Benchmade 319 Proper...I like it
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ChazzyP
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So we took an extra day in Vermont and didn't get back to the Cape until last evening. I got to the PO this afternoon and picked up a week's worth of mail, about 6 packages for my wife, and my Benchmade Proper. I'm generally quite pleased with it and think it'll suit my purposes for its use well as a second, more-discrete carry or something to pocket on trips to the city or vacations to places with restrictive knife laws.
The green canvas Micarta is very nice with its open texture. It has great contouring and feels warm and soft in hand. While I have a hard time with three-finger grips, the swell at the handle's end hooks my ring finger well and my thumb falls right on the nicely-placed jimping at the handle/blade nexus. The blade finish is pleasing with its vertical grind lines on the flats and light stonewash on the swedge and primary grind, while the sheep foot blade, the arched back, and curve along the bottom of the knife make for a very useful shape. The edge bevel is even, symmetrical, is typical Benchmade toothy sharp, and the blade is dead centered.
Gary W. Graley
thought the blade to be thick behind the edge for a small knife and indeed it is, but that affords the knife a bit more strength and suits my utility use for it just fine.
VolGrad
had mentioned the gritty action of the Propers he handled at BLADE (along with the disinterested and unhelpful booth reps) and I must concur that mine definitely has a rough and gritty feel just before the fully open position where the raised portion of the tang rides along the closing spring. Two tiny drops of W10 NanoOil have smoothed out and eased the entire open/closing action and made entering and leaving the stop positions much better. I can still feel a little underlying grittiness at that spot when closing against the spring tension, but it's barely noticeable. It may well break-in. Jimmy--
Benchmade
--maybe pass on to the factory that the guys polishing the springs could spend a little more time on them.
Anyway, I like the knife even though it's totally different from most everything else I own and carry. Here's a few pics along with my 531 both for comparison's sake and as it was previously mentioned.
The green canvas Micarta is very nice with its open texture. It has great contouring and feels warm and soft in hand. While I have a hard time with three-finger grips, the swell at the handle's end hooks my ring finger well and my thumb falls right on the nicely-placed jimping at the handle/blade nexus. The blade finish is pleasing with its vertical grind lines on the flats and light stonewash on the swedge and primary grind, while the sheep foot blade, the arched back, and curve along the bottom of the knife make for a very useful shape. The edge bevel is even, symmetrical, is typical Benchmade toothy sharp, and the blade is dead centered.
Gary W. Graley
thought the blade to be thick behind the edge for a small knife and indeed it is, but that affords the knife a bit more strength and suits my utility use for it just fine.
VolGrad
had mentioned the gritty action of the Propers he handled at BLADE (along with the disinterested and unhelpful booth reps) and I must concur that mine definitely has a rough and gritty feel just before the fully open position where the raised portion of the tang rides along the closing spring. Two tiny drops of W10 NanoOil have smoothed out and eased the entire open/closing action and made entering and leaving the stop positions much better. I can still feel a little underlying grittiness at that spot when closing against the spring tension, but it's barely noticeable. It may well break-in. Jimmy--
Benchmade
--maybe pass on to the factory that the guys polishing the springs could spend a little more time on them.Anyway, I like the knife even though it's totally different from most everything else I own and carry. Here's a few pics along with my 531 both for comparison's sake and as it was previously mentioned.
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My Micarta arrived today. It's pretty smooth right up the point you mentioned. At the point just before the fully open position I can feel/hear the grit. It's not nearly as bad as the ones I handled at BLADE but I can feel it. It's not enough to be an issue though. Had it arrived like the ones I handled at BLADE I would likely have been disappointed. The knife is really cool and fits a niche that wasn't filled for me before. I love the micarta and look forward to getting it dirty and broken in.
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The ones at BLADE were downright gritty. It would be interesting for you to go find the freight boxes as they unpack them at the mothership and feel what we are talking about.
bikerector
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Those certainly look nice. Diggin the pics from out in the wild.
jlhoffman74
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I caught a butterfly at REI on Monday. I really like it, mine wasn't gritty at all. I oiled it up when I got home and its very smooth. S30v: check, Green Canvas Micarta: check, Modern "slipjoint":check! I was totally surprised by this model. I hope BM does a few more variations. I only have one complaint: The pull is about a 4(or a soft 5), if the pull was 6/7 with the walk and talk of a GEC, this knife would be perfect.
I have had it in my pocket all week, using it for food prep to opening packages. This is a pocket scalpel, great user and edc!
I have had it in my pocket all week, using it for food prep to opening packages. This is a pocket scalpel, great user and edc!
