BM Skirmish - good knife - not too big!

[DRider]

Got my new Skirmish in the mail the other day, wanted to share some of my findings and lots of pictures!

Per Benchmade, "The Benchmade 630 Folding Knife has a stylish blade formed from S30V stainless steel with ambidextrous thumb holes. The titanium handle is well balanced and contains the monolock locking mechanism and a pocket clip. Benchmade knives are covered under a limited lifetime warranty. Blade length: 4-3/8". Overall length: 9-3/4". Closed length: 5-1/2". Weight: 6.8 oz."

There has been some reviews stating how huge the knife is... the funny thing is, closed, its not so big. When you open it... suddenly it is pretty dang big! Here's shots of it closed and open, next to some other well known knives for comparison. The handle is shorter than an AFCK!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it fits perfectly in the right front pocket sheath I made for my little Wegner Pro Hunter. Here's the Pro Hunter and the Skirmish in the sheath:

OK, what's great about the knife? Very well made, locks up beautifully, no blade play at all. Closed, the blade centers nicely in the handle. Solid, very solid. Handle is very ergonomic, feels great, much better than the CUDA Maxx feels in the hand. Much more secure and comfortable. Blade is wide and flat ground (basically) and cuts very very well. Came shaving sharp from the box. That recurve shape really works, as you pull the knife through the cut, the belly is really forced through the material. Shaved wood, slashed vinyl cloth, cut food wonderfully. Excellent self defense knive. The tip is rather blunt, especially as compared to the needle point of the Maxx, but that won't really effect a thrusting move. Its sharp enough. Maybe you won't be able to get a splinter out with the tip, but oh well... I did the whack test, came through fine, also the "wrap blade in 12 layers of towel and manually try to defeat the lock" test (don't try this at home). This test popped the blade of my Benchmade Eclipse instantly... But the Skirmish held tough. I have confidence in the lock. But about the lock, see below...

What's bad about this knife? The pocket clip sucks! Wait... more emphasis... SUCKS! Its like a big shiny spoon! That clip came off within five minutes of arrival... it leaves a small slot in your handle when it comes off, but its not too terrible.... The finish seems a bit delicate. Like a coating, rather than the durable anodization of the Maxx. Its already picked up a ding or two just from my not so careful handling.

The little colored dots concerned my before I got it but they are not as bad as you'd think... they are metallic colors rather than poster paint colors and so you don't really get the feel of "gee this is my Rainbow Nation knife..." They're not so bad.

I do have to say that this is the first knife I've taken a file to on the first day I owned it. If you look at the photos where the knife is closed, there is a shoulder of the blade that sticks out. Its cut out a a perfect 90 degree angle from the side of the blade... and its sharp! So I "melted" it with a diamond file and fine sandpaper which I laid on a soft surface. Just a little... but now its not sharp any more.

The other thing that might be an issue is the thickness of the lock bar where its cut out to bend it in. Its very thin. This makes it a lot easier to open than the Maxx... but could be a structural weakness. Here's a photo comparing the thicknesses of the lock bar cut outs on the two knives to show you what I mean.

The blade is really thick, which is good and bad, depending on your application. Here it is compared again to the Maxx:

Finally, just for fun, here's a visual result of a straight stab into cardboard of several knives, to show how their size and profiles effect this. From left to right you have CUDA Maxx, Skirmish, AFCK, and CRKT Kasper. Because the blade on the Skirmish is so wide, it "wrinkled" the cardboard, unlike the other knives...

In summary: especially for the money, $140 on the net, its a lot of knive. My edc knives are carried for self defense and random food applications, this seems perfect and will ride with me every day. (I use a leatherman for all the dirty crap you abuse a knife with). Feels great in the hand, strong and well made. Not perfect, there are some problems, but overall, I'm very happy with the Skirmish.

Here's two final photos of lil' Skirmy!

 

[C Ben Susrool]

A fine review of a great knife.

 

[OwenM]

lil' Skirmy!

