- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 2,314
Thanks Tom for the great photos!
I held off reading any review posts about this until after my turn. I didn't want to be skewed. Its interesting that some of my first impressions were the same: size, beauty, sebenza-like nature. Truly like a sebenza on steroids.
Positives
S30v blade steel rocks
Titanium scales are excellent
Frame lock is solid
Thumb hole pull works for me
Lock-up is rock solid. Like a fixed-blade when open. Zero blade play. Zeeroh.
This peice has very nice lines and a great blade shape. I like the deep blade grind, and it has a beefy spine. The general fit and finish is at the highest end of the range for a "production" knife. This knife truly could be compared to a Sebenza. I thought hell, here's a Sebenza with a thumb hole pull
Negatives
Its just too damn big for me. I'm a big guy with big hands, but this is almost clumsy big. Its like the blade is too heavy. Its just too big. A slightly smaller version in the same (BM630) price range would go head to head with and hurt the Sebenza.
I like a finger choil right where the blade and handle comes together.
The one-option clip placement doesn't bother me. I'm not that picky, I just use what there is.
Nowhere for a lanyard. There are holes at the back of the handle, but the blade covers them. (I'm not a big lanyard guy, but I might tie it on if working over water, on a high scaffold, etc.)
I could probably do without the dots, and certainly the coloring in the dots, but they don't bother me that much.
Bottom Line
I am very impressed, and if it comes out in a smaller version, I'm all over it.
Except for size, the negatives are minor. The positives far outweigh anything that could be said in a negative manner. This this is a beautiful peice of work, and the Benchmade production team should be proud. Mr. Blackwood can also be proud that Benchmade did this so well. Mr. Glesser is certainly also acknowledged in the design and function of this knife.
Thanks Tom for organizing this.
I held off reading any review posts about this until after my turn. I didn't want to be skewed. Its interesting that some of my first impressions were the same: size, beauty, sebenza-like nature. Truly like a sebenza on steroids.
Positives
S30v blade steel rocks
Titanium scales are excellent
Frame lock is solid
Thumb hole pull works for me
Lock-up is rock solid. Like a fixed-blade when open. Zero blade play. Zeeroh.
This peice has very nice lines and a great blade shape. I like the deep blade grind, and it has a beefy spine. The general fit and finish is at the highest end of the range for a "production" knife. This knife truly could be compared to a Sebenza. I thought hell, here's a Sebenza with a thumb hole pull
Negatives
Its just too damn big for me. I'm a big guy with big hands, but this is almost clumsy big. Its like the blade is too heavy. Its just too big. A slightly smaller version in the same (BM630) price range would go head to head with and hurt the Sebenza.
I like a finger choil right where the blade and handle comes together.
The one-option clip placement doesn't bother me. I'm not that picky, I just use what there is.
Nowhere for a lanyard. There are holes at the back of the handle, but the blade covers them. (I'm not a big lanyard guy, but I might tie it on if working over water, on a high scaffold, etc.)
I could probably do without the dots, and certainly the coloring in the dots, but they don't bother me that much.
Bottom Line
I am very impressed, and if it comes out in a smaller version, I'm all over it.
Except for size, the negatives are minor. The positives far outweigh anything that could be said in a negative manner. This this is a beautiful peice of work, and the Benchmade production team should be proud. Mr. Blackwood can also be proud that Benchmade did this so well. Mr. Glesser is certainly also acknowledged in the design and function of this knife.
Thanks Tom for organizing this.
