Help me choose my first Benchmade

LadyEarth

LadyEarth

Joined
Nov 24, 2012
Messages
882
I am suddenly in the mood for an Axis lock (always been a fan of it ever since I found an abandon/lost rusted up Benchmade Grip in the middle of a wetland, pure lucky find). I've never owned my own via a purchase or trade and I don't consider that rusty looking Grip to be 100% mine if that makes sense even tho I still have it.

So, help me choose which Benchmade knife I should purchase. To help with knowing what I like, I love my ZT 0550, it's a good weight, nice lovely tank-like feeling ready for hard work and I've been edc'ing it for a year now. I'm also a fan of Kershaw cyclone, Groove, and Offset.

I just saw the new Benchmade 300-1 (black and blue G10 flipper) and that is what interests me the most (for now). Let me know if there are "better" ones out there that I should consider before I decide.

Price limit...I prefer not to go over $200.

I fully intend to beat/use the crap out of it and hope it passes with flying color and stays with me for as long as the ZT 0550 or longer. (Use: trail work, farm and field work, every day use)

(Note: If I had the funds, I would happily buy a Sebenza instead but that's not really something I can do just yet)

Thanks in advance!
 
If you like the ZT 0550 you would probably like the 950 Rift. Similar blade length with better ergos in my opinion. Can be found for $120-$130 new at most places.

The 300 is a good knife but quite a bit smaller than the 0550. If that's what you're leaning towards, give it a shot, it just might be the perfect knife for you.
 
If you like your 0550 because it's a tank, look at the Adamas. I had one for a while and loved it.
 
I am interested in the 300-1 also and would like to get it in hand. When you can get it then I would say go for it. However for the size of the knife (looks like a tank) I would rather have a bigger blade. It does not have that big of a blade for the overall bulk of the knife, but you may like that if you love your ZT. You can never go wrong with a griptilian. There are a lot to choose from but when I scroll through all the Benchmades they all seem like they can take a fair share of abuse. The Triage is definitely a work knife too(my favorite rescue knife) and the orange looks good. It also has some heft to it which you may like.
 
Consider purchasing a Benchmade 710 in CPM-M4. It has a longer blade and will carry much better than the 300 due to thinness. The steel is also much better. The 710 has an excellent blade to handle and weight ratio, and carries extremely well in the pocket. BM's M4 steel provides outstanding edge retention and toughness. The 710's lock strength is equal to the Benchmade 810 (which is a much larger knife) and second only to the 275 Adamas [which is much heavier, fatter in the pocket, and cumbersome].

It's -very- hard to beat the 710 for a larger, hard use knife. The slight curve also makes it a MEAN slicer!

If you're considering a smaller EDC option, the 940 is the best choice!
 
The first Benchmade should be a Grip or Mini Grip. With all of the aftermarket scales and variants, if you say there isn't a grip you like you are a liar. I absolutely hated Benchmade until I was offered a Mini Grip in a trade up. I wanted so much to hate that knife but... just could not. It was too bloody nice. I also thought the handles of the Grip would be unbelievably cheap feeling, and while they do feel cheap, they don't feel like crap. They provide decent traction and also make the knife super light.

Use the Grip to get your foot in the door. From there you can go with a Rift if you can find a cheap one, Contego, Adamas, and if they are legal where you live a 53 Magnus.

When I say hate Benchmade, I mean really hate. I don't intend to derail the thread, but I could not find a single good thing about them when I took the Grip as a "Why not? At least I will get more trade value in case I don't like it." and the knife immediately grew on me. I should also add that it was a tanto black coated blade, both of which I also hate on knives, and all of that combined didn't stop me from liking the knife. Being as stubborn as I am, a knife being able to 180 my views in an instant is quite the powerful statement.

I will add that another good option, since you love the 550, is the 300. I have the SN, and love it. It flip surprisingly well, and even though the pivot on it is extremely loose (for easy flipping) there is barely a smidgen of lateral play. If you can get past the handles being kind of rough and the axis bar on it being kind of sharp, that is another awesome knife. It is also much tankier than the Grip, if the one you have doesn't feel super sturdy (which they are).
 
