Benchmade out of the box sharpness

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Redbackaround

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May 11, 2021
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I'm new to the forum so I appreciate any feedback - thanks in advance. I know this topic seems to be done to death but a lot of the posts are 5+ yrs old and a lot can change in that time.

I bought a new Bugout 535 from BladeHQ. I wasn't expecting a scalpel (I want a blade that has a reasonable level of sharpness that balances durability). However, first thing I did was try to open a box and the blade slid harmlessly off the packing tape on the top. I had to make the tape taught to push the knife through. That was below my expectations for a new knife. I did a couple of other tests - arm hair - not a chance, even with significant pressure. It struggles to slice paper (more of a mix of slicing and tearing).

Is this normal. Is there a general expectation that Benchmade ships dull but robust edges and the user finishes them off to their own specs?

I have images if required
 
Factory sharpness can be good or poor. First thing a lot of people do when they get a new knife is put their own edge on it. I like an edge around 15-20 deg sharpened on a med. grit stone around 325 and up to 600 grit.
 
All my BM OOB were great... except for my Bugout 535. For such a thin blade, the edge was surprisingly bad.
Combined with one of the hardest steel I had the discontent to sharpen, what was supposed to be my douk douk replacement ended up as a permanent resident of my drawer.
 
I just received the new benchmade mini osborne 945 and it is crazy sharp. Hair popping sharp without even stropping. I think benchmade has gotten better with sharpening on new models. Which model of the bugout did you get?
 
Welcome to the forums

Over the past few years, sharpness oob can be a crapshoot. Generally, I have been pleased with the sharpness of my knives. Every manufacturer has their hits and misses. I personally have not noticed one particular company being worse then the rest.

Sorry to hear about your Bugout.
 
My benchmade recent purchases and their relative sharpness:
G10 20CV bugout: 6/10
Super freek M4: 5.5/10
Presidio 2 S30V: 6/10
943 S30V: 6.5/10
200 Puuko 3V: 7/10
...
They're consistently mediocre for me, working edge.

Comparison:
Deka 20CV: 9.5/10 had 2, both were scalpels
Manix 2 20CV: 9/10
Protech TR3: 6/10
Shun Meat Cleaver: 9.5/10
Spydiemule S45VN: 10/10 HOLY CRAP sharp

My experience. Numbers are extremely scientific.
 
mattstauffer said:
I just received the new benchmade mini osborne 945 and it is crazy sharp. Hair popping sharp without even stropping. I think benchmade has gotten better with sharpening on new models. Which model of the bugout did you get?
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Benchmade Bugout AXIS Lock Knife Black CF-Elite (3.24" Black) 535BK-2​

 
As already indicated, most production blades are hit or miss. I've seen both sharp and dull from several manufacturers with no consistency. It's a crap shoot.

What bothers me far more than a dull blade (which is a relatively easy fix), are uneven edge grinds where one side is higher or more acute than the other side. That requires an edge re-profile.

Another thing that bothers me is the final edge finish on an otherwise sharp knife out of the box. Do all production manufacturers only have access to 100 grit sanding belts???? Why not take a couple extra minutes and finish the edge on a 400 or 600 belt and eliminate all those horrid edge grind marks? I have seen some that look like canyons on the "finished" blade edge. If I wanted a serrated blade, I would have bought one.
 
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Benchmade knives's sharpness varies. OTOH, factory edges of Spyderco and Cold Steel are consistently very sharp (shaving arm hair and slicing phonebook paper with ease), much sharper than Benchmade.
 
sharp_edge said:
Benchmade knives's sharpness varies. OTOH, factory edges of Spyderco and Cold Steel are consistently very sharp (shaving arm hair and slicing phonebook paper with ease), much sharper than Benchmade.
Click to expand...

I concur on the Spyderco part. As an admission in regards to my previous post, its been 6 or 7 years since I purchased a Benchmade.
 
A word to the OP, Benchmade is notoriously hit & miss on quality control, was the blade centered? Side to side play? Scales properly fitted? I see some Benchmade apologists proclaim that buying a new knife usually requires sharpening of the blade, such is a ludicrous thought regarding knives that cost over $100.00, if that Benchmade came out of the box as you describe it in my possession, It would be sent right back to them(on their dime)for proper set-up for sale and if they give you one bit of guff then dump the thing back to BladeHQ and get full refund! Again, Benchmade is not the company it once was, they send to market many many knives that possess little in way of quality and even less in control!
 
As others have said, it's not uncommon for Benchmade or in general. Best to learn to sharpen since it'll get dull and need it even if it comes sharp anyway
 
3 of my 4 Benchmades came very very sharp right out of the box. My Grip came so dull it was laughable. These kind of things happen with production knives. Maybe my Grip was made on a late Friday afternoon. One sharpening session and all was well.
 
Hermes Trismegistus said:
A word to the OP, Benchmade is notoriously hit & miss on quality control, was the blade centered? Side to side play? Scales properly fitted? I see some Benchmade apologists proclaim that buying a new knife usually requires sharpening of the blade, such is a ludicrous thought regarding knives that cost over $100.00, if that Benchmade came out of the box as you describe it in my possession, It would be sent right back to them(on their dime)for proper set-up for sale and if they give you one bit of guff then dump the thing back to BladeHQ and get full refund! Again, Benchmade is not the company it once was, they send to market many many knives that possess little in way of quality and even less in control!
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OP, this guy doesn’t speak for all of us. It sucks you got a dull blade, it isn’t common and Benchmade QC is pretty damn good. Either send it back or sharpen it.
 
I've had Benchmades come with some of the sharpest factory edges I've seen, and I've had some with less than average edges, but never had a new knife come out of the box that dull. The below average edges I got from them were mostly caused by obtuse grinds, or blades that were a little too thick behind the edge. My most recent Benchmade is a Tengu that I got last week, it came with a very sharp, but very coarse edge. I stropped it, and now it is screaming sharp.

Unfortunately I've had a bad experience with their warranty sharpening. I sent a 496 Vector back to them for a broken assist spring, and a custom laser mark while it was there. I forgot to check the box on the warranty form that says "Do not sharpen my knife." They took one of my sharpest (and favorite) knives and completely butchered the edge, sending it back with a major change to the blade profile, burrs on nearly half the edge, and the heel of the blade was so obtuse it was practically dull. To be fair, it is a fairly complex knife to sharpen, having a hollow ground recurve, a flat ground tip, and a tanto-like transition between the two, but the factory that produces the blades should at least be able to re-sharpen them properly (I mean, they did it right in the first place). They replaced the blade with a new one under warranty, but I still caution people about their warranty sharpening.

If I were you OP, I would sharpen it myself (if you have the right equipment), or request an exchange from the dealer.
 
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