- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
- Messages
- 63
Short version: this knife rocks if you can abide a liner-lock. Outstanding fit and finish, beautiful design, and top-notch materials. Instant favorite for me.
I've now had the 745 (Mini Deja Voo) for just over two weeks. I've carried it just about every day, and put it through the generally very gentle work I use knives for--envelopes, boxes, apples, cheese and salami--as well as some more rugged, but still pretty mellow, work splitting kindling and making shavings. Someone else will have to do all the serious wilderness testing on this knife, push cutting, edge retention, etc. It's a Benchmade, it's S30V, and it has the edge shape of a fairly conventional drop point, and in my limited experience with these things it's performing well, as would be expected. After two weeks with no sharpening it still shaves, although roughly. Out of the box it was wicked sharp. The high flat grind contributes to making it a great slicer.
This has become the knife I'd keep if I could only keep one. It might not be my first survival kit knife, and it is a little big for my EDC preference (I find the Delica to be the perfect size). The 745 has a liner lock, and is clipped only for right-handed, tip-down carry. I prefer Axis locks or liner locks and tip-up carry. Despite this, this is still the one knife I'd want to keep. My high regard for this thing has everything to do with its amazingly smooth operation, really high-quality fit, finish, and materials, and the simple fact that it looks really good to me. I think it's just a beautiful design. It feels good in the hand, opens unbelievably smoothly and effortlessly (those bronze washers?) and has a practical blade shape and grind. It's good that this opens easily with a flick of the thumb, because the flare that makes a kind of guard on the handle does get in the way if your thumb stays in the opening hole throughout the arc of the opening. Does that make sense? Basically, when you open the knife slowly, for example, your thumb grazes the flare out on the handle. Not a big deal, and no issue at all if you flick the knife open like I do.
Some have suggested that this should have an Axis lock, but I disagree. For one thing, the Axis mechanism simply wouldn't fit with the current arrangement of clip and pivot, which are each positioned centrally. To change the shape of the forward section of the handle would make it a different knife. Since the beauty and aesthetics of this knife are what make it stand out to me, the changes I imagine would be necessary to make it an Axis locker wouldn't be worth it. A lockback mechanism might be another story.
As for the liner lock the knife does have, the ramp angle on the tang is not terribly steep, and the liner does engage all the way onto the tang. The liner seems pretty thick, too. My main concern about a liner lock is about longevity rather than failure, because I think a well built liner lock is going to be able to handle what I do with knives. I wouldn't want lock mechanisms to loosen up over time, though, and there seems to be enough room on the tang for this thing to wear and still engage for a long time. Lockup is very solid; there is no play in the blade in any direction.
By the way, the "mini" description of this knife is like the "mini" that applies to the mini Manix or the mini Skirmish. This is a big knife that fits well in my big hands.
The only change I'd make? Some jimping on the thumb rest. I hope BM is successful with this model. I'd love to see limited editions, different handle materials, etc. I rarely think about custom folders, but this knife makes me really want to see a folding knife made by Bob Lum.
I hope this review has been interesting. Here are some photos:
I've now had the 745 (Mini Deja Voo) for just over two weeks. I've carried it just about every day, and put it through the generally very gentle work I use knives for--envelopes, boxes, apples, cheese and salami--as well as some more rugged, but still pretty mellow, work splitting kindling and making shavings. Someone else will have to do all the serious wilderness testing on this knife, push cutting, edge retention, etc. It's a Benchmade, it's S30V, and it has the edge shape of a fairly conventional drop point, and in my limited experience with these things it's performing well, as would be expected. After two weeks with no sharpening it still shaves, although roughly. Out of the box it was wicked sharp. The high flat grind contributes to making it a great slicer.
This has become the knife I'd keep if I could only keep one. It might not be my first survival kit knife, and it is a little big for my EDC preference (I find the Delica to be the perfect size). The 745 has a liner lock, and is clipped only for right-handed, tip-down carry. I prefer Axis locks or liner locks and tip-up carry. Despite this, this is still the one knife I'd want to keep. My high regard for this thing has everything to do with its amazingly smooth operation, really high-quality fit, finish, and materials, and the simple fact that it looks really good to me. I think it's just a beautiful design. It feels good in the hand, opens unbelievably smoothly and effortlessly (those bronze washers?) and has a practical blade shape and grind. It's good that this opens easily with a flick of the thumb, because the flare that makes a kind of guard on the handle does get in the way if your thumb stays in the opening hole throughout the arc of the opening. Does that make sense? Basically, when you open the knife slowly, for example, your thumb grazes the flare out on the handle. Not a big deal, and no issue at all if you flick the knife open like I do.
Some have suggested that this should have an Axis lock, but I disagree. For one thing, the Axis mechanism simply wouldn't fit with the current arrangement of clip and pivot, which are each positioned centrally. To change the shape of the forward section of the handle would make it a different knife. Since the beauty and aesthetics of this knife are what make it stand out to me, the changes I imagine would be necessary to make it an Axis locker wouldn't be worth it. A lockback mechanism might be another story.
As for the liner lock the knife does have, the ramp angle on the tang is not terribly steep, and the liner does engage all the way onto the tang. The liner seems pretty thick, too. My main concern about a liner lock is about longevity rather than failure, because I think a well built liner lock is going to be able to handle what I do with knives. I wouldn't want lock mechanisms to loosen up over time, though, and there seems to be enough room on the tang for this thing to wear and still engage for a long time. Lockup is very solid; there is no play in the blade in any direction.
By the way, the "mini" description of this knife is like the "mini" that applies to the mini Manix or the mini Skirmish. This is a big knife that fits well in my big hands.
The only change I'd make? Some jimping on the thumb rest. I hope BM is successful with this model. I'd love to see limited editions, different handle materials, etc. I rarely think about custom folders, but this knife makes me really want to see a folding knife made by Bob Lum.
I hope this review has been interesting. Here are some photos:
