You may not want that BM42

Gollnick

Gollnick

Musical Director
Joined
Mar 22, 1999
Messages
29,258
The big delay on BM shipping the BM42 is that they ran into a quality hitch. The Cast Ti handles are made for them by an outside supplier. The first batch had considerable quality problems and most had to be scrapped. The BM42s that are dribbling out right now are made from the few handles in that batch that BM found minimally acceptible.

I just picked up two today (#175/200 pre-production, and #46/500 first production (which along with my #11/25 prototype now means that I've got one of each, picture shortly)).

The handles on #175/200 have quite a few minor imperfections. Nothing terrible, but they're not up the old standards. #46/500 is better, but it too has some "issues." Again, both are prefectly functional and flip just great, but neither is quite perfect. Back in the salad days, I'd have rejected both of these. But, then again, back in the salad days, neither of these would have made it out of the factory.

Oh, and the sheaths still don't fit.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Whooops! Hate it when that happens. Maybe I *should* go forward with that Bali design I've been thinking of....
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Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
Well that kinda sucks. It just makes me wonder who makes the handles for Benchmade.
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Thanks for letting us know.

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A real knife collector is always broke.
 
Any ideas on how many are in the batch of "not-quite perfect" ? Also, are they being rejected on functional or cosmetic quality (like are the colors off, or are there air bubbles in the castings)? If you don't mind, would you please list this over at BM's forum so that I might hear them address the concedrn?

I've discussed with them several times the idea of bringing back steel handles for a cheaper alternative, and as an effort to hit the "under $160" crowd. Each time they said they were not likely to do that as it, paraphrased as close to the quote as i can remember, would not stand up to the quality the 42 was now offering, and that they felt a step back would be cheating the customers.

Now they may be offering (speciffically offering it to hard core fans who are willing to go through all this pre-order hoopla) a "minimally acceptable" product?

I've been hearing BM has been having QC issues as of late, and am curiouse if this is another face of the same old problem.

I don't mean to pry, but could you reveal your sources of info into the matter. I'm interested to hear if this is coming straight from BM, or if it is second or third party.

Also, in your opinion, are the current issues flawed only in their collector value due to esthetic flaws, or is there concern of a functional flaw that should be considered for those of us who are ordering them for daily carry?

Thanks for your post, and, if you can, responses to these.

PS- Did you pick yours up in town? If G&S has them in , I would like to stop in and take a look myself. Thanks again, E

[This message has been edited by afee (edited 05-14-2000).]
 
If the flaws are only cosmetic, Benchmade should do like Cold Steel and offer them as discounted seconds. I'd buy a box full!
 
G&S had two, but they sold out this morning. Sorry! (Actually, they sold 'em earlier last week, I just got down to pick 'em up this morning.)

I should make very clear here that the defects in these two pieces are totally cosmetic and they are very, very minor.

These are still fantastic knives and I'm very pleased to have them.

The prototype piece I have is perfect and I'm sure that BM is driving toward that same level of extreme quality (the same level they have always demanded in the Bali-Song line) for the 42.

IMHO, I'm pleased to have these as collectibles because they illustrate the progression of the 42 from prototype, a bit of a stumble early on, and then eventually into perfect production.

I'll post some pictures shortly (though not for probably a week or two). The slight defects are nothing compared to what you can find on any of the BM45's that I've beat up over the years. So, if you're intending to carry your 42, don't worry.

As a collectible, just be ready for something every so slightly less than perfection if you get an early one.

But, if you've read my comments about BM Seconds, you know that I'm of the opinion that they will ultimately be more valuable than firsts.

One of my brothers who is a coin collector gave me a call some time ago and said I should watch my change very carefully. On a proper US quarter, the head of the man and the head of the eagle are opposed to each other. But, a few had shown up in the Portland area with the heads oriented the same way. The quarters were not counterfeit. There were part of a lot of defective quarters made by the Mint accidentally that were supposed to have been destroyed but had accidentally been released in the Portland area. The local paper had a story about it and noted that a local coin shop was offering $100 each for these coins. I never did find one myself. The point is that because they had a defect, they went from being worth $0.25 to being worth at least $100 to collectors.

My purpose for posting was not to berate the quality of these fine knives, but just to make sure that people's expectations are set properly when they get theirs. In pre-production and first-production products, you may find a few minor problems still to be worked out.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Man....i read like the first two posts..but I am way to drunk and upset (besides its 230 AM) to read those long posts....

I hope they fix any problems with the 42 before i get mine....
 
Along the similar theme-I just looked at a freiends 45s second. I cannot find anything at all wrong with it. Although I most likely lack Clay or Gollnicks expertise I am far above the average buying public concerning knives and I cannot find anything at all wrong with this "seconds" BM 45s. I think that speaks well of their commitment to quality.

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Tim

 
This is somewhat interesting...I would guess that whatever company is supplying BM with its cast-Ti handles is probably the same company that is supplying Gerber with the cast Ti handles for their Airframe model...

That BM would release a "flawed" new model doesn't really surprise me...

I'm also curious about the use of the 12C27 steel. 12C27 is good stuff, and is a manufacturers dream because it can be blanked/stamped out with minimum wear to the manufacturing machines, and it's cheap both in raw cost and production cost. Therefore, why is the model 42's retail so high? Could the Weehawk blades being used be left overs from the old Bali-song days? Why would Benchmade make a huge fuss with the use of the latest in titanium manufacturing/fabricating, but then skimp on the choice of blade steel?

--dan
 
I am told that the 12C27 is a little less brittle than other alloys and is very resistant chipping and even to shattering than other steels. On a knive that might get dropped every now and then, this is a good thing.

12C27 may not be the next wave, dance craze steel, but it is an alloy that was specifically designed for cutlery, specifically formulated to take and hold an edge. ATS-34, for example, while a great blade steel, was originally formulated for jet engine ball bearings, a slightly different application.

Again, I want to really say that my two new BM42s are by no means junk. They have very minor, totally cosmetic blemishes. My only reason for posting this was to set people's expectations.

I'd love to post pictures, but taking those pictures is going to be time consuming since it's going to be close-up work. I'll get to it, but just not this week.

These are great knives and they manipulate well. Like my previous 42, they are fast, they fly, they are a pleasure to play with.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Thats all i wanted to hear. I appreciate your frank assessment. Its also nice to hear that preformance is not suffering. E
 
I have to wonder why on earth they used Titanium. It makes it far more costly, and throws off people used to heavier stuff. Not only that but titanium contrary to popular opinion is no super-metal. I could understand using it in something that needed to be super-light, but it seems in bali its more hassle then its worth.
 
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