The barrage 831 (m390 steel) your thoughts

Black samurai

Black samurai

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Now that its been out a while, what or your thoughts on this knife. Is it a good slicer, good for edc, etc. I thought it looked pretty cool and with the m390 blade it would be a hit, but i dont hear to much about it. Please share your opinions on this knife, and where its stands compared to some of the other top knives discussed in this forum. thanks
 
You mean the 581?

I really like mine, but I wish it wasn't assisted opening so I could carry it on me. The AO launches hard and fast, I like the blade shape, and the M390 is takes a fantastic edge and holds it well as you know.

It is what I've been using most often for any cutting tasks around the house lately. Good slicing EDC, as it tapers nicely towards the tip and feels/looks thinner behind the edge than any of my PM2s, Manix and ffg Endura (don't have calipers to measure)

If you want assisted opening and like the axis lock, I would recommend it.
 
I like mine too. I like the assist but it is possible to remove that spring and make it a manual. The handle is a little fat compared to most other knives of that size, that's the only criticism I have of it.
 
Nice knife with excellent steel but as mentioned the handle is too thick for my tastes and im not a fan of assisted openers.
 
I like the look, the bladsteel, but not th assisted opening. If I get around to buying one, Id try to mke it a manual.
 
I have nearly pulled the trigger on it other day - but something holds me down. It is certainly not the assist and not the axis: I do not mind either!
Isn't it too heavy for EDC: with all that aluminum? And I am really surprised to hear about the blade being too thick. The only knife that I have with that steel so far is Shoki and I want another one bigger. But have really hard time choosing between 710 and 581! What do you think people?
 
I got my 581 just over a month go. I too thought long and hard before I clicked 'go'. And I'm genuinely pleased that I bought it.
As others mention its a little bulkier than many other options and I certainly notice it in my pocket more than, say, the SOG Aegis or the 790 Subrosa.
The up side of that is its shape and heft feel real good in the hand when using it, or just fiddling with it, as you do.

The blade shape/grind/thickness is very good in my opinion. It matches the overall knife design and is the right combination of strength and slicing ability. And I personally like that very brisk assisted opening.
This my first M390 blade, and I seriously hope not my last. Awesome blade steel in my amateur opinion. The edge out of the box was much better than was on my bro's 580 Barrage or my 790 Subrosa.
Too me, its not too bulky or heavy for most days EDC and I carry it a lot. Partly because I think this knife is real cool aesthetically, ergonomically and functionally. I like to handle and use it enough to not be bothered at all by its slightly greater bulkiness.
If you do buy it, I would be very surprised to hear you ever regret doing so, unless slim and light is a high priority to you.
 
Cadillac J said:
You mean the 581?

I really like mine, but I wish it wasn't assisted opening so I could carry it on me. The AO launches hard and fast, I like the blade shape, and the M390 is takes a fantastic edge and holds it well as you know.

It is what I've been using most often for any cutting tasks around the house lately. Good slicing EDC, as it tapers nicely towards the tip and feels/looks thinner behind the edge than any of my PM2s, Manix and ffg Endura (don't have calipers to measure)

If you want assisted opening and like the axis lock, I would recommend it.
Click to expand...

Are you not allowed to carry AO knives in your area?

I love my 581. Only thing i wish it had is a finger guard. Then it would be perfect.

JD
 
I just got mine a few minutes ago and gotta say that it appears to be what I'd hoped it would be. The auto assist feels just right (I typically do NOT like auto assists) and I really like the option to lock the blade open or closed. I usually have too much stuff in my pockets and have managed to open most of my knives in my pocket (rarely, but it happens) without meaning to. I'm not a "stabbie", so I don't carry a knife for self defense and need the desperation/immediate opening option. A lockable blade is A okay with me.:) At this point I'll still keep my Spyderco Gayle Bradley for work (I work it hard and the grind suits my needs nicely) but the 581 just bumped it out of the after work carry slot.
Feels great, love the blade shape, the steel and the proportions.
Think I'm gonna like this one...
 
IMHO M390 steel lives up to its billing as "super steel". Very easy to sharpen (so easy in fact that I thought that the hardness ratings must be incorrect) but holds an edge as well as any D2 knife. This steel really does seem too good to be true so perhaps the steel is really brittle or rusts really easy (I have no idea, just conjecture). I've been very very happy with the performance of the two Benchmades that I own with this steel, the 755 MPR and the 581 Barrage.
 
Well, I've had it for 9ish days now and it's definitely my preferred after work EDC. Feels perfect in my hand and it has worked flawlessly, though I have no intention of making it a hard use knife... I'm sure it would be fine if the turd hit the fan, but I want to keep 'er good looking.
I just got back from the flea market and a discussion with a guy that offers a sharpening service with his wicked edge system. My bench stones got my 581 easily as sharp as anything he was producing. It ended my debate on whether I'd invest in a WE or not.
The 581 is easy to sharpen thanks to Benchmade's softer tempers. I'd guess it wouldn't hold an edge as long as a harder temper, but it's probably less prone to breaking/snapping under harder use scenarios. It holds a very good edge for quite a long time... great steel.
So far the 581 is hands down my favorite BM and the 275 Adamas is my favorite hard use BM.
710 and 940 are in the box from now on.
 
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