Can you identify this knife?

pangris · Nov 14, 2003

Hello! Newbie here to Bladeforums. For anyone on glocktalk, ar15, THR, I'm the same PANGRIS.

I go this Benchmade at a gun show years ago. It is my favorite knife, period. I love it for its simplicty, strength, and precision. Nothing else I own feels as solid, and I have a few other "premium" knives.

I don't know what it is... model, steel used, etc. I'm hoping someone here can ID it. I know it isn't available anymore, which is a real shame. It is pure function - nothing it doesn't need. FYI, the handles are aluminum.

This shot is really fuzzy but may hold clues. It says Benchmade USA on the top, then in the butterfly it says Balisong. Sorry for the crappy shot but at least you can get an idea of where the text is.

In one of the shots there is a FULL SIZE cold steel culloden. Those worth anything? I know they stopped making them as well. I'd like to find a good kydex sheath for that...

THANK YOU for your help!

I'm off to the classifieds to see what someo f my other stuff is worth, and how much you guys trade...

Paul

misque · Nov 14, 2003

The knife is a Benchmade Kodiak, methinks. I have one that has a clip point and the handle is nearly identical. I think the steel is GIN-1.
I don't have a clue as to it's worth.

Hope this helps somewhat.

All the best,
Mike U.

pangris · Nov 14, 2003

Anything helps! If anyone can concur, that would be great! I'm probably going to send it into Benchmade soon - it could use an overhaul - but I'd like to know as much as possible about it. It holds a great edge, best of anything else I regularly use.

Paul

bob bowie · Nov 14, 2003

It's a Benchmade Tsunami. The Kodiak was it's brother. The steel was G2, it was part of Bench's old line up about 7 years back.

pangris · Nov 14, 2003

Thanks, Bob! Are you 100% on the steel being G2? IIRC, that is a less than premium metal... but I am not fully up to speed in knives right now, either. I thin my Spyderco Civilian is G2 as well...

Anyone have any more info on it? Original MSRP? Any web links to reviews, etc?

Paul

Patryn · Nov 15, 2003

Patryn · Nov 15, 2003

Hope that helps.

bob bowie · Nov 15, 2003

On the steel question, it would of been near the top of the line on a production knife during that time. The chain of stainless steel used on production knives during that time would of gone something like this:

1) ATS-34.
2) 440-C, G-2/Gin-1.
3) Aus-8.
4) Aus-6.
5) 440-A.

Don't get too wrapped up in the whole Voodoo steel thing, it changes every year.

Patryn · Nov 15, 2003

Like Bob said, don't get too wrapped up in the "rankings". You said yourself "It holds a great edge, best of anything else I regularly use.", so does it really matter what it is? Real world performance outweighs any ranking you could find.

pangris · Nov 15, 2003

Originally posted by Patryn
Like Bob said, don't get too wrapped up in the "rankings". You said yourself "It holds a great edge, best of anything else I regularly use.", so does it really matter what it is? Real world performance outweighs any ranking you could find.

Quit making so much damn sense

Paul