benchmade adamas

Roguehk

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Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
5
Anyone else have one? I just got mine and WOW it's fast! If you learn you can flick it open using your wrist it's like a auto knife almost. Did you guys sharpen yours out of the box or just leave it? Mine will shave hairs with ease but I'm thinking of having the knife reprofiled a little thinner so I can slash better with it. What do you think?
 

ScaryFatKidGT

Enlightened
Joined
May 19, 2011
Messages
918
My Barrage is fast opening :D, sharpest knife I have, you could maybe hone it down for chopping but cutting Benchmade does a pretty good sharpening job.

What are you slashing?
 

ZNickey

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Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
36
It's an awesome knife!

Benchmade factory angles usually aren't too bad, but like most production knives they are not going to be 100% consistent. The edge itself is going to have an uneven angle for the purpose of edge length being the same physical length, by modifying the angle on the upsweep and tip (on a fixed angle, the edge of the belly/upsweet/tip is going to be physically longer than the edge on the straight of the knife.) While some people prefer the cosmetics of a completely even edge length (& uneven angle to have this), it can make sharpening a pain and often means the tip area is not going to cut the exact same as the rest of the knife (usually it will not be as sharp as the rest.) In most cases with my Benchmades, I stay pretty close to the factory angle of the straight portions of the blade, and simply apply that angle to 100% of the knife (resulting in a slightly uneven edge length, which I don't mind at all given the performance gain and greater ease of upkeep.) That dramatically will improve slicing ability.

Going outright for a thinner edge is an option, but arguably it is going to mean you will lose some of the knife's ability for heavier usage (which is is designed for) and you are removing a good bit of steel for gains that will be pretty marginal. It is also worth noting that some knives in D2 have a relative toughness that makes them less fit for a super thin edge...I have not used Benchmade D2 enough to be able to speak on that specifically, but D2 can vary pretty substantially in this department. I also tend to stick to the philosophy that before fully reprofiling, it's worth pushing the factory angle as hard as it can be before changing it...and in most cases, that means it needs a little work even when brand new...

With wherever the knife is in terms of its current sharpness and slicing ability (via a fresh factory edge), it can most likely be improved substantially even if the angle is unchanged. Often, makers ship knives with edges that still have a tiny bit of a bur on them...while very minor in terms of physical differences, the performance difference is very dramatic and once the bur is removed, the knife will perform much better. In most cases, simple stropping will do this and take a reasonably sharp factory edge to a razor sharp edge. If the factory knife has a more noticeable bur on it tho (some factory knives do, some don't), fine ceramic stones will likely be needed first to remove more of the bur before the final alignment of a strop/steel/polish/etc to finish the edge. Being this is a higher hardness D2 knife, the process of sharpening/finishing itself will take longer as D2 is a very wear resistant steel. I am willing to bet that you will see dramatic improvements with a strop, perhaps a stropping paste, and a little time...it's quite easy to do as I am the most unskilled person in the world and if I can do it...

Another option would be grinding a relief angle for a double bevel on the edge (i.e. you grind a secondary edge on the edge.) Doing so really requires something like an EdgePro or WickedEdge, but once the angle is set up, this is an extremely easy setup for upkeep. Some people love this and others hate it.

But if it were me and I had to choose a single route, it would be stropping as it is the easiest to do, the cheapest, and is the least dramatic in terms of physical changes to the knife/removal of steel. I think you will get really good outcomes with just that. Hope this helps!
 

Richwouldnt

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
314
Location
Reno, NV
I like my Adamas. Probably about Benchmade's heaviest duty folder currently. For EDC though I really like the BM 940 and BM has just come out with an ultra light carbon fiber scales version. IIRC I weighed it as in the 2.4 ounce range for a 3.4" blade folding knife and I find the carbon fiber weave pattern to look good too.
 

reppans

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
4,873
BM's axis lock is the best locking mechanism I've ever experienced on a folding knife, but actually think it works better on their manual knives than on their assisted or auto knives. Just tug slightly back on the axis lock and the knife wrist-flicks open just as quickly as an auto or assisted (quicker if you use the lock), but better yet, it closes the same way - with a single-handed wrist flick. I don't have an Adamas, as autos are illegal here, but I picked an Emissary assisted - while it's fun to play with, it's much more cumbersome to use than a straight manual axis lock. I might open it up and turn it into a manual.
 

Coldwaterboys

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Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
3
I just bought my first Benchmade (Griptilian) and love it. I'm going to be in the market for a new Adamas real soon.
 

CelticCross74

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Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
4,021
Location
Fairfax Va
for those of you that do not know the 275 Adamas has Benchmades largest Axis lock system the strongest as well. All the locking mechanism parts are upsized. The 275 is the greatest big folder value ever. The knife itself is nearly indestructible. There are a couple videos on YT of a couple of guys doing hard use testing with the 275. Not only did it cut through everything and pierce thin steel one guy in the end took a large mallet and just pounded on the back of the knife as hard as he could. The lock bent but still did not fail. Amazing.
 
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