benchmade 158 csk ii

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blackjackdan08

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Aug 22, 2009
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I need some help looking for a fixed blade knife thinking about the benchmade 158 csk ii, can i please get a review...and is 63 bucks a good price for this knife new?
 
I was looking into one of those, but the cheapest I could find was $75. 1095 steel, leather sheath, Kraton handles; what can go wrong?
 
I bought one for my buddy a couple of years ago. He takes it hunting whenever we go. It's nice and sharp, holds a decent edge, has a nice slim profile, light weight, and feels good in the hand. The only thing is that we haven't put it through hard edge retention tests. I think it's a great deal for $63. The other one I considered was the Cold Steel SRK (less expensive at the time), but I did not see one in person like the BM 158 and I'm a fan of Benchmade knives, so I went with that. I'd consider getting one for myself for $63. This is sort of a mini-review.
 
I real am looking for that outdoors knife...something i can use in almost any situation...does this knife fit the bill?
 
I have the older version that I picked up as an all-purpose knife. I've been very happy with it. Looking at the 158 CSK II, I'd definitely have it on my short list.
 
blackjackdan08 said:
Woods...a good field knife..lost in the jungle .or zombie apocalypse
Click to expand...

I think you'd be limited by the 6" blade - good all around, but not great at any particular aspect, except maybe self defense. It is a stout knife though, and I would feel comfortable using it in the woods or jungle for emergency survival tasks. It still wouldn't be my first choice, because of the blade length. It's way too short to kill a zombie with, but luckily I don't have any experience with that. :) Like I said earlier, it's a quality, stout knife, and if the specs meet your needs, especially for that price, I'd go for it. My buddy takes it hunting and it'll dispatch a deer or hog no problem, as well as do a decent job of field dressing and skinning. Not perfect for those tasks, but it does the job. It's very comfortable to carry, due to it's slim profile and simple sheath, especially compared to "chunkier" and heavier 6" fixed blades.
 
I like BM folders, but IMO this knife is too short and light for really effective chopping and batoning, and it's too long to be really useful for detailed camp utility tasks. You do hear quite mixed reviews about it, for example:

A positive review:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25978356/FOG-HORN-Gear-Review-Benchmade-158BK-CSK-II

Nutnfancy, whose name evokes many varied reactions here, gives it a negative review, saying it broke under testing and was unworthy for woods use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTWffDF1_Y4


What's the truth? I dunno, I haven't owned one. But like I said, the profile of this blade is not what I would personally choose: it's either too long (for a utility blade), or too short (for a big chopper). Trying to get the one-size-fits-all blade is pipe dream, IMO, you just end up getting a blade that doesn't do ANYTHING particularly well. I would get a smaller knife for utility work, and perhaps get a 12" to 14" machete for the heavy chopping work.
 
it's 3/16ths 1095 with a six inch blade... what in the design makes this any less capable than a ESEE 6?

6 inches is plenty long to baton, and I don't attempt to chop with anything short of 10 inches anyway. This is a 'one' type knife, more of a combat utility knife or a military survival knife than a recreational woods use knife.
 
I liked the looks of the CSK II also, until I saw the nuthinfancy cold weather test on you tube. He went on to hack a piece of wood and a giant chip broke off of the blade. Now, I know that some times there are instances of defect in materials, but I lost all interest after his review.
 
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