I checked one of these out recently, and would have bought it on the spot if the size hadn't made it a bit unwieldy for my stubby little paws. I've yet to see another knife in this price range with same degree of quality, and the blade shape is wonderful for what I want out of a full size folder(recurve+stout but pointy tip). I didn't even dislike the clip that much, since it didn't interfere with handle comfort, and the knife rode very well in the pocket. If it weren't for the width, I wouldn't have even felt like I was carrying a "big" knife. I read somewhere that they plan to make a smaller version. If it's around a 3.5" blade, with a handle that fits my hand...SOLD!
Nice pics. I think seeing it next to the AFCK will give people a better perspective of its size.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

I had the chance to handle the Skirmish a few weeks ago at a local gun shop. Great design, solid lockup, comfortable handle, etc. My only complaint was that the grinds on the one I handled were way off. It was probably the worst ground BM I've seen. I'm guessing that this may have been an early version before they ironed out all the production kinks.

For those of you who actually own a Skirmish, how are the grinds on your knife?

 

[DRider]

I had the chance to handle the Skirmish a few weeks ago at a local gun shop. Great design, solid lockup, comfortable handle, etc. My only complaint was that the grinds on the one I handled were way off. It was probably the worst ground BM I've seen. I'm guessing that this may have been an early version before they ironed out all the production kinks.

For those of you who actually own a Skirmish, how are the grinds on your knife?

Hiya! The grinds on mine seem quite good, except for perhaps a tiny, tiny variation in the way the angle at the centerline (between real and "false" edge) meets the tip. The entire blade has those thousands of tiny verticle lines which to my amateur eye says "CNC machining." If this is so, it would explain why it came out pretty exact...

 

[ivandylko]

I've recently purchased one and have to say: it kicks major ass!!! For the 120 bucks, I got it, that was a heluva knife. S30V with Ti handle, designed by Blackwood!!!... I do agree that the clip sucks - too weak for hardcore use, but this problem is easily and cheaply fixable... I've personally reground the blade to make it tanto, 'cause it is easier for me to sharpen. It's a bit small for my hands (my perfect knife handle size is Strider GB or BN - if you know what I mean), but still very comfortable, considering many other knives I've used. Overally, I think it's the best knife out there that 120-140 dollars can get ya.

P.S. here's a pic of mine...

 

[ivandylko]

Got my new Skirmish in the mail the other day, wanted to share some of my findings and lots of pictures!

And thanks for a great review!

 

[allyourblood]

thanks for the thorough review, DRider.


ivandylko, where's the pic? i gotta see this tanto mod!

abe m.

 

[the possum]

Thanks for the review. The pics are nice.

There is just one small thing I'd personally reconsider.

The tip is rather blunt, especially as compared to the needle point of the Maxx, but that won't really effect a thrusting move. Its sharp enough. Maybe you won't be able to get a splinter out with the tip, but oh well...

Well, there's a good chance it would work good enough for many "thrusting moves". And of course, the person matters far more than the tool. However, I've found time and time again that the point profile is about the most important thing in regards to penetrating in a thrust. That swage on the spine will help, but the "blunt" point (as you correctly pointed out) is not optimal for a stabbing weapon. And, I tend to think the smaller a blade is, the more stabbing I'd do as opposed to slashing.

This blade shape presents more edge to the target than point. Especially if you use this knife for general cutting, and do not have it scary sharp the one time you need it, that profile can easily mean failure. I just wanted to point that out.

 

[DRider]

Thanks for the review. The pics are nice.

There is just one small thing I'd personally reconsider.



Well, there's a good chance it would work good enough for many "thrusting moves". And of course, the person matters far more than the tool. However, I've found time and time again that the point profile is about the most important thing in regards to penetrating in a thrust. That swage on the spine will help, but the "blunt" point (as you correctly pointed out) is not optimal for a stabbing weapon. And, I tend to think the smaller a blade is, the more stabbing I'd do as opposed to slashing.

This blade shape presents more edge to the target than point. Especially if you use this knife for general cutting, and do not have it scary sharp the one time you need it, that profile can easily mean failure. I just wanted to point that out.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I think you make a very good point. Certainly the style of interpersonal relations I practice with smaller knives almost always leads to a (several) thrust(s) as the primary finishing move(s). The Maxx is probably the best fighting blade shape I've ever seen in a folding knife, but the non-ergonomic handle and lack of a true guard put me off. If you encounter serious front end resistance with a Maxx, and you are not gripping super tight, your hand can slip forward fairly easily given the forward facing flipper/guards. But the AFCK, the Maxx, the Kasper Crawford, all have better piercing ability than my Skirmish.

