Benchmade Model 100 R&R - 1st impression

cpirtle

cpirtle

Leathercrafter
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 28, 2001
Messages
4,592
I just got my Benchmade Model 100 plain edge from Bayou Laforche today (great service & price BTW).

Out of the box my first impression was very good. [Actually more like "holy S#$%^, I paid $50 for this] For the $55 shipped I feel you get a great deal of knife.

I have pretty much sworn off the BM's because of poor past experiences but have been drooling over this one since I first saw pictures 6 months ago, when I saw it this weekend at a B&M ($90) I knew I needed one.

The fit and finish on it is very good and so are the grinds. This one is from the 1st production run which I feel has a tendancy to get more attention, but time will tell if they can keep this level of quality.

If you're like me and tend to stay away from blade finishes (ala Nimravus) then this might be just up your alley. I have also heard some pretty favorable remarks about the qualities of Gin-1 steel.

I have a camping trip planned for a week from now and will try to give a better review after some actual use when I get back.

My biggest complaint right now is the sheath, I plan to make a new one in Concealex this evening. The locking lever that holds the knife in place is rather toyish looking and the clip that's mounted to it seems a little weak, I'd much prefer a clip made of Kydex or a Tec-loc. Of course then the price would not have been $55 shipped so I'm not complaining.

I've owned a Nimravus Cub and I would have to say that this is almost as good a knife (better in some area's, IMHO) at half the street price.

Kudo's go out to Benchmade on this one :D
 
I agree with cpirtle that this is a well designed knife and mine has no QC problems at all. As for the sheath I think that for its intended purpose (mounted on a PFD) the clip is a welcome innovation. As for the orange toggle to hold the knife in even more securely, I kind of like it. Even with out it the knife is secure and the toggle just holds it that much tighter. Sheaths definitely tend to be an area where you can't please all the people all the time so I'm glad we have so many great custom sheathmakers out there.
 
Alan_B, after listening to your points and thinking more about it I agree I was a little harsh about the clip, but that's what first impressions are :D

Since I really don't plan to use it for that I was thinking more from my needs. I think it's very well suited for a pfd.

I still think the toggle is a little goofy though... I'm just thinking that in about 50-75 openings and closings it will wear down to the point where it is ineffective. There are planty of good sheath designs that hold the knife very securely without any additional components.

Glad to hear you like yours even that much more than I do though :)
 
I've been wanting one of these for a while -- we take the Jet-Ski's & camper and head to the lake every chance we get.

Which version would you recommend as a general-purpose lake / water knife -- plain or combo-edge?

Mike
 
Sorry for the delayed response...

I think it would depend more on what you plan to cut with it but my personal preference is plain edge.

There is no arguing the ability of a serrated edge to out cut a plain one in the rope arena but a plain edge can do an admirable job and is better suited for 95% of the other uses, IMHO.

I own one serrated knife for a reason, they're harder to maintain and less effective for most of my uses. I carry it specifically when I know I will be cutting rope, webbing etc... (which is fairly rare.

Good luck, for the money you can't go wrong with either. :D
 
I share some of of the same sentiments regarding Benchmade, but also think they have some really great designs, like the 100 R&R.

I think the bladeshape is useful for more uses than merely cuting someone out of something they are strapped into and feel as though the blade would be a useful Rest and Relaxation knife around camp and whatnot. I agree with the previous comments about the serrated edge be admittedly better for rope, line, fibrous materials and the like but the plain edge being better at 95% of everything else, and passable at fibrous materials even without special shaprening technickes which can provide micro serrated type edges.

And I don't even have mine yet! But the big brown toy truck should be coming early this week.:D



I'll ley y'all know!
 
Nimrod, I agree, I plan to use this knife as mainly a camp knife. Will also be put to task during some water intensive activities as well.

I made a couple of new sheaths for mine. One is a horizontal with a slight cant to it and the other is a multi position with a mini tec-lock.

So far I am still very happy with the knife but time and a couple of days of hard use will tell.

Glad to see Benchmade is making some more fixed blades, the have a new McHenry Williams collaboration that looks promising also, I'm just fixed blade rich right now so I doubt I'll get one.
 
Very nicely done!

Please check your mail.

Happy Hunting. :cool:
 
I would just like to add to the list. This is a really beautiful knife for the money. It's my first benchmade, and the design and execution are remarkable for a $50 knife, especially in comparison to some CRKTs I own.
My only real complaint is of course the sheath. Kydex can be made to retain the knife perfectly well without the implementation of a cheap plastic retention clip. And while it is designed to be clipped to a PFD, the sheath design really limits the usability of an otherwise excellent knife. It should have at least been included with a G-clip.
Speaking of a G-clip, does anyone know where I could cheaply obtain one...or even better, a mini Tek-Lok. I've tried my full size Tek-Lok from my Spydie Moran, and it fits nicely except it is far too large. Are the screw spacings the same on the large and small tek-loks?

Thanks

Nitin
 
Blade-Tech now features the Tek-Loc on their homepage: http://shop.blade-tech.com/ You can call them and ask about the screw spacing. IIRC from when I called them a while back, the Mini-Tek-Loc and regular size are both about $10.
 
The large and the the small Tek-Loc have different screw spacings if I'm not mistaken.

The small Tek-Loc is perfect for this size of knife.
 
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