Benchmade 300SN Ball Axis Flipper?

Really? 154CM sucks. But the exact same thing made with the CPM process would be absolutely amazing!!! I bet most people would not be able to tell any difference between the two with a production knife heat treat. I would bet that any gains seen by CPM154 are because it has a better heat treat since there are very few production knives that use it. If you are going to wish for a different steel, why pick the same steel, only made with a first generation particle process? Why not wish for a third generation particle process with gobs of vanadium?

Hey I'm a steel snob. I just don't get the want for essentially the same thing. Even being a steel snob, plain old 154CM is good stuff, especially if it is run at 61 HRC. About the lowest end steel I will carry anymore, though its not low end.

My only experience with CPM154 is in a Blur. I didn't notice ANY difference between it and Benchmade's 154CM. I got rid of the knife because I don't like the Blur design at all and just wanted to try the steel. I'm sure if anyone can really tell a difference between the two steels, it is because of a superior custom heat treat on the CPM154.

Don't know why that struck a nerve but I'm done ranting.
 
I wonder if the thumb studs serve to keep the blade from closing too far and hitting the stand-offs... Due to the curious cut out in the blade to make the flipper/Axis combo feasible, I wonder if this was necessary...
 
I feel like Benchmade did a half ass attempt to throw a flipper out there since spyderco just did their first one.
 
I think any company that is only now putting out a flipper is a bit behind, I wish people would quit comparing companies. I'm sure it takes month for a knife to go from design to development, I'm sure BM wasn't producing this knife to chase brand X.
 
I've have a few Benchmades and lilke the axis so I'll be glad to try one out with a flipper. I really like that it's affordable, and I've been looking for a 3" blade. Love the blade shape, and 154cm is a decent steel, and love the deep pocket carry clip. Options are great, so I'm not sure why anyone would NOT want the thumbstuds.

Unlike most, I prefer thicker knives that fill the hand. All in all I'm very excited to get one of these, if nothing else to have something to play with and flip. I have wanted a mini-grip in G10, and this will be better with the flipper. Could do without the brown though.
 
Sounds cool, I just don't know how well the axis will work with a flipper. If it's good I might get that for a first filipper then the more expensive ZT.
 
dongbeiren said:
Looks like a Kershaw...
Click to expand...

Like this one?

2910272.jpg

Kershaw Lahar
 
Looks good to me except for the finger grooves.

I don't mind when there are up to two of them, but after that they tend to get in the way.

I'll get one, but will probably wait a bit.
 
Not really my cup of tea, but I like the idea of combining a flipper and the axis lock. I'd like to see one bigger and sleeker. And, although this may be my lack of taste, I'm happy they went with a more distinctive handle color. Always good to have something break up the sea of black G-10.
 
RevDevil said:
Ehh, they can keep it with the 154CM. Why make an Axis lock flipper, and have thumb studs? If it were a frame lock I can see it, but this is not something I'd spend money on.
Click to expand...

I am thinking the same thing. I will just pick up a 0561 or Southard Flipper
 
Looks kinda chunky. Shame since features wise is just about everything I would like in my next knife.
 
I think the idea of an Axis flipper is awesome! To me, every axis lock I've had has been super smooth and way easy to deploy and unlock. I'm really excited to try it out. Design looks good too...
 
I don't know why there is so much negativity on this knife. I like the brown, black G-10 gets old for me anyway. I think its priced well too I ordered one for just over $100. Alot of people on here are saying they would rather have the Southard flipper but I can't see myself paying that much for a foreign made blade, so this one won me over.
 
I like everything about it, except the size. If it were 3.5"-4" I'd consider it a must have. We'll see. Still on the fence here but I do like the looks and BM's 154CM has never let me down. I like the steel. Like it even more on my ZT 0200.....
 
Last edited:
Change the blade length to between 3 1/2 inches and 3 3/4 inches. Change the blade steel to M390. Change the scales to black and green micarta. Then I will buy one :thumbup:
 
It seems to me that between all of the new big-ass ZT flippers (not just the 056X, but those few still on the horizon), Spyderco's Southard, Kershaw's bigger flippers (including the JYDII and the Tilt), there are more than enough choices in larger flippers with premium materials.

But when you get down to the 3" size, it seems like nearly all the flippers are stripped down with non-premium materials (not that I'm at all complaining about my Skylines, Zing, McGinnis Tuition, Scallions, etc.).

At ~$110 street price, there's no way I'd expect to see a flipper with anything more expensive than S30V, or 154CM and textured G10 is a nice touch (add to that the fact that it's got an Axis lock, a jimped thumb-ramp, and a very nice polished (not covered in their patented scratch-attracting coating) deep pocket clip.

Also, now that I look at some more detailed pics from the spine-side, it doesn't look nearly as thick as the pics show it (it's also longer and narrower than some of the first pics make it out to be). I got out my Bone-Collector (small) and compared just by eyeball and the flipper looks thinner (since it's not rounded like the Bone-Collector).

The thumb-studs appear to be removable (or at least, that looks like a torx head inside the right-side thumb-stud), and the groves in the G10 actually coordinate with the pillar-screw locations (i.e. no screw is half-way in a grove and halfway on a flat surface).

I'm by far not a Benchmade fanboy (God knows I've posted my rants about them in the past), but if this thing comes sharp out of the box and functions nearly as well as my mini-Barrage, Griptilian, or Bonecollector, I'll be very happy. I wish Kershaw and Spyderco would play with more premium-material flippers in this size.
 
I handled one today at GP Knives. I liked it a lot. It is very chunky and thick, but the blade is very nice. The flipper and Axis lock are a natural match. I wish I could have picked it up today, but I was there to finally score a Cryo (I see why folks love that little knife so much, the fit and finish is ridiculously good for a $30 knife) and I bought a Kershaw Knockout just last week. Too bad they had just sold out of the the Spyderco flipper so I could have compared the two. That said, at $239, the Spyderco (Southard?) is just too expensive for me. Spyderco has pretty much gotten too expensive for me to consider anymore. These days, a $100+ knife is a special treat for me and he Benchmade is right at my current top limit. An Axs lock flipper will be a nice change of pace from all of the liner and framelock flipper I own already.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top