Benchmade 581 Barrage

08/12/2011 by Tony

-Price Paid: $147.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

This really is what I would call "Rolls Royce" of Benchmades 5 Series Knives, having said that considering that I purchased the 581SBK with it's asking price of $235.00 it really is overboard.

In my mind and using my own yard stick that is starting to get close to a quarter of a thousand dollars, leaving me with the feeling that it's way over priced.

Practically you have a 580SBK with upgraded scales and blade steel, when comparing the two for me the best feature is Benchmades use of combining Aluminum and G10 as scales.

This over comes my pet hate of using a CHEAP Honeycomb Valox material that is on the 580/585 and prevents the inherent slippery feel (as specially over time with ware) and now with the 581 Combo Scales it gives the knife "Fantastic Traction" in your hands.

But let there be no doubt this knife is for some one with BIG HANDS, its width does give it the meat that some people are looking for who have HUGE HANDS.

As too the M390 Steel in the blade, I suppose it's OK, I personally think that anything above 154 steel is just an added cost for those steel geeks out there and makes it less affordable for others...:)

This really is a knife that I will be putting away in the Gun Safe as a KEEPER, as it is an Engineering Marvel...!!!

The bottom line is a simple one if you have BIG Hands and DEEP Pockets BUY ONE, you won't be disappointed...:)

It does have me salivating for perhaps a "586 Mini" version for EDC and I would be first in line for that little gem if it ever comes out...:)

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RAT Cutlery RC-3

08/12/2011 by Dutch Eddie

-Price Paid: $100.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

This is really a great knife. It's a small knife but it can perform great tasks.

The knife was out of the box razor sharp. The 1095 steel is easy to sharpen. Even in the field with a little (Fallkniven DC4) stone.

The coating is very durable and protects the blade well.

For me the knife of choice during a hike.

The sheath is functional but the RC4 sheath is much better.

Overall a great knife!

Benchmade 525 Mini Presidio

08/11/2011 by Tony

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

There is no doubt that I am a huge fan of Benchmade and despite what I am about to say regarding the 525 Model I still am..:)

I think that the 525 is the biggest marketing mistake that they have ever made and the resale values reflect it.

Firstly looking at the knife it's self after using one it's greatest flaw is the Coating on the scales, it just wont stand up to ware and rubs off at the drop of a hat.

My point being that when you compare the price of there 527 Ultra Model to the 525 it's very difficult to justify the enormous price difference and what do you get for the price difference of $95.00 for the basic 527 and $175 for the basic 525 (that's almost DOUBLE).

Basically they are same sized knife with Benchmades FANTASTIC Axis Locking System however the 525 has 154 Steel and the 527 has 404, then the 525 has Aluminum Handles that loses it's coating and the 527 has Solid Valox that doesn't lose it's color.

I haven't meet any one that's been really unhappy with a Benchmade Knife that uses 404 Steel, but I have meet many that are extremely unhappy with the black coating rubbing off there scales exposing the aluminum.

For EDC the 527 is actually lighter compared to the 525 and the 527 has better traction and ergonomics in your hand.

In all honestly I can't see the value in the 525 and have noticed that being reflected there second hand sale prices.

I personally almost feel like Benchmade has shoot it's self in the foot by bringing out both models and I now only buy the 527 Models as gifts for friends and every one that I have given one too loves them.

Perhaps the 520 and 525 should have stayed as Military and Police Automatic Models ONLY, BUT my God if they can now produce Frying Pans with a coating that can stand up to even heavy "Sand Paper" endurance tests.

Then Benchmade should be able to apply a more durable coating to it's 525 and 520 Scales, especially if these models are to be used for "HEAVY almost Commercial use" in the Military or Police Forces...!!

Benchmade 470 Emissary

08/09/2011 by Tahnia

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I think it's about time that a women gives her opinion on a knife (we are 50% of the market place you know), the only thing that I would say Benchmade did wrong with this knife was it's name, they should have been called "The Lady Finger" (he he).

The knife was a birthday gift from my husband and he did extremely well when he choose it for me, I love the cut away section on the handle so as not to brake a nail when I flick it open.

