benchmade rant drop point & blackhawk b30

3

3mptin3ss

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i recieved both of these in the mail today, they were both nice enough to deserve a mention here.

the benchmade red box rant drop point and bowie are excellent fixed blades n the 45 dollar range. i got the benchmade rant drop point, designed by mel pardue, its a heavy knife and very beautiful too. i really like the the simple leather sheath it comes with much more than the more tactical looking kydex sheaths, i can just carry this on my belt. its a fantastic knife for its low price, its 440c steel, and also made in usa which is not usual for a benchmade red box item.

here is a pic i found on the internet of the bm rant drop point, its the bottome knife, it comes in a bowie version as well

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the blackhawk blades b30 assisted opener was also really nice. i like the zytel handles on it which makes it light but durable. the blade is 440c. i couldnt find much info on this knife and not many pics, but i took the plunge and i am pleased. its made in usa. good assisted opener for self defense, with a simple design.
 
Thanks for the quick review. As you use them, keep us posted on how they do for you.
 
I also think that the USA made Rant is an excellent knife, and a terrific value.

Very comfortable in the hand and very nicely made.
Well thought out and well executed.
 
rifon2 said:
I also think that the USA made Rant is an excellent knife, and a terrific value.

Very comfortable in the hand and very nicely made.
Well thought out and well executed.
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unless there is some kinda catch that i dont know about, this knife is a ridiculous deal in the knife world. i got mine from new graham for $46. its a solid american made benchmade with a really nice sheath, i cant believe i havent heard more about these on the forums. these are great for both self defense and for utility.


i now have 2 blackhawk blades folders, they make excellent products and i cant wait for them to put out more. the blackhawk b30 assisted opener is excellent.

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Coincidentally, I just picked up a Rant Drop Point too. I also bought a BM fixed Griptilian but actually like the Rant better even though the Grip is a blue class and the Rant is red class. The Rant was $47 and the Fixed Grip was $70.

The handle on the Rant is a little larger than the Fixed Grip and feels something like the texture of a golf club grip.
The Fixed Grip has a shorter handle which forces your index finger up into the jimped blade guard and it gets annoying. It has two plastic scales attached with torx screws which I immediately disassembled to learn that the tang is skeletonized and the scales are honey combed on their reverse side.

The Rant has 440C steel and is a little thicker (.175 vs .12) than the Fixed Grip's 154cm steel. The Rant's blade is 4.45" and the Fixed Grip is 4.16". One of my biggest concerns was that although the Rant has a full tang, it is not visible through the rubber handle (but I trust Benchmade). Of course, the Fixed Grip has a visible full tang. I sliced through a sandwich to test them and the Fixed Grip was a little better, but not much. The Fixed Grip has a satin finished blade and the Rant has something like a stonewashed finish (that is something I never picked out in pictures).

As stated by 3mp, the Rant's sheath is black leather which secures the blade across the finger guard (a nice feature) and stays tight against your side like a good holster. The Fixed Grip's sheath is a bulky, flimsy nylon and plastic with a molle clip system.

I too cannot believe the deal for the Rant and imo think that if the Rant came in 154cm it could easily replace the Fixed Grip. is it possible that the Rant is in the red class because of the 440C steel?

Also, thanks to Stephen Austin for the pictures and review of the Rant (3mp, I believe that your posted Rant pic is from Stephen Austin). I was considering the Fallkniven F1 but chose the Rant after studying his review.
 
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Bellasdaddy said:
I too cannot believe the deal for the Rant and imo think that if the Rant came in 154cm it could easily replace the Fixed Grip. is it possible that the Rant is in the red class because of the 440C steel?
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I'm a huge fan of the fixed Griptilian--well, the whole Griptilian line--and I've been practically drooling over that drop point rant.

Have those been discontinued? Maybe I'm remembering something incorrectly, but I could've sworn I'd seen something to that effect on Bladeforums.

Even though the exposed tang on the fixed Grip is a lot more comfortable than it looks, that handle looks REALLY comfortable for extended use. Not to mention a little more friendly to hands on cold nights, without gloves.

Pretty sure the 440C steel is the only reason the Rant is in the Red line, like you said. Still, it comes in at about the same price point as the Fixed Griptilian, so you have to wonder if the handle is really all that much more expensive for Benchmade to build to justify the difference in price.
 
There is a new USA made, full tang Rant which replaced the "BILT" Rant that was made in Asia. It is model 10502 and is actually fairly new. Other than being a little shorter and a different steel, the Rant Drop Point and Fixed Grip have identical blade shapes.