I don't really worry about how a knife carries in my pocket mainly because I carry other gears around my belt and/or backpack to the point where A. the knife seems light after all those other tools and B. I can feel it being there without having to check every time with my hand which can help when you're working out in the field carrying things. Sort of like a reassuring type presence. I've never been a fan of thin to ultra thin knives like Spyderco for that reason.

And for me, yes blade material matters when it comes to cutting ropes, branches, once in a while leather, miscellaneous objects out in the field/farm. I'm sure for the most part any benchmade knife I choose will work. I just want to see if I'm missing anything and so far, I've overlooked quite a few. :p
 
dkb45 said:
The first Benchmade should be a Grip or Mini Grip. With all of the aftermarket scales and variants, if you say there isn't a grip you like you are a liar. I absolutely hated Benchmade until I was offered a Mini Grip in a trade up. I wanted so much to hate that knife but... just could not. It was too bloody nice. I also thought the handles of the Grip would be unbelievably cheap feeling, and while they do feel cheap, they don't feel like crap. They provide decent traction and also make the knife super light.

Use the Grip to get your foot in the door. From there you can go with a Rift if you can find a cheap one, Contego, Adamas, and if they are legal where you live a 53 Magnus.

When I say hate Benchmade, I mean really hate. I don't intend to derail the thread, but I could not find a single good thing about them when I took the Grip as a "Why not? At least I will get more trade value in case I don't like it." and the knife immediately grew on me. I should also add that it was a tanto black coated blade, both of which I also hate on knives, and all of that combined didn't stop me from liking the knife. Being as stubborn as I am, a knife being able to 180 my views in an instant is quite the powerful statement.
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I already have a grip, a rusty grip. I am not a fan of it because it does not suit my need at the moment. And I am also not a fan of plastic light feeling knives and I don't care what aftermarket scales they have out there. I just don't like light plastic knives for the sake of being light. I rather they be heavy, solid, tank like if possible and rides my pocket in a solid reassuring manner. I don't really care for Gentlewoman knives at this point in my life.

But thank you, dkb45 for your honest insights. :)
 
They've all been mentioned, but you should consider the 275 Adamas, 810 Contego, or 950 Rift.
 
As others have said, the Adamas or the Rift. I have both. The Adamas is a BIG knife and a tough son-of-a-gun. I use it for my job. I also have 3 ZT's and the Adamas is ever bit as much a knife as they are; if not more. Simply a hard use knife (but big).
The Rift is a perfect size knife for me. It's my go to knife when I'm not working. Not that it's not tough enough to use on my job, but it's got more..... finesse to it than the Adamas. I can get it a tad bit sharper also.
I own the 300SN flipper too and while it's a nice knife, it's just too small and unbalanced (IMO) for a flipper. If you're used to ZT's I personally don't think you'll like the 300SN. The blade needs to be longer to get the "flip out" that you do from ZT's.
Best way to decide is to go try each one out at your local knife store. Good luck and have fun.
 
I think my favorite Axis Benchmades are the 710's and the AFCKs. The later is probably out of your price range, but like Oakengroves mentioned, you should be able to find a 710 in M4, maybe even a used one in m390. Both of those steels are stellar.

Good luck.
 
Terry M. said:
As others have said, the Adamas or the Rift. I have both. The Adamas is a BIG knife and a tough son-of-a-gun. I use it for my job. I also have 3 ZT's and the Adamas is ever bit as much a knife as they are; if not more. Simply a hard use knife (but big).
The Rift is a perfect size knife for me. It's my go to knife when I'm not working. Not that it's not tough enough to use on my job, but it's got more..... finesse to it than the Adamas. I can get it a tad bit sharper also.
I own the 300SN flipper too and while it's a nice knife, it's just too small and unbalanced (IMO) for a flipper. If you're used to ZT's I personally don't think you'll like the 300SN. The blade needs to be longer to get the "flip out" that you do from ZT's.
Best way to decide is to go try each one out at your local knife store. Good luck and have fun.
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I sure am quite used to the flipping of my ZT knives so I suppose your prediction might be correct in that I will have such expectations imposed onto the 300-1 and be potentially disappointed. Thank you very much for that insight!

