benchmade 732 ares or 426 gravitator?

B

benchbutte

Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
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I handled one of the 425 gravitators at a store today and liked the overall size and weight. The key for me is having a firm grip for my pinky and good purchase of the top of the blade with my thumb. I currently own a BM mini AFCK, which I have carried for 5 years now. I want to replace it with something a little longer in the grip, but not much longer in the blade. The 710 looks very nice, but the blade sounds too long. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. FWIW, I think I actually prefer the liner lock. I've used them for at least 8 years now, and they've never failed me. I also prefer tip down carry, but I'm willing to switch over to AXIS/ tip up carry if it's worth the effort. Has anyone made the switch from tip down to tip up?

Thanks again for any and all help.
 
But you can still find 'em in stock frequently. I got one at GPKnives about four months ago.

Good, solid, G10 & a good EDC size. Good luck!
 
I have not handled the Gravitator but I own an Ares and if you can find one you should definitely pick one up. The Ares is on of Benchmades finest designs, IMHO. Great knife all the way around as an E.D.C.
 
Am I unfairly ruling out the 710? Everybody seems to talk about it as the best Benchmade. The blade sounds too long for me. I like to have as much tip control as possible. Any comparisons of tip control on Ares vs. 710 would be appreciated.

I've been eyeing some 730's on ebay. One went this morning for $83 used. The Ares does look like a nice knife. I don't know about the purple so much, but for me looks are totally secondary to function.
 
I have a 735 (Ares in Green G-10) and I love it. I prefer the Ares over the
gravy 'tater on looks alone!
 
Well the style of the "gravy tater" is definitely going to be subjective...

I have all three ( gravy tater, Ares and 710) and like them all. However if I had to pick one based on utility I would say the 710 is probably the best followed closely by the Ares. The 710 is not all that big, but the Ares carries a little better.... Quality wise they are equal.

IMO if you like the style of the Gravitator, it's nice as a second knife. I think it has a very custom look to it at a fair price. Plus it doesn't look like every other knife.

If the Gravitator's blade shape is useful for your intended purposes , it's also a high quality knife, it's more of a titanium frame-lock then a liner lock.....
 
JPD1998 said:
If the Gravitator's blade shape is useful for your intended purposes , it's also a high quality knife, it's more of a titanium frame-lock then a liner lock.....
Click to expand...

??????????????
:confused:
Actually I would say it is more of an Axis lock....
 
I don't care for the whacky blade gravitator, but the drop point one seems like a useful blade shape to me. I have only handled the one with the unusual blade. I do like the grip on it. I can't seem to find an Ares new anywhere. I'll probably end up getting the 710 in D2. It sounds like if I don't
like it I'll have no problem unloading it.

Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know what I end up with.
 
Hey JPD1998,

How much thicker is the gravitator compared to the 710? My mini afck is very slim, so thickness could be a deciding factor. If I get one too much thicker than the mini afck, it will prob be more noticeable in the pocket. I also tried out one of those griptillians and did not care for it. Too thick, too light, and didn't like the feel of the grips.
 
benchbutte said:
Hey JPD1998,

How much thicker is the gravitator compared to the 710? My mini afck is very slim, so thickness could be a deciding factor. If I get one too much thicker than the mini afck, it will prob be more noticeable in the pocket. I also tried out one of those griptillians and did not care for it. Too thick, too light, and didn't like the feel of the grips.
Click to expand...

I'm at work so I'm going from memory, but I think they are similar in thickness, but the Graviator is a bit smaller and the handle tapers.

I'll check tonight.
 
That HK folder looks nice, but I don't know about rubber grips. I really like G-10 because it's durable. I'm also not bent on having AXIS lock. A good liner lock works great for me. I've never had any probs with my afck or my CRKT liner lock before it. Thanks for the idea though - you're on the right track. I did look at that HK for awhile before deciding against it. Right now I'm between the 426 and the 710 I guess.
 
Here's all three

COMP3.jpg
 
Thanks for the pics JPD1998! Nice collection. Well, I decided to go ahead and order the 710 sight unseen. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get it in a couple days.
 
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