It is a cross between a larger Fallkniven F1 and a smaller BM CSK II (or CS SRK).

The new Rant is more comfortable than the Fixed Grip and my mind keeps telling me that it couldn't be possible because Benchmade states the Fixed Grip is blue and the Rant is red (they must have psychologists on staff in their marketing department!)

I also love Griptilians and additionally have a 550HG but I am seriously considering returning the Fixed Grip as I believe that there are no major benefits over the Rant.
 
I have a Rant also. It is one of my favorite fixed blades. I have around 10 fixed blades including an F1 and a RC-3 and I like the Rant better, mainly because of its ergonomics. Which means a lot when you are putting it to use for long periods. Also, it's a big blade but the grind thins down just right to become a very good slicer.
 
The rant is on my list of must have knives. I have held the fixed griptilian many times and I cannot stand the hard uncomfortable handle on that thing. I'm assuming the rant's handle is much more comfortable.
 
I kept the Rant and returned the Grip. I have no problem with the 440C and the Grip was just annoying to hold (which is crazy considering I have a BM 550HG that is a pleasure). I saw some pics from a guy that ground off the jimping on the Fixed Grip and what did it become...the Rant!
 
jackncoke said:
The rant is on my list of must have knives. I have held the fixed griptilian many times and I cannot stand the hard uncomfortable handle on that thing. I'm assuming the rant's handle is much more comfortable.
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I find the Rant's handle to be much more comfortable.

Sold my fixed Griptilian quite a while ago.

Benchmade does a great job on 440C. Up until just a few years ago, they were still using it on the 530 and Tether neck knife.
(Maybe other Blue Class models as well.) I had both of those and they'd take and hold a terrific edge.
 
i love the rant, the finish on the blade looks really beautiful, almost like staring into a 3d puzzle lol. i really like mel pardues designs too. very pleased with the rant, now i want the bowie version too.
 
I have the fixed grip and removed some of the hot-spot inducing annoyances, as in pic. I also like the form and function of the Rant. Has anyone ever seen one with the Santoprene handle removed? Might have nice re-handle potential. What say you?

Also, for those of you that own both, is there considerable weight difference, as I'm trying to lighten the load.

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Bellasdaddy said:
I kept the Rant and returned the Grip. I have no problem with the 440C and the Grip was just annoying to hold (which is crazy considering I have a BM 550HG that is a pleasure). I saw some pics from a guy that ground off the jimping on the Fixed Grip and what did it become...the Rant!
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My thoughts exactly. I love my Grip folder but the fixed version isn't nearly as comfortable.

The current incarnation of the Rant is a great knife at a true bargain price. I love that it's USA made!:thumbup:
 
I "had" both. The Rant is a tiny bit heavier but as stated before, the ergonomics on the handle are much better than the Grip. How would you re-handle the Rant? You did a great job on removing the jimping on the Grip.

I would have reconsidered keeping the Grip if I could have removed the jimping, the finger guard and replaced the scales...but that would have been a completely different knife!
 
Hey folks....how does this loosely compare to the Fallkniven S1, in the sense that the S1 is about $70 MORE than the Rant...is it worth the extra $70? Will the Rant survive hunting and fishing and backpacking expeditions? Thanks
 
meliaant said:
Hey folks....how does this loosely compare to the Fallkniven S1, in the sense that the S1 is about $70 MORE than the Rant...is it worth the extra $70? Will the Rant survive hunting and fishing and backpacking expeditions? Thanks
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I'd like to know as well. And how it compares to the Rat RC-4.

I purchased the Rant recently and love it. It seems very well made and sturdy, so I'd like to know the answer to your question too.
 
In order of rank.

1. RC4
2. S1 (very close tie with Rat, but I like Rat's warranty and overall quality/fit&finish better)
3. Rant (well made, good steel, great price)
 
The new Rant's are made with D2 tool steel, has anyone seen or handled one of these yet? I recently bought an outbounder in D2 off the forums, I love it, it holds it's edge incredibly well and it's oh so beautiful (I haven't tried sharpening it yet though... I hear that can be a chore with D2) I've been trying to find a fixed grip, but since it's been discontinued I haven't had any luck. (if I did find one, I was planning on carving new scales out of either bamboo or old reclaimed hardwood floorboards, and making a new sheath for it, I make my own sheaths for all my knives...) Sounds like the Rant may be the way to go!
 
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