Questions about my Rant

[Badhammer]

My Benchamde Rant that is. Found a NIB drop point at a little store while on vacation back in May ($47.00). It came with a canvas or other cloth type sheath with the Benchmade logo on it.

The end label on the box reads "10505 Rant DPT". Blade is marked Mel Pardue, N690 and Taiwan on one side and the BM trademark and 10505 on the other. The hilt and butt are polished steel. I'm pretty sure this is an earlier model as it differs from what I see currently advertised.

Can anyone tell me anything about my knife as far as the steel, time frame of manufacture, value, etc? What I do know is it feels great, looks great and is sharp enough to chop paper. Just didn't know if it might be better to leave it as is from a collector standpoint?

TIA

 

[bitter1]

I wouldn't see it so much as a collector unless you are one of those people who are into collecting discontinued models which is cool, if you are then leave it alone. Those where manufactured until about 07 or the start of 08 I would say and I do not know when they where first put into production and the steel is the Austrian version of 440C IIRC that is what is says about the steel in the BM catalog and I like 440C for a $50 knife some people want a nice super steel like S90V in every model that every manufacturer makes for about $50. Then value of the original one that you have would be about what you payed for it but they have a new version out
http://newgraham.com/store/product/4654/Pardue-Rant-MDP-BM10502/
and that I USA made instead of Taiwan and it has a Leather sheath and 440C and it has a full Santoprene handle instead of having stainless steel hilt and butt cap. Over all I have played with and looked at the original Rant that we had at a store I worked at for some time and I liked it and I have not handled the new one because we never received it but the original had a nice fit and finish to it and very nice quality and the sheath was nice also I would have bought one if I was looking for a nice fixed blade at the time.