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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Benchmade 765 (smaller brother of 761)
- Thread starter Kyle_4
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 394
I really like the size of the 765. I don't want a first production because I don't like that written on the blade and I want to see some reviews of it before I commit $300
There's a youtube review on this knife where the reviewer wasn't happy with the ergo as there is a sharp edge on the handle, just next to the frame lock.
From what he wrote in the comment section, he will be returning the knife.
Maybe if you guys can have first hand feel of the knife, you might wanna check out that particular area
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
From what he wrote in the comment section, he will be returning the knife.
Maybe if you guys can have first hand feel of the knife, you might wanna check out that particular area
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
- Messages
- 842
Just picked up a 765 from Amazon and it should arrive tomorrow (hopefully it doesn't come with the "First Production" stamp).
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
- Messages
- 842
Out of the box action: https://goo.gl/photos/BXWBymt1bUMf59Gk7
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2012
- Messages
- 1,589
Redwood25
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 1,282
Just got my 765 today, and I can't stress enough how disappointed I am with this knife. It is literally almost impossible to open with one hand. There was some chatter when the 761 came out about the weak detent. Well, they more than made up for that here. My 765 is a two hand opener for sure. I liked everything about the 761, but wished it was a bit smaller. I had such high hopes for this knife.
I dropped my 761 on the floor shortly after receiving it and it developed up and down blade play. I could not adjust the stop pin to correct it and sent it to Benchmade for repair . It now locks up tight with a somewhat weak detent. It s a beautiful knife with a great blade, but I don t have confidence in its build strength. I don t use it.
I m tempted by the 765 with tip up carry, but I m also put off by the price. Don t want another high priced safe queen.
I m tempted by the 765 with tip up carry, but I m also put off by the price. Don t want another high priced safe queen.
whitty
Dealer / Materials Provider
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2005
- Messages
- 5,977
We got in some of the 1st production runs and I have been very impressed. Detent and action have been great on these.
https://flic.kr/p/J44spi https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/
https://flic.kr/p/J44spi https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/I handled a first production model in a B&M this morning and checked it against the 761 they had in stock. The issue seems to be that little nib on the lock bar that prevents it from sliding too far across the blade tang - it is sharp on the 765 but I've never felt it on my 761 or the one in the store. The 765 I handled had a good detent and flicked open easily with a thumb.
I'll probably pick one up after the first production ones are gone as I like everything else about the knife (other than the clip which I'll remove) but it irritates me a bit that I may need to disassemble and dremel off that silly nib after paying $300 for a knife.
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2010
- Messages
- 627
my local gun store had the 765 in stock last time i stopped in. i'll see if they still have one and i'll bring my sebs along for comparison pics later today probably
Here you go, my 765 arrived this morning.
From a very quick look and a few hours of carry, the fit and finish is as good as Benchmade gets. The blade is well centred and it has a strong detent (almost flipper strength detent). I'll probably carry it for a few days before making more comments.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 394
Thanks for your post of pictures also. Curious to hear how you like it also.
I've now had the 765 for a few days and can add a few more comments. It is by no means an extensive overview but more a few ramblings about what I picked up in a bit of use, particularly over the weekend. Cutting tasks are the normal urban EDC type tasks - opening mail, dog food bags, clam shell packaging, etc. Cutting odd bits of thread and string, cutting used plastic water bottles and, because I could, a fair bit of food prep. South Africans eat biltong, our version of jerky, so any knife the average male "saffer" carries cuts a bit of biltong.
So to start, I like the size. A 3.25 inch blade generally gives me a handle that I can get a full four finger grip on without the blade being too intimidating to sheeple. I like frame/mono/integral locks and I like titanium. The M390 is a nice bonus but not having it (or S90) would not have been a deal breaker. The decorative spacers and the filework work on the butt of the handle are really nice and I like the jimping. It is probably more decorative than functional but it works for me.
The blade grind is fine for what I need. I would have preferred a hollow or full flat but the sabre grind is high enough for me. I would have preferred dual thumb studs but this can be fixed a lot more easily than on a Sebenza for example.
The stuff I don't like : The biggie for me is the sharp corner on the frame at the lock bar. When I handled a sample in a store (see a few posts above), I thought it was the detail on the lock bar itself but it is as a result of a slot milled into the edge on the frame.
I don't feel this sharp edge on my 761 because the corners were filed down before it left the factory so there aren't sharp bits on either the frame or lockbar. I took to mine with a sharp maker rod just to get the very sharp corner off but it probably needs more work. Extended use without gloves is going to make this an uncomfortable knife for me to use with my soft urban hands and may be the deal breaker for me after I've used the knife more and really decided if it works as a regular in my rotation. I'm not sure what the design purpose of that slot in the frame is - hopefully someone chimes in and tells me that it is an innovative design addition that makes the knife spectacular in some way - until then, I think it's a mess.
