The Just Hanging Out Thread.

So...I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Just wanted to share the pain. Right before our wintry storm hitting NJ today, my furnace decided to die around midnight of last night. I was about to go to bed when I noticed that the radiator's went cold.

I then proceeded to spend the better part of an hour trying to figure out what happened testing all of the components with a voltmeter. Finally got down to the control panel when one of the wires crumbled in my hand.

I was lucky enough to have googled that part and learn about it the night before as I was wondering why my HVAC guys didn't connect that or the cover to my igniter after accepting $2K to overhaul all the components in my furnace.

Turns out that that piece is a heat sensor that shuts off the main power after it hits 300 degrees. Also turns out that leaving the cover to the igniter open allowed that area to heat up and continuously shut off my furnace. Them fussing with the rollout sensor also snapped the connector.

So by 2 am I was able to figure out that the little button in the middle of that sensor was 1) a button and 2) a trip reset to the rolloutout sensor. I had to gerry rig it for now until I can get off of work and go buy the little 50 cent part to crimp it back. I'm going to pick up a back up sensor as soon as possible too.

LvponPn.jpg
 
cchu518 said:
So...I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Just wanted to share the pain. Right before our wintry storm hitting NJ today, my furnace decided to die around midnight of last night. I was about to go to bed when I noticed that the radiator's went cold.

I then proceeded to spend the better part of an hour trying to figure out what happened testing all of the components with a voltmeter. Finally got down to the control panel when one of the wires crumbled in my hand.

I was lucky enough to have googled that part and learn about it the night before as I was wondering why my HVAC guys didn't connect that or the cover to my igniter after accepting $2K to overhaul all the components in my furnace.

Turns out that that piece is a heat sensor that shuts off the main power after it hits 300 degrees. Also turns out that leaving the cover to the igniter open allowed that area to heat up and continuously shut off my furnace. Them fussing with the rollout sensor also snapped the connector.

So by 2 am I was able to figure out that the little button in the middle of that sensor was 1) a button and 2) a trip reset to the rolloutout sensor. I had to gerry rig it for now until I can get off of work and go buy the little 50 cent part to crimp it back. I'm going to pick up a back up sensor as soon as possible too.

LvponPn.jpg
Click to expand...
Dang! Glad you figured it out and its a cheap fix. Gotta love spending 2k for incomplete work:eek:
 
So, what’s going on with all the changes at Benchmade?

Is this the beginning of the end?
 
I have felt like BM was on its way out for a while now the bad PR over the gun thing was what kinda said to me there is no righting this ship anymore. The length of time that QC seems to have been an issue for BM made it seem like they no longer cared for their reputation and simply were relying on their name and designs to move them forward. That is a tactic that can only work for so long before the have ended up too far behind to stay in the race. The bad PR that they have had recently that doesn't fit with a large percentage of the target audience just solidifies the bleak view I and other might have for them.
 
PirateSeulb said:
I have felt like BM was on its way out for a while now the bad PR over the gun thing was what kinda said to me there is no righting this ship anymore. The length of time that QC seems to have been an issue for BM made it seem like they no longer cared for their reputation and simply were relying on their name and designs to move them forward. That is a tactic that can only work for so long before the have ended up too far behind to stay in the race. The bad PR that they have had recently that doesn't fit with a large percentage of the target audience just solidifies the bleak view I and other might have for them.
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You made some very valid points. Hopefully others will chime in with their views.

Personally I hate to see Benchmade go down the tubes but, you make a good argument for that happening.
 
I certainly don't want it to be true but the picture painted of their future by their actions and history leaves me with this view. I like the axis lock in general and I like some of their designs so if the ship can be righted then great but there is work to be done and it isn't just making cool designs.
 
I have to agree.

Just making sure that their blades are centered would be a big help.

They have the reputation of having the best customer service in the industry. They are also gaining the reputation that it needs to be used to fix the QC problems that their knives have leaving the factory.
 
I would say that the blade grinds are even that has been a big complaint that sticks in my mind more then centering is uneven grinds and burnt edges. I can be forgiving on blade centering at least to a point but those other two there really isn't any excuse for.
 
Burnt edges and uneven grinds are both issues that need to be addressed but, blade centering is noticed right out of the box.

A funky edge I can work with. It will get corrected with time and use. Blade centering I notice every time I reach for the knife.
 
