Is 154 CM a brittle steel? Benchmade 960 SLV

[Black Majik]

Hi guys and gals...

I was looking thru my carry knife today and noticed a pretty big chip in the blade. I actually think this was caused by prying off the safety last nite on a bic lighter.

Now, I was wondering if this blade was so prone to chipping or not, or if I just simply abused it beyond what the knife was intended for. The knife in question is a Benchmade Osborne 960 SLV. In my opinion this knife should not have chipped so easily. I can run my nail along the blade and my nail would stop on the chip.

My question is:

1) Is 154 CM a durable blade?
2) Would Benchmade replace the blade or would I have to pay for a new blade
3) Any other ideas what I should do in terms of a new blade? Aftermarket perhaps such as how the Ritter Griptilian has a S30V blade. Is that even possible to get a different type of blade?

In the end, I dont feel I abuse this knife at all. I felt it was a simple task, but I'm surprised by how brittle this blade is. The lock-up is very tight still.

I pretty much want to replace the blade, whether at my expense or not. But this blade kinda surprised me on how fragile it is.

Thanks for any opinions or advice. I'd appreciate it.

 

[Boats]

154CM is the Crucible Metals designation of ATS-34, a stainless that has been falling down the desirability scale for awhile now from high end to run of the mill.

All you can really do is send it to BM and see what they say. If you mention that you were prying with it, I wouldn't count on a replacement unless there was a material flaw in the steel or heat treat.

First off, it is cheaper to get a SAK or Leatherman if you want something to pry with.
Second of all, knife blades are too hard these days at RC59-62 to be really good prybars.

There are no values in this chart, but it shows relative strengths. It also shows why I am a fan of A2, tougher than most and still easy to sharpen, just watching for corrosion as there is no free lunch:

Looks to me like you pay a lot more for S30V for not a whole lot of return in performance over "lesser" steels. In fact it looks no tougher than 154CM or 440C. The high-end knife steel of the moment in customs is CPM 3V. That appears to be worth shelling out the bucks for.