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So what’s it made of? Which blade steel is best? Just a couple of questions
we are asked when people see our knives, and the answers come down to
this—Benchmade uses a variety of modern materials specially selected for their
superior performance characteristics.
We strongly believe that if you’re going to put this
much effort into designing a custom quality cutting tool, then it only makes
sense to build it of the materials which compliment its form and enhance its
function. And in some instances it’s more than just selecting a certain
material, it’s what we do to it to bring out the extra edge which sets us apart
from everyone else. Bottom line, we would much rather overbuild a knife than
risk the alternative—we thought you would like that too.
Jump to:
Blade Finishes | Blade Steels | Blade
Styles | Heat-Treatment | Model Feature Codes
BLADE FINISHES
Blade finishes refers to the surface treatment of the
blade, which can be anything from the way in which the steel is processed, to a
multitude of blade coatings which are applied to the blade itself. We use a
variety of finish methods to "dress" our blades.
SATIN FINISH:
creates a low-luster sheen to the blade steel surface. Several common forms of
satin finish include:
- Stonewash: the blade
surface is refined using abrasive tumbling media or "stones" that leave a
pronounced random "scratch pattern" on the blade. This finish tends to mask
any scratches that may occur with use. Examples- Model 805, 813
- Scotchbrite: this finish
softly blends the grinding lines on the blade leaving a pleasant "grained" or
"brushed" look. Typically the graining pattern goes from spine to edge.
Examples- Model 190, 4530
- Tumbled or Vibed: similar
to a stonewash finish; this finish leaves the blades bright and smooth with a
faint random scratch pattern. Examples- Griptilians, Bali-Songs
- Burnished: usually
applied using non-abrasive media, whether by hand or in vibratory equipment.
This finish refines the blade surface without much of a discernable graining
or scratch pattern. Examples- Model 770, 941
- Hand rubbed: a finish
typically done only by custom knife makers, it is similar to a scotchbrite
finish with the main exception being that the graining goes from tang to tip.
POLISHED FINISH: can be
defined as any highly-reflective or glossy finish that refines and smoothes the
metal surface. This finish aids in corrosion resistance as microscopic peaks and
valleys of the blade surface are smoothed out leaving less surface area exposed.
BEAD
BLAST FINISH: can be defined as any non-reflective finish applied to the
metal surface by bead blasting or sand blasting the blade with any of a variety
of media. The intent is to roughen the surface for anti-glare. The trade off is
it tends to be more susceptible to corrosion due to the increased surface area
exposed. This finish is also commonly referred to as a "military finish".
When it comes to blade steels, Benchmade not only
selects premium grades for their natural qualities, but we also have perfected
our own proprietary custom heat treat process which maximizes each steel's edge
toughness and cutting performance.
CPM-M4: Special purpose, high-speed steel with a combination of
high Carbon, Moly, Vanadium and Tungsten for excellent wear resistance and
toughness; A powder-metal, non stainless steel.
154CM: An American
made premium grade stainless steel originally developed for tough industrial
applications. Known for its best all-around qualities, it offers great corrosion
resistance with good toughness and edge quality.
S30V: An American
made and developed premium grade stainless steel created especially for knives.
It is a powder made steel with a uniform carbide distribution and clean steel
properties. As a blade material it offers excellent corrosion resistance and
superb edge qualities.
D2: An
air-hardened tool steel, which offers good corrosion resistance and excellent
mileage in wear resistance. A good choice for hard use applications.
440C: A
high-chromium stainless steel with a terrific balance of good hardness and
corrosion resistance. 440C takes a nice edge and is fairly easy to resharpen. An
excellent value priced steel for its performance.
N690: An Austrian
made stainless steel, which is comparable to 440C in performance and value. Keen
edge qualities with great corrosion resistance.
9Cr13CoMoV: A
Chinese made high-carbon stainless steel with increased levels of cobalt added
for greater edge retention. Offers a higher level of corrosion resistance at a
great value.
AUS-8: A
Japanese made medium-carbon, high chromium stainless steel, which offers a good
balance of toughness, edge sharpness and corrosion resistance.
8Cr14MoV: A Chinese
steel with similar performance characteristics to AUS-8. An excellent value
priced steel for its performance.
