Replacing my Endura for EDC - Benchmade? Emerson?

[A.P.F.]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, guys! I went into one of the local dealers that carries both Benchmade and Spyderco and the guy basically said to avoid the new Spydercos. Obviously the Benchmade was more expensive, so I think he may have just been trying to up-sell me, but he mentioned the new Spydercos were prone to breaking right behind the pivot point under hard use...

First off, not to put too fine a point on it, that is a complete load of crap you were fed. I have never heard of a Spyderco breaking at the pivot under hard use or any other situation.

Second, The BM710 is a fine knife in it's own right, but I wouldn't buy one just because it has an axis lock. Your primary concern should be comfort and familiarity with your knife. Again, Benchmade turns out a fine product. Better than a Spyderco? No.

 

[Benjamin Liu]

but he mentioned the new Spydercos were prone to breaking right behind the pivot point under hard use.

If this was true it would be all over this forum long before it made it to knife store gossip, especially with the people who like to abuse knives and write about their results.

I'm not really a fan of the "wave" feature because I don't love the idea of the blade opening on the draw. It's a personal comfort thing.

I carry an Emerson CQC-7B and it can easily be removed from the pocket without engaging the wave.

 

[IronSteve]

Dude why dont you just grab an Endura 4 in FRN!?!?! I got mine for 50 bucks and I love that thing ALOT.

Other choices are the new Police or the BM 710 in D2. Thats a really nice knife to carry but its bulkier then the Endura 4.

 

[Sobriquet]

D2 is a good edge holder. That's where it excels. It's said to be harder to sharpen. Diamond is recommended for that. Corrosion resistance is a bit lower; D2 isn't classified as a stainless steel.

If I could find a knife that had D2 that wasn't so expensive, I would be all over it.

I'm really leaning towards buying that Benchmade 710 right now. It looks almost perfect. My only concern is the steel. Will I not be able to sharpen it with a regular Lansky kit? I have a DMT bench stone, but I'm not the greatest at sharpening free-hand.

How does Benchmade sharpen their knives? What's the recommended technique for sharpening them at home?

 

[THG]

I'm really leaning towards buying that Benchmade 710 right now. It looks almost perfect. My only concern is the steel. Will I not be able to sharpen it with a regular Lansky kit? I have a DMT bench stone, but I'm not the greatest at sharpening free-hand.

How does Benchmade sharpen their knives? What's the recommended technique for sharpening them at home?

I almost pulled the trigger on a 710, but the price kept me away. It's a fine knife, I'm sure. I've handled one and liked it a lot.

If you're worried about the steel... I might steer away. Reprofiling might take a while, and you're going to want good skills so you can keep the consistent angle.

Note that you're gonna need rods or a humped stone. A flat stone is NOT going to work well because the 710 has a recurve (reverse curve; the curve goes inwards). Because of this, when you put the blade flat on the benchstone, the recurve is never going to get sharpened.

And like I said, Diamond sharpeners are highly recommended for hard steels like D2. If you get the Spyderco Sharpmaker and buy the separate diamond rods, that'll probably do you just fine for a 710D2.

So what kind of Lansky kit is it? Is it similar to the Sharpmaker, or is it a flat stone system? If it's a rod system like the Sharpmaker, you might use that if you can find some Diamond rods for it.

 

[Sobriquet]

I own the Lansky Deluxe 5 Hone system. It doesn't have diamond stones, but they make them for it.

How does Benchmade sharpen the 710? Will I need to use multiple angles to sharpen that blade?

[Edit]: This is what I have. They sell diamond replacements for it that I could buy at the same time.

http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=498

What do you guys think? Is the Benchmade 710 a winner? I'm still waiting to hear how to sharpen it before buying, but I think I'd like to try it.

 

[THG]

I own the Lansky Deluxe 5 Hone system. It doesn't have diamond stones, but they make them for it.

How does Benchmade sharpen the 710? Will I need to use multiple angles to sharpen that blade?

[Edit]: This is what I have. They sell diamond replacements for it that I could buy at the same time.

http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=498

What do you guys think? Is the Benchmade 710 a winner? I'm still waiting to hear how to sharpen it before buying, but I think I'd like to try it.

You could try your Lansky and see how it does. If no good, try the diamonds. If still no good, try the Sharpmaker + diamond rods.

I don't understand what you mean by "how does BM sharpen the knife?" I would sharpen it the same way I sharpen my other knives on rods.

