Benchmade Q & A

The text below is taken with permission from Benchmade's web site.
  • Q- What does the Butterfly symbol mean?NEW
  • Q- What does Bali-song mean?NEW
  • Q- Why is the clip on Benchmade Knives on the "wrong" end?
  • Q- If I take off the pocket clip and bend it will it void the warranty?
  • Q- What is ATS-34 and why is it better than other blade steels?
  • Q- If ATS-34 is stainless steel why does it rust?
  • Q- What is Sentry Solutions TUF-CLOTHä and where can I find it?NEW
  • Q- What is M2 Steel?
  • Q- What is BT2ä?
  • Q- The BT-2 coating is wearing off of my knife, can I get it refinished? Will it still be protected after the finish has worn away?NEW
  • Q- What is ASTM-117?
  • Q- Why do you use titanium for liners?
  • Q- What does the Rockwell hardness of 59-61 RC mean?
  • Q- What is G-10?
  • Q- Your knives seem expensive. Why should I buy one?
  • Q- Can I take my knife apart to clean it?
  • Q- How should I sharpen my new Benchmade knife?
  • Q- If I send my knife back for sharpening how long will it take?
  • Q- If I return a knife for warranty repair how long will it take?
  • Q- Where and how do you recommend sending in my knife for service?NEW
  • Q- Where can I buy Benchmade knives?
  • Q- Why do I have to send my knife back for service?
  • Q- I'm a knife collector. Can I buy your automatic knives?
  • Q- Should I buy a plain or Comboedge blade?
  • Q- If I adjust the blade tension by loosening or tightening the pivot screw will it void the warranty?
  • Q- Why does the Ascent have a Torx head pivot screw rather than the Allen screw like my other Benchmade knives?
  • Q- What size Torx wrenches do I need to maintain your knives and where can I find them?NEW
  • Q- My screws keep coming loose and backing out, what do you recommend?NEW
  • Q- What happened to the Benchmade manufactured Emerson CQC7 series of knives and why were they discontinued?NEW
  • Q- What happened to the Balisongs / Butterfly knives, can I still get them?NEW
  • Q- How do you recommend storing the automatic knives, opened or closed?NEW


  •  

    Q- What is G-10?

    A- G-10 is a medium weave, fabric base, high pressure glass epoxy laminate with 55,000 psi tensile strength and 65,000 psi compressive strength. It was first used, to the best of our knowledge, to make knife scales, by noted custom knife maker Bob Terzuola.

    When properly finished it has excellent tactile and grip characteristics as well good thermal insulating qualities. In addition it is approximately 40% lighter than aluminum and is impervious to most chemicals.

    All of these features combine to make G-10 one of the best possible materials for knife scales.

     

    Q- Why is the clip on Benchmade Knives on the "wrong" end?

    A- We put the clip on the pivot end of liner lock and lock back knives primarily for safety reasons. If the knife opens slightly in your pocket the act of drawing the knife closes it rather than opening it further, as would be the case if it is located on the butt end. We will only locate the clip on the butt end on knives which lock closed, like the automatic models.

    It should be noted that Spyderco only puts the clips on the butt end of the knives in their light weight line and that is for tooling reasons. If the integral clip were on the pivot end they couldn't assemble the knife. All of their metal knives have the clip on the pivot end.

     

    Q- What is ATS-34 and why is it better than other blade steels?

    A- ATS-34 is a high carbon stainless steel specifically formulated to manufacture knife blades. It is readily acknowledged to be among, if not the, finest stainless steel for knife blades.

    The composition of ATS-34 is what makes it superior to other blade steels. The three principal elements responsible for this are carbon, chrome, and molybdenum.

    Carbon is the primary element that allows the steel to be heat treated. In a nutshell the more carbon there is in the material the harder it can be made. ATS-34 has 1.05 % carbon which puts it into the high carbon class and allows us to heat treat our ATS-34 blades to 59-61 HRC.

