Benchmade 635BK Mini Skirmish

J

jdr365

Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
49
Whats everyone think about this bad boy. I can't really find any reviews on it so just looking to get peoples opinions on this. I am thinking about picking it up for my brother for an EDC or if I like it perhaps myself :)
 
I think it is a pretty cool looking knife, though I don't think I'd actually buy it. Depends on what you'd want to use it for I suppose. It has a frame lock which i like, clip is good, finish of it seems really good too. Seems to be a good knife, just depends on if you really like it I guess. Just my opinion without handling it.
 
I'm sure if you googled the knife, you'd get plenty of info. I understand that in order to use the "search" feature on BladeForums, you have to pay a small membership fee (Personally, I think it's worth it), but others have said you can get around that & google is your friend.

Having said that, the B/M mini-Skirmish is an excellent knife. It has a fairly large blade in relation to the handle length. My 2 complaints are that it's tip down only (Although I've been getting used to knives that have that) & the thumb-hole's too smooth. I find it difficult to open easily, as my big thumb has a tough time getting a good purchase on it. I believe this is because B/M beveled the thumb-hole & that makes it real smooth & the hole isn't too big. But that's a subjective thing as your brothers thumb (& many others) might work just fine.

Overall, it's a very nice knife. How can a Ti frame-lock knife not be, lol? Plus
the blade steel is excellent, too (S30V).

Good luck & oh yeah, welcome to BladeForums.
 
The only negative I've read about it is that some people have issues opening it. They say the spyderhole it has doesn't stick to your thumb that well.
 
I own a mini-Skirmish and have to give it a thumbs-up. It's slim, light, rather large for a "mini", and has a very nice S30V blade.

I'm not big on recurve blades, but I like this one (probably because I own it :) )

I sent this knife back to BM shortly after receiving it. When closing, the blade edge was hitting one of the barrel spacers and it knicked the blade! A very "micro" knick, if you will, but it was bothersome and certainly NOT right. They fixed it right up. Took 3 weeks though. By the way, since the "disassembly/warranty voidance" thread is never more than a click away, I had disassembled the knife to investigate the reason for the knicking - to make sure the culprit was indeed the barrel spacer and not me or someone I showed the knife to. It was the barrel spacer and I told BM I took it apart. It didn;t phase them at all. I was ready for an arguement but they left me disappointed :)

The hole isn;t really the best opener for me - my big thumbs slide off them too easily. What I found to do was insert the tip of my thumb, as opposed to pushing with the pad. After a little bit, this became reflexive - if that's right. But one day, I found some strange looking rubber blugs, the kind you may find in cars to fill a drilled hole. Just out of curiosity......hey, it fit the hole just north of the big hole! Opening that knife now is a breeze, and the rubber looks classy too. I'll try to get a picture up for you.

I like tip down. I know I'm in a minority here, but I carry the knife in my waistband just to the right of my belt buckle. When I reach for it, my thumb goes down between my stomach and knife, and my index finger takes care of the outside. As the knife comes up, I left the bottom end (tip down end) fall into my hand, pivoting "at the pivot", between my thumb and index finger. The knife is ready to open - no further repostioning or adjusting is needed. I;ve tried, and I cannot for the life of me see it working as well any other way.

I managed to snap a photo or five. Sorry about the quality (lack of) - I rushed it to get it into this post:
mini-Skirmish-02.jpg

mini-Skirmish-03.jpg


A nice find...that little washer was!
mini-Skirmish-01.jpg

mini-Skirmish-05.jpg

mini-Skirmish-04.jpg


Since I own one I am, of course, biased (not to mention my long-standing kudos for Benchmades in general)..... having said that, I recommend highly the mini-Skirmish.
 
I have both a Skirmish and a "mini"-Skirmish. I like 'em both, a lot, and I carry the mini much more. The Skirmish is a monster; so, I am less inclined to carry it. The blade is somewhat intimidating to close one-handed. It is easy to imagine slipping and slicing off a thumb. :eek:

However, I would not consider the "mini" a small knife since the blade length is equivalent to the blade on my large Sebbie.

Both Skirmish and "mini"-Skirmishare very smooth to open and close. Lock up has been excellent. And the BM S30V takes and holds a very fine edge.

