 is still on my radar lol
 
I've found that lately Benchmade has been sending out rather aggressive toothy edges, far toothier and less slicy than most enthusiasts prefer, but more than workable for most people. They definitely sharpen on a lower grit belt than many other companies do. In the end, the only people who probably complain about it are enthusiasts like us, but we also have higher expectations for sharpness. Most of us also have the means, ability, and willingness to sharpen them to our satisfaction.
 
Silent H said:
I've found that lately Benchmade has been sending out rather aggressive toothy edges, far toothier and less slicy than most enthusiasts prefer, but more than workable for most people. They definitely sharpen on a lower grit belt than many other companies do. In the end, the only people who probably complain about it are enthusiasts like us, but we also have higher expectations for sharpness. Most of us also have the means, ability, and willingness to sharpen them to our satisfaction.
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Yes, upon closer inspection I did notice a bur along the edge that’s not there now. But yah , it wasn’t dull as such but certainly not slicy sharp.
 
I've been pretty lucky: all of my Benchmade knives came out of the box ready to shave forearm hair...
 
I've seen enough threads like this. Between QC issues and their political donations (which we can't get into here due to forum rules), I'm all set on Benchmade.

As far as sharpening, there are plenty of good videos on YouTube that can help if you are just starting out. It is a good skill to have. Some consider it a chore but it can be fun, rewarding, or even relaxing. I see it as part of spending quality time with your knife.
 
I have tested the sharpness of 24 Benchmade knives, either out of the box, off the shelf, or with minimal use (such as slicing a sheet of paper), from about half a dozen different stores, using an Edge-On-Up PT50A. 18 of them had BESS scores from 150 to 200 grams. All BESS scores that I refer to here are the average of at least 5 measurements. The BESS C chart lists 150-200 grams as "utility razor blade" sharpness (lower is better). The one knife under 150 grams was a Pardue Spearpoint Auto with 154CM steel at 98 grams.

The worst was an Emissary 470-131 with Damasteel at 290 grams. The BESS C chart lists 250-350 grams as "new high-end cutlery edges", so 290 grams is not bad.

The second worst was an Emissary 3.5 477-1 in S30V that I own at 229 grams. I sent it back to Benchmade for sharpening, and they got it down to 208 grams. I stropped it for about 2 minutes and then it measured at 173 grams.
 
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I have had 3 of the more than a dozen Benchmades come with less than stellar edge, I fixed those and still use the knives. The rest were hair popping sharp out of the box.
 
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