    Chromium is the principal element that makes ordinary steel into stainless steel and gives it it's rust resistance. In order for steel to be classed as stainless it must have a minimum of 13.0 % chrome. ATS-34 has 13.5 % chrome so it is stainless steel, but just barely. Chrome is, as with most other things, a good news, bad news proposition. The more you add to the mix the better it's rust resistance. that's the good news. The bad news is that as the chrome content goes up the metal becomes gummier and more difficult to sharpen and maintain. We feel that ATS-34 is the best compromise of metallurgical elements of any readily available stainless steel.

     

    Q- Why do you use titanium for liners?

    A- Titanium is stronger, lighter and far more corrosion resistant than stainless steel. All of these features are advantageous for making our liner lock knives. The drawback is that in the grade and size we use it is approximately 10 times more expensive than stainless steel. This is why we do not use it on models that have extensive machining as it would make the knife too expensive.

     

    Q- Titanium is not very hard, why did you use it for the blade on the model 970ST?

    A- The model 970ST was built at the request of a military organization who needed a strong, lightweight, non magnetic, non corrosive, folding prybar with some limited cutting ability. In our efforts to increase the cutting ability we discovered the tungsten tantalum carbide that is deposited on the cutting edge of the blade.

    While the Sharptek carbide treatment DRAMATICALLY increases the cutting potential of the titanium blades, it is not a magic coating and is not superior to steel in terms of edge retention.

    We do not recommend the 970ST as an every day working knife. You would be much better served with one of the steel blades for every day use. Where the titanium blade would really shine is as an emergency tool in a corrosive environment where it would require very little maintenance but would be there, and work, when you REALLY need it.

     

    Q- What is BT2ä?

    A- BT2ä is a proprietary Teflon® based polymer. The primary reason we use this coating is for its tremendous corrosion resistance. Since Teflon® is the slipperiest solid known, it also adds lubricity to the blade making the knife operate even more smoothly.

     

    Q- I'm a knife collector. Can I buy your automatic knives?

    A- The short answer is no, unless you live in Oregon. The interstate commerce in automatic knives is controlled by United States Code 18 which states, in summary, that we may only ship automatic knives to employees of Government agencies for use on their jobs, or to bona fide dealers for resale to the above listed groups. This would include police officers, military personnel, emergency services personnel, if employed by a branch of city, county, state or Federal Government, as well as fire fighters. The key words are GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE IF THE KNIFE IS TO USED IN THE PERFORMANCE THE RECIPIENTS DUTY. There is no provision for collectors and in this case the federal law overrides state law.

     

    Q- Should I buy a plain or Comboedge blade?

    A- This is a difficult question to answer as we have no idea how the knife will actually be used. In general the plain blades are more popular with collectors and the Comboedge blades are more popular with people who use the knife on a daily basis, particularly if the knife might to be used to cut rope, webbing, string or other fibrous materials. In all cases the Comboedge blades outsell the plain edge blades in the models where both configurations are offered.

     

    Q- Your knives seem expensive. Why should I buy one?

    A- As with most things, you get what you pay for. We feel our prices are very competitive and in addition we have had only 1 price increase in 4 years.

    We are offering designs and materials that are not available from any other knife company in the world, at any price. The only competition for many of our models is a custom knife that could be 3 to 5 times more expensive than our knives and yet uses the same materials. Unlike most of our competitors all Benchmade knives are 100% MADE IN THE USA.

     

    Q- Can I take my knife apart to clean it?

    A- No. We do not recommend that the consumer disassemble our knives for any reason. In fact if you do so it voids the warranty. Our knives are precision products and as such many parts and interrelationships may not be obvious to the consumer and there is always the possibility of lost parts.

    All that is really necessary to clean the knife out is compressed air or Tri-Flow.

     

    Q- How should I sharpen my new Benchmade knife and will it void my warranty if I do?

