Third time's a charm?

[TRfromMT]

A year or so ago I got a BM 940 and just couldn't get comfortable with the amount of flex/side play in the blade. Tightening the pivot enough to eliminate it made it too tight to open. It just bugged me a bit too much, so I moved it along.

Then I got a second hand Grip (550 or 551, I don't remember) and it had some really chewed up handles. The knife actually was pretty nice, but someone else also wanted it regardless of the handle condition, so I moved it along. I'll have to go back to that model again, I think.

Today a new (to me, but picked up on the exchange) Contego 810 showed up on my door step. This is a stout, well built, tank of a knife. Maybe a touch big, but I am ok with that. This may be the one that finally tips me to the Benchmade brand. I love M4 steel (and this edge needs some touch up) and I think I can get used to the aggressive texturing on the scales (or at least knock down the high spots). Very nice knife. I may be coming around!

 

[Cypress]

The Contego is a brute of a knife, and totally usable when you sand down the G10 and some of the proud parts of the liners. It carries very small for its size as well.

 

[Benchmade]

I love the Contego. Congrats on the new addition!

 

[Honed_Edge]

I too got busy with the abrasives soon after I got mine. There are a few spots on the handle where the metal "nubs" really dig into the fingers. Just a little rounding and reducing got rid of the hot spots. I took about half the height off the nubs. It's meant to be tactical and grippy, it was just too much. The G10 also is bad around the edges. Just a few light swipes of sand paper and the G10 was perfect. The knife still looks factory, it's only the in hand feel that's changed. It's still not a comfortable knife, it was never meant to be, but now it works perfect without the hot spots. I don't carry it a lot because my job (teaching) isn't that intense, but on weekends I feel bad ass with that beast in my pocket. Sebenza 21 insingo M-F and 810 on the weekends!!!

 

[TRfromMT]

Spent about an hour on the sharpmaker this evening. I would say the edge on this was disappointing. Small nicks all along and the bevel is a little fat at the tip. So I started with the coarse diamond rods (after finding the bevel was not symmetrical with a sharpie and the medium rods - just decided to start from scratch). I put a 15dps edge on it, figuring the M4 can handle it, easy. After working through the Ultra Finer rods, this thing gleams! Tiny little shavings of paper. Passed the standing phone book paper test, no problem. I am somewhat of a noob at sharpening, which is one reason I like M4 - I can get a scary sharp edge on it.

Next will be the sandpaper treatment to the scales, but I'm not in a hurry there. This thing is a keeper!