Picked up the DLC Narrows

[Delta-v]

I had been intrigued by the Narrows, but didn't pull the trigger. The DLC blackout version appealed to me, and GP Knives is selling these for $420, so I took the plunge.

Immediate reaction when in hand is that this thing is thin. Startlingly thin. .28 inches to be precise. It takes some getting used to. The blade is also very thin at .08 inches, and very slicey. The DLC looks great, but it does show smudges, fingerprints, etc. but that's the nature of the beast. The blade is more polished while the handle is matte, giving it a subtle two-tone look. The detent is light, as many have reported. Not problematic for me but still quite light. You have to be a little mindful when you fire the blade. I'm sure this is a consequence of the new AXIS Torsion spring. It's on bearings and the blade swings freely. I actually tightened the pivot up a bit to slow it down a tad.

It's a fairly minimalist design with not that many parts. Despite the thinness of the scales, they are deeply milled on the inside. Fit and finish are great, but I have to be objective and mention that one body screw was not fully seated. All in all, it's an impressive piece of knife engineering. But I imagine many won't be able to get over its thinness and lightness.

Between a 940 and Bugout:

 

[.577NE]

I had been intrigued by the Narrows, but didn't pull the trigger. The DLC blackout version appealed to me, and GP Knives is selling these for $420, so I took the plunge.

Immediate reaction when in hand is that this thing is thin. Startlingly thin. .28 inches to be precise. It takes some getting used to. The blade is also very thin at .08 inches, and very slicey. The DLC looks great, but it does show smudges, fingerprints, etc. but that's the nature of the beast. The blade is more polished while the handle is matte, giving it a subtle two-tone look. The detent is light, as many have reported. Not problematic for me but still quite light. You have to be a little mindful when you fire the blade. I'm sure this is a consequence of the new AXIS Torsion spring. It's on bearings and the blade swings freely. I actually tightened the pivot up a bit to slow it down a tad.

It's a fairly minimalist design with not that many parts. Despite the thinness of the scales, they are deeply milled on the inside. Fit and finish are great, but I have to be objective and mention that one body screw was not fully seated. All in all, it's an impressive piece of knife engineering. But I imagine many won't be able to get over its thinness and lightness.

Between a 940 and Bugout:

Very nice write-up, D Delta-v , thank you.

That last pictures says more than a thousand words, that Narrows is narrow alright

 

[Herzav]

Looks like the ideal knife for people with small hands, any issues with how close your fingers can be when you close the knife?

 

[Delta-v]

Looks like the ideal knife for people with small hands, any issues with how close your fingers can be when you close the knife?

No issues there. Pull the Axis bar back and it drops right closed. And while it's extraordinarily thin, it's arguably a full size knife at over 8 inches. The scales are 4.8 inches and fairly wide so there's plenty of real estate for your fingers to anchor to. Basically the same dimensions as a full size Griptilian in profile, but less than half the thickness!

 

[Benchmade]

Currently my favorite EDC. It opens and closes so easily one handed. Light and thin. I have carried a standard 748 for a year now and it held up really good. The thin handles really are not an issue for me at least.

 

[GT99]

wow didnt realize it was that big, knew it was thin but thought same size as a bugout in length. I kinda like it more now as it seems to be the sweet spot for me in blade length and handle length. Just have a tough time getting over the price

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

If they made a mini Narrows with 3" blade (for legal reasons), I'd buy it.

 

[.577NE]

Just have a tough time getting over the price.

You are not alone there, friend

 

[Delta-v]

Currently my favorite EDC. It opens and closes so easily one handed. Light and thin. I have carried a standard 748 for a year now and it held up really good. The thin handles really are not an issue for me at least.

After I got over my initial surprise at the thinness and lightness, I really started to appreciate this design. That blade is an absolute slicer. I haven't been able to put the thing down.

 

[Sibyrnes]

I love mine. I know some are not happy about the price but there was a lot of engineering (and quality materials) involved in the process and those guys need to be paid!

 

[StrangeDaze]

I got a Narrows in a trade recently, spoiler alert, i love it.

I couldn’t have paid full price for it, but that doesn’t mean its not worth it, or, like some are saying, Benchmade is price gouging. The cost of everything is going up and i have a feeling that in a few years the price will come down while other prices go up and it will seem like a great value.

I know people are bashing the Narrows in reviews, but i remember when the Bugout was released and it had a similar reception from the “experts.”

The narrowness doesn’t bother me at all and it has great ergos for being so thin. I also regularly carry a douk douk though and love it. I personally don’t do extended work with a folder though so maybe if for whatever reason you needed to (but couldn’t have a fixed blade) it might not be ideal. I do believe a fixed blade with a good handle is always going to beat a folder for comfort in extended use. Something like an Opinel probably comes close though and are not my favorite to carry in the pocket.