761 : Tempted But Leery

Wolverine666

Wolverine666

Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Messages
6,642
The 761 is a beautiful knife. Excellent materials and simple in design. I like it. But I recall when it first was introduced there were many poor reviews siting excessive blade play and next to no decent. The word "sloppy" was used more than once.

Anyway , that was years ago. And today I'm interested in the knife but I'm hesitant to buy due to these earlier reports. Just wondering if anyone knows if these issues were ever addressed by BM. And if now the knife is solid. For it's price tag , I could buy (2) 710's which in my opinion is one of the best knives ever made. Then there are some blades from other makers that look equally as appealing for less money.

Just looking for opinions and experience on recent 761's.
 
I have exactly the same question regarding the price point of 761. Maybe it is mainly because of the steel? I mean quite a few folders with full ti handles and s30 / s35vn / elmax (of other brands) can be purchased with at least 100 less.

What am I missing?
 
I have a first production run and it's my go-to hard use folder. I love it..

It's lightweight, feels great in hand, has very nice accentuated features, and the m390 blade is a real workhorse.
The detent is soft, which makes the blade FLY out when flicked with the thumbstud.
Absolutely no play.
Granted, at around 300 bucks it's expensive for some consumers...but it's my cheapest folder at the moment.

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sharp_edge said:
I have exactly the same question regarding the price point of 761. Maybe it is mainly because of the steel? I mean quite a few folders with full ti handles and s30 / s35vn / elmax (of other brands) can be purchased with at least 100 less.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

You just have to handle one to understand.

There's a level of machine work and tighter tolerance on the 761 that is absent from $200 and under folders.
 
Wolverine666 said:
Anyway , that was years ago. And today I'm interested in the knife but I'm hesitant to buy due to these earlier reports. Just wondering if anyone knows if these issues were ever addressed by BM. And if now the knife is solid. For it's price tag , I could buy (2) 710's which in my opinion is one of the best knives ever made. Then there are some blades from other makers that look equally as appealing for less money.

Just looking for opinions and experience on recent 761's.
Click to expand...

Start at Post #34 and read through the thread, should answer all your questions.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1237522-Benchmade-761-TITANIUM-FRAMELOCK/page2
 
Don't have one, but I've gotten to handle a couple and, unless they get a lot worse really fast, it seems like BM addressed the earlier issues with the knife. Smooth, good detent, excellent F&F and the grinds seemed thinner than on most Benchmade products that have passed through my hands. I did, however, absolutely hate the pocket clip, but I've also hated almost every single milled titanium pocket clip I've messed with, so there is that. It's not my thing, but if you dig it, I'd say get one.

USA Made Blade has them in stock and Whitty there is very knowledgeable, has fantastic customer service and is just a generally great human being from what I can tell. If I were you I'd get in touch with him, tell him about any issues you're concerned with and have him check one over before he ships it out to you.
 
BluegrassBrian said:
There's a level of machine work and tighter tolerance on the 761 that is absent from $200 and under folders.
Click to expand...

I'll second this. The newer productions of the 761 series take care of the issues with the FP run. For a non-flipper this actually fires hard using the thumb stud. The grind, blade centering, smoothness are all up to scratch. Once in hand you'll appreciate the materials and fit & finish.

Also, if you track BM Ti frame locks (okay... mono-locks) over the years you'll notice that just about every one either holds its value, or goes up. It may not be the next Skirmish, but I bet you could get 5-10 years good use out of the knife and sell it close to what you paid for it.
 
Got mine a couple of weeks ago and I can tell you there are no kinks whatsoever. The knife has the best and smoothest action I have ever felt. It literally flies open every time with very little 'thumb force' and locks up solid!
Detent is not strong, but feels just right. The machining on the Ti is second to none!
The blade......WOW!! Gorgeous blade shape with a beautifully even edge that is, bar none, the sharpest knife out of the box I have seen!! It is a thin blade that slices like a very pissed off demon!!
The clip is very tight, but given the knife's other attributes, it's easily over looked.
Don't hesitate!!
Joe
 
Thanks for the input guys. I'm a sucker for a nice Ti frame lock and the 761 has captured my attention. Glad to hear all the positive responses.
 
love the blade and the f/f is second to none. don't carry it as much as I would because of the clip. as someone mentioned, milled ti clips are not my thing
 
The clip is the worst part. It will only slide over very thin pocket seams. I kind of hope there's another clip released like they did with the 755MPR. I've tried a couple of deep carry clips and they just don't compliment the knife well enough to make the change permanent. Mostly mine sits around because of the pocket clip.
 
I keep my knives I carry in a kitchen cabinet near my back door.

The 761 has become my "kitchen" knife I grab to cut fruits and veggies. It will cut through a tomato like a hot knife through butter. It's crazy sharp and great for slicing up small slivers of stuff. I just love the feel of it over my cheap kitchen knives.

It's so much better at slicing than all my other regular carry knives.
 
I still want one, but it is going to have to wait until I acquire my next firearm.
 
Mine has been absolutely awesome to me, no issues. I think there were only really just a few knives with issues and then people have assumed the whole first production was bad. In case anyone wants to know a cheap DIY deep carry clip, here is what I did using a Benchmade deep carry clip. The holes are slightly canted and narrower so I had to dremel it this way to get it straight. This was my first attempt using a dull bit, but with a sharp burr one could do this in a few minutes and Benchmade provides these clips for free!

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7C8AFFEB-6BA7-464A-9FF9-45DEE0D0E2C3_zpsoq2lyt9e.jpg
 
The deep carry clip goes a long, long, long way on this knife. After seeing yours I wouldn't consider purchasing one without the intention or ability to modify it for a deep carry clip. Great looking knife, congratulations.
 
Nice work on that deep carry clip! I would definitely attempt that as well if I ever get a 761
 
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