Showing posts with label benchmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label benchmade. Show all posts

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Benchmade Rukus Folder - Hands on Review

I know, Benchmade again right? Well what can I say, they make quality knives. This one is no exception from what I can tell, very sharp and easy to open/close. The handle is micarta and is well constructed. I have seen online that they area also selling various colors of replacement grips (should you decide you want to alter the aesthetics), but the stock colors look just fine to me.

Only potential weaknesses I can see would be the pocket clip and the grip screws. I haven't seen any issues with the clip so far, however it is also a screw on piece (as opposed to an integral clip, which would be more robust). Having had lots of knives with crappy pocket clips, the screws in the clip are almost always the first things to fail me.

The micarta looks cool, and seemed to be attached pretty sturdily, but on closer inspection there was a bit of wiggle. Long story short, I pulled the screws out and re-tightened them with an allen wrench and a little lok-tite. Problem solved.

Overall, a good little pocket knife. Once again, Benchmade being expensive is a bit of a downer, but you definitely get what you pay for in this case.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

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.

Benchmade Nimravus Fixed Blade Knife - Hands on Review

The moment I got this knife out of the box, I fell in love with it. Benchmade has made a reputation over the years for creating very good knives, and the Nimravus is no exception. A cursory test of the factory edge was sufficient to shave the hairs off the back of my hand with very little effort. The knife as a whole feels very sturdy, and the grips where solidly attached. I tried to mar the finish with a straightened paper clip on hand, and failed miserably. I even tried to put a scratch in it with my pocket knife (a Benchmade Rukus folder), but only managed to leave a dent; didn't even go all the way through.

The sheath is well made, and holds the Nimravus tight. It also gives the option of hanging it from a belt either  vertically or horizontally (dunno that I would be comfortable doing the latter, but who knows; I'm sure someone out there has done it) as well as attached to MOLLE load bearing equipment. I have not had a chance to try out the molded plastic sheath Benchmade offers on their website, but the one that was provided has so far been sufficient for my needs. Why fix whats not broke, right?

Overall, this is a great knife. I'm a bit of a picky person when it comes to knives, but other than being a bit expensive (hey, its Benchmade, you get what you pay for!) I honestly cant find anything wrong with this one.