Jonas,
The idea that you could have replacement blades in the new Benchmade is very innovative. The question then becomes, will they (Benchmade) ever really do that? Offer different blade styles that will fit in the #42. Taking a look at the thread over in the BaliSong Forum, it looks like they will have their work cut out for them if they try. It looks like they are hand fitting the blades to the handles (by grinding the handles). That is not really a situation that is conducive to having a "many blades fit all handles" situation that they originally promoted the #42 as being.
So, I don't know if they are offering the blades yet, or how they work if they have. If they have not done it, they might not ever.
The design itself is very innovative. The way the latch is designed so it does not damage the point from "latch slap" was a really nice touch.
The ability to remove the latch so the owner could have a Latchless Bali was also very cool indeed. You can apparently take the thing apart, which Benchmade has been loathe to encourage people to do in the past (and present as far as I know) with their other folders.
I still think the Balis we discussed above should have never been dropped. They were
wonderful knives. They were what set BM apart and tied it forever to the legacy created by PC. I wish they would bring them back, just that line as well as the Customs obviously.
I also wish that they would make a
solid handled Titanium Version of the #42, not skeletonized. That would make it lighter than the steel versions, yet add a little bit of heft to the #42.
I played with Clay's #42 in Atlanta...the thing is so incredibly light, it almost felt like a toy at first (to those that have not handled one, trust me). It almost felt like plastic and you had to remind yourself it was not.
At $99.95 at my Dealer's, I cannot complain really. That is for the non-Anodized version, and hopefully I will be able to pick one up soon when I get the finances straightened out.
I think the #42, even as light and alien in feel as it is to me, will grow on me.
All in all, it is a really nice piece as a User or a Collector. I just wish they would make another version non-skeletonized and bring back the other Series. That would be very cool indeed.
There was some rumor going around about two or three years ago that Cold Steel, Inc. was going to move from California and in the process, start manufacturing Butterfly Knives, I never heard another peep about it.
Now wouldn't
that be something to behold?
Can you imagine a Cold Steel Butterfly Knife? Egad, be still my beating heart. The Tri-Fold (an older version of this knife that had been around for years, my Dad used to refer to as a "Pollack Pocket Knife") is about the neatest folder CS makes now as for my tastes. I wanna see Clay risk his digits on one of them flippin' it around!
Seriously though, can you imagine if CS started making a skeletonized steel handled Butterfly!
How about one with that Vaquero Blade, and plain-edged without those crappy serrations that even they won't sharped for you.
CS would make a million on them in the first year.
[This message has been edited by Don Rearic (edited 12-16-2000).]