The chamfered opening hole does take some getting used to, but, with practice, it is doable. I prefer to carry my mini IWB, left side. That sets it up for easy retrieval and opening with my right hand: retrive, open, use, close, replace IWB.

If the mini appeals to you, I can recommend it. :thumbup:
 
Two weeks ago, I was fondling knives in my favorite brick-front store in Las Cruces. The lady had a Gold Class mini-Skirmish on a display stand. She claimed it was the smoothest Skirmish she'd ever opened, so I tried it and.....agreed. (Also the sweetest looking mini I've seen....in-hand or in pictures!!!)

Just last week, I felt a little "roughness" when opening and closing. I decided to disassemble and clean the knife. While it was apart, I polished up the washers on 1500, then 2000, then on a green CrO2 leather strop. Then I lubed with Bill DeShivs' personal lubricant, WD40 ((( :D )))

Works like a Gold Class now :)

P.S.: DON'T Forget a dab of blue Locktite on the pivot screw!!!
 
if you like the looks of the mini-skirmish, there are two things you have to do:

1. get someone to drill away the chamfering on the opening hole. this can be done with a drill bit that's larger than the existing hole. The chamfering on the hole spoils the whole opening mechanics.

2. send the knife to Tom Krein for him to regrind/thin down the bevels.

You will then have yourself an extremely efficient cutter that is a nice framelock as well.

I personally will also shorten the blade, to make it look more like a skirmish, then the Hellion (the model on which this is based on).
 
thanks everyone you have been really helpful in deciding to purchase this knife. one other question does anyone have complaints about the coating or know of any? Also is there any other knife that can compare?
 
Now, are you saying the Hellion based on the design of the Skirmish?

Or.... are you saying Neil Blackwood copied the Hellion when he designed the SKirmish?

Aside from that, grinding the blade down certainly would make the SKirmish a little "slicier", but I don;t think it really must have it.
 
jdr365 said:
thanks everyone you have been really helpful in deciding to purchase this knife. one other question does anyone have complaints about the coating or know of any? Also is there any other knife that can compare?
Click to expand...

BM's coatings are very good. They won't "rub" off, but they will show signs of wear as you use the knife.
 
I agree that the chamfer on the opening hole was a mistake. It also has a small problem in that I find myself pressing in on the locking bar as I'm trying to open it, mking it all that much harder.

It isn't something I would care to use very much. I cut through a 2" sapling with mine and I could feel the hotspots on that metal handle. If you use it much don't be surprised if you find it uncomfortable.
 
What's the price tag? I think I got mine from New Graham...can't remember now. BUT: that was after shopping around to see who had the best price.
So....what's the current "best" price and from where?
 
It's totally worth it. The gold class one is even more worth it if you can find one at this point. My favorite gold class of all time. I have been fortunate enough to work at the only store in the entire northeast to get reliable access to gold class pieces and have had the opportunity to handle a great many of those very fine pieces, and the most recent mini skirmish was the best by far. I affectionately referred to it as the "Metroid Knife." :D

It and the orangepeel titanium Osbourne both sold to a very nice neurosurgeon. I was able to convince him to use them as well!
 
I'm trying to remember. I think I paid about $135 for mine, bu that may not be right....don;t hold me to that. Maybe it was high as $150. Look around some more if you will.

I can only say this: I'm happy with that "little" mini-Skirmish and it was worth (to me) whatever it was I pad for it. :thumbup:
 
I have both the Mini and full-sized versions. I strongly prefer tip-down designs; carry IWB; and the Skirmishes are my favorite models.

The opening holes and the locking bar just take a little getting used to - I have absolutely no problems with either at this point, though I remember having to initially get used to them. It was not a long process!

I like the recurved blade and the way the handle does not "grab" clothing (unlike the Spyderco Milllie and Para). I have convexed the edge on both, and find them to be great cutters.

:thumbup:
 
I have a 'standard' BM635 Mini-Skirmish (satin-finished blade) and not the black-finished blade.
I absolutely love that folder! Super-razor sharp right out of the box, very smooth, sturdy, I personally love the opening holes (works fine for me).
My EDC folder is a Strider PT, but when I need to carry a folder for a more 'dress-up' day when I have to wear 'business casual' clothes or nicer, I carry the BM635.

Definitely get one - you will not be disappointed!

Regards,
Mike
 
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