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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Benchmade LFK
- Thread starter 49 Pan
- Start date
The Benchmade LFK is a large folder, it is a new offer from Benchmade. I know I can't be the only one on this forum who has looked at and/or contemplated buying this knife. It is not something you would want to carry every day but would be nice to have when it is not practical to have a sheath knife hanging off your belt in plain view.
I guess I have answered my own question. I will go ahead an buy one.
I guess I have answered my own question. I will go ahead an buy one.
Never handled one myself, but I found this video review of it on youtube, if you were interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywENuCxAPPU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywENuCxAPPU
I had been eyeing this knife for a while and recently bought it; it arrived yesterday.
It is a big chunk of knife indeed. I got the plain edge satin blade. It's surprising how well it fits in hand though, and how balanced it is, even though the blade is listed as having a ~5.6" blade to a 5" handle.
It's got a nice blade shape, reminiscent a bit of the RSK blade, but of course with a false edge and a hollow grind.
The holster is huge so I'll probably carry it in pocket; it actually doesn't feel as big as you'd expect such a huge knife to.
The blade came shaving sharp, and though 440C I figure the blade will hold up well to camp chores, etc. I might test it out this weekend, but then again most of the people I'm heading out to a beach campfire with are people I only met once before, so I might not bring such an intimidating knife on the first trip together =) The couple of friends who saw my knife yesterday, to a man they each said "Woah, that is HUGE knife!!" "What the heck, it's a monster!" etc. Haha.
Now on the sturdiness of it, it is a red class knife, and the other knives I've bought are all blue class (except for a mini-ambush which I lost in about 2 wks, bummer). It feels decently sturdy but the liners (due to the tail-fin-opening-lever action internally), I can't tell how big or how long they are within the handle.
Somewhere else I read a post that said the tail-fin was as sturdy as the blade, which I didn't think was the case, at least on my knife. It's plastic (or Zytel or something), and feels like it could snap off if I tried. Then again, it's mostly going to be either completely within the handle, or bolstered inside by the closed blade, so I don't think it'll be a real problem. The tail-fin pivot does have the nice brass washers, which I thought was a quality addition.
So, yeah, overall - nice knife. Not as much instant visual appeal as say a 710 or a Sebenza, but I think it's growing on me =)
Would love to see others' reactions and thoughts on this knife too...
It is a big chunk of knife indeed. I got the plain edge satin blade. It's surprising how well it fits in hand though, and how balanced it is, even though the blade is listed as having a ~5.6" blade to a 5" handle.
It's got a nice blade shape, reminiscent a bit of the RSK blade, but of course with a false edge and a hollow grind.
The holster is huge so I'll probably carry it in pocket; it actually doesn't feel as big as you'd expect such a huge knife to.
The blade came shaving sharp, and though 440C I figure the blade will hold up well to camp chores, etc. I might test it out this weekend, but then again most of the people I'm heading out to a beach campfire with are people I only met once before, so I might not bring such an intimidating knife on the first trip together =) The couple of friends who saw my knife yesterday, to a man they each said "Woah, that is HUGE knife!!" "What the heck, it's a monster!" etc. Haha.
Now on the sturdiness of it, it is a red class knife, and the other knives I've bought are all blue class (except for a mini-ambush which I lost in about 2 wks, bummer). It feels decently sturdy but the liners (due to the tail-fin-opening-lever action internally), I can't tell how big or how long they are within the handle.
Somewhere else I read a post that said the tail-fin was as sturdy as the blade, which I didn't think was the case, at least on my knife. It's plastic (or Zytel or something), and feels like it could snap off if I tried. Then again, it's mostly going to be either completely within the handle, or bolstered inside by the closed blade, so I don't think it'll be a real problem. The tail-fin pivot does have the nice brass washers, which I thought was a quality addition.
So, yeah, overall - nice knife. Not as much instant visual appeal as say a 710 or a Sebenza, but I think it's growing on me =)
Would love to see others' reactions and thoughts on this knife too...
I'd call mine a decent poor man's (ie, import) mega-folder. $100 MSRP, I think I paid a hair over $60, plus shipping.
It's definitely a cutter, not a chopper. The tailfin means that when open it has a folder sized handle, like a 710, not a mega-handle like a CUDA Maxx or REKAT Sifu. It fits very well in my hand, and mine came nearly scary sharp, half past arm-shaving and on the way to tree-topping.
