Value Benchmades

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slight

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May 22, 2011
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When browsing the Benchmade catalog when I see something with H&K, HD or Lonewolf I just skip right over it without another thought and mark it off as junkish.

But recently while drooling over the M390 Barrage (which I want bc of the steel even though im not crazy about the Barrage in general) I saw a lone wolf Swale and a H&k Scorch that caught my eye.

they both are about the same size and are the same steel. the scorch is coated but i can live with that. the scorch is also dual action. I have no experiences with the N680 steel, my standard edc is usually vg10, corrosion isnt too much of a problem with me, though my m4 bradley has gotten a few age marks. though sharpening wont be too frequent, when a knife gets dull i just put it in the too be sharpened pile and use another blade. then when im down to one i start in on the pile.

iv never owned either of theses sub-brands but the blade design on both are right up my alley.

which one would you get and why? any comments on the brands in general? war/horror/save the day stories?
 
I only have experience with the HK subbrand, and all of those have been fantastic. They're still Benchmade, just with an HK logo. If you want an HK knife, buy without worry.
 
slight said:
So they are basically the red class now?
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Not exactly, they are the HK brand, different animal all together from a marketing standpoint anyway. I had a HK 14200, made in the US, very heftly knife, large blade, Snody design, etc. It did not get much pocket time so I gave it to a friend that appreciated it more than I could. If you like the design and materials and the price is right, why not try one?
 
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I had the hk 14205 and I'll say that it was an amazing knife F&F wise, the design was also very good. I wouldn't worry about it at all.
 
I've got a H&K 14205 and it is one of the best knives BM has made, IMO. It actually has better F&F than most Benchmade knives and a super smooth blade with no play. I actually bought a spare when they were discontinued. If they are US made I would buy without hesitation. If made overseas it is probably still a good knife but I have less experience with those. I believe that blade steel has corrosion resistance similar to H1 but better edge retention.
 
I don't think yu can really put 154CM and H1 into the same category as far as corrosion resistance is concerned.
 
How does the blade steel compare to 154cm or vg10? All i can seem to find is that it is a little soft but extremely stainless.
 
RevDevil said:
I don't think yu can really put 154CM and H1 into the same category as far as corrosion resistance is concerned.
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I think hes talking about the OPs knife with n680. But RevDevil is still right, not the same league unless you start talking with, sorta/kinda/almost/not quite/etc... It is supposed to hold a pretty good edge, I don't own any with the steel but a friend said it seemed to be like good 440c.
 
RevDevil said:
I don't think yu can really put 154CM and H1 into the same category as far as corrosion resistance is concerned.
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I thought I was clear but I guess not for everyone. I was referring to the steel in the knives the OP is looking at, N680, which has some similarities to H1. They both have nitrogen added to take the place of some carbon. N680 is what Benchmade is using in their saltwater knives and is supposed to have excellent corrosion resistance which is another reason I compared it to H1. Again, it is supposed to have quite a bit better edge retention but just about anything does compared to PE H1, IME.

N690 is supposed to be very similar to 440C, but N680 is a bit different I believe.
 
hmm i was interested in these knives before... but now idk, im not a steel snob or anything but if it is soft idk if i want one. Rust resistance is important but not as much as edge retention. I take decent care of my knives so none of them have rust unless they were bought with it.

I love my h1 salt but the only time i carry it is for my nicer blades whipping boy. Like it is drizzling and i dont want to pop out the bradley or the job is dirty and i know if all else fails i can just throw it in the dish washer.

im sure the knives are sound but i just get a kick from, i guess super steels, though to be honest i look at them as minimums now.

for 110-130 probably i'll just grab some s30v in the chapparl or yojimbo2. or a harpy and a ss delica. i like the design and action of the scorch but idk about the material. how much do lone wolf diablos run these days? more than you want to pay?
 
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