Which Benchmade?

J

John13

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Mar 22, 2014
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I've been looking for a Benchmade for quite a while now, and I've narrowed down to two: The 950 Rift and the 275 Adamas
I know it seems weird that I've gone down to two knives that usually would never be compared, but anyway, I was looking for opinions on each of the knives to help me make my decision.

One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think about the things I don't like about the Adamas is the BK1 coating. (I'm not worried about weight or size.) The reason I think about the coating is because I never hear good things about their BK1. I've heard things like the fact that it wears quickly, and it causes blade play. What are your experiences with it?

The thing that comes to my mind when I think about the Rift is the blade shape. I have a Lansky Sharpening System, and I don't know if I would be able to easily clamp it. Also, I will be doing some "hard use"... will this blade be able to tolerate it? I heard that the blade is actually pretty thin, but will it still do the job?

Thanks for your help guys

Edit: I'll go ahead and throw the Contego in their with the two other knives.
 
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the Adamas would be pretty good for hard use, the rift i would say less. if you don't mind the blade length, have you looked at the 810 Contego? there is a cerakoted version which you may like over the benchmade bk1. Also take a look at the 581 barrage, more of a slicer profile but still solid, and the steel is ridiculous. Imo i would just go with the contego.
hope this helps
 
I was actually considering the Barrage until I found out assisted opens aren't legal where I'm at. I like the Contego but the clamping issue is still there. Also, I'm worried that the handle shape won't fit me. I've heard that for some people it's very comfortable, but for others they can't stand it.
One of the other reasons I don't like the 950 or the 810 is because of the lack of jimping...
If I were to get a big knife like the Contego, I think I'd stick to the Adamas even though it's heavier.
Can someone give me there experiences with the BK1 on the Adamas?

I'm fine if the coating wears, I'm just worried about the other problems I've seen from other peoples Benchmades.
 
John13 said:
One of the other reasons I don't like the 950 or the 810 is because of the lack of jimping...
Click to expand...

uhh 810's handle is all jimping. Just because the spine of the blade doesn't have jimping, it doesn't mean that you won't get a secure grip. A lot of times a well designed handle is better than jimping because your grip will be your traction. also with the 810, M4 is a very high performing steel.

If you're worried about sharpening with the Lansky, get some of the foamy wall mounting tapes to put on your clamps. You should be able to sharpen almost any folders under 1/4" thick.
 
I meant blade jimping, and I usually just like to have some on the spine of the blade.
You mentioned the handle has a super secure grip. I really like that, except I've heard a lot of people say that the g-10 is almost sharp and uncomfortable to hold with bare hands. That's one of the main things that I'm worried about with the 810. I heard that M4 isn't very corrosion resistant without the cera-kote. Where I'm at it gets incredibly humid in the summer, and I'm also near the water. I don't want to have my blade rusting after the cera-kote wears off...
 
John13 said:
I meant blade jimping, and I usually just like to have some on the spine of the blade.
You mentioned the handle has a super secure grip. I really like that, except I've heard a lot of people say that the g-10 is almost sharp and uncomfortable to hold with bare hands. That's one of the main things that I'm worried about with the 810. I heard that M4 isn't very corrosion resistant without the cera-kote. Where I'm at it gets incredibly humid in the summer, and I'm also near the water. I don't want to have my blade rusting after the cera-kote wears off...
Click to expand...
If corrosion is your problem then get a sprint run 810-1401 which has M390 steel which is stainless and has high wear resistance. I heard that the M390 version has a bit less aggresive jimping.
 
All the limited edition Contego's I found were about 30-50 dollars more expensive than the regular Contego and Adamas. I'd rather just get an Adamas if the limited edition Contego was my only choice against the Adamas.
 
I would recommend the Contigo because I have it and I like it but I feel like after reading the posts here that you are leaning towards the Adamas. Just get it! I've got a Grip that's black coated and it's hasn't shown much wear yet. I don't think you'll go wrong trusting your instincts. At the knife shop a few months back the guy at the counter was a knife knut said he loves his Adamas it's basically a fixed blade in a folder. Wasn't what I was looking for at the time but his recommendation was solid.
 
I had a 950 before. Handle felt uncomfortable to me, couldnt get a good grip on it. Plus the handles are so rigid but some sand paper would fix it. Blade stock felt too thin for a "hard use" knife imo. Good luck with what you choose!
 
I have the rift, I love but I don't think it would be great for heavy use. Look into the benchmade 710' it has d2 steel that should work better for you.
 
The contegio looks way more comfortable to hold than the rift. Never been a huge fan of the Adams, if you need a folder that strong then I would just switch to a fix blade I suppose.
 
I just bought an Adamas to fill the role of hard-use folder. The three deciding factors were the D2 blade, steel liners (can't stand unlined folders for some reason) and the sheath. Normally, a sheath wouldn't be a concern for me with a folder, but it's an option I want on a big, heavy knife that I may be carrying outdoors for extended periods of time. I wish I had one for my Cold Steel Recon 1.
 
I have the contego, love it. It's a great balance with form and function--great ergonomics, steel holds up well and keeps a great edge. Not as hardy as a heavy fixed blade, I wouldn't plan on trying to tackle a log or pry a metal door open with it, but I'm pretty sure that's not its intent.

I like the bit of carbide for breaking glass. Grip does well. Not harsh like some experience--just grippy.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys! They really helped. I think I'm going to get the Adamas for now, but I'll probably end up getting a contego or rift before I know it.
 
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