I adore the size for my petite hands and the way it can simply slip into a handbags side pocket with a deep clip and I know exactly where it is if I need it in a hurry (right next to my pepper spray). My goodness I do love the way the clip also hides the knife away in the pocket of my jeans and its so slim it's almost unnoticeable, this is just a perfect knife for a lady.

I like the way the lock is on the side to secure it so I feel safe when the knife is in my handbag or pocket, I don't want to have any issues with it opening accidentally as I rummage though my bag or put my hand in my pocket for my keys.

Girls this really is a Knife made with us in mind and not in some condescending color like PINK. I really hate it when manufacturers just take a product that's made for a man and color pink thinking they now have the Female Market Cornered....:)

Benchmade 940 Osborne

08/08/2011 by Tony

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I do have a good collection of Benchmade Mini's and have been using a couple like the Mini Griptillian as EDC for many years now, but I was in the kitchen the other day cutting some vegetables and they where taking to long to do the job with a less than 3 inch blade.

I have bought larger Benchmades like the new 581 Series before which is a Masterpiece of engineering, however having smaller hands none of them have felt right and have just ended up either being given to my Son in the Marine Corp, Donated to the Wounded Warriors Project or added to my personal collection the sitting in my Gun Safe.

My wonderful Son after watching me said to me "Enough Dad find the knife that you need and I will buy it for you".

Well after painfully watching (I do mean PAINFULLY watching Weekend Warriors and Kids) in about 15 or more You Tube Videos reviewing the knife and reading every article I could find about it. I then decided to call my personal contact at Benchmade to get his honest opinion.

Thank GOD for his professionalism and product knowledge, not to mention he knows my back ground, carry habits and he gave me the straight talk regarding the 940 Series Options.

I must say next to the Axis Lock it has to be Benchmades World Class Customer Service that sets it's knives at the top of the production knife market in my mind...:)

So today was the day that my new Benchmade 940 arrived and believe me I was not disappointed in the least.

As a rule I only buy American Made Knives and at my advancing age I like a comfortable fit in my small hands, but I needed a larger blade and this knifes 3.40 Inch Reverse Tanto Plain Blade in S30V Steel is absolutely fantastic.

I wanted a knife that was as usable in the Kitchen as it would be Camping and boy does that Reverse Tanto fit the bill and is as good as a Drop Point but 10 times as strong.

The Ergonomics of the grip is very comfortable in my hand and not every longer bladed knife is going to be owned by a man with the hands of a Gorilla.

As to the color well it's what I would call Forest Green and the Titanium Purple back spine does make the knife very attractive indeed and YES I have already changed the clip over to a Silver Spit Arrow...!!!

I do realize that with Benchades the Anodizing Finish on the Aluminum Scales are subject to rubbing off, BUT I just don't care about it with this one and I have prepared myself mentally to just accept it as giving the knife some Character (as my wife said, as I get older my gray hair gives me more character also..:)

With a weight of just 2.90 oz's it's perfect for clipping in the corner of my pants pocket and won't do any damage, this knife is by no means Cheap and should be shopped around for. You know the old saying "if you pay Peanuts, you get Monkeys" this one is what I would call a lifetime knife and one that some day my Grandson will be telling his son how it was handed down to him from me.

I can now see why every review for this knife here is a VERY Positive one here and this one will just reinforce that opinion....:)

Benchmade 520 Presidio

08/07/2011 by Tim D.

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

Mmmm...the Benchmade 520. What a tank this thing is. Some Benchmades that I'm eying [and will probably buy] are just too nice to take out in the field. This knife though is built for hard use and almost demands to be roughed up a little. It's design is simple and functional. My 9 out of ten in the ergonomics is only because the bi-directional raised grip pattern is a little agressive when brand new. I imagine they'll soften so to speak with age. This knife will eat your pants but being that I buy second hand clothing,I don't care.This knife is known to be heavy but I like heavy knives; I figure I won't lose them as easliy.The steel is yummy 154CM and holds an edge just fine. I happen to have the non-serrated version with black coating [the coating will eventually show signs of wear after use]. After opening and closing the knife for a week, the axis lock and pivot were as smooth as whipped cream. And for such a simple knife design-wise, it looks cool in that matte black sort of way. I rotate this as an EDC with a ZT 0350 and a Benchmade 741 so again,weight and size are not an issue with me personally.

