Thoughts on the 2017 Benchmade "Anthem"? New full ti Axis lock!

Seeing its an integral handle I think its awesome. And given even Chinese integrals worth their salt are in the $300-400 range I can excuse the price attached to it. But even so Its just too rich for my blood. But I applaud benchmade for making a knife like this as it certainly shows skill in their machining capabilities. Its just not something I'm willing to pay for.
 
I do really love this rendition of the axis lock, with the coil spring held in place by a steel rod. No worries about it breaking ever, which is great. Very similar to the Spyderco ball-bearing lock (like on the Manix) which I've always liked just a bit more than standard axis locks.

I guess I'll have to just wait and see what these end up going for on the secondary market. I'd have no problem shelling out $325-350 for one of these if the fit and finish is all good to go. But $425 is just too much, even for an integral. I know that the Spyderco Nirvana is priced around the same point, but, well, that's the same reason that I don't own a Nirvana.
 
For that price I'd rather buy my first Sebenza...

Different strokes for different folks though
 
I've seen that design on the axis bar before. The Emissary has it. The end caps are threaded onto the bar for disassembly purposes since the knives are linerless. On most axis models the scales can be removed and the liners underneath have a large opening where you can get the bar out in one piece.

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mjpgolf1 said:
{snip} ... when I pay $300-$500 for a packet knife I want it to be perfection, or at least get the small stuff right (smooth action, dead centering, and no blade play). {/snip}
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Those three things: Smooth, centered, and solid aren't "the small stuff."

They're what separates the good from the cheapo. There are far too many knives that miss the mark.

Just sayin
 
OmarShablotnik said:
Those three things: Smooth, centered, and solid aren't "the small stuff."

They're what separates the good from the cheapo. There are far too many knives that miss the mark.

Just sayin
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I agree. It's hard to portrait a hint of sarcasm over the Internet.

I've handled at least a dozen 761/765, and 4 Nirvanas and they all had at least 1 if not more of those things wrong and that just isn't acceptable in a knife that costs as much as they do. These manufacturers need to either match their quality up with the price they're asking, or just don't make the knives. I know that I would've had a Nirvana and a 765, didn't care for the 761, but after handling I wouldn't spend half of their asking price on those knives. Extremely disappointing.

Benchmade, which I was always a huge fan of, is really getting sloppy with their knives and all the while their prices keep climbing. Finding a sweet spot on an axis lock knife is next to impossible. You either have an off center blade, blade play, and it operates smoothly, or you get rid of the play and center up the blade and the knife needs a hefty wrist snap or even 2 hands to manipulate. I'm completely over it and sold off all my Benchmade knives this past year, which at one point I had at least a dozen.
 
Sorry, but no way. That is hundreds beyond what I am willing to spend on a benchmade.
 
I view it as about a $300 knife. I like it, but not gonna spend what their asking for it.
 
Mjpgolf I have the same problem with one axis lock knife that I owned, a 940. My other Benchmades did not have that bladeplay/tightness problem. I like that new spring style for the Axis lock. They should change all their knives to feature that style of spring. I feel like that spring is a more robust system with no disadvantages.

I think if Benchmade and Spydie got these things in around 300$ they would sell like hotcakes. At this price level you better have your quality game on smash. Even companies like ZT have had production errors. Hopefully they will learn and release something more reasonably priced, similar, but more mechanically sound.
 
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