Benchmade Nimravus Experience

B

Bomba07

Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
38
I'm really looking into the Benchmade Nimravus plain edge. And I'm not sure if a knife that expensive will be worth it. I Don't plan on prying or chipping apart cinder blocks with it, Just something to put on my vest incase someone gets a little closer than they need to be:) Well anyways If anyone has any feedback about this knife it would be greatly appreciated!
 
There are better options in my opinion, but the Nim. is a good knife; kind of expensive though
 
Bomba07 said:
I'm really looking into the Benchmade Nimravus plain edge. And I'm not sure if a knife that expensive will be worth it. I Don't plan on prying or chipping apart cinder blocks with it, Just something to put on my vest incase someone gets a little closer than they need to be:) Well anyways If anyone has any feedback about this knife it would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Nim is made for just that.
 
1966c10 said:
umm... care to expand on that? Not that I disagree with you, but what are "better options"?
Click to expand...

Scrap yard 411, Spyderco Street Beat, Scrap Yard 511, Glock 78 FK, SOG Tech Bowie, SOg Seal Pup, ESEE 3, ESEE 4, Fallkniven A1, Cold Steel SRK, and my personal fav. Scrapyard War Dog!!!! Many others; but I cant think of any others at the moment.
 
You may also consider the Gerber Yari II. It's a pretty decent S30V blade with a very well made Molle compatible sheath. It was pretty much made to be strapped to a tac vest or drop-leg. I think you'll find it's a fair bit cheaper (I got mine for around 70$) than the Nimravus with better steel to boot (S30V as opposed to 154CM).
 
I was also looking at the SOG ops knife. It's a newer style knife, but i actually got to hold it and it felt a little cheap....Also another thing is that its made in Taiwan and for me I'm big on USA made stuff.
 
verisharp said:
Scrap yard 411, Spyderco Street Beat, Scrap Yard 511, Glock 78 FK, SOG Tech Bowie, SOg Seal Pup, ESEE 3, ESEE 4, Fallkniven A1, Cold Steel SRK, and my personal fav. Scrapyard War Dog!!!! Many others; but I cant think of any others at the moment.
Click to expand...

Really... a Glock 78, it's a bayonet, its sheath sucks etc. etc.

I smell a benchmade hater.
 
I have one of the original Nimravi. I have never liked it. I don't understand the apparent compulsion to have the edge of the full tang higher than the handle slabs. It feels uncomfortable to me and seems that it would raise blisters with extended use.
 
Well, The Yari 2 seems to be an awesome knife. Iv'e got the Gerber auto 06 with the S30V steel and its awesome, but i cant find it anywhere for under $130. Also I have been looking at the buck knighthawk...but its got the 420 HC steel and ive had bad experience with 420 steels in the past
 
Bomba07 said:
Well, The Yari 2 seems to be an awesome knife. Iv'e got the Gerber auto 06 with the S30V steel and its awesome, but i cant find it anywhere for under $130. Also I have been looking at the buck knighthawk...but its got the 420 HC steel and ive had bad experience with 420 steels in the past
Click to expand...

You should look at a well known auction site that starts with an 'e' and ends with a 'bay'. Cheapest price I see is just over 70$ shipped.
 
I own an old nimravus partially serrated, purchased in the early 90s. It is still attached to a backpack of mine on the exterior side pocket. It feels great in hand, fast and comfortable. It is actually shaving hair sharp from factory as I recall. The sheath (if it's still the same) comes with a perfect fit/tight fit, and a wide clip that is great for clipping onto just about anything or anywhere.. It's actually my favorite kydex. I'd definitely check one out in person to see how it suits you...

On the other hand, there are many other options in the same price range as noted above. It comes down to personal preference.. How big your hand is.. How big a knife you want.

The nim is fairly slim, yet doesn't feel like it. I also like the Swamp rat RS (I have 2 I use), however it's handle is a bit bulkier and may not be what you want. Both are coated knives.

Oh and steel type.. I think the nim is/was ATS34.

AND Benchmade, in my experience over the past 17yrs, has been great at fixing folders, resharpening, and re-profiling knives for me as I ding them or whatever the case..

gl young luke!
 
The Nim was my edc, for years. I've literally been half way around the world with that knife. Carried it on duty, off duty, everything. Its an excellent knife for when u need something low profile and easy to conceal yet big enough to use effectively in SD. The coating sucks, mine got so bad I had to finish sanding it off. Good news is the steel underneath polished up nice.

I tend to go back to that knife because I really haven't found anything that fits the bill better. I think u'd b happy with one.

That poster that listed all those other "options" has probably never had one. I say this because the knives he listed are nothing like the Nim. They have have bigger handles and do not 'disappear' as easily. The Yari 2, however, is just like a Nim. I hate to say it, but I think I'd rather have the Yari 2. Either one will do exactly what yer looking for.
 
The Nimravus is a pretty decent knife, but it's pretty low down on my favorite fixed blade knives, for one major reason--the handle is rather poorly designed, IMO. The handle scales leave the tang exposed, and if it gets cold or hot, that exposed metal can get downright uncomfortable. It's probably worth investing in some slightly wider custom scales for the knife. Other than that, it's got some nice jimping on the back of the blade, and gets pretty good control. The 154CM isn't Benchmade's best steel, however, IMO. It's a lot harder to sharpen than I would prefer.

I kinda like Cold Steel's Peacekeeper 1 for a defense knife. Mine cost around 95 USD. Aside from the long double edged dagger blade, it's got a fairly flat profile, and it's a lot more comfortable than the Nim is for me. Might be worth looking at.

Other decent knives you might check would include some of the ESEE offerings and the Bark River Bravo 1.
 
I think I'll go with the nimravus. I just hate serrations on a fixed blade knife...I don't know why, but i do even though the Yari 2 has s30v steel which is amazing
 
Last edited:
crimsonfalcon07 said:
The Nimravus is a pretty decent knife, but it's pretty low down on my favorite fixed blade knives, for one major reason--the handle is rather poorly designed, IMO. The handle scales leave the tang exposed, and if it gets cold or hot, that exposed metal can get downright uncomfortable. It's probably worth investing in some slightly wider custom scales for the knife. Other than that, it's got some nice jimping on the back of the blade, and gets pretty good control. The 154CM isn't Benchmade's best steel, however, IMO. It's a lot harder to sharpen than I would prefer.

I kinda like Cold Steel's Peacekeeper 1 for a defense knife. Mine cost around 95 USD. Aside from the long double edged dagger blade, it's got a fairly flat profile, and it's a lot more comfortable than the Nim is for me. Might be worth looking at.

Other decent knives you might check would include some of the ESEE offerings and the Bark River Bravo 1.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you can't replace the Nim's scales with ones that are even with the tang :-( I wanted to and contacted a custom maker about having some done. He pointed out that the edges of the exposed tang are tapered. So, unless you machined off 1/16th of an inch all around the tang, there's going to be a gap in between the tang and each scale :-(

While I agree that the peackeeper is an awesome knife, I don't understand why you find 154CM difficult to sharpen. D2 sure is, but (for me) 154CM sharpens up really easy and gets insanely sharp. In fact, I wish they would have used it for their/my model 51 instead of this damn D2.

OP - check back in, after you get the Nim. I, for one, want to know what you think about it after using it for awhile.
 
Nim is a great knife, lots of fun, a thin little slicer. I never once regretted buying it, but now thinking about it, I'm not really quite sure it's marketing and design matches up. A thin 3/4 flat grind 154CM blade says "excellent slicer" to me.. but it is marketed under the black class as a tactical (I'm guessing that means combat?)

4.5" especially at how thin it is does not seem very trustworthy to me... 4.5" is probably the upper boundary for when I would consider 154CM as a good steel choice (again, good for slicing, but nothing else). It may be too brittle for whatever "tactical" needs OP seems to imply.

There are much better options for that kind of usage for less cost (including non-knife options)

Mine is mostly for kitchen duty, with some light camping and skinning chores, and it is unparalleled at that :thumbup: Takes a remarkable edge and holds it.. 154CM is easy to work with and the thin grind really helps it excel.
 
Skimo said:
Really... a Glock 78, it's a bayonet, its sheath sucks etc. etc.

I smell a benchmade hater.
Click to expand...

And the blade sucks too. I have had it - for very short time. So I would exclude it from the list. As well as Spyderco Street Beat - it is an excellent knife but it looks strange in that company...
As for BM hater - after saying that Nimravus is kind of expensive.... What about Fallkniven A1 then? Or the Street Beat mentioned above? What is the basis for comparison? ;)
 
res1cue said:
Nim is a great knife, lots of fun, a thin little slicer. I never once regretted buying it, but now thinking about it, I'm not really quite sure it's marketing and design matches up. A thin 3/4 flat grind 154CM blade says "excellent slicer" to me.. but it is marketed under the black class as a tactical (I'm guessing that means combat?)

4.5" especially at how thin it is does not seem very trustworthy to me... 4.5" is probably the upper boundary for when I would consider 154CM as a good steel choice (again, good for slicing, but nothing else). It may be too brittle for whatever "tactical" needs OP seems to imply.

There are much better options for that kind of usage for less cost (including non-knife options)

Mine is mostly for kitchen duty, with some light camping and skinning chores, and it is unparalleled at that :thumbup: Takes a remarkable edge and holds it.. 154CM is easy to work with and the thin grind really helps it excel.
Click to expand...

Sorry to keep speaking up in this thread, but I can't help it, we're discussing a knife that I've carried and used for years. Most recently, today.

Yes, it is an excellent slicer. Mine pulls pepperoni an cheese duty on a regular basis. Nope, it is not too brittle for a fighting knife. I practice full speed on trees with it and, while the issue with the handle becomes more apparent during such, it has not shown any signs of fracture or chipping. I don't feel its pitched as a "combat" knife so much as a "fighting" knife. Think Jason Bourne over John Rambo :-)
 
I've had a Nimravus plainedge and it was good, but it's more of a combat knife than a bushcraft knife. Same thing goes for the Nim Cub II, which I still have. They're not very comfortable to work with in the long run (blisters etc.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top