Zero Tolerance 0350

08/07/2011 by Tim D.

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

I gave this ZT 0350 a 9 in build quality only because the finish work on the G10 and Stainless liners was not perfect meaning you can see "steps" where who ever did the finish work didn't get it quite as smooth as possible. It's a minor flaw that you have to look for and I'm sure it's probably an anomaly but it's there. Other than that this knife is sexy and curvy and it's as strong as it's reputation says it is. The liner lock is rock solid with a nice chunk of metal [it's thick] holding that blade back. As far as the assisted opening, it's quick and impressively Loud! This blade will intimidate just by the sound if deployed in the office or in the general public.....but that's one of many reasons why I like it.The S30V steel is,in my opinion,really easy to maintain and holds a hair-popping edge quite well even after hard use.The jimping is well thought out,easy on the fingers and the G10 scales have a nice gentle texture to them. I also appreciate how thin the entire knife profile is when in my pocket. In closing I have no complaints except the minor cosmetic flaw and I would be really bummed if I lost this blade.

KaBar Next Generation KaBar

08/07/2011 by Tony

-Price Paid: $29.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Well I must say that I was surprised on two fronts with this knife, firstly that it's been discontinued and secondly how good it is compared to the traditional Ka-Kar.

I am an old traditionalist generally when it comes to Ka-Bar, but I just loved the Rubberized Grip and seeing that for me it's NOT for Combat who cares if blades not BLACK coated..!!!

In fact the 7 Inch Grey Coated PLAIN Blade that they have used holds up better than the black coating that you find on traditional Ka-Bars that are better recognized as fighting knives (my new best friend Mr KIMBER generally has my back on that issue any way..LOL).

This knife really gets a "two thumbs up" (my Late Father always use to say "its only a Bargain if you NEED IT") and at a Clearance Price of less that $29.00 it was a Bargain for something that I did need. A good Quality 7 Inch Bladed Knife with a HARD Sheath for enjoying Great Out Doors with my Grandson and NOT Braking the Bank....!!!

If you need one than don't hesitate to pick one of these up while you can and keep in mind that Ka-Bar are AMERICAN MADE and that in it's self should be important too you....:)

Heckler and Koch Scorch

08/06/2011 by Nick G

-Price Paid: $110.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Although this knife has the H&K logo engraved on it, the knife is pure Benchmade... Ok, that was a lie. Benchmade had actually bought the Lone Wolf knife company. The knife is almost identical in every way to the Lone Wolf Eagle Talon. The biggest difference is the Eagle Talon's price tag of $215 while the Scorch can be found for $110, almost half the price. This is due to the slight differences between the, nearly, identical knives. The Eagle Talon rocks CPM-S30V high carbon stainless steel, when the Scorch is outfitted with Bohler N680 stainless steel. N680 is relatively soft compared to the S30V but has high corrosion resistance and is also found in diving knives. Benchmade also gave the Scorch a treatment of BK1 coating which has great corrosion resistance from salt water while maintaining durable scratch resistance. Personally, if you were going to use the knife as it's supposed to be used, you will eventually give the blade a few scratches. A black coated blade is the only option when it comes to the finish, but there is also a spear point blade in addition to the reverse tanto. As always, there is a BK model and an SBK model, indicating that it is serrated. I do not own the Lone Wolf, and I have owned the Benchmade long enough to determine how much I enjoy its performance. The action is smooth and refined when opening it with the thumb stud. When you slide the scale toward the back, the compressed leaf spring is released, snapping open the blade with a quick click. Although the dual-action is difficult to get use to, it quickly grows on you. The pocket clip only has the option of tip-down carry. However, the clip fits comfortably in your pocket. The "compression molded glass filled nylon handle material" is just fancy Benchmade talk for plastic. There was a slight gap between the handle and the frame. I quickly took my T-6 torx driver and tightened it up for a flush finish. Although the handle now sits flush with the frame, the dual-action release is even more difficult to activate. The handles may feel cheap, but the knife as a whole does not feel cheap due to its over all weight. The ergonomics of the knife are very good due to its simple grip design and jimpped thumb ramp. The reverse-tanto blade has a gradual upward curve to a point, which proves as an effective cutting design. The blade locks securely with a locking liner. The knife came very sharp and retained its sharpness during light to moderate use. You may need to finish the edge every once and a while. The Benchmade Lifesharp program is a nice option, but I'll refrain from that until the knife needs dire reworking. Once again, Benchmade has made a surprisingly good knife by [legally] taking another companies design, applying a slightly less quality blade, and knocked the price down to a reasonable low. I do not give Benchmade any credit for the knife's design, but I do give benchmade credit for making the knife more accessible for those that do not wish to pay over $200 for a great quality knife. I plan to continue testing the knife in as many aspects as I can.