Reckon it's down to the Contego, Rift, and Adamas. I unfortunately don't have any knife stores close by around here where I live (2 of them closed a few years back before I moved here). So I will have to try and make do on forum/internet to the best of my abilities.

I do wonder if since I have a ZT 0550, do I even need a Adamas since it's said to be similar to the 0550? One thing I don't have is a knife that has "finesse", I just have tanks in my working collection (Kershaw: Groove (rarely used, more for beauty), Cyclone, Cyclone Tanto, Skyline (don't like the thinness), Echelon. ZT: 0550, 0200)

So I wonder how the 710, Rift, and Contego will handle heavy work out in the field along with EDC duties.

Editing to include 710 as that made me interested in it too :p
 
LadyEarth said:
I already have a grip, a rusty grip. I am not a fan of it because it does not suit my need at the moment. And I am also not a fan of plastic light feeling knives and I don't care what aftermarket scales they have out there. I just don't like light plastic knives for the sake of being light. I rather they be heavy, solid, tank like if possible and rides my pocket in a solid reassuring manner. I don't really care for Gentlewoman knives at this point in my life.

But thank you, dkb45 for your honest insights. :)
Click to expand...

Get the Contego. It is the Rift on steroids. If you like the Rift and aren't afraid of a large knife, there isn't a reason not to get it. Bigger blade made of better steel than the Rift. It has better steel than the Adamas also and the reverse tanto blade offers a thick, strong blade with a strong tip. It pretty much is a bigger, stronger version of the 940 (with better steel), which I'd consider to be a Benchmade legend among those who like mid-size folders.

The only knock on the Contego is the aggressive handle texture, but I haven't had any problems with it. I actually have a mild case of hyperhidrosis, so I don't have calluses on my hands and it still doesn't hurt. So I'm not certain why do many people complain about it. I am a huge fan of around 4" blades and am super-happy with the Contego.

Only thing I'm waiting on is a hope that Benchmade will release a Blue or Black class version of the 7505.
 
If you're looking for finesse, get a 710. If you're looking for all around with the ability to handle tougher stuff, get the rift or contego.

I don't like the 300 and find it to be a sub par flipper. Axis and flippers don't mix well IMO.
 
I am new to BenchMade so take my opinion with a grain of salt as I just don't have much different experience with them...

My first was a mini-grip 555(HG) and I absolutely fell in love with it, I too was worried about the handle material but once I got it all my worries were quickly put to rest. I once read a post by a member here who claimed to have dropped his knife from ~1 meter onto concrete and when landing on its side the scale cracked, I tried this, first 3' then 4' then 6' hitting the side, the end, and at an angle, onto smooth concrete and there isn't so much of a scratch. That totally cleaed up any doubts I had in the handle material and put my mind at ease that it was a totally capable, quality built cutting tool.

Within weeks of gettin the mini-grip I liked it so well I barely even rotated it out (I carry other knives for other purposes but the mini-grip is my go-to EDU knife). I also ordered my 2nd BM, a full size 551 (the 555 is hole opener/sheeps foot, the 551 is studs/drop point, I also choose D2 for the full size, mini is 154CM)

I do consider the grip series to be sort of the entry level to BM (but still very capable knives, not at all entry level in terms of quality and usability) and I sorta get from your posts you may want something a little "more advanced" in their lineup. Now of course any flavor of (mini)grip will serve you well and be a good introduction to the brand, along with the 530, but if you would rather start a little higher up the Adams would be a great knife and similar to the ZT's you like.

*I proof-read this but my kids are sitting here screaming about nothing so if some if it is hard to follow/illegible I'm sorry.
 
If I had to say just one it'd be the great Contego with a CPM-M4 4" blade that's an all week cutting machine for under $140 delivered! The heavy blade allows you to just flick the folder open. Unlike others I very much like the heavily textured G10 handle and the glass breaker at the bottom of the handle. Blade is coated with Cerakote so you get good protection for a non-stainless steel. Since it's a long blade you can also afford to get the ComboEdge for partial serrations while still having about two-thirds worth of plain edge.
 
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