Benchmade 950 Rift

03/05/2010 by Joe K.

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

Comments:

I purchqased my first 950 in 2008, the regular production version with a plain edge satin finished blade and the charcoal colored G-10 handle scales. At first blush from the catlog I wasn't sure, but in my hand for a hour at the store I was hooked.

I've since sold that one in favor of the new 950-1, this with black G-10 scales and PE satin blade and it's one of my favorite Benchmades.

The 154cm that BM produces is very good, fairly easy to sharpen and has good corrosion resistance.

I give the Osborne Rift a 9 out of 10.

Spyderco Sage

03/04/2010 by SteelSnob

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Well I've never given any knife a full 10 rating and I've reviewed some great ones like Sebenzas but this one is phenomonal in every way. Flawless f&f,great ergos,super smooth action,tough build with lots of Titanium in the slabs,Heat treat of the S30V blade is spot on and at a price of $130 it just can't be beat. I also had a Sage 1 and it was great too. There are a lot of Ti framelocks out right now but this is one of if not the best out there. Dead centered blade,early lockup,polished hardware,opening hole,wire pocket clip,jimping on the choil and smooth edges are just some of the details that make this knife a must have.

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Emerson Knives CQC7

03/03/2010 by Norton

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

Comments:

The CQC7 is an icon that has a place in any collection of tactical knives. In use some aspects of the knife can be odd and some can be annoying. The materials used are good quality. The way Emerson finishes G10 is in my opinion outstanding. The perfect grip without being too aggresive. 154CM is a proven blade steel that performs well. The blocky handle looks like it would be uncomfortable but is actually fairly ergonomic. The wave feature is a cool idea that attracts many people to the CQC7. In practice though I found it less than ideal. It does not always work and relies on how you draw the knife as well as the type of pants you are wearing. Eventually I ground the wave off of my 7. The chisel grind tanto blade is quirky as well. When cutting certain material it pulls to the side, making a clean cut difficult. The blade is stout and could probably take more prying than a thinner chunk of steel. Lockup is solid but there is a little too much side to side flex for my taste. The pivot screw also has a habit of becoming loose fairly quickly. I solved this with a small drop of loctite. The CQC7 was a groundbreaking design back in its day. Any collection of tactical folders should have one. In EDC use though some will love it and some will hate it. On the value side of things Emersons are a little overpriced in my opinion. Many knives deliver more bang for the buck in that price range.

Spyderco Native

03/03/2010 by chet

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

carbon fiber native is pure junk... action very stiff. all 4 screws were backd out so the blade could be opened. if you tightened the pivot screw or lock bar screw just snug, the blade would barely open. it too alot of force to open, unless like i said the screws were backed off, all loose. it was a real bummer for $120.00 and end up with this scrap iron... had it one day and sold it for a tank of gas for my car. other frn natives i've owned were good, don't know what happened to these carbon fiber versions. and by the way, since mine i''ve handled 2 others and they were the same.

SOG Vulcan

03/02/2010 by Richard

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Blade:

First of all, I really like the blade geometry, it is the only tanto I own that I really do like (other than my CRKT Triumph). There is actually a quite pronounced recurve that starts right after the secondary tip. If you were to physically hold the knife and squint at it, it would almost look like a clip point. It's almost as if a tanto tip was fused on to a big bellied drop point, its actually quite odd. However, so far it has excelled in some household chores and the recurved belly cuts quite well. The tip penetrates exceptionally well, as to be expected, as the tip angle is quite steep and the slight swedge that runs all the way to the ricasso certainly helps. The ricasso is perfectly sized for my taste, about 1cm past the handle, which I like on my knives, just seems sturdier. The blade seems to be flat ground and starts a third of the way down from the spine. At the base of the blade just bellow the thumb rise, there seems to be a few slits cut in that serve no purpose I can see. They are actually quite annoying looking and I'm not a big fan. The thumb rise seems very comfortably placed although the ridges cut in are very sharp and uncomfortable. Doing precise cuts using the thumb rise was very effective, just the ridges dug into my skin a bit too much. The blade is satin finished and there is a clear line where you can see the 420J2 steel ends and where the VG10 starts. This is my first san mai knife, so I don't know if that is typical, but it is quite interesting to see. The blade is also very thick near the spine, which I do like in my knives.