The pocket clip is less of an issue. Its milled Ti so it doesn't flex well and doesn't go over pockets with big seams. I need two hands to to clip it on anything other than really lightweight pants - so it looks pretty but isn't all that functional in my mind. I was going to take it off as I did on my 761 but someone at the factory got sloppy trying to fit it and there are machining marks under the clip - not what I would have expected on a $300 knife! So the clip is staying in place even though I probably will never use it.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the detent on my copy is strong. Stronger than I'd like but I can live with it quite happily. Opening is best achieved with a flick of the thumb. No smooth controlled opening here unless you really practice overcoming the detent gradually. The blade, being lighter than the 761's, doesn't fall as freely - I like that as there is less chance of me cutting myself when mindlessly fidgeting with the knife (not a great habit but it's there).
There is, at the 765's price point, going to be comparison the the small Sebenza. They are similar in a lot of aspects. Interestingly the cutting edges of these two knives are only a millimetre or two different.
I prefer the four finger grip on the 765 and I'd like the overall handle egos more if it was't for that sharp corner mentioned above. Steel is "better" on the 765 depending on what you regard as "better" and I like the back spacers, jimping and sculptured Ti slabs more than the Sebenza. On the Sebenza I prefer the fluid, controlled opening, the crowned spine, the hollow grind and the pocket clip that works (although my drop point version has the clip removed).
Against the old Bradley Alias 2, the 765 is, from memory, significantly more expensive (steel type, bearings, etc) but I prefer the 765 by quite a long way both aesthetically and functionally. With a similar blade length but not much else in common, against the 490 that was my other much anticipated 2016 release from Benchmade, I take the 490 every time - similar blade length, thinner blade stock and a much more comfortable handle in my opinion ... and almost $100 cheaper.
Just for giggles, a Ti Wilkins Ritter mini Grip. If it is the Ti and M390 you are chasing building one of these may be an option - I suspect it will be close to the 765's price by the time you are done.
Overall I'm not unhappy with the 765. It will get carried and used but more because I like rotating my knives and the variety that I get to use than because it is the bestest, newest ultimate cutting tool -it is far from that.
So to start, I like the size. A 3.25 inch blade generally gives me a handle that I can get a full four finger grip on without the blade being too intimidating to sheeple. I like frame/mono/integral locks and I like titanium. The M390 is a nice bonus but not having it (or S90) would not have been a deal breaker. The decorative spacers and the filework work on the butt of the handle are really nice and I like the jimping. It is probably more decorative than functional but it works for me.
The blade grind is fine for what I need. I would have preferred a hollow or full flat but the sabre grind is high enough for me. I would have preferred dual thumb studs but this can be fixed a lot more easily than on a Sebenza for example.
The stuff I don't like : The biggie for me is the sharp corner on the frame at the lock bar. When I handled a sample in a store (see a few posts above), I thought it was the detail on the lock bar itself but it is as a result of a slot milled into the edge on the frame.
I don't feel this sharp edge on my 761 because the corners were filed down before it left the factory so there aren't sharp bits on either the frame or lockbar. I took to mine with a sharp maker rod just to get the very sharp corner off but it probably needs more work. Extended use without gloves is going to make this an uncomfortable knife for me to use with my soft urban hands and may be the deal breaker for me after I've used the knife more and really decided if it works as a regular in my rotation. I'm not sure what the design purpose of that slot in the frame is - hopefully someone chimes in and tells me that it is an innovative design addition that makes the knife spectacular in some way - until then, I think it's a mess.
The pocket clip is less of an issue. Its milled Ti so it doesn't flex well and doesn't go over pockets with big seams. I need two hands to to clip it on anything other than really lightweight pants - so it looks pretty but isn't all that functional in my mind. I was going to take it off as I did on my 761 but someone at the factory got sloppy trying to fit it and there are machining marks under the clip - not what I would have expected on a $300 knife! So the clip is staying in place even though I probably will never use it.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the detent on my copy is strong. Stronger than I'd like but I can live with it quite happily. Opening is best achieved with a flick of the thumb. No smooth controlled opening here unless you really practice overcoming the detent gradually. The blade, being lighter than the 761's, doesn't fall as freely - I like that as there is less chance of me cutting myself when mindlessly fidgeting with the knife (not a great habit but it's there).
There is, at the 765's price point, going to be comparison the the small Sebenza. They are similar in a lot of aspects. Interestingly the cutting edges of these two knives are only a millimetre or two different.
I prefer the four finger grip on the 765 and I'd like the overall handle egos more if it was't for that sharp corner mentioned above. Steel is "better" on the 765 depending on what you regard as "better" and I like the back spacers, jimping and sculptured Ti slabs more than the Sebenza. On the Sebenza I prefer the fluid, controlled opening, the crowned spine, the hollow grind and the pocket clip that works (although my drop point version has the clip removed).
Against the old Bradley Alias 2, the 765 is, from memory, significantly more expensive (steel type, bearings, etc) but I prefer the 765 by quite a long way both aesthetically and functionally. With a similar blade length but not much else in common, against the 490 that was my other much anticipated 2016 release from Benchmade, I take the 490 every time - similar blade length, thinner blade stock and a much more comfortable handle in my opinion ... and almost $100 cheaper.
Just for giggles, a Ti Wilkins Ritter mini Grip. If it is the Ti and M390 you are chasing building one of these may be an option - I suspect it will be close to the 765's price by the time you are done.
Overall I'm not unhappy with the 765. It will get carried and used but more because I like rotating my knives and the variety that I get to use than because it is the bestest, newest ultimate cutting tool -it is far from that.