Any thoughts on Barrage?

A

Adirondackman1

Joined
Sep 18, 2014
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Hey folks, wondering about a Barrage, which would be my third Benchmade but I've read a couple of reports of the blade assist failing ( sometimes right away). Anyone had success with this knife? Good deals can be had for around $120.00, thanks.
 
I had a mini. It was a good knife. It was just a bit thick for my liking. I prefer the non-assisted knives.
 
I used one daily for months. I'm fairly tough on it and don't baby it at all. It has developed a small amount of blade play after tons of open/close but still performs.
 
I've had both a 581 and a 585 for a couple of years. Never a problem with either. The 581 doesn't really get hard use, but the 585 is a knife I use in rotation a couple of times a week in the shop for anything that needs cutting. I do have to tighten the pivot from time to time when the blade play starts to get on my nerves, but that's only something like every 6 months or so. Never had to tighten the 581 yet.
 
The Barrage is a great knife. One of the best things about the 581 is that M390 blade. They're a little thick across the beam, but carry well and are very comfortable to hold. I give the series a :thumbup:
 
I've a couple of the mini barrage models. I did do the de-assist mod on the one I carry on occasion as I just like to have more control over opening the blade. So I didn't test the assist for very long till I removed it but I had no failures to function properly.

I have not attempted it, but from what I understand, it's not too difficult to put the assist back in. So I made sure to keep the parts with the box in the event I move the knife along at some date.

I actually like the mini barrage a bit better than the mini grip, except in the ritter model. I would like a mini barrage with a thumbhole though. Same with a ritter. It seems the thumbhole offerings are fading out though sadly.
 
My only complaint on the Barrage [ full size ] is that I prefer a LARGE blade and that is about 1" or so too small for my EDC main "social" blade.

I carry at least 2 and often 3 folders,the large one usually has a 5" blade.

I am now EDCing a Contego and that too could be 5" and it would be PERFECT.

But the Barrage AO is my walk around the house knife and I LOVE it for fast opening and one handed closing.
 
I just removed the assist on my 581 and liked it a lot more. It's one of only 2 Benchmades I have, the other being a large Dejavoo. Can't seem to warm up to most of the other models.
 
Have owned 580, 585, and volli (bacically a mini barrage skeleton in much better skin). The volli is the only one I still own. Don't like the scales on the 580/585...too hollow/plasticy feeling. Not a bad knife, but with the volli you get nice G-10 scales and S30V.
 
I've been EDC'ing an original 585 for 3 years now. After 3 years of playing with it the lock up is drifting to the side and it has developed ever so slight blade play. Still a solid knife though. I've never sent it in for service, but its something they said they can tune up. Should probably rotate something else in, but I really like it. I also own a 566, and got a domino on the way.
 
I am thinking about picking one up just to try a set of the new KSF scales on it.
 
I love mine. I have had it for a little over a year. The assist is still firing nice and hard. Also the grind is perfect. It slices like a monster
 
I love my 586, before I bought it I carried a 580 for close to a year as my main edc. I did take the assist out of both and that made them much more enjoyable to me. But I'll put it this way I went from owning around 25 benchmades this time last year, and they've all been gifted, sold, or retired with the exception of my 586 mini barrage. I usually carry two knives with me (one larger heavier use and one to smaller to use in front of people) and you won't often find me without the 586. As for the 580, I gifted mine to my father after a trip to the spa and a new sharpening, I had beat up that knife (read batoned, chopped and innumerable other things folders shouldn't do, it also made the trip to philmont scout ranch with me) and it looked brand new when I handed it to him. He's had it for almost a year now and has used it everyday pretty hard himself, and it still looks and functions like the day I picked it up from the store. What I'm trying to convey is for my purposes this is the best knife benchmade has produced, I'm sure you'd be very happy with any model in the series.
 
I have the mini barrage and in IMHO it's benchmade best slicer . I really like this blade the only issue I have it takes two hands to close . The assisted opening is super fast so that makes it super hard to close with one hand .
 
I like the full size Barrage. After de-assisting the the Mini-Barrage, I like that one more. While it was still assisted, the Mini-Barrage was the most accident prone of my knives... Several occasions where I accidentally jabbed or nicked myself.
 
I used the 581 several months to try out the assist, but I never liked it due to it requiring two hands to close. I took out the assist and found the opening and closing of the knife to be way better.

I don't carry it as often as the 710 and 940 due to the thickness of the handle. I got it at a great bargain though at $130 new.
 
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