Benchmade's "Red Class" rocks!

Quiet Storm

Quiet Storm

Joined
May 17, 2002
Messages
5,757
I recently acquired a BM Mini-Pika and I have to say that it's possibly the neatest folder in its price range out there. Very solid backlock, nicely textured Zytel handle that do not feel as cheap in my hand as many other plastic scaled knives do and offers a very good grip along with the serrated thumb ramp.
It comes with a sharp 440 C blade that lends itself to tactical applications (it's pointy as hell). The (reversible) clip is this folder's best feature IMO: it rides extremely low in the pocket and because of its color and small size it's barely noticeable. Fit and finish are superior to any other folder in this price category I've ever seen,
It does have a little blade play, but that's OK in my book given this models's low price.

I also got a Monochrome and I'm truly impressed with this great utility knife as well. It has a very good and reliable framelock, the handle is simple yet secure and the blade is perfect for everyday utility cutting chores. Steel-wise this folder ain't no slouch either, its N690 blade holds an edge well (and it came almost hair-popping sharp).
The Monochrome's clip rides a little high in the pocket, but since it looks very sheeple-friendly, that's not a major drawback.

Now I consider buying the Ambush and maybe the Gamer. (Any thoughts on these two knives?)

Who else is stunned by the quality of BM's new "lower end" line of knives?
 
I used to have a Benchmade Eclipse whcih IIRC later became the Ascent. I think the Pika is a version of these. Anyway my eclipse had blade play to the point I returned it to Benchmade where they replaced the handle but the blade play was still there. Otherwise I liked the design very much.
 
Just goes to show you that "different folks, different strokes" thing really is true. I'm glad you like the knife.

I don't care for it at all. It felt very cheap to me and had blade play which I felt was unacceptable. The groove in the handle where the blade fits could very easily be pinched so that the opposite side were near touching (that was the full size Pika actually). In that price range, I think my Kershaw beats the tar out of it in terms of fit and finish.

To be fair, the Chive I have is smaller than the mini-pika and it is the stainless version which feels much heavier and stronger. Not exactly a great comparo, but the point is that I didn't like the Pika much. Too bad it is currently the ONLY benchmade that I can find locally. :grumpy:
 
My Mini-Pika has very little handle flex, I certainly cannot force both sides of the handle to touch each other (and I'm not a weakling).

I can see why you dislike the blade play though...personally I just expected that such a cheap knife automatically comes with at least one imperfection. But this doesn't matter that much to me because other than that it would still be an excellent folder if it was twice as expensive.
 
My first Benchmade was the Ascent with the Spydie hole. Very nice knife, I still have it.
 
dunno...this cheap line doesn't seem right to me. the monochrome doesn't really appeal much to me, and concerning the zytel stuff they're now producing - I don't like Spyderco's zytel handles, and I'm not gonna like Benchmade's either. I don't like flex in my handles, and apart from that that stuff look and feels just cheap. anyway, still waiting to see a review on messerforum.net, maybe so good pics convince me to try the monochrome. or have i missed something ?

later, cheez
 
I was in the local knife store the other day and saw that they had a Rant (I think) clip point CE. It looked like a very nice knife for the $35 they wanted. The sheath looks good and the entire knife has a more narrow profile than many fixed blades. I do not like the CE much, especially on a fixed blade, but other than that looks good. Don't know about performance of the Red Class. I don't think that much of the folder designs which seem somewhat overpriced in comparison to some of the Blue Class stuff which is just $10 to $20 dollars more for a US made "true" Benchmade.
 
I picked up a Pika here lately. Hair popping sharp right out of the box... I have to physically force mine to wobble at just the right angle before I see any blade play and it's still minute.

Worth $27? Yep, and you get what you pay for. I'm giving it the thumbs up though.

I will say it doesn't really strike me for a tactical knife but rather a good user.
 
Quiet Storm,
Benchmade's Red Class is great. The red class was made for the occasional knife buyer. To me, they are getting quality knives for good prices. I have the Ambush and the Monochrome. The Ambush is a huge folder. Not made for any tactical purposes but a great carry knife for big jobs such as hiking and hunting. The rolling lock on mine seems a bit or a chore to open, but I think that will go away after extended use. The blade sharpens easily and the handle is prone to scuffs as all of the aluminum hanldes from BM. Still, I like it and carry it whenever I feel the need for a big folder. If you're looking at getting one, check it out in a store first. You might find the size too much (like I did at first) and the Mini-ambush may be great for you. I hope this helps.
 
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