It's a linerlock. No problems on mine so far. For linerlocks, I've had good luck with Benchmade, but it's still not my faorite mechanism.
I'd say it's a more finely engineered, better tuned knife than a Cold Steel XL Voyager, but the lockback Zytel Voyager might well be tougher. I'm not interested in destruction testing my example of either one.
I like the pocket clip - big folder, they upsized the clip.
On the downside, whatever technology Benchmade is using on their current generation USA made knives to make the aluminum handle coating tougher, they aren't sharing it with Taiwan - the silver is already showing through the black at the butt.
On the upside, nice high hollow grind on a large wheel, sweet, thin edge, comfortable ergos as a work knife and in all major combat grips (tip up or down, edge in or out, thumb wrapped or extended. Very good tolerances, tuned true in the box. For Taiwan, fit & finish are well ahead of CRKT.
Short version, I like it. It's not a tank, but locks up flawlessly and solidly so far, and spine whacks don't faze it at all. If you like tip-down linerlocks, and want an affordable megafolder, I'd recommend it.
I'm not sure what a five inch folder can do that a four inch folder can't, but I own half a dozen, so obviously the answer is that it can make you want to own a big one.
It's definitely a cutter, not a chopper. The tailfin means that when open it has a folder sized handle, like a 710, not a mega-handle like a CUDA Maxx or REKAT Sifu. It fits very well in my hand, and mine came nearly scary sharp, half past arm-shaving and on the way to tree-topping.
It's a linerlock. No problems on mine so far. For linerlocks, I've had good luck with Benchmade, but it's still not my faorite mechanism.
I'd say it's a more finely engineered, better tuned knife than a Cold Steel XL Voyager, but the lockback Zytel Voyager might well be tougher. I'm not interested in destruction testing my example of either one.
I like the pocket clip - big folder, they upsized the clip.
On the downside, whatever technology Benchmade is using on their current generation USA made knives to make the aluminum handle coating tougher, they aren't sharing it with Taiwan - the silver is already showing through the black at the butt.
On the upside, nice high hollow grind on a large wheel, sweet, thin edge, comfortable ergos as a work knife and in all major combat grips (tip up or down, edge in or out, thumb wrapped or extended. Very good tolerances, tuned true in the box. For Taiwan, fit & finish are well ahead of CRKT.
Short version, I like it. It's not a tank, but locks up flawlessly and solidly so far, and spine whacks don't faze it at all. If you like tip-down linerlocks, and want an affordable megafolder, I'd recommend it.
I'm not sure what a five inch folder can do that a four inch folder can't, but I own half a dozen, so obviously the answer is that it can make you want to own a big one.
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 29
I too have been thinking about buying this knife, I have the Rukus now which to me is a great knife, I'm afraid the LFK may not be as good a quality knife, thats all thats holding me back,, are there any other large 5" plus folders that you guys might recommend.
Picked up an "LFK" yesterday & was pleasantly surprised. It is unusually light and fit's my hand just right. The Kraton insert's are just right in helping to handle it as it is big for a folder. The price was right ,too, though I would have gladly paid more for CPM S30V, D-2, VG-10 etc... 440C is a good all around utility steel & should hold up well. It's going to take a little more practice than usual when being deployed in tactical situation's due to the unusual tail piece. It was shaving sharp out of the box. A quick & light touch-up on my Triangle Sharpmaker made it " scary sharp". It's one of Benchmade's Red Class but is solidly built. The blade is stamped "prototype" but am pretty sure it's not a limited run. Will make an excellent camp knife. All in all a great value.
Picked up an "LFK" yesterday & was pleasantly surprised. It is unusually light and fit's my hand just right. The Kraton insert's are just right in helping to handle it as it is big for a folder. The price was right ,too, though I would have gladly paid more for CPM S30V, D-2, VG-10 etc... 440C is a good all around utility steel & should hold up well. It's going to take a little more practice than usual when being deployed in tactical situation's due to the unusual tail piece. It was shaving sharp out of the box. A quick & light touch-up on my Triangle Sharpmaker made it " scary sharp". It's one of Benchmade's Red Class but is solidly built. The blade is stamped "prototype" but am pretty sure it's not a limited run. Will make an excellent camp knife. All in all a great value.