Review: Benchmade Vex

[BJE]

Hey, BJE, how is the Vex treating you? Any edge retention differences jumping out at you? How about the blade grind's cutting efficiency vs. the G-10 Cara Cara?
My new G-10 Cara Cara is better than my first (I gave it away), it has no blade play at all, impervious to spine whacks, and holding it's very sharp factory edge well. The only minuses are the finish on the sides of the lockbar are rough, and the finish on the tang where it locks up looks like a bastard file (really, it does). After a couple of drops of tuf glide though it is smooth and functions flawlessly. I will be thinning the angle out significantly as soon as I get the time (fitting that into a 60+ hour work week and spending time with the wife and kid can be tough) to see how it performs. I would be interested in trying the Vex, maybe a passaround would be able to get worked out.

I havn't really used it yet, I got a Monochrome and two Ka-Bar Doziers soon after I got the Vex and I have been using those. If it helps, I like the Vex 3-4 times better than the G-10 Cara Cara, both are good knives, but the F&F on the Vex is alot better and it just feels more solid. Plus, I like the design better.

 

[gunmike1]

That thing must really be built like a tank to feel a lot more solid than a G-10 Cara Cara. The Cara Cara is a heavy chunk of steel, it feels strong as hell. Sal Glesser said it should fall in the low end of their heavy duty lock rating category, that's pretty strong. Maybe one of the local knife stores will get a Vex in so I can handle it and get a feel for it, but my prejudice against most liner locks will be hard to overcome. I would still like to see if a passaround could be set up, especially considering the controversy of the design.

 

[BJE]

The Vex is not quite as heavy (Vex weighs 4.7 oz's and the Cara Cara is 5.6) probably because it doesn't have the "backstrap" or the lockback, but it just feels stonger in the hand, it might be because of better ergos or balance, it just feels like it has a stonger and stiffer frame. BTW, the clip is sooo much better on the Vex. Also, the ergos are a little square, but they fit my hand.

 

[3Guardsmen]

Look at CRKT's attempt to buid knives in the US - inferior blade steel and construction- why? Because they have to pay the lazy workers more so they cheapen the materials.

Huh??

Last I looked, CRKT's top of the line models, the Wild Weasel & Voodoo, were built here in the good ole USA, and sport 154CM blade steel! Last I looked, the knives that got the crap-steel downgrade, like the Kasper & Ryan models (from AUS-6, to AUS-4 & 420J2), were still built in Taiwan. Where have you been getting your info?

Regards,
3G

 

[yuchang]

Well, it is possible but I tend to follow the "fly sheet rule" - if it is not explicitly mentioned, it is not there.

=> BM website mentions Taiwan only for these two HK: http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=14100
http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=14300

(BTW China claims Taiwan to be part of China, (well, Kuomintang wouldn't agree )... )

The China-Taiwan relationship is a long story. Some things I personally think good to know are:

1. The official name of Taiwan is "the Republic of China", while the one of China is "the People's Republic of China" (the similarity is easy to see);

2. Constitutionally both "the Republic of China" and "the People's Republic of China" claim a territory including mainland China and Taiwan;

3. The current situation is largely the result of Chinese civil war whose end has not been bilaterally declared.

Though this is a forum for knives, discussions in other fields are alway being made. That's why I venture to write this post.

Regards,