Benchmade Auto Stryker 9100 - Hands on Review

I managed to get my hands on a Benchmade Auto Stryker, and have been pleasantly surprised by its performance. Most button activated auto knives I have encountered in the past have been somewhat wanting in the durability department. The Auto Stryker has not shown any signs of that at this point, but time will tell.

As we have all come to expect from Benchmade, this knife is razor sharp and can be kept that way with a decent sharpener (I prefer to stick with Benchmade sharpeners for Benchmade knives, but that's just me). The blade and handle are solid, and feel solidly attached. The activation button is easy to use, and the knife has an integrated safety along the back spine of the handle to prevent the thing popping open in your pocket. Granted, the safety only works if you ACTIVATE it (as a friend of mine found out to his embarrassment, although no serious harm was done in the end; lucky bastard, lol).

The Spring loaded blade snaps out with a good amount of force. This is both a good thing, as well as a potential point of concern for me. While this is a good feature in what seems to be mainly a military and police knife, I would worry about it in the long run. Because the blade opens and slams into the frame with such force, I would be a bit concerned that after a year or two of use it could start too loosen up the way the knife locks open. Not the end of the world, I know, but having a knife with a wiggly blade is a bit of a pet peeve for me.

Overall, a very good knife. Sturdy, sharp and reliable. I don't recommend carrying one of these around in public unless you know for sure that your local laws allow you to carry an auto knife.