    A- If the blade is just slightly dull and just needs to be touched up crock sticks or the Spyderco sharpmaker will work very well. If the knife is quite dull you may need to use a stone or a Lansky sharpening system which is excellent. Sharpening the knife yourself will not effect your warranty unless you use some kind of power tool to sharpen it. For sharpening the serrated portion of the Comboedge blades we recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker.

     

    Q- What is ASTM-117?

    A- The American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) tests various materials. Specification 117 is for salt-water corrosion resistance. The test calls for exposing the material to be tested to a 5% salt-water spray for 1000 hours at 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The BT2Ô coating will far exceed this requirement with no negative effects.

     

    Q- Where can I buy Benchmade knives?

    A- At cutlery stores, sporting goods stores, and gun shops. If you call the Benchmade factory at 800-800-7427 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time we would be happy to refer you to a dealer in your area. If there is no dealer in your area you may also purchase directly from Benchmade over the phone with a credit card or with a check or money order by mail. We do not ship C.O.D. orders to consumers.

     

    Q- Why do I have to send my knife back for service?

    A- Benchmade does not sell parts. We do warranty our products but, as stated above, if the consumer disassembles the knife it will void the warranty. Many times the problem is not what you think it is and it's much more of an inconvenience to order several, wrong, parts than it is to return the knife to us and get it fixed right. The first time.

     

    Q- What does the Rockwell hardness of 59-61 RC mean?

    A- The Rockwell hardness number in and of itself means very little. For any material there is an optimum hardness range for any given application. For example it might be possible to heat treat 440C to 62 RC but at that hardness it would be very brittle to the point of being unusable. We have determined that 61 RC is as hard as we can go with our blades without running into problems.

     

    Q- If ATS-34 is stainless steel why does it rust?

    A- Any heat treatable stainless steel will rust. It is just a matter of degree as to how much exposure any given alloy will take before it rusts. As we have discussed above ATS-34 is stainless but just barely. The high carbon content of this alloy combined with the comparatively low chrome content make more prone to rust problems than some other alloys, this is also what gives ATS-34 it's superior edge holding characteristics. As discussed above a treatment with TUF- CLOTH will very neatly solve most rust or corrosion problems you may encounter.

    If the knife is to be used in a corrosive environment on a constant basis then we would recommend one of the Black coated blades, or possibly one of the titanium/carbide blades.

     

    Q- If I adjust the blade tension by loosening or tightening the pivot screw will it void the warranty?

    A- Benchmade knives are designed to allow the customer to adjust the amount of blade tension to suit them. If the customer disassembles the knife it will void the warranty, however, adjusting the blade tension is not considered disassembly and so will not void the warranty.

     

    Q- If I take off the pocket clip and bend it will it void the warranty?

    A- No, it will not void the warranty. Because of the large number of different places that our customers may carry their knives this is a something that the customer may adjust to suit them. To bend the clip out from the scale remove it from the knife and hold the flange in a vise. Do not attempt to bend the clip while it is still attached to the knife. When reinstalling the clip be sure to use releasable LocTite on the clip screws.

     

    Q- What is M2 Steel?

    A- M2 is a fine-grained molybdenum/tungsten high-speed tool steel. It is typically composed of:

    Carbon- .85%

    Manganese- .35%

    Phosphorus- .025%

    Sulfur- .025%

    Chromium- 4.0%

    Silicon-.04%

    Nickel- .30%

    Vanadium- 2.2%

    Molybdenum- 5.5%

    Tungsten- 6.5%

    M2 is a very tough grade of steel most commonly found in drill bits and end mills. The high amounts of vanadium, molybdenum and tungsten make it very resistant to wear and very difficult to grind. At a Rockwell hardness of 62HRC it exhibits extreme toughness, with no signs of brittleness, and edge retention that is superior to most other blade materials. The only drawback to this material, other than being difficult to work with, is the fact that since it has only a small amount of chrome it will rust unless properly cared for. Since most knives do not, or cannot, receive this proper care our knives with M2 blades will only be available with our BT2Ô coating.