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
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Thanks for the info on the edge thickness, will definitely have to pass on this one
G2
G2
ChazzyP
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Nice pics and really nice bead, Jeff! Do I assume correctly that 6/7 pull is stiffer than a 4/5? I have little experience with traditionals, though I am familiar with walk and talk, so perhaps you could explain the preferences for easier/harder pulls.I caught a butterfly at REI on Monday. I really like it, mine wasn't gritty at all. I oiled it up when I got home and its very smooth. S30v: check, Green Canvas Micarta: check, Modern "slipjoint":check! I was totally surprised by this model. I hope BM does a few more variations. I only have one complaint: The pull is about a 4(or a soft 5), if the pull was 6/7 with the walk and talk of a GEC, this knife would be perfect.
I have had it in my pocket all week, using it for food prep to opening packages. This is a pocket scalpel, great user and edc!
--Steve
jlhoffman74
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Thanks! Its definitely a personal preference, I like my trad knives to "clicky clap snap", I like harder back springs. This knife has a softer pull so its easier to pinch with your fingers to open it. Some people like that, I have fingernails so I like the nail nick. This knife does have a "snap" its just softer than some other traditional knives I have handled. The scale is 1-10, 1 very soft( I have never seen a knife with this) to 10 which is nail breaking so you cannot even open the knife. 5-6 is about the average, most GEC knives are this if you have ever handled one of them.
I still love this knife, the walk and talk is comparable to some case knives. This is a great apple slicer, I have cut about 30 this week, and I don't have to worry about corrosion like on 1095 blades. Its just a great alternative to the standard trad knife offerings out there.
I still love this knife, the walk and talk is comparable to some case knives. This is a great apple slicer, I have cut about 30 this week, and I don't have to worry about corrosion like on 1095 blades. Its just a great alternative to the standard trad knife offerings out there.
photoman12001
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My micarta Proper arrived today...I like it too.
I can't decide which I prefer, probably neither which is why my gun and knife collections are so big. My wife prefers the texture of the micarta. The actions on them are about the same. The micarta might be slightly, very slightly, less stiff. Neither are gritty at all. The micarta did come with a significant burr on the edge. That took some work with Sharp Maker medium, fine, and ultra fine stones to rectify.
By the way, I actually miss the First Production making on the micarta. The new format looks nice and the micarta seems kind of plain without it compared to the G10.
Overall I still think this is a great option from Benchmade.
Benchmade
, can you say generally how well the Proper has been selling? I'm just curious. It was probably a bit of a gamble to venture into that market but I'm glad you did. I hope it sticks around and we see some other variants.
Here is a low-light cell phone photo. I'll get some better shots when I can.
I can't decide which I prefer, probably neither which is why my gun and knife collections are so big. My wife prefers the texture of the micarta. The actions on them are about the same. The micarta might be slightly, very slightly, less stiff. Neither are gritty at all. The micarta did come with a significant burr on the edge. That took some work with Sharp Maker medium, fine, and ultra fine stones to rectify.
By the way, I actually miss the First Production making on the micarta. The new format looks nice and the micarta seems kind of plain without it compared to the G10.
Overall I still think this is a great option from Benchmade.
Benchmade
, can you say generally how well the Proper has been selling? I'm just curious. It was probably a bit of a gamble to venture into that market but I'm glad you did. I hope it sticks around and we see some other variants. Here is a low-light cell phone photo. I'll get some better shots when I can.
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ChazzyP
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Those look nice together,
photoman12001
. You've probably just cost me some money by putting a red Micarta Proper on my wish list. Your "low-light cell phone photo" looks better than the best of what most of the rest of us have to offer.
I put a new tail on my Micarta Proper last night. I fooled around with a few different colors and knots and ultimately decided that I liked the contrast of
VolGrad
's choice of red. My Licorice 550 cord is reminiscent of the red G10 above, so maybe that'll hold me for a while.
photoman12001
. You've probably just cost me some money by putting a red Micarta Proper on my wish list. Your "low-light cell phone photo" looks better than the best of what most of the rest of us have to offer. I put a new tail on my Micarta Proper last night. I fooled around with a few different colors and knots and ultimately decided that I liked the contrast of
VolGrad
's choice of red. My Licorice 550 cord is reminiscent of the red G10 above, so maybe that'll hold me for a while.
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
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You guys are making it tuff to resist. 
G2
G2
photoman12001
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You guys are making it tuff to resist.
G2
One of us. One of us.
I think it's cheap enough to try without hurting much. If you don't like it you shouldn't be out much and the few I've seen on the Exchange seem to go quickly.
