Benchmade Proper

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I also like it though not enough to buy it. The lack of a full flat grind kills it for me. But a lot of modern knife guys like this grind. The target market is likely folks who are more familiar with modern knives than traditional knives but need or want a two hand opening knife. Benchmade also makes a "small summit lake" that is a lockback folding hunter.

I think the uninspired design will make it a mediocre seller. I suspect that the "small summit lake" is probably a mediocre seller as well. For the same price, you can buy a modern knife from Benchmade with a lot more features and these knives look very basic by comparison. It's missing the famous axis lock but priced similarly. I think they will be perceived as a poor value for the price.

The grinds and swedge are done beautifully. Nice plunge! And I suspect it is not inexpensive to manufacture these blades and covers. The nick does look a bit odd. The nick on the "small summit lake" is more typical.

If they had closely followed a very old and popular traditional pattern, I think it would generate a lot more interest.
 
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Let's stay on topic, please. The guidelines for this sub-forum are what they are. Not saying they can't change, but for the time being this is what we have to work with. The Proper might be on, or possibly over the line, from this forum's definition. Any knife with a thumbstud and a pocket clip is over the line, again from this forum's definition. Frank and I try to be easy going on what is and isn't appropriate. Sometimes it's not an easy call.
 
I think if they would jig the handles, add a shield of some sort, and figure out how to do a mustard patina on S35VN, maybe with a blade etch of a possum taking a dump in the woods, it would look more traditional.

And that's supposed to be a joke.
 
Not bad! I like the shape of the blade and the covers, but would like to see a full grind and a different nick. I am liking the fact that more companies are offering slipjoints👍
 
I like it. I hope it sells well. Seems like its ripe for customization, with the relatively simple scales and screw construction.
 
I cut the rest of the knife out of the picture, it doesn't fit this forum.
The blade reminds me of my Benchmade Bone Collector 15055-1, currently it's called the Small Lake Summit.
It's not a good slicer, the Proper has the same blade grind. It's not to awful thick at .114 but the way the blade is ground makes it feel much thicker. A flat grind would greatly improve it, as an all round knife. Wake up Benchmade it's not a tactical knife.
This one is going to be sent out for a regrind.
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With the steel at only 0.09" it doesn't need a flat grind to be a cutter. We should all celebrate a new entry in the slipjoint field made with premium materials. Plus it's only $120 and is not made of the ever present 1095 :)
 
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I like it; if you are a Buck Knife fan and are used to seeing/using the old BuckLite series, then I think you will find this knife in the traditional family. I like the blade shape as well. OH
 
At first, it reminded me of a sodbuster, but the more I look at it, the more the handle looks kinda canoe shaped. A single blade sheepsfoot canoe with a modern steel. I'm intrigued. It looks traditional to me, but I come from the world of moderns, so anything with a nail nick is traditional to me. :p The only part that doesn't seem traditional is the jimping on the spine.

I like the small length, both blade and overall, and it looks pretty thin, like it wouldn't be bulky in pocket. I like the canvas micarta look of the olive/brown scales, but I don't like the red version. Something about that one looks overly plasticy.

Butch said:
Seems like its ripe for customization, with the relatively simple scales and screw construction.
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Aaaand that would solve my problem with the red plasticky looking scales. :p

I think I like it. I don't know if I like it enough to buy it over other knives I like, but props to Benchmade for trying something different.
 
I like it. It kinda looks like a sodbuster with the blade flipped upside down.


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brownshoe said:
With the steel at only 0.09" it doesn't need a flat grind to be a cutter. We should all celebrate a new entry in the slipjoint field made with premium materials. Plus it's only $120 and is not made of the ever present 1095 :)
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+1

Imo, it looks like a modern version of the canoe with a blade length to keep it legal in all states. The FF of the liners and back spring is off imo. The blade itself is too stubby. To me it looks subpar in quality and $120 may be pushing the price to the max on these. Yet, Ive never held it or used it and am basing my thought on the one picture in this thread.
 
It looks decent and we know it will be well made, but when I want a slipjoint I want a true blue slipjoint. With ones like this I would just prefer a modern OHO, it's closer to that than actual traditional patterns.
 
I like it. I like any attempt at a modern slipjoint, especially from BM, who generally sticks to the Acis-lock too much.
 
vilePossum said:
Personally I think that there are far too few modern material production slip joints. Might be because of the jurisdiction of my area that I like them.
This one looks okay, but the price probably won't be and benchmade has declined quite a lot over the past 2 years in quality etc... But that is just me. Still leagues better than that hinderer abomination.

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I think I'll pass....its Bechmade after all, and somewhere along their trek to knife greatness they lost their way. The Infidel and the 940 series is the only things keeping them from becoming the new Gerber.
 
Please stay focused on the knife in question. This is not the place to discuss the company, their history, or their modern knives.
 
knarfeng said:
Please stay focused on the knife in question. This is not the place to discuss the company, their history, or their modern knives.
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LOL, fine. I don't like the knife. Sure its a slip joint, and has a nail nick, but its not a traditional (IMO).
 
That blade shape is horrible, it looks like it started off as a sheep's foot that someone improperly sharpened. It reminds me of the sheep's foot blade on a 5$ Pakistan stockman.
 
The way I see it, the only mammal that lays eggs is a platypus.

I think it is traditional. Why? Because it has a slipjoint. You will never hear a pocketknife with a slipjoint called modern. (Granted, I do realize that Case makes some locking blades that are still considered traditional).

Personally, if I was a Benchmade guy and wanted something a little more traditional, I would buy this pocketknife. It's a fancy Sodbuster really.

Though I will admit I am a little confused about the placement of the nailnick.
 
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