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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 complement 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
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-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
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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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