NeedleRemorse said:
Could those blessed enough to own the Benchmade Apparition please tell me what they think of it in terms of:
Sure, I'll take a whack at it...
1) Fit and finish
Typical Benchmade, which is to say, pretty slick. The blade grinds are perfectly aligned, and very smooth, with no grind marks; the blade was delivered shaving sharp, and is well centered in the liners, too. Edges are nicely smoothed, without over-rounding. While the marketing photos seem to indicate mirror-finished bolsters, it's really a satin finish, but still looks plenty classy; the finish is identical on the blade, bolsters, liners and clip.
The "impala" style plastic scales feel a bit too light, at least compared to the rest of this rock-solid knife, but they fit perfectly, and give the Apparition a distinctive look. And lastly, the filework on the back spacer is nicely done (probably CNC, let's be honest!), and also adds to the exotic look of the knife.
For a factory knife, then, I give it a solid "B+"; higher-density scale material would add a half grade, as would a full mirror finish.
2) Lock engagement/reliability
The liner is plenty thick, and snaps into place with auuthority. On mine, at least, it engaged perfectly out of the box, with the full thickness of the liner covering the tang, no more no less. Despite the tight lockup, especially under the Optimizer, it unlocks easily. I couldn't count how many times I've popped it open in the three months I've had mine, but it's well into the hundreds, and the lock shows no wear as yet.
As liner locks go, I give this one a solid "A", or a "B" overall; an Axis lock would be sweet, but would also ruin the look of those nice, big, smooth bolsters.
3) The "Optimizer" system
I own a number of assisted openers, yet only one works reliably for me every time: the Kershaw Blur. A few others work mostly well, including the SOG Flash II, Camillus HEAT and Kershaw Leek, but only if I use my index finger.
The Apparition is a tad tricky for me; like with most, I find I tend to put to much thumb on the stud, to the point it slows down the open as often as not. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the better ones, but not perfect; if the Apparition had a full ambidextrous thumbstud, it would be pretty close!
So, as assisted openers go, a solid "B". If BM would put a proper stud on, it'd be an "A" for sure.
4) Value
I've been pretty lucky; most of my non-limited Benchmades I've gotten for about half retail price. No such luck with the Apparition: good luck finding one for much less than list!! Seems odd that it was announced *last* year, but is only now trickling into the supply chain. This contrained supply, together with high demand has kept the prices high.
Still, I paid a little over $100 for mine, and I think it's worth every penny. It's comfortable, attractive, effective, and distinctive. Works for me!
For total value, I'd give it a "B". There are better values for "using" knives, but there aren't many knives out there for under $150 that are as elegant and distinctive.
5) Ergonomics
No complaints here. The scales, while not as substantial as I'd like, provide a secure grip. The bolsters include a fairly deep finger choil, and the area in front of the choil provides room for the finger for "choking up" if required. There's a nice grooved thumb ramp, too, and the grip offers a swell for the fingers and a pinky hook. In general, it feels good in the hand, with no obvious hot spots or uncomfortable corners to ruin the experience.
One complaint: even for my smallish hands, there's not *quite* enough room for all four fingers between the pinky hook and the choil; however, with the pinky sitting on the flat behind the hook, there's plenty of room for three fingers, even those larger than mine. Still, this is a 3-1/2" bladed knife, not a 4" tactical.
My grade: again, a solid "B". Doesn't feel like it was custom made for my hand, like a few others I have, but still very comfortable to use.
6) Overall quality.
The first thing I noticed when I got mine was: it's
solid. Those heavy bolsters give it a reassuring heft that's unusual in a factory knife of this size. Together with the high quality fit and finish and the bold styling, makes for a helluva sweet knife.
It took me a while to find a deal on one, but I've been quite happy with it.
As an aside, there's a passaround going on, you might want to see if you can get in on it, and see first-hand if it's a good knife for you.
Another year and a half....I wish I could play with one in the store.
