Benchmade 670 Apparition...Why is it , SO MUCH HATED ?

Neah, it's a Warren Osborne design. AFAIK Mel Pardue had nothing to do with it, if he did his logo would've been on the blade right next to Osborne's boomerang, or there wouldn't have been a logo there at all.
 
RxEnergy said:
Neah, it's a Warren Osborne design. AFAIK Mel Pardue had nothing to do with it, if he did his logo would've been on the blade right next to Osborne's boomerang, or there wouldn't have been a logo there at all.
Click to expand...

The Benchmade Apparition is an automatic assisted knife- you give the thumb-stud a push and the knife takes over rocketing the blade open. The knife comes with instructions on how to convert the knife from an auto-assist to a manual knife (and vice-versa). A wonderful addition to the Benchmade line and a great collaboration by PARDUE AND OSBORNE. :confused:

Quote taken from the NOT-BENCHMADE WEBSITE, but a website selling the knife....
 
Last edited:
From 670's page...

670.gif
 
THEN, I see this , also on thier site...No mention of PARDUE...Does anybody really know what , if any he had to do with it ?


Product Number: 670 Apparition
Designer: Warren Osborne Mechanism: Modified Liner
Lock w/assist
Blade Material: 154CM Blade Length: 3.4 (8.64 cm)
Blade Thickness: 0 .125 (1.25mm) Blade Options: Plain Edge
Handle Material: Black Valox 420
Liner Material: 420J SS Back Spacer: Stainless Steel
Sheath/Clip: Stainless Steel clip mounted right of handle, tip
down carry.
Weight: 4.50oz. (127.57gm) Length-Open: 7.82 (20 .96cm)
UPC: 6 10953 12016 0 MSRP: $150.00
 
Phil Dobson made new snakewood scales for this one of mine:

3658898948_647a25daf9.jpg


The stock scales do feel like cheap plastic.

I ended up selling it to fund other projects. I thought it was a good mix of traditional with modern, but it was a little heavy, the liner looked and felt weak, the assisted opening didn't really go with that type of knife (IMHO), and the blade geometry was a little thick.
 
Last edited:
http://www.benchmade.com/images/pr/pdf/670_NPA.pdf

^Benchmade's product announcement. It makes no mention of Mel Pardue. Between that being straight from the proverbial horse's mouth, and I don't think RxEnergy is really ever wrong with his BM knowledge I'd say thats pretty definite. :)

Neat knife, really like the design, but the false buffalo horn is pretty terrible IMHO, But was that a micarta handled one in that pic? Love micarta on folders
 
EricV said:
http://www.benchmade.com/images/pr/pdf/670_NPA.pdf

^Benchmade's product announcement. It makes no mention of Mel Pardue. Between that being straight from the proverbial horse's mouth, and I don't think RxEnergy is really ever wrong with his BM knowledge I'd say thats pretty definite. :)

Neat knife, really like the design, but the false buffalo horn is pretty terrible IMHO, But was that a micarta handled one in that pic? Love micarta on folders
Click to expand...

Too late...but welcome to the post....
 
lava_lamp said:
Phil Dobson made new snakewood scales for this one of mine:

3658898948_647a25daf9.jpg


The stock scales do feel like cheap plastic.

I ended up selling it to fund other projects. I though it was a good mix of traditional with modern, but it was a little heavy, the liner looked and felt weak, the assisted opening didn't really that type of knife (IMHO), and the blade geometry was a little thick.
Click to expand...


Very nice Lava!!:thumbup: Phillip does excellent work:thumbup:
 
RxEnergy said:
Yep, that is mikarta. 670BK-600. 400 of those were made.

PS Thanks for the vote of confidence :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the model #, shame they were such a small run. Classy looking knife.

Your posts/pics and info have helped me out before when I was looking through old threads for info on disco'd models and what not,

so thank you! :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
At a store I worked at we sold both the SS bolster and the G10 version and I found them to be fine knives, one of the best AO folders we had, other than Kershaws. I like the BM Nitrous Stryker better but the Apparition felt nice and had a nice spring and sound when it deployed. I have never owned one but they are some nice knives.
 
I believe that it's mainly the looks of the knife that aren't for everybody. It is a nice knife and lives up to the Benchmade name but, especially now, they have so many other knives for the same price or cheaper that just seem to do it for more people. A friend of mine has an Apparition and it is a cool knife but for the money I'd much rather get something like a Rift, 710, Barrage...
 
RxEnergy do you have any pics of all of your knives or Benchmades? You always have a bunch of everything. Freakin awesome man! :D
 
cziv said:
RxEnergy do you have any pics of all of your knives or Benchmades? You always have a bunch of everything. Freakin awesome man! :D
Click to expand...
Benchmade's are HERE

I'm still trying to get all my Kershaw pics up to date, once I'm done with that they'll be uploaded as well :)

Thanks for noticing :D
 
Last shot for the day on the 670 comment-wise...

IMO the biggest problem with the 670 was with the torsion bar installed it was often really hard to engage, and the pointy stud didn't help at all. With the bar removed the knife worked pretty well as a standard locking liner. Still the knife weighed a lot and I always felt the scales should've been either G-10 or Micarta for the regular production models.

Now - taking the 670 and revamping it into the 672 was a good move. It lost a lot of weight by replacing the handle scales with flat G-10 and eliminating the bolsters. Also the change in steel from flat ground 154CM to hollow ground D2 made for improved cutting performance.

Unfortunately the 672 suffered from the same design flaw with the torsion bar, but removed and again in manual mode the knife is pretty nice.

Overall the 670/672 was a decent design, and Benchmade's first entry into the assisted market, but when the next gen Nitrous model, the 'Blitz' appeared the Optimizer's days were numbered.
 
I have a 670 and 672, both bought as NOS from a local store - at good prices, too. As a knife, they are fine. In fact, the 670's imitation jigged water buffalo scales look and feel better in the hand than my one 'real' jigged water buffalo scaled knife - a Buck Custom Shop 110. The AO is a bit scarey, but that can be remedied, as said, by removing that torsion bar. I am not much for AO - much less fully automatic knives. A 'flipper' bulge is the most I normally want.

The liner lock is secure - a condition of my purchase as I am not a liner lock lover. The two Benchmade Apparitions I have are well executed knives, even if the scale screws under the clip were never installed on my 670. That was easily found when I got home and, like all new folders here, removed the clip. A phone call to Benchmade and they were on the way. Not my favorite Benchmades, but still fun. My favorites, the mini and regular Skirmish (635BK & 630), are at one end - with the Grip (551), my first-ever Benchmade and least liked - at the other end. Even it has a home here.

Stainz
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top