Thoughts on Benchmade 158 CSK II survival knife?

FUCKING CRAP YOU SHOULD BUY A COLD STEEL SRK |||| fucking AWESOME KNIVE HAIL LYNN THOMPSON!!!!

(( Way out of line. You have other problems here to answer for. You are not welcome here anymore. -- Esav Benyamin ))
 
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What's the difference between them in terms of performance? They look almost identical. BM's are usually awesome quality.
 
not a bad knife. not a bad price. Good sheath too. Do yourself a favor before you buy.

www.ratcutlery.com (a little more expensive but extremely good quality, and the best warranty in the business)
 
Isn't this the knife that broke on Nutnfancy while demonstrating in the woods? He received lots of responses saying that theirs broke, too.
 
Wow, I hadn't seen that video yet (this is my first fixed blade buy, and was done pretty quick). It sounds like the 18F temperature may have played a part though, especially if BM tempered the steel hard for edge retention more than strength.

Does anyone know if BM would replace a blade chipped by hacking wood? It seems that count as normal reasonable use.
 
my BM CSK II is my vehicle knife that i would use in emergencies. the ergonomics makes for a great fit in the hand. the blade has stayed sharp through many hunting/camping trips where i have used it to baton wood, dig, carve, and other tasks.

the sheath is one of the nicest ive have had and looks beautiful with the deep brown leather.

this knife is definatly a plus in my book and will recommed it to others. best of luck ------- Eric
 
jesseaction said:
Does anyone know if BM would replace a blade chipped by hacking wood? It seems that count as normal reasonable use.
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If it was a RAT, RAT would replace it no questions asked :thumbup:

As for BM.. doubt it, but you should give it a try.
 
jesseaction said:
Wow, I hadn't seen that video yet (this is my first fixed blade buy, and was done pretty quick). It sounds like the 18F temperature may have played a part though, especially if BM tempered the steel hard for edge retention more than strength.

Does anyone know if BM would replace a blade chipped by hacking wood? It seems that count as normal reasonable use.
Click to expand...

I would be very surprised if for some reason BM simply refused to warranty the knife. I really don't understand why there always seems to be this "doubt" about the larger knife companies standing behind their products. I've never seen one post on this forum or had any of my friends experience a well known company that wrongly would not stand behind their product. But alas it always seems to be brought up.

As for the 158, it's a pretty good knife for the price. I've never had any experience with the soft handle material they use on it, I think it's like Kraton. If I was looking at a fixed blade I would prefer G10 or Micarta but that will increase the cost of the knife. RAT, which you can see has a pretty vocal following, is also a great choice if you're willing to spend the extra money.
 
tjsulli790 said:
I would be very surprised if for some reason BM simply refused to warranty the knife. I really don't understand why there always seems to be this "doubt" about the larger knife companies standing behind their products. I've never seen one post on this forum or had any of my friends experience a well known company that wrongly would not stand behind their product. But alas it always seems to be brought up.

As for the 158, it's a pretty good knife for the price. I've never had any experience with the soft handle material they use on it, I think it's like Kraton. If I was looking at a fixed blade I would prefer G10 or Micarta but that will increase the cost of the knife. RAT, which you can see has a pretty vocal following, is also a great choice if you're willing to spend the extra money.
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People probably get skeptical of the larger production companies out of fear that, as they grow, their attention to individuals will diminish. And also because knife addicts are usually wracked with guilt and buyers remorse from spending yet more money that they might not have on yet another knife that they probably don't really need. Therefore, we are usually trying to convince ourselves that we have gotten a deal too good to pass up and are terrified about any possible infringement upon said deal, fantastical as it may be. (haha).

Thanks very much for the interesting thoughts and comments everyone. I am definitely looking forward to this guy showing up in the mail. I definitely also will end up getting a RAT before too long, I'm sure. They sound awesome. On a side note, I doubt they get much cold weather use in the jungle; I wonder if they (being also of 1095 carbon steel, I think) might also have trouble under impact in cold conditions? Hey, easy---just a question. :)
 
Go post that cold weather question in the RAT forum. Lots of folk there have used their RATS in the snow.. I've seen pics.
 
I've had a CSK II and encountered some major chipping problems.
Weather wasn't THAT cold. Besides, all my other 1095 knives (RAT, Ontario SPs and BKTs) never chip on me even in harsh cold. I live in Canada, and it gets REAL cold wintertime.
 
I, too, would go with a RAT, but I've got an SRK and played around plenty with the CSK II and I'd say go with the SRK. The CSK II is very nearly a direct ripoff of the SRK, but without all of its best features--the hand-filling contoured handle, and the high-quality sheath.

I actually did a double take when we got the CSK II's in at the shop...the leather sheaths were ugly as sin, and looked like they were intended to go with a chintzy $10 Chinese-made knife rather than a premium American one. The handle was also a bit oddly shaped (at least for my hands) and wasn't at all comfortable...though I know that others disagree with that particular statement.

I say all of this as a Benchmade fanatic. I'm wearing a Benchmade t-shirt right now, with my 530 Pardue in my pocket. But I hate the CSK II. I hate it a lot. I wish they'd re-release the original just without that silly BILT system. :mad:
 
I like Benchmade's knives a lot but have never liked their sheaths. Classic example is the new 147 Cub II, the sheath is horrible...For them, I have a couple of custom makers who do a much better job.

On the blades, I haven't tried a 158 out - but I watched the N&F video and suspect it was faulty heat treating to have something in 1095 fail that badly.
 
Razorsharp1986 said:
I've had a CSK II and encountered some major chipping problems.
Weather wasn't THAT cold. Besides, all my other 1095 knives (RAT, Ontario SPs and BKTs) never chip on me even in harsh cold. I live in Canada, and it gets REAL cold wintertime.
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Surely you weren't using the same incorrect technique Nutnfancy used, i.e., chopping into frozen wood with a loose grip.

I'm sure someone, such as yourself, who lives in Canada, would know that will take large chips out of any knife.
 
jkarp_53 said:
I like Benchmade's knives a lot but have never liked their sheaths. Classic example is the new 147 Cub II, the sheath is horrible...For them, I have a couple of custom makers who do a much better job.

On the blades, I haven't tried a 158 out - but I watched the N&F video and suspect it was faulty heat treating to have something in 1095 fail that badly.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. well it looks like the cheapest I could get a RAT is at least twice what I paid for the CSK anyway, so I'll just have to put some time in with the one I'm getting and figure things out for myself. I got a good price at least. As a matter of interest, I noticed that, although they are both made from 1095 carbon steel, the CSK is heat-treated up to around 60 (similar to what most BM folders seem to be) while the RATs are a few points lower---around 57.

Thanks again for all the feedback. The funny thing is that my outdoor time is spent in the Sierra's where, in the interests of minimizing impact, there isn't much call for a large blade. I'll have to plan a trip back to AK. :p:thumbup:
 
One would think D2 would be a better choice, but who knows. I think the Cold Steel SRK is AUS8 so it should fare well. Sog Has a Ranger in the same price range that can be had for $70 online. I've see a few reviews of it and the blade made it through everything they threw at it. It too is AUS8.
 
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