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KaBar Fin Fixed Blade Tanto

08/06/2011 by Eoin Landers

-Price Paid: $88.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I bought the plain edge tanto version of this knife because I thought it would make a good, hard-use camping knife, with enough heft to split wood and enough control for some basic food preparation. However, I am disappointed with the Fin and am generally reluctant, because of its faults, to use it for any task.

The Fin is quite heavy and the D2 blade is very thick. It is a full tang construction, and the steel running through the handle is perhaps thicker still. The wide tanto point offers good resistance to snapping or shearing off. As such, the Fin ought to be practically indestructible - but these design choices have their downside.

The major problem with this knife is that the blade thickens too rapidly behind the cutting edge. Even though this is a hollow ground design, the knife will not slice anything effectively. I sharpened the blade very keenly, but even so it would tear sideways through cartridge paper and become stuck in cardboard. Incidentally, the knife was delivered with a curling burr toward the tip, and generally the grind work was sloppy and differed significantly on either side of the blade. Clearly, quality control was not all it should be.

The particular interpretation of the "americanised tanto" shape in this knife is also highly impractical. It is tricky to sharpen and if you need to use the tip of the knife for fine work, you cannot easily see what you are doing because of the odd geometry. The angular handle is a little uncomfortable at times and a more rounded design would afford more comfort. It would also mean that applying a paracord wrap would be much more straight-forward - and you may well wish to put one on there in lieu of the edgy, heavy handle material.

My final gripe is that the D2 steel Ka-bar have used in the knife seems quite poor, perhaps oweing to heat treatment or other factors. It is incredibly resistant to abrasion and I really dreaded the thought of resharpening it. It is nonetheless brittle and even with a sturdy 25-degree primary (cutting) bevel on each side, the knife nonetheless chipped quite readily with careless use. The knife held an edge for a long time but could never really be called razor-sharp. These are indeed shortcomings common to D2 steel generally, but I found them particularly salient in the Ka-bar Fin.

All in all, if I lost my Fin knife tomorrow there is no chance whatsoever that I would buy another.

Case Yellow Trapper

08/06/2011 by Your Name

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Well I bought the yellow trapper thinking that I would have some trouble with it since it was the CV steel. I was right in the beginning I had it in my pocket during a hot summer day and I sweat, like most of us do, and it started to develop some rust spots. This of course was due to my negligence. So I cleaned it up and started to take care of it oiling it up like I should and have been happy ever since. I hunt a lot and during that hunting season I turkey hunted, and deer hunted the only knife I took with me is this knife. I was able to breast out a two turkeys and field dress two deer without sharpening it and it still kept its edge. I was not gentle on it by any means when it came to dressing and processing the deer I split the rib cage with it and processed both deer in a rapid fashion and it still sliced and cut like it did right out of the box. After hunting with it and other every day uses it started to not shave anymore so I took a steel to it to see if it would come back without stone work and with about five swipes to each side she was back in business. Overall I think this knife is a great tool for the everyday man. Are there other steels out there that can do the same yes but at a far greater price. If you want to get back to old school and want a good steel then this is the knife but take care of you equipment and it will take care of you.

Benchmade 530 Pardue

08/05/2011 by Sev

-Price Paid: $65.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Honestly my review isn't needed but I'm writing it be because this is truly one of my favorite knives!!!! I own much more expensive benchmade, spyderco, and emmerson knives but this is my favorite EDC!!!

super light, super comfortable, despite being mainly plastic the build quality is high and durability is through the roof. It's so thin it's a great EDC. Best part is the axis lock! I much prefer it to even the axis on my new Barrage 581bk! It's not assisted opening but it's so loose and smooth I can open and close it faster than a balisong.

Buy this knife.