     

    Q- If I send my knife back for sharpening how long will it take?

    A- Returns for sharpening under our LifeSharp Service are normally done in 8 to 10 working days. When you send the knife we recommend UPS over any other method. Be sure to insure the package for the full value of the knife and enclose $5.00 for return shipping.

    Q- If I send my knife back for Warranty repair how long will it take?

    A- Warranty repairs normally are done within 10-12 working days after they are received. There may be a delay if we are out of stock on a repair part. As mentioned above we recommend that you send the knife back to us via UPS and insured for it's full value along with a check or money order for $5.00 for return shipping.

    Q- Why does the Ascent have a Torx head pivot screw rather than the Allen screw like my other Benchmade knives?

    A- All Benchmade knives now have Torx head screws, not just the Ascent. The reason for the change is that Torx head screws can be tightened tighter, without stripping, then either Allen or Phillips head screws. This is not so important with the pivot screw but with the, smaller, pocket clip and assembly screws it is a major improvement. It should be noted that Leupold & Stevens switched to Torx screws for their scope mounts this year and that, arguably , the finest shotguns in the world, Fabbri, use Torx screws on their lock work.

     

    Q- What does the Butterfly symbol mean?

    A- The Butterfly symbol represents the continuing metamorphosis and evolution that drives both Benchmade’s products and company culture.

     

    Q- What does Bali-song mean?

    A- Bali-song is a trademark name signifying the Butterfly knife. We kept the same trademark as we began to evolve into different models of fine cutlery.

     

    Q- What size Torx wrenches do I need to maintain your knives and where can I find them?

    A- Currently we use four Torx head sizes. #10, 8, 7 and 6. Torx head wrenches can be found at local Hardware, Electronic and Automotive parts stores.

    Q- What happened to the Benchmade manufactured Emerson CQC7 series of knives and why were they discontinued?

    A- Benchmade and Ernest Emerson have mutually decided to terminate their business relationship and it was mutually agreed upon as being best for everyone.

     

    Q- What happened to the Balisongs / Butterfly knives, can I still get them?

    A- Our tooling was getting old and was producing inconsistent quality. So, we chose to discontinue the product for now. We will continue to offer the custom Balisongs for the time being. For more information on the Custom Balisongs, please contact Roberta at Ext. 102.

     

    Q- The BT-2 coating is wearing off of my knife, can I get it refinished? Will it still be protected after the finish has worn away?

    A- At this time we are not able to refinish our blades. Please note, the BT-2 coating is a Teflon based coating and the Teflon particles penetrate the pores of the steel to protect it long after the black coating has worn off.

     

    Q- How do you recommend storing the automatic knives, opened or closed?

    A- When storing the autos for an extended period of time you can keep it in the closed position. Storing it closed will not harm it, however it may weaken the coil spring over time. Please note: The coil spring on the auto’s is covered under our warranty and if it does weaken or break we will replace it at no charge.

     

    Q- Where and how do you recommend sending in my knife for service?

    A- To send in your knife for service, please send it to:

    BKC U.S.A.
    300 Beavercreek Rd.
    Oregon City, OR 97045
    Attn: Warranty dept.

    Please accompany your knife with a letter describing what you would like done or the problem you are experiencing. Also, please include your name, address and a phone number that you can be reached at during business hours if we have any questions.

    Note: If you are sending in an Automatic knife, you must include a photo copy of your Law Enforcement or Military I.D. (unless you are a resident of Oregon state).

    We recommend shipping by UPS, insured for the value of your knife.

    Please feel free to contact our warranty dept if you have any questions. 1-800-800-7427 Ext. 150.

     

    Q- My screws keep coming loose and backing out, what do you recommend?

    A- A small amount of releasable Loc-tite is applied to the threads of the screws during the assembly process. Over time the screws may work loose and will need to be re-tightened. We suggest backing out the screw (Note: Not disassembling the knife) and applying a very small dab of releasable Loc-tite to the threads and tightening down the screw to the desired tension.