Opinions of Benchmade 921 Switchback.....

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
303
Hey all,

Just got the new catalog and this new baby is right there in the front. What a beauty of a knife. That blue handle is awesome looking.
I am in the market to replace my current Benchmade with another knife. I have not decided which one yet, but that 921 just moved very high on the list.
What are the opinions on this new knife? How is that 2nd blade, does it get in the way or is it useful? If Benchmade gave you one, would you replace your current daily carry with the 921?
What'cha think about it?

Nala
 
The 921 Switchback is my favorite of Benchmade's folding knives. The wharncliffe main blade cuts better than a laser, holds an edge very well, and resists rolling and chipping if you don't tackle materials like narrow-gauge sheetmetal. The secondary blade is a comfortable part of the handle and is useful, too. When closing the secondary blade, do not let it snap closed or else the edge will flatten. The handle feels slick, but its shape makes it very secure in the hand for piercing or difficult pull cuts. The pocket clip will eat your pockets with reckless abandon. I tried to remedy this by coating the threads in superglue and not screwing them in completely, but now my pocket clip is too loose and the entire process was too messy. Fate got back at me when a recent production folder purchase came from the factory with its reversable pocket clip sealed with red Loctite (the more permanent one).

The 921 was also my best out-of-the-box slicer. Thanks to EdgePro, it is my best slicer in or out or near a box.
 
I love my 921! Fabulous little knife.

However, don't expect much use from the small blade. It doesn't get in the way, but I never use it. I guess it is there if I ever wanted it, but I don't see much of a point in it.
 
I loved the 921. Its my EDC, and its very comfy in the hand. I don't have any problems with the clip on mine tearing up my pants. I barely use the second blade, but its not in the way so its kind of nice to have there if I want it.
 
I have a 921 and I LOVE it to the point where it is giving my beloved StarMate a close run for EDC when I am not going to work in DC and a federal building where I am restricted to a certain length of blade. The Switchback has a hilt of great shape that just naturally fits my hands and the little back blade, a sort of penknife blade, is quite handy for picking splinters, stripping wires for splicing, and a whole number of other small tasks where the very fine blade is much more suited than the larger main blade. But, then, I don't carry multiple blades as some here do, so I find that the extra blade in the Switchback is a real plus.

The color of the hilt is absolutely gorgeous. It is almost exactly the color of the blue glass that my mother had in her silver salt cellers, which gave the combined appearance of a radiant metallic blue. The color of the hilt on the 921 is very close and it has real psychological attraction for me as well as looking handsome to a number of others who have seen it.
 
Originally posted by thombrogan
The pocket clip will eat your pockets with reckless abandon.
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Thom--It's not the pocket clip that's causing the problem. It's actually the fact that the pressure point of the clip sits directly on a screw that holds the nested liner in. The screw is what's tearing at your pockets. I think BM has dealt with this in recent production runs.

If you could figure out a way to remove the offending screw and grind a bit of the top off, you could remedy the situation. A delicate task, however. :rolleyes:

At any rate, the 921 is a terrific EDC.:)
 
I'm gonna HAVE to chime in on this one. I love the 921! It's a great knife, and fits the hand very well. The blade holds a great edge, and is very easy to resharpen when eventually needed. I like to use the slip-joint blade to open boxes.

You also might want to keep in mind that there are now six different colors available for the handle; blue, red, green, grey, purple, and silver. Even though the other colors are limited edition I've bought some of them for less than I paid for my original blue one.
 
Originally posted by yam
Wonder if the smaller blade could be had as serrated?

Mike
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Not an option from Benchmade, and I doubt how useful a blade that short would be if it were serrated. IMO :)
 
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