Benchmade 810 Contego vs. 950 Rift

loonybin said:
Yes, it will. I have a 810 clip on my Rift right now. The deep carry clips will fit in any Benchmade with their standard 3-hole pattern, as the two outside holes match up perfectly. I have 810 clips on my 520
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Awesome, thanks, I plan on putting a 810 clip on my 520 so this info helps alot.
 
Thanks for the review and comparison man. I have been looking at getting a new folder and have been looking at Benchmade. I like the looks of the Rift a lot. I like the thicker blade of the other one, but for me uses I think the Rift would do better.
 
To add my impressions. I really like the Contego. CPM M4 is a great hand use steel that is easy to work with and takes a killer edge. In the Contego it has thick blade stock but is profiled well to still be a great slicer. It is not corrosion resistant even against sweat while doing yard work but cleans up quickly and is well protection with its coating. The longer handle vs blade does have a benefit of a secure grip while choking back for extra reach. The jimping is impressive. The deep carry clip is great, and an improvement even over the triage (too weak). The stainless back spacer seems like overkill as it adds more weight then may be necessary. The carbide tip is an added bonus. The forward choil(?) is huge, provides for great security of grip but is a little too deep/large for me. The edges of the g10 on mine were too sharp also and needed filing.

I love the looks of the Rift and it does have nice handle vs. blade ration. Mine has liners that are too sharp at the edge. I do not like how the liners are solid, unskeletonized slabs. It makes the Rift seem too heavy for its size even compared to the heavier Contego. Out of the two, I was rather disappointed in the Rift (perhaps also due to the coloration of the multicolor g10 compared to what I was expecting from pictures). The Contego is one of my favorite Benchmade knives and seem to be a best buy. I am very surprised, considering all of the added design benefits and the premium steel, that the Contego only costs about as much as the Rift.
 
iamtoast said:
I love the looks of the Rift and it does have nice handle vs. blade ration. Mine has liners that are too sharp at the edge. I do not like how the liners are solid, unskeletonized slabs. It makes the Rift seem too heavy for its size even compared to the heavier Contego.
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Some sandpaper can smooth those sharp edges for you. I agree that the Rift could stand to go on a diet by getting some holes in the liners. If you have a deill press and rhe right bit, you could do it yourself...

Out of the two, I was rather disappointed in the Rift (perhaps also due to the coloration of the multicolor g10 compared to what I was expecting from pictures).
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Fortunately, you can change the color of your scales with a concentrated solution of RIT dye and 90 minutes of simmering in it. I've done denim blue/black, and I've seen green/black. I'm going to try red/black soon.

The Contego is one of my favorite Benchmade knives and seem to be a best buy. I am very surprised, considering all of the added design benefits and the premium steel, that the Contego only costs about as much as the Rift.
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Amazing, isn't it? The Contego is definitely on my short list.
 
I was looking at these two options from Benchmade. After reading this review and all the responses I decided the Rift 950 was a better fit for my needs/wants. I ordered the Rift today and should have it early next week. Thanks for taking time to write up the review.
 
The Rift is on my short list. I have the Contego and love it. My only complaint was the jimping. I smooth the sharp edges of the g10 with some light sanding. The jimping took a little more work. I used my Work Shark sharpener to smooth out the aggressive liner jimoing. And it worked quite well, especially in deep choil area of the grip. Now it's comfortable to hold and work with. It holds an edge well and is a joy to work with. I love using mine. And the size really doesn't bother me. It's much lighter than some of the ZT knives I used to carry.
 
Sorry for beating a dead thread, guys, but I wanted to say thanks for the great review, pics, and comments.

Loonybin, I now have a new use for RIT dye. Thanks for the tip! Maybe I'll sip on a black-&-tan as I'm dyeing the scales black-&-tan.
 
Could someone who has experience dying handles (loonybin) provide a more detailed description of how to go about this? I'm always looking for "manly" art projects.
 
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