I agree BM is gonna be struggling. I used to really like them. With qc and pr nightmare along with the expiration of the axis patent is the perfect storm. There just feels like no reason to choose them anymore over another brand. And from what ive read recently about soft heat treats in the high end steels and their response, wow. I hope they right the ship as I want US companies to succeed but I think they over value their “brand” and with chinese companies gaining respect at a lower price point they are in trouble.
 
In other news, I've been loving what Buck has been doing with bringing budget knives to market that are made in the U.S. They're not the prettiest but they don't cost $100 a pop either.
 
Worldwatcher said:
I agree BM is gonna be struggling. I used to really like them. With qc and pr nightmare along with the expiration of the axis patent is the perfect storm. There just feels like no reason to choose them anymore over another brand. And from what ive read recently about soft heat treats in the high end steels and their response, wow. I hope they right the ship as I want US companies to succeed but I think they over value their “brand” and with chinese companies gaining respect at a lower price point they are in trouble.
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I have to agree, I think they over value their product as well. The price increases over the past few years with no real step up in quality control or materials used has also hurt them.

If they had initiated map pricing without the 20% increase I think they would’ve been OK but, the increase rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Myself included.

I don’t know anything about soft heat treatments on some of their steals or their response. I’d be interested to learn more about that. Can you tell me the Cliff Notes version?

Severing ties with Doug Ritter did not help either.

I think you’re right, it is the perfect storm. The question is how do they get out of it?

To me it would be starting with better quality control. Personally I don’t mind spending a little bit extra to get an American made product with proper quality control. If I can’t do it with Benchmade I’ll go to somebody else.

I like their products but, it looks like Spyderco has their act together a little better. If Spydrco comes out with an Axis Lock Benchmade will be doomed.
 
Basically from what I read on a couple threads here their 20cv and m390 has been tested very soft like around 57 hrc. So basically you pay a premium for the steel and it doesnt perform better then 154cm. Their response was basically they didnt want to have to warranty higher hrc due to chipping and breakage. They ran their 3v at 55:confused:. What is the point? They make more $ is all and dont provide their customers with better performance. Guess they bank on the average joe buying at b and m stores and never knowing the difference. Crappy practice to say the least.
 
sabre cat said:
I have to agree, I think they over value their product as well. The price increases over the past few years with no real step up in quality control or materials used has also hurt them.

If they had initiated map pricing without the 20% increase I think they would’ve been OK but, the increase rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Myself included.

I don’t know anything about soft heat treatments on some of their steals or their response. I’d be interested to learn more about that. Can you tell me the Cliff Notes version?

Severing ties with Doug Ritter did not help either.

I think you’re right, it is the perfect storm. The question is how do they get out of it?

To me it would be starting with better quality control. Personally I don’t mind spending a little bit extra to get an American made product with proper quality control. If I can’t do it with Benchmade I’ll go to somebody else.

I like their products but, it looks like Spyderco has their act together a little better. If Spydrco comes out with an Axis Lock Benchmade will be doomed.
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The only knife I heard about soft heat treatments on was the new bailout. They purposefully ran it low to get high toughness despite 3V having really high toughness still near the 60 mark. I think they were in the mid to mid-high 50's.

I like benchmade but their prices are a bit steep, and I think they largely hit a market I'm less interested, the tactical market. Their few EDC models, I like quite a bit, but haven't felt the more expensive models were worth it at all. The freek and griptilian are okay values, but good knives and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. Pretty much anything else, I buy used but won't buy new.

I actually feel similarly about many of spyderco's fixed blades. It seems like it should be cheaper to make a fixed blade of given materials and size but it seems like they always had a premium price, until recently at least. Spyderco has some of the nicest folders to use.
 
bikerector said:
The only knife I heard about soft heat treatments on was the new bailout. They purposefully ran it low to get high toughness despite 3V having really high toughness still near the 60 mark. I think they were in the mid to mid-high 50's.

I like benchmade but their prices are a bit steep, and I think they largely hit a market I'm less interested, the tactical market. Their few EDC models, I like quite a bit, but haven't felt the more expensive models were worth it at all. The freek and griptilian are okay values, but good knives and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. Pretty much anything else, I buy used but won't buy new.

I actually feel similarly about many of spyderco's fixed blades. It seems like it should be cheaper to make a fixed blade of given materials and size but it seems like they always had a premium price, until recently at least. Spyderco has some of the nicest folders to use.
Click to expand...
Agreed spyderco fixed blades are way overpriced, unless you go with a mule or waterway.
 
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