Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter review. (picture heavy)

DeadboxHero

DeadboxHero

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Mar 22, 2014
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New box designPerfect texture, smooth , firm with very subtle roughness for grip.size comparisonnotch carving feathers
drilling shaving with spine. handle contours.

I'll post more pictures and details later.
 
One stick fire test on a rainy, wet pacific northwest day at 5600' elevation.

There is a constant rain trickling down through the canopy. the ground is soaked, everything is wet, even under low hanging pine branches. No dry tender here.
I've selected a wrist thick standing dead, its soaked on the outside but should be dry on the inside to make feathers. I found a baton and fell the dead tree
I then bucked off a piece to with a baton to split. success spine is sharper near the tip. The sheath is attractive but doesn't carry well. I go into details later. The grip for chopping locks in good, but is uncomfortable upon impact. Poor choice for chopping but should limb finger to two finger thick green wood well. This knife is an obvious choice for Temperate rain forest. This knife is solid. If I lost my pack with my axe, saw and shelter, this blade would definitely be a life saver. I'll cover the sheath and more details later.
 
Here a brief background on the knife

Its designed by Shane Sibert, a custom knife maker known for his tactical blades.

The Benchmade 162 is a production model of Shane's Cascadia bushcrafter which is handmade by Shane and comes in a variety of steels, handles and sheaths for $425 and up
I'll post more later.
 
Very nice. I've always liked the look of this knife. The Coke bottle handle looks to be very comfortable.

I'll look forward to your thoughts on the sheath, I've read good and bad about it. Should be pretty easy to have a good one made in any case.
 
Yeah man, the handle is one of the main reasons I bought this knife.
The knife gets lambasted for its design and title but only because of lack of information.

The handle is genius. It puts the palm swell forward so while choking up in the blade to carve feathers. This reduces fatigue in the hands much like arch support for insoles.

Its molded to account for a variety of grips
Chest lever


Flat section rests well on meaty portion of palm.
Saber grip

Modified chest lever.
Ice pick grip

Chopping.

The handle is secured with pressure flared titanium tubes that hold the scales on the tang without the need of epoxy. This just seems Sibert's characteristic style and is on all of his fixed blades
I'll post more in time.
 
The sheath is Very attractive. The first thing you notice when opening the box is the beautiful smell of quality leather. Benchmade advertises it as" brushed buck skin, full grain leather"

However upon closer inspection the knife was cutting into the welt.

This had to be remedied.
So I cut the top off the insert to allow for more room to take to edge off the welt. This proved to be foolhardy because now the retention strap is too loose to secure the blade.

So I attempted to wet form the leather.


Here's the problem, while beautiful and supple. the leather is simply too thin and soft. Its more akin to suede.

The wet forming was futile.

The insert is needed due to the knife not retaining, also added with the soft pliable leather (which given how sharp the blade is) it could piece the sheath with was upon the sheath flexing or bending.

But moving on. The sheath needed a waterproof treatment which looks great, really darkened it up.


After the wax treatment, it was time to solve the retention disaster I caused by modifing the insert to not cut the welt.

No dice

So I made a leather shim using thick stiff leather.
It work perfect for now.


However, the floppy leather strikes again with belt carry.



Belt loop is too soft. Feels like a good snag would rip it off my belt.

The blade handle sags. The leather offers no support to this 8oz beast of a blade.

I recommend baldric style or neck knife carry on the d-ring with a girth hitch to secure the knife and elimatenate sag.

Next, I'll cover the steel and the grind geometry
 
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It's a GREAT knife. I like mine. :) PS, good idea for a dangler. :cool: I had a shoe repair guy make one for mine. ;)
 
Its definitely a great knife.

You like the lanyard dangler? Thx man, just making "lemonade."

Cool, shoe shop dangler,Haha nice. Think outside the box.
 
The knife steel.

S30v..
.

this has been the premier folding knife steel for a while and for good reason. It gets crazy sharp.

"All steels can be equally sharp if sharpened"

No.

Some steels just take a more keen edge then most, s30v is that steel.

Its highy alloyed which although it doesn't take a mirror polish well its powdered metallurgy forms a very unifomed structure that rips through materials.


This steel is a great baseline for what sharp knives are.



But like all fixed blade guys know. Its about toughness.
The Benchmade 162 took a hit form critics for its steel selection.

"Its not carbon steel, it won't make sparks with chert or flint( not to be confused with ferro rods)

First off a knifes primary purpose is to cut. While its fun to daydream about using a knife and a rock to make a fire, Frontiersman (who depended on flint and steel) used carbon strikers, not knives to make sparks.

Most Carbon blades have coatings and high speed tool steels are also sometimes semi stainless and don't work.

Making a fire with a knife is cool but should never be a deal breaker.

Another complaint.

" S30v is too hard to sharpen and too brittle."

Yes S30v can be more difficult to sharpen (more time to grind) then carbon steel

Keep in mind however heat treatment changes everything.

I'm very impressed with Benchmades heat treat. This s30v is tough not just hard. I've used s30v on a few folders including my Manix 2. While impressive, (if not careful)the blade will chip where other would roll and strop back.

I knicked the blade on the spine of a handmade file knife I was carving the handle for.


I was pissed. On my Manix it would have require some grind on the diamond stones. However upon inspection of the 162, it was a roll(.5mm) I was stoked but skeptical. Most rolls turn into chips when sharpened but with some passes on my work sharp ceramic rod

it bent back to shape. Excellent steel for outdoor use.
 
Absolutely love mine. Its passed every test I've put it through.
I think the S30V makes it a terrific choice for people who spend just as much time using their knife in urban applications as much as wilderness ones.

This one's a hard-use keeper .
 
Indeed. I find its the heat treatment that really can make a knife hit and miss. When a company gets that right its always a keeper.
 
After looking for almost a year, I purchased my 162 with an extra sheath used from an on line auction site. So far, I have been very happy with it. I knew that I wanted a stainless fixed blade for out in the field and the Benchmade fits the bill perfectly. I also like the Survive! GSO series but IMHO,the Benchmade is a better buy.

Many people slam the design of the grip but I am finding that it works well. I would love to see a FFG camp knife with the same grip. That would be fantastic.

BTW, one of the best reviews I have ever seen of the 162. The best pictures by far.

Thanks.
 
Thx saber cat. Much appreciated. This knife is really underrated. I've never tried a gso probably never will until production get figured out or demand dies down. 3v knives have peaked my curiosity for if they live up to the hype.
 
Carved some spoons handle feels great. No hotspots,discomfort, fatigue.

Hollow tubes for bearing blocks?
Perhaps but No fire, more practice
Push cutting with thumbs
Vs Scandinavian grind.
Scandi bit deeper with less resistance

Large thin curls with little resistance
These curls took more effort.
Micro curls for ignition
Here's what this knife does better
This knife is so solid, a twist in the handle finishs the split.
Long thin feathers make excellent tinder and kindling. Sometimes its the only way to make fire.

Latest sheath mod for retention and rigidity. Just a long leather strip
Scandinavian carry "Sami" style
Its secure. Easy to take as well
Carabinier dangler
 
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