I am looking for a new EDC but tossing up between BM or Spydie.
Any recommendations and why?
all depends on which model you are looking for
if you are just looking on their budget lines of 8cr13mov tenecious series, then you aint gonna compare them since benchmade rarely make their knives oversea unless you are looking for their HK models
mostly id recommand spyderco for their price wise especially paying only around $60~50 for a vg10 endura, for EDC go with dragonfly and you will be happy with it.
Need to know your ideal price. Both manufacturers carry knives across a large range of cost.
Will say that the axis lock on the mini grip is very user friendly vs the Spyderco lockback. YMMV.
Which models are you considering from each brand? I think it depends on feel/preference and kind of intended use. If you can get a chance to handle before buying it might help.
Your EDC will vary from others, me, I light duty my knives so 8Cr13MoV is fine, tougher usage will usually mean a lot of sharpening or better steel, as already said an idea of your budget would be good.
If you are unsure about the Axis lock and whether it would work for you then there are China made versions that are good knives, Enlan EL-04MCT is very like a Griptillian but with Micarta scales and the 8CrMoV steel.
Personally I don’t like backlocks so it would be a linerlock for me, the budget Spyderco’s value is great, or there’s the Military, a big folder with good steel or the Paramilitary, slightly smaller and a Compression lock.
Enduras and Delicas if you like the backlock, Spyderco has a huge range of lock types and style of knife.
It will also depend on your local laws, in the U.K. we can legally carry a sub 3” non locking blade so a Spyderco would be the UKPK, Pingo, Squeak, Clipitool, Urban, Kiwi3, Grasshopper, Honeybee or Bug. - We can carry any knife as long as there is good reason, i.e. work or camping etc.
There are other brands that might suit your needs but if you’re sure about Benchmade/Spyderco then there is a load of choice.
I don’t care for the axis lock at all. That said, automatic or Bali song, get a Benchmade. Frame lock, liner lock or compression lock, get a Spyderco. I love my ATR and Military.
Maybe I am a bit partial but the only Benchmade that I actual liked to use was my Benchmade Vex.
Kershaw! :p
I’ve had them both and I like Spydercos significantly better. It does depend on model, but my all time favorite knife (I’ve had Chris Reeve too) is the Paramilitary 2.
I own both, the Spyderco large Civilian, and the large Benchmade, Rukus 610.
Two totally different knives, for one thing using the civilian as a pocket knife to just cut something, voids the warranty.
The Rukus is like having a full sized sheath knife that folds.
Both are good, but I’m a Spyderco fanboy.
Love my Spydercos but sharpening serrated knives is really tough.
Looking at buying a new straight edge.
Q: What steel is easier to sharpen?
Should I be looking at steel that is slightly softer like D2?
So easy to sharpen serrated knives on the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker. Don’t be without one or you will miss out on some wickedly sharp Spydie edges.
VG-10 is easy to sharpen, being a fine grained low carbide steel, and holds that edge better than 8Cr13MoV. You can mirror polish it very easily. Hardness is determined by the heat treatment the manufacturer gives the steel, and D2 can be very hard, although I understand it suffers from chipping at high hardness and it is a beast to sharpen if it gets dull.
Hardness is resistance to deformation. Toughness is resistance to fracture under stress. Both are determined by the heat treatment the steel receives. They are generally inversely related, inasmuch as the harder you make a steel, the more likely it is to experience fracture under stress, but the different metallurgies allow those limits to be pushed reasonably far.
3V steel, for example, when hardened and tempered to about 59 Rockwell (HRC) is regarded as almost indestructible. Because it is so extraordinarily tough most manufacturers take the hardness to 61 HRC for improved edge holding sacrificing a small portion of the toughness but you’d never notice the difference on that.
In a choice between Spyderco and Benchmade I would always suggest Spyderco. Benchmade are, in my opinion, overpriced for what you get. I would suggest a Manix 2 myself. It has a very strong lock, similar to the Benchmade axis lock.
If you want a real super steel, Spyderco have released a version of the Manix 2 in S110V steel. That said, retailers seem to have a lot of difficulty keeping them in stock.