Anyone have experience with the 908 Axis Stryker?

[BMCGear]

I really like the Benchmade 710 but I'm not digging the recurve a ton these days or the D2 steel. I do however dig how thin the knife is for such a large blade. Anyone have experience with 908's? They seem thin and very pocket-able for a large knife. I would like to hear what you think if you have carried, held or used one.

 

[Havoc5J]

I was recently gifted with a BM 903, the mini version. There's obviously will be some differences between the two, but maybe you'll find this helpful anyways.

Pros:
-I like the extra contouring on what would otherwise have been a flat G10 scale.
-Very light weight
-Thin package
Cons:
-The G10 is surprisingly coarse, I've had Emerson's that are less aggressive.
-The pocket clip has a large amount of side to side flex. The clip itself just flexes from side to side due to the large cutout.
-The stop pin location makes the thumb ramp really awkward. The hump to accommodate the stop pin is placed to far towards the rear of the knife to function as a thumb ramp but is the same height as the blades thumb ramp, preventing its use. Your thumb kinda just sits on top of both awkwardly. Its a pretty significant design flaw.
-154 cm on a $150 knife.
-Arrived with poor centering and significant side to side blade play
-Pivot was very gritty until I disassembled is and polished the internals.

Overall, I was not impressed with this knife. For the price I would have expected better materials, fit and finish, and a lack of what I consider to be a very large design flaw.

 

[Jason B.]

I picked up a 908 a few weeks ago and find it to be a very likable knife. It's G10 is like most G10, wears smooth in a few weeks. If it was a cold steel folder then we would have something to talk about. 154cm is good stuff and benchmade does a excellent heat treatment which makes for very good edge retention and toughness. It's not always about having the latest steel, heat treatment and blade geometry often play a bigger role. The 908 has excellent blade geometry with a nice thin taper to the edge, yet maintaining good spine thickness to the tip for strength. The handle is ergonomic and thin allowing for easy carry and controllability when deployed. I have a large size hand and find it just large enough to be hand filling. As for the pocket clip, idk, it's hardened steel and I can't seem to flex it.

My only complaint is how the edge terminates at the heel, it will sometimes cause snagging of the material being cut. Besides that, I like it a lot for EDC and use at work. 154cm likes a coarse edge btw.

 

[glocker199]

I have a 908 and I really like it a lot. Beautiful blade with an great shape. Very thin and light for a heavy duty knife. I really like the texture of the G10 scales. Perfectly grippy without being too rough on hands or clothes.

The only thing I don't like is the pocket clip. I really wish they had used the deep carry clip for the Contego.

 

[Navitimer]

The only thing I don't like is the pocket clip. I really wish they had used the deep carry clip for the Contego.

Hey glocker199 - as you may know you can email BM customer service and get extra clips, even for knives you may or may not have (polished, black, standard, deep carry, etc.). I've got several extra BM deep carry clips hanging around. If you want one just shoot me a message and I'll send one your way for free.

I'm a fan of the Stryker. I love the design, the scales, and blade shape. It's become one of my favorite BMs, next to the Contego and Rift. In general, as for most BMs, it's hard to beat that Axis lock!

 

[glocker199]

Thank you for the offer but the Axis Strykers use a different hole pattern for the clip than the standard Benchmades.

 

[Navitimer]

Whoops...not sure what I was thinking. You're exactly right! Sorry that I can't help you out.

 

[MatthewSB]

Havoc made a very good list of the pro's and con's of the new Strykers.

-The stop pin location makes the thumb ramp really awkward. The hump to accommodate the stop pin is placed to far towards the rear of the knife to function as a thumb ramp but is the same height as the blades thumb ramp, preventing its use. Your thumb kinda just sits on top of both awkwardly. Its a pretty significant design flaw.

This is what happens when you take the blade of a classic liner lock Benchmade and jam it into the handle of a Triage - things don't work out.

I am extremely disappointed that they didn't leave the Stryker as it was - a linerlock. When it had a linerlock, there was no need for the goofy stop pin hump right in the middle of the jimping.

 

[pbcg]

They seem thin and very pocket-able for a large knife. I would like to hear what you think if you have carried, held or used one.