X15 T.N: This
French steel was developed for the aircraft industry for jet ball bearings, as
well as the medical industry for scalpels. It has the ability to resist rust in
the worst of conditions while maintaining ample edge retention. The capability
behind this steel is in the way it is manufactured, resulting in the finest
steel for use in harsh environments such as salt water. The edge on an X15 T.N
blade is easier to maintain.
DAMASCUS: A
specially forged, layered steel made up of a variety of steels, It offers
remarkable toughness and edge quality. For finishing, the surface layers or
lines are exposed through an acid etch, which creates a very unique visual
effect. Used in special applications due to its inherent high cost and artistic
nature.
BLADE COATINGS
BK1 ® COATING: BK1
coating is a matte black coating that provides excellent corrosion protection,
which exceeds the ASTM-117 spec for saltwater while possessing higher scratch
resistance.
BT2 ® COATING: A
proprietary blade coating that is Xylan ® based to provide excellent corrosion
resistance which exceeds the ASTM-117 spec for saltwater and increases overall
surface lubricity.
BP1 COATING: Black
Pearl (BP) is a PVD (physical vapor deposition) coating made up of Titanium
Carbo-Nitride (TiCN for short). It is a darker, near black, scratch resistant
coating with nice decorative qualities.
BLADE STYLES
TANTO: Most tantos
seen on the American cutlery market are Americanized formats. Like the Japanese
tanto, the Americanized tanto has a high point in-line with the pivot. A flat
grind is applied to the point, leaving it very thick and extraordinarily strong.
This thick area helps absorb the impact from piercing, as the tanto was
originally designed for armor piercing. The front edge meets the bottom edge at
an obtuse angle rather than curving to meet it as seen in the Japanese tanto.
The only negative aspect of the tanto blade shape is the cutting surface area is
sacrificed to gain tip strength.
DROP-POINT: A slow
convex-curved drop in the point characterizes a drop-point blade. The drop-point
format lowers the point for control but adds strength to the tip. Usually
coupled with plenty of belly for slicing, this format is often used for hunting
knives. It is also a fantastic all-around blade format. This blade shape can be
found on a wide array of knives.
SHEEPSFOOT: This
blade shape has no point on the tip, very little to no belly and the spine of
the blade curves down to meet the edge. It is used in applications where slicing
is the main requirement, and a point is either not needed or would actively get
in the way. Emergency rescue blades are usually of this design. The lack of a
point prevents the rescuer from inadvertently injuring a victim who is being cut
free from something restrictive.
HEAT-TREATMENT
Over the years we have developed a "special recipe" for heat-treating our
blade steels. This process maximizes the steels' molecular structure for a
custom toughness and Benchmade superior performance. All steels may be created
equally, but that is where it stops when it comes to making a Benchmade.
MODEL FEATURE CODES
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(NO CODE): Plain edge/no blade coating
S: ComboEdge™ (partially serrated)/no blade coating
BK: Plain edge/BK1® black corrosion resistant coated
blade
SBK: ComboEdge (partially serrated)/ BK1® black
corrosion resistant coated blade
B: Black anti-reflective, corrosion resistant coated
blade (Red Class)
SB: ComboEdge (partially serrated)/ black
anti-reflective coated blade (Red Class)
OD: Olive Drab color handle
SL: Skyline Camouflage™ patterned handle
SN: Sand Camouflage color handle
CF: Carbon Fiber Handle
-RED: Red color handle
SLV: Silver color handle
-BLU: Blue color handle
-YEL: Yellow color handle |
-BLK: Black color handle
P: Mother-of-Pearl
A: Abolone
BT: BT2® black corrosion resistant coated blade
BP: BP1 Charcol color, scratch resistant coating
-TK: Tether Kydex® friction-fit sheath
W: Soft sheath for rescue hook
ADC: Army Digital Camouflage color sheath
T: Trainer blade with red handle
TR: Bali-song trainer with red handle
D2: D2 Blade Steel
H2O: X15 T.N steel, 100% corrosion resistant
DM: Damascus Blade
CP: Clam pack |
Occasionally we may do a limited edition of a model where the model number
does not change but does get an addition to the ending, such as -01 or -02
(example: Gold Class 705-01 and 705-02).
Our handle and other materials
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