Just keep it sharpened every so often, and it shouldn't be a bear to sharpen all the time. It's a great knife; I'm sure you will be pleased.

 

[Kyle B.]

I've gotta tell ya, you needn't look any farther than Benchmade.

Two years ago I walked into a knife shop where the owner was just putting his new shipment into the display case. He greeted me and handed me a new Benchmade 670 and asked what I thought. Five minutes later I bought the thing. Perfect weight, assisted opening, great size, RAZOR edge, and the best warranty for production class knives around. Since then (that was about three years ago) I've tried to replace that knife about five times. Just for the hell of it, you know? Just to get something new in my pocket. I tried Spyderco, SOG, Buck and even two other Benchmades (a 615 and a 745), but nothing ever compared to the quality and durability of that little 670. I sent it in to have it resharpened recently (for only $5, by the way) and they sent it back to me polished, sharpened, lubed, rust protected and dust free. It looks like brand new.

I typically carry a Wilson Tactical fixed blade knife nowadays, but even years later the 670 is still my favorite folder I've ever owned. It'll probably be passed down in my will, and to get to it they'll have to take it out of my pocket at the morgue. This thing is here to stay.

 

[Sobriquet]

I ordered a Benchmade 710 with the satin blade and a plain edge. I picked up the medium and fine Lansky diamond hones at the same time - I'm paying for the same shipping regardless.

When I asked how they sharpen their knives, I mean at what angles do I sharpen the blade? The Lansky sharpener has settings for 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. Do I just set it to 20 degrees, use the medium stone to get a burr, and then switch to the fine for a few strokes per side?

 

[THG]

When I asked how they sharpen their knives, I mean at what angles do I sharpen the blade? The Lansky sharpener has settings for 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. Do I just set it to 20 degrees, use the medium stone to get a burr, and then switch to the fine for a few strokes per side?

I'm not sure what the stock angle is.

When you list 17, 20, 25, 30, are those included or excluded angles? I think it depends on the knife; some come 40º, others come wider. If it's wider and you want to thin it down, it might take a while.

You'll have to ask someone else how easily D2 burrs, or if it really even burrs at all. I don't really have any sharpening experience beyond VG-10. Someone around here ought to know the best method for sharpening D2.

 

[ColonelX]

i just picked up a matte black leek with those funky serrades and i love it the ultimate EDC and ive gone through everything from to coldsteel trippleactions and ive never enjoyed a knife more benchmades

 

[starboard]

If your sole concern is self-defense, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Emerson combat karambit folder. If you want a SD blade that you can use for normal cutting tasks, some other waved Emerson with a v-grind would be good.

CA doesn't recognize my CCW (no surprise there) so I carry a karambit and pocket pepper spray, to be used in concert, and a separate utility knife for utility tasks.

I have a 710 and a bunch of Spydies, and while they are great knives (that don't break with hard use.. what a bunch of crap that was), the combative advantage of the karambit grip and the wave place it in a separate league. IMHO.

 

[starboard]

Oops, I see you've ordered the 710 already. It's a great all-around knife, definitely in the top-10 of production favorites on this board. I enjoy the heck out of mine.

Just set the Lansky to whatever ends up hitting the edge and not the primary bevel shoulder, or indeed go freehand or strop.

The 710 is a silky-smooth opener, and is a lot more rugged than its elegant lines would suggest. It's easy to flick open without touching the lock, and that's a good thing to practice for when you need to open it under stress without fumbling for the button. (Better yet would be to make distance/time so you can open deliberately by pushing the thumb stud and thus have the least change of dropping the knife with the post-adrenaline-dump degraded fine motor skills.)

 

[Kaizen1]

Endura Wave 4 with fully serrated edge would be my top choice for what you suggested.

Also:
Benchmade 710
Emerson Commander

 

[rangerover_95]

I ordered a Benchmade 710 with the satin blade and a plain edge. I picked up the medium and fine Lansky diamond hones at the same time - I'm paying for the same shipping regardless.

When I asked how they sharpen their knives, I mean at what angles do I sharpen the blade? The Lansky sharpener has settings for 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. Do I just set it to 20 degrees, use the medium stone to get a burr, and then switch to the fine for a few strokes per side?

Benchmades typically use a 22 degree angle per side out of the box, and i have D2 on my morpho It takes a very nice edge, provided you use diamond stones. I prefer to freehand when i sharpen, but the lansky should do fine.