I'm very fond of both the 908 and 909 however I wouldn't classify them as a "large" knife. The blade comes in at 3.57" which I think about average in size. The original 910's were slightly larger at 3.70".

However, I have large hands and find the feel in hand of the 908 very comfortable indeed. Feel's good in pocket and carries well.

Not much experience from use to report unfortunately but on the basis of feel in hand and pocket I'd give it a big thumbs up! I'm sure you'll love it.

All the best!

 

[Redmasta]

Havoc made a very good list of the pro's and con's of the new Strykers.



This is what happens when you take the blade of a classic liner lock Benchmade and jam it into the handle of a Triage - things don't work out.

I am extremely disappointed that they didn't leave the Stryker as it was - a linerlock. When it had a linerlock, there was no need for the goofy stop pin hump right in the middle of the jimping.

Im also disappointed they just jammed a new blade into the Triage handle. I can't stand the awkwardly placed hump it's awful and thats why I sent mine back.

I dont think its the fault of the axis lock though. Axis lock knives like the Griptillian have a flat top handle that is flush with the ramp on the blade like the original Stryker.

Out of laziness they decided to reused a poorly designed Triage handle because it had a similar shape to the original.

I'm personally not a huge fan of liner locks and think an axis Stryker would have been sweet but unfortunately they bungled the design...atleast for me...

 

[jazub]

I love the 909s I've got. The pattern is probably the one I'd pick from my entire collection if I could have only one Benchmade. I also like the more streamlined look of the original Strykers (never handled one) but the "hump" on the back of the new ones acts as excellent gymping for a grip where gymping there would matter, imo. Since the Triage handle is a modified Stryker handle, it seems more of an evolution than a leftover. But maybe that is just me looking at the glass as half full and going with the flow. The 908 looks even cooler and I'll be scooping one (and a backup) -as soon as I can mellow out on this Emerson kick I recently got on

 

[rxavage]

The "stryker", I don't think thats what it was called back then but I can't remember, was the first decent knife I ever purchased as a young mall ninja in 1998/9 and I had that knife for years until it got lost along the way during a move or something. Anyways, it was one of my favorite knives back then, was always in my pocket, and took a ton of abuse as I stabbed and cut everything I could get away with while retaining a semblance of it's original edge; I never truly resharpened it ever.

 

[pbcg]

the "hump" on the back of the new ones acts as excellent gymping for a grip where gymping there would matter,

I completely agree. I see it as an enhancement, although I really love my original 910 Strykers.

I think it helps "lock in" a surer grip.

My only complaint if you could even call it that is I wish they had retained the 3.70" blade size of the original as I prefer a larger blade. Still, I think the new 909 & 908 are real winners in the new line up! Been waiting and hoping for an AXIS Stryker for years and now we have one!

 

[RevDevil]

I was recently gifted with a BM 903, the mini version. There's obviously will be some differences between the two, but maybe you'll find this helpful anyways.

Pros:
-I like the extra contouring on what would otherwise have been a flat G10 scale.
-Very light weight
-Thin package
Cons:
-The G10 is surprisingly coarse, I've had Emerson's that are less aggressive.
-The pocket clip has a large amount of side to side flex. The clip itself just flexes from side to side due to the large cutout.
-The stop pin location makes the thumb ramp really awkward. The hump to accommodate the stop pin is placed to far towards the rear of the knife to function as a thumb ramp but is the same height as the blades thumb ramp, preventing its use. Your thumb kinda just sits on top of both awkwardly. Its a pretty significant design flaw.
-154 cm on a $150 knife.
-Arrived with poor centering and significant side to side blade play
-Pivot was very gritty until I disassembled is and polished the internals.

Overall, I was not impressed with this knife. For the price I would have expected better materials, fit and finish, and a lack of what I consider to be a very large design flaw.

I have the 904 as well and I agree with your assessment overall. The knife (912/913) was great in D2, seems like a step backwards going to 154CM. The stop pin placement is kind of strange as well. What happened here as with other models is that they reimagined/reinvented an existing knife by putting a different blade on the same, already existing handle and increased the price. The handle is basically off the 915, and that looks to be a spin off of the 950. If you can find the older Nitrous Stryker, it would probably be a better knife overall, unless you are in love with the Axis lock.