Benchmade 710 or 860 Bedlam manual?

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Apr 3, 2011
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I want to purchase a new knife to take the place of my CS Recon 1 but with an Axis lock. I have considered the 2009 Recon 1 with the Ultra Lock, but am not sure if it is in the same league quality wise as an axis or even the new Recon 1. Can anyone enlighten me on that? My options from BM I have narrowed down to McHenry & Williams 710 or Bedlam manual 860. Has anyone used either or both that could share some opinions? Or is there something else I should consider? Thanks.

Edit - Intended use is to have in my jeans pocket when I'm in the seedy areas of my city. EDC with potential defensive use.
 
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Intended use is to have in my jeans pocket when I'm in the seedy areas of my city. EDC with potential defensive use. Forgot to include that.
 
They are both great knives, but for self defense, i might suggest a waved knife such as a waved endura or an emerson, etc, so you don't have to fumble with thumbstuds in a such high stress situation. if you do get the 710 or 860, make sure to practice deploying it quickly.
 
Both are certainly nicer than the Cold Steel; they didn't get the axis lock exactly right when they did it. Out of those two, I'd probably go for the Bedlam, although the 710 is more practical for EDC.
 
As a defensive knife, the 860 is the better choice between the two. The 710s handle is no where near as secure as the 860. The 860 (8600) was designed as a weapon. The blade, handle, and butt are made to be used accordingly.
The 710 is a great knife and the better choice if defense is an after-thought to general use.
 
I have both and I like them, recently i've been carrying the 860 and its great, but the 710 is also decent for self defense in my experience. I would go with the 860 overall, it's a heck of a knife and the fit and finish were somewhat better than my 710, its also easier to sharpen and takes a better edge in my experience
 
Have you looked at the onslaught? that might be another option. I liked the 710. it was nice and slim. for a nearly 4" blade, it seems much smaller. All Benchmades are really quick in deployment and secure in lock up.


Anyway you go, they are great blades
 
adinb114, Thanks for your input. Opening is easy enough, what I like about the axis lock is that it can be just as easily closed. I have considered spyderco and emersons, but I can not figure out why people like them so much and what justifies the price (of emersons). Why is it?
 
I would say between those two the 860 wins easy but if you are thinking in terms of a defensive knife why not get something even larger? The g10 espadas are going to be out soon or on the benchmade side of things there is the onslaught.I have heard the onslaught's blade might be a little too thin though.I edc a coldsteel spartan because I am confident that the size and strength of it would be beneficial in such a situation. Imo I think the 710 is too thin and light in comparison to the others.
 
I should have mentioned that concealability is one of my primary factors too. After seeing a picture with both knives in it, the 860 looks like a very large knife, and the 710, being considerably smaller despite having the same length blade, is closer to what I am looking for. I will probably end up buying both.
 
Haha I have both as well. But as far as concealability goes, the 710 is great but I don't have much of a problem concealing my 860
 
I would personally choose the 710. Its a better edc but is has a big enough blade for self defense. The 860 seems kind of over the top to carry around in my opinion.
 
adinb114, Thanks for your input. Opening is easy enough, what I like about the axis lock is that it can be just as easily closed. I have considered spyderco and emersons, but I can not figure out why people like them so much and what justifies the price (of emersons). Why is it?

I love the axis lock for that fact to.
I love spydercos because most are so comfortable in hand. They are not neccesarily designed with aesthetics in mind (although some look excellent), but functionality. At least thats why i like them, others have their reasons.
As for the price of emersons i have no idea.
 
Conclusion: I decided to buy the BM 710, but as I was entering my card info to pay for it I decided it didn't feel right so I bought the 860 instead and the next day, after reflecting on the Persian style design of the Bedlam and being a historian, I could not resist and I bought a CS Spartan as well. I am very happy with my decision and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. The much more practical 710 will wait a couple months.
 
I have the 850 auto Bedlam and it carries great. As stated earlier the Bedlam was designed as a defensive knife, that is the only reason I have it. It was designed for the protection detail of a Jordanian Prince. I carry it and a much smaller knife that is less intimidating for small task. I carry it in several fashions, IWB, front pocket, and back pocket. Each is dictated by what I am wearing that day.
 
Both arrived today and I have to say wow, the Bedlam is unbelievable. The craftsmanship and execution of this knife are exactly where they should be at this price range. The smoothness of the 860's lock even makes my mini griptilian seem rough. The Spartan was hard to open (especially after the BM860), a lot grittier than I expected. My Recon 1 has much smoother action, which I was expecting from the Spartan. All doubts went away though when I tried out the wave on this knife. I tried it, not expecting it to work well in the pocket of my loose gym shorts and the first words out of my mouth were Holy $#!+ Without even trying, the wave caught the edge of my pocket and the knife SHOT open. Of course both knives were ridiculously sharp and extremely sturdy. I do have to say however, sorry Cold Steel - the BM was much sharper out of the box. That is not a slam on CS though at all and the two knives are in very different price ranges. These are two very large knives, they dwarf everything else in my collection including the fixed blades. Picture:
100_0089.jpg
 
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