I was puzzling over this; since its basically just a spear shaped front end, it should be better than mine seems to be... when I looked really close, the grinds seem a bit off right at the tip and I think that's blunting the penetration ability. (there was another thread about crappy benchmade grinds I think, now I'll have to up my response to that a litte). Anyway, I think I'm going to reshape grinds at the end just a little and see if that helps much.

In regards to slashing and draw cuts, however, this thing kicks butt on almost every knife of the same length I've seen. I also failed to note in my review that the balance is perfect - unwrap your grip, except for the index finger, and it will just sit there on your finger. And the fairly heavy blade makes for very positive blade feel (ie, the kinetic sense of feeling the flow of the knife, where it is in motion, etc).

 

[DRider]

I've just finished working on the knife... took a very fine file and remade the tip grinds so they all meet up properly... very little total metal removed but what a difference! Penetrates twice as well as before (my test medium is thick cardboard over a dense packing foam material...very consistent for testing...). And really, such a subtle change. Ah, the power of geometry...

 

[the possum]

I've just finished working on the knife... took a very fine file and remade the tip grinds so they all meet up properly... very little total metal removed but what a difference! Penetrates twice as well as before (my test medium is thick cardboard over a dense packing foam material...very consistent for testing...). And really, such a subtle change. Ah, the power of geometry...

Good for you, man!
When I write replies like mine above, I usually expect to catch some flak. But you actually tested things out for yourself, and now you have seen just how big a difference such a small change in geometry can make. Yeah, by refining the point just a little, you can get huge gains in thrusting performance; just like slight changes in edge geometry can get huge gains in cutting performance.

Now that I see you're open to change, here's another idea for you. If you have not done so already, use those diamond files to "sharpen" the spine near the tip. Just at the last 1/8" or 1/4", make the spine about as sharp as a chisel, rather than flat. Again, this little change will create a noticeable difference in performance.

Also, I can certainly understand why cardboard would be an easy medium to test on, but if you can find some leather, (fresh animal hide would be much better) it would give you a better idea of the differences.

 

[DRider]

Good for you, man!
When I write replies like mine above, I usually expect to catch some flak.

Not from me you won't! I'm on this forum to learn, to share and to enjoy my obsession (or "hobby") with knives. Your post was full of good information!

I thinned the top end a lot when I re-aligned the grinds but did not actually sharpen it like you said. I'm going to try it! It makes a lot of sense, since this thing is not a clip point I could give it essentially a double edge front end... and I don't think a quarter inch of that will trigger any "dirk" laws... I have a bunch of leather scraps left from my pocket holsters, maybe I'll stab em' after...

I'd like to ask you to not stop writing your kind of stuff. People like me really appreciate it.

 

[DRider]

Now that I see you're open to change, here's another idea for you. If you have not done so already, use those diamond files to "sharpen" the spine near the tip. Just at the last 1/8" or 1/4", make the spine about as sharp as a chisel, rather than flat. Again, this little change will create a noticeable difference in performance.
QUOTE]

I just did it. Another large performance increase. Very good penetration now.
In the great tradition of beer commercials, I'd just like to say "I love you man!"

 

[Hawk45]

I have been looking for a new knive and this is one of my top 5. I love the blade thickness and shape. Wish it had a combo blade and less the colors in the handle. Other than those two things I would be all over this one for $120.

Great review!!

Hawk45

 

[Sam Pai Kenpo]

I just received my Skirmish today. I have an Emerson CQC-7 and wanted something a little bigger. I have big hands and the Skirmish feels great to me and the grip feels very secure.

 

[DRider]

Y'know, the longer I have it, the more I like it!

I want to revise one comment I made in the review. I criticized the handle saying it seemed almost coated instead of anodized, saying it had already picked up a few dings...

Well, now what I think is happening is that the handle is actually so hard that when I pocket it with my jeans on, that little brass rivet at the pocket is being scraped onto the handle now and then, leaving a line. I thought at first they were little scratches... now I think they are like someone drew on the handle with a brass pencil!

I have no idea now to get them off without potentially marring the handle much worse... anybody got any ideas?

 

[spyken]

BTW guys, there's now the mini-skirmish, with a 3.5 inch blade. I know that's nirvana to so many of us who find the 630 too big...