When I first saw the Matt Diskin collaborations offered by Kershaw I was instantly captivated by the designs. Kershaw's Diskin Hunter and Strobe offer two of Kershaw's most striking profiles in the form of modified clip points that blend aesthetically into their arcing handles. I purchased one of each and began hoping that Kershaw would expand the Diskin line or that ZT would offer an upgraded model capturing Diskins striking profiles.
I had only purchased a few assisted knives up to that point so the Strobe was my first unassisted flipper. I was very impressed with the smoothness of the bearing pivots and the lightning quick deployment of the blade. My only gripe with the Strobe was that the best component of the knife was the bearings. The blade was 8Cr13MoV which I suppose was good enough for the price and the K-textured handles seemed more appropriate for a free giveaway knife than a retail product. I had wished that is was a bit bigger too. Despite its brilliant profile and flipping action, its materials made it a better beater than a prize in a growing collection. My first Strobe lasted a couple months of flipping before the lockbar broke off. I found a very good deal on a second one so I didn't bother filing a warranty claim. The second Strobe suffered the same fate in about the same amount of time. Expecting that any replacements would also fail after repeated openings I chose not to file a claim on the second Strobe and cut my losses. I began collecting ZT flippers at that point and have a respectable collection of ZTs. Up until today I had all but forgotten about the Strobe.
After Shot Show 2016, videos began coming out with new knives, one knife in particular caught my attention and it wasn't a Kershaw or ZT. Benchmade was debuting the Crooked River model from their Hunt series and I was floored. Especially with the 15080-2 model with the Dymondwood scales.
I watched the introductions in a few videos and searched for references to that knife in BladeForums. Many others opinions about this impressive knife matched my own. After a few weeks of keeping my eyes peeled, I finally found an online vendor who has the 15080-2 model in stock and ended up ordering it immediately. Since the Crooked River is quite a departure from the collection of ZT's I have, I began to wonder why I liked it so much and wondering if and why I might have just made an imprudent purchase. The knife has been compared to the Buck 110, which I suppose was the inspiration for my first "Prized" knife from my youth, the Schrade "Uncle Henry" Bear Paw. That Bear Paw is responsible for my distinctive fingerprints to this day.
In comparing the two knives, I don't think they stir the same emotion in me. The Bear Paw is more nostalgic to me but the Crooked River is much different. Then it hit me... What I liked so much about the Crooked River was that it stirred the same feeling that I got from the Diskin knives. That combination of a modern clip point and an arcing handle that give the overall profile a "scythe" shape. Comparing the Crooked River to my Strobe provided the explanation. The Crooked River seems to be the knife that I wish my Strobe had been. A sturdy knife made in the USA, using high quality steel and materials that combines a modern clip point with a beautifully curved handle.
Considering that the Benchmade Crooked River seems to offer everything I was expecting Kershaw or ZT to provide from their Diskin collaboration and given the opinions I have read and heard so far, I think Benchmade may have out Diskin'd Kershaw.
Kershaw paid for a ticket but Benchmade is taking the ride.
I had only purchased a few assisted knives up to that point so the Strobe was my first unassisted flipper. I was very impressed with the smoothness of the bearing pivots and the lightning quick deployment of the blade. My only gripe with the Strobe was that the best component of the knife was the bearings. The blade was 8Cr13MoV which I suppose was good enough for the price and the K-textured handles seemed more appropriate for a free giveaway knife than a retail product. I had wished that is was a bit bigger too. Despite its brilliant profile and flipping action, its materials made it a better beater than a prize in a growing collection. My first Strobe lasted a couple months of flipping before the lockbar broke off. I found a very good deal on a second one so I didn't bother filing a warranty claim. The second Strobe suffered the same fate in about the same amount of time. Expecting that any replacements would also fail after repeated openings I chose not to file a claim on the second Strobe and cut my losses. I began collecting ZT flippers at that point and have a respectable collection of ZTs. Up until today I had all but forgotten about the Strobe.
After Shot Show 2016, videos began coming out with new knives, one knife in particular caught my attention and it wasn't a Kershaw or ZT. Benchmade was debuting the Crooked River model from their Hunt series and I was floored. Especially with the 15080-2 model with the Dymondwood scales.
I watched the introductions in a few videos and searched for references to that knife in BladeForums. Many others opinions about this impressive knife matched my own. After a few weeks of keeping my eyes peeled, I finally found an online vendor who has the 15080-2 model in stock and ended up ordering it immediately. Since the Crooked River is quite a departure from the collection of ZT's I have, I began to wonder why I liked it so much and wondering if and why I might have just made an imprudent purchase. The knife has been compared to the Buck 110, which I suppose was the inspiration for my first "Prized" knife from my youth, the Schrade "Uncle Henry" Bear Paw. That Bear Paw is responsible for my distinctive fingerprints to this day.
In comparing the two knives, I don't think they stir the same emotion in me. The Bear Paw is more nostalgic to me but the Crooked River is much different. Then it hit me... What I liked so much about the Crooked River was that it stirred the same feeling that I got from the Diskin knives. That combination of a modern clip point and an arcing handle that give the overall profile a "scythe" shape. Comparing the Crooked River to my Strobe provided the explanation. The Crooked River seems to be the knife that I wish my Strobe had been. A sturdy knife made in the USA, using high quality steel and materials that combines a modern clip point with a beautifully curved handle.
Considering that the Benchmade Crooked River seems to offer everything I was expecting Kershaw or ZT to provide from their Diskin collaboration and given the opinions I have read and heard so far, I think Benchmade may have out Diskin'd Kershaw.
Kershaw paid for a ticket but Benchmade is taking the ride.
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