Handle:

The handle is Zytel, a fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) made by dupont, and is reinforced by steel liners. This is my first SOG (although I have handled plenty) and I sure am glad they added the steel liners. Most SOG folders I have handled have this tendency to give in a bit when you squeeze the handle. I know Zytel is said to be indestructible, but it still makes me feel uneasy. The Vulcan does not cave in at all, which I am relieved about. However the Zytel scales do feel very cheap to the touch, somehow it feels cheaper than Spyderco's FRN. It is very light feeling and very stiff. The scales do work to secure you hand rather well, although I haven't tried it when it was greased up or wet. The finger choil is large and stable and makes a very comofrable grip. There is not much else to say about it except that there is there is this small metal bit, stamped SOG, that potrudes out of the base of the handle, which is where the tip resides. There have been complaints of (and I can totally see how this is possible) that with the tip-up carry, you could run your finger through it and cut yourself. This could probably be improved upon, but it has not happened to me yet, knock on wood.

Clip:

Typical SOG, infused into the handle, this is the only aspect about SOG knives I really hate. There is minimal profile in your pocket, which I love, but the clip bends alot, which is really unsettling. Also the lack of any screws to anchor the knife means that there is no way to tighten the clip in case it does get loose. I don't think getting loose will be a real problem though, as it is injection molded into the zytel. More likely is the possibility that force applied to the clip over time will cause the zytel to crack or something. I guess time will tell.

Lock: SOG's Arc-lock system, rated at over 1000 lb, it is easy to use, and no different really than BM's axis lock.This knife does lock up pretty tight though, and there is no blade play at all. This had originially been one of my worries when I was about to purchase the knife, as previous SOG's I have handled have had some blade play. I have heard good things about the lock and so I am satisfied with it. However, I have heard that the lock is very easy to disengage, so I am taking a mental note to be wary of that. SOG advertises the Arc-lock to be totally ambidextrous, and it is, but since the clip cannot be moved to the other side, it really isn't all that ambidextrous. I am not a lefty though, so this isn't an issue to me, just something to be taken note of.

Deployment: The SOG features a few different methods of deployment. There are the usual thumb studs (which I found difficult to use, I'm not sure why..), there is the flipper as well (worthless, you can't generate near enough force to get the blade out, you must accompany it with a violent wrist flick), and the ARC lock ( unreliable in my opinion, because you must let go at a certain time before the blade is full extended, because otherwise the blade will rebound off of the pin). I choose the fourth way of deployment. I cut off a bit of a plastic nonrebreather oxygen mask and I rigged it up to the thumb studs so I have a Emerson wave-like potrusion. Now I can pocket snag it beautifully. It's as ugly as homemade sin, but it works like a charm. I've tested it for 100+ openings and it has held on well.

Putting it all together, I do really really love this knife. It's beautiful, and with the recurved belly, functional as well. It hits alot of my right buttons, but there was a few things I did not like about this knife: mainly the clip. Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes but only if you love it. I got it for 100 flat on ebay, and for that money you could get better. My BM grip has most of the same features for only around 70 bucks. At 100 bucks, it's also the most expensive knife I own (I'm a cheapie), but I would rather lose it up than my Griptilian or my Endura. But good job SOG, it is a solid knife and I think it will serve me well.

NOTE: after using this knife for about 3 months I had an incident last week when I was stepping off an ambulance while on duty and the pocket clip snagged onto some webbing. I didn't notice and kept moving my whole weight, the result was that the clip got SEVERELY bent to about a 45 degree to the handle. I used my leatherman to bend it back, but I doubt it will every be quite as tight as it was when I bought it. For a knife that excels in many areas I was disappointed at the lack of care and quality put into the pocket clip.

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Kershaw Tyrade

03/02/2010 by g schneider

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

Comments:

I have the titanium tyrade,I recieved it 2 weeks ago and it is quickly becoming my favorite for edc.The fit and finish and the operation of the tyrade is flawless.I have another kershaw,the offset,and after owning that for a while I knew what to expect from another kershaw.It is very comfortable to hold and much lighter than I expected.The assisted open is not as quick as I want but I feel that is just a matter of breaking it in.The frame lock is incredible once open it is like a fixed blade,I have total confidence in the tyrade even after only 2 weeks of ownership.All I can say is great job by kershaw!!!!!

Cold Steel Recon 1

03/02/2010 by Danny

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Now, I have never owned this knife. However I was playing around with it in the store, about to buy it when...........The lock mechanism fails and the blade is stuck in the open position. Needless to say I never bought the knife, and got a benchmade instead. Cold steel has one of the worst warranty's in the market for their folders. Now, with the near chato-strophic locking mechanism failure aside, and the terrible warranty, I kind of liked the knife from just playing with it. So, if your comfortable with that fact that this knife failed with me, in a store a few years ago than by all means go ahead and get it, it looks like a good knife. But I would read other reviews first and see how it compares to benchmades.

