wtf is up with BM's new anodization????

J

Jadis

Joined
Oct 2, 1998
Messages
438
Hey,

I just received my new BM42A, and it doesn't look ANYTHING like the one I saw in a store about a year ago. The anodization barely has any purple/green color in it. In fact it looks like a grey bead blasted t u r d. It is from the newer batches I guess, since it has "42" written under the butterfly logo. Are all of the current run of anodized BM balis like this? what a waste of my money.
Furthermore, if I look at the blade in bright light, I see what looks like many many small scratches all over, very much like a stonewash finish. Don't tell me that the idiots at BM bead blasted the handles with the blade attached OMFG.
 
Two schools of thought on that Grey finish you just got. Neither has been denied nor confirmed by BM. So pick which ever feels better to you.

1) It's the new finish. No more blue and purple. There was talk on the BM forum regarding this when they first started to appear.

2) Anodizing error. Some vendors have told me that BM has requested that any of the grey ones be sent back to the factory for replacement. This holds more ground as the last 2 "A" models I bought were both the blue and purple of old (47A and 43A).

If #2 is true. You have a rarity.

As for the markings on the blade: lots of the forumites were complaining about that. Though no one has been able to come up with a how or why. See this thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177803
 
Glad it worked out for you.

WOW!!! Both Jadis and I posted the same thing at the same time.
 
It sounds like your may be one of the few bead blasted ones that inadvertently made it out into the public.
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-Benchmade Support Team

Sounds like a new collectable to me. Gollnick, what do you think?
 
I wouldnt call it rare, instead sloppy work. I got one of their first production 42s not anodized and the handle had some kind of burn mark from the buffer.
 
Originally posted by aerostar
I wouldnt call it rare, instead sloppy work.
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You're absolutely right. But here's the thing, if BM did it all the time, then it wouldn't be rare at all. We're not talking about a warranty issue here either. The fact that they do a decent job of QC'ing their products, AND this is a GROSS ERROR on their part, it makes it a little more collectible. Kinda like the upside down Flying Jenny stamps or the double struck US Mint coins. Mistakes happen, but they occur less frequently than normal, thus their desirability to collectors.
 
excuse me, but don't they check the knives or anything? just expect it to be perfect, and ship it out? i mean, the anodizing isn't that big deal, but at least they should know if the handles are straight or not! this doesn't really sound that professional to me... :(
 
I just received a BM43a this friday 12/21. The colors are really blue/purple depending on the light. This morning it was undisputably blue with purple tints. Tonight it is purple with blue tint. Really cool! Originally I want a plain BM43, but http://www.newgraham.com only had the black and the anodized models. After seeing the anodized model it would be my first choice.
 
Originally posted by ixpfah
but at least they should know if the handles are straight or not!
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The warped handles is unexcusable, as any warped handles should never have made it out the factory. But since this one not only has a warped handled, it also has the grey bead blasting, it hold a certain collectibility factor. Since we don't know the reason that BM released that specific bali to the general market, we'll never know why it was sold to Jadis. But we do know that BM acknowledged it was a mistake, and should be returned to the factory. Also, BM is known to correct any issues with their knives if sent back for warranty issues, as it is in their best interest to minimize the numbers of poor quality products. So the possession of a "defect" is quite rare and unusual. If Jadis does trade me for it, I prefer that all my bali's be in working condition, but the need to keep it in the Grey Bead Blasted finish could overcome my urge to send it back.
 
hey tony,

oh, the bali is fully functional, latches up fine and all that. The handles are just slightly warped and grey LOL. It's actually hard to tell at first glance, takes a good 5 seconds of staring before you can see it. And I even tested it against the flat of a table, definitely warped. But I'm sending it back to my dealer, in exchange for a non-defective one, if you really want it, you could talk to him hehe.
 
Originally posted by Jadis
But I'm sending it back to my dealer, in exchange for a non-defective one, if you really want it, you could talk to him hehe.
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Maybe I will, email me the details. BTW, ask him to check before he sends you out the replacement. That may not be the only grey one he got from BM.... Don't want to start bitching again. ;)
 
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