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Gerber LMF II

03/02/2010 by Danny

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The sheath on this knife is really nice IMO. It really snaps in, which is good an bad. Good because its not going anywhere even if you dont use the 2 button straps(which are nice to have) but bad because it requires a whole lotta force to get it out, which could be dangerous.

The in sheath sharpener. Common, how cool is that? It works and is a VERY smart design. Surprised more knives dont come with this. One of my favorite things about this knife. Also the carbide bits in the sharpener are replaceable, shows gerber was thinking.

I cant comment on the blade steel but, its a very thick blade so its not that great for cutting apples let say. IMO its too short to be a real survival knife. Its chopping power is, well, limited to say the least.

The handle is this knives greatest weakness, and yet one of its most unique and functional attributes. I have larger sized hands and I can not comfortably hold this knife with my finger running along the spine/handle. My biggest disappointment. The handle its self is alright however.

The cool part of the handle is that its made to be lashed to a stick to be made into a spear, yet another great feature. The handle is shaped very well for this task. Something again very cool about this knife. It attaches to a stick for lashing very nicely, and unlike other knives it stays true and secure.

Its a OK knife overall with a grip I dont care for. However this knife has some pretty unique and cool features that sets it apart as a survival knife!

Benchmade 551 Griptilian

03/02/2010 by Danny

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

My experience with this particular model is just from playing around with it in the store a lot. However, as I stated in another review I got my girlfriend a 556 grip. They are pretty much the same thing except the 556 is smaller.

For full details see my review of the pink 556. I will go over what is different about this knife.

There is only one difference besides size. And its not a good one. The handle feels really cheap. Cheaper than the 556 even though they are both made of the same material. Plain and simple. It feels very hollow and plasticy; yes it is made out of plastic i know. A major contributor to the knife feeling cheap is that it does not have full stainless steel liners. Next time your in the store tap on the handle with your finger nail, thats not how a well put together solid knife(especially for around $100) is suppose to feel and sound like IMO.

Now, a lot of people wont know what the hell im talking about, and think the handle is fine. And I get that. Im very picky about how a solid handle should feel.

As with most benchmades I feel the Axis stud/knob/what ever you want to call it should be sticking out around a millimeter more. I feel the Axis stud/knob/w/e is not high enough and I could see these knives which have this "problem(imo)" to be difficult to open in a high stress or situation. For some reason my auto Axis HK snody stud/knob is raised up by about a millimeter over the non axis knives that ive played with and is beefier overall for sure!!! Wish all there knives were like that. Dont get my wrong I think the Axis lock is AMAZING, just wish it was a little different.

Benchmade 55X-PNK Mini Griptilian

03/02/2010 by Danny

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I bought one of these for my girl friend for EDC as a present, once she saw my benchmade, she wanted one of her own.

Its a great knife gift for a girl, that is, if shes into knifes and likes pink.

154cm is a pretty good steel in general, im not terribly fond of it. I had it on one of my HK snody benchmades and I dropped the knife, chipping the tip off. Maybe I am expecting too much, but i was surprised. Its a good steel over all though, it comes quite sharp from the factory. I cant speak of edge retention, but it seems decent. Opening action is smooth and crisp as all Axis knives are.

There is only one very minor thing I didnt like about the knife. At the bottom of the handle all the 556's ive seen have 2 small nubs left over from casting. Its not a huge deal by any means and is easy for fix with some light grit sand paper.

I wish this knife came with stainless steel full liners as the handle feels a little cheap and hollow. This problem is even worse on the full size griptillains. A reason I will never get one.

Over all its a good knife, and I do like it. I think the styling is really great, and if I got one I would opt for the no longer produced OD/BLK D2 version which can be found for a great price. I must add that I have larger size hands and find I can use this knife comfortably, something that surprised me.

Benchmade 15020 Bone Collector Axis Folder

03/01/2010 by Paperas24

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jke4hQBuC_Y

I really like this knife

Zero Tolerance 0200

03/01/2010 by Niagaratac

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

Comments:

I love this knife in every aspect except its weight. Its value over the ZT 300 series is immense. I am not paying $100 plus for Sv30 blades, frame lock and Ti liners. Also its not a pregnant shark like they are. I have both the 0200 and 0302 and prefer 0200 by leaps and bounds.

It is a blade that just feels great and prodides great satisfaction in handling, opening, closing and fondling.

Few knives in production class have similar value. I am surprised Strider let these go out to us which diminished value of his similar 4X prices production blades that I own as well. Profit in quantity but these have quality to boot. A must have knife for any guy.