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One is $300 and the other is $40. I'm sure the Benchmade has much better blade steel but is it worth the $260 price difference? Anyone have both and can speak on these knives?
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Benchmade Triage vs Kershaw Barricade
- Thread starter Deadshot138
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The prices I see now are $30 for the Barricade and $270 for the Triage, or $250 for the blunt tip. I paid less than $200 for my Triage, but that was a few years ago. It's an excellent knife, good S30V steel, and the strap cutter is actually sharp enough to cut paracord easily (I don't have any straps handy that I want to cut).
You might want to look at the reviews of the Barricade at KnifeCenter and BladeHQ.
I'm surprised I don't see any "rescue" knives (assuming you want the strap cutter) in the $100-$150 range. The Hogue Trauma is over $200. The Boker Magnum is an overpriced garage knife. The SOG is a SOG.
If you are going to be using the knife in situations where lives are at stake, go with Benchmade or Hogue. Or maybe you could get a separate strap cutter and any of numerous excellent knives at reasonable prices.
You might want to look at the reviews of the Barricade at KnifeCenter and BladeHQ.
I'm surprised I don't see any "rescue" knives (assuming you want the strap cutter) in the $100-$150 range. The Hogue Trauma is over $200. The Boker Magnum is an overpriced garage knife. The SOG is a SOG.
If you are going to be using the knife in situations where lives are at stake, go with Benchmade or Hogue. Or maybe you could get a separate strap cutter and any of numerous excellent knives at reasonable prices.
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Spyderco Assist is about $120-140. You don't get a dedicated strap cutter, but also it's a knife so like... it has a blade already. By the time you line up the strap in the slot, you dont save any time over opening a blade anyway.
It's ugly as homemade sin, but it's the one I'd get in that price range. But I've never really found a use for a rescue knife. I have other tools that can break windows and cut straps as needed.
What the ****,
I think whoever designed this knife got wrong prescription.
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It definitely won't win any beauty contests, that's for sure.
Just to save people having to look it up.
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Unpopular opinion is Benchmade has been way overpriced for a decade. I have never seen a regular Benchmade(regular model not special materials models) that should be $220 more than any Kershaw. Kershaw makes some stinkers sometimes but they are almost always a quality tool and I wouldn't say anything different about Benchmade but the price difference is absurd. Especially considering the newer companies showing up with flawless knives with premium materials often costing much less. All that said I would carry a dedicated strap cutter if I thought I would need one as the ones added to knife handles are hard to use and a strap cutter attached to the back of your belt near the center would be so much better.
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Spyderco says, "The wavy pattern cut from the top of the blade (created by a fireman from Sweden) and along the inside of the handle let you place a piece of rope (between the half-open blade and handle) and scissor the blade shut- especially convenient for cutting rope in-and-around flesh without having to fully open/expose the knife's blade."
The Assist also has a carbide glass breaker and a whistle.
The Benchmade Triage is S30V, G10, and USA made vs the Kershaw Barricade being 8Cr, polymer, and Chinese made. So I would expect a considerable difference in price on those qualities alone. I prefer crossbar locks to liner locks too, especially on a rescue knife. I'd also say the strap cutter on the Triage is much better. Now do I think the Triage should cost $270? No. $220 would feel a lot better.
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I'd also add that if you're looking for an actual rescue tool (rather than a folding knife that compromises as a rescue tool), you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to consider the Leatherman Raptor Rescue.
For only $100, in an actual "rescue situation" it does more of the things you could actually need. It can even be autoclaved if exposed to bodily fluids. But of course it doesn't double as a pocket knife.
For only $100, in an actual "rescue situation" it does more of the things you could actually need. It can even be autoclaved if exposed to bodily fluids. But of course it doesn't double as a pocket knife.
calm
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Decent to have in your vehicle, but it never found a place in my pocket.
The one thing I don't like is the glass breaker on it is one and done. The steel rounds over and loses the sharp point necessary to break tempered glass. However, the glass saw on it will do wonders if you run into laminated side glass (or less likely, you need to take out a windshield.)
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I think the Kershaw Funxion EMT is a better comparison. It has the fold out cutter that can be touched up and resharpened some, and I like the carabiner clip on it. I carried the Benchmade Outlast (similar to a two bladed Triage) a lot at work, and earlier on in my fire/rescue/EMS career carried a metal handled version of the Funxion EMT. I have also gifted a Triage to a rookie firefighter I was reponsible for mentoring. Both the Kershaw and Benchmade knives can function well if need to be pressed into a rescue role. The cutting hook in particular worked well to cut open clothes to attach defibrillator pads on a few people and it was quick and easy being right in my pocket.
Honestly, unless you are carrying it for work, I am not sure you will ever get the extra money's worth out of it. If you are carrying for work and have the space, I would pair a decent EDC knife with the Leatherman Raptor
19-3ben
mentioned. If you need to carry one knife that needs to be depended on in a rescue situation, and you can afford it, the Triage is a nice knife. I haven't carried the Hogue alternative, but I do have a couple Hogue Ritter knives that are excellent. In fact, the MagnaCut Ritter at $190 paired with a Raptor would come in close to Triage prices and give you a very nice, and much more capable setup for rescue use.One other thing I would note, is if you are affiliated with public safety/first responder organizations, work in healthcare, military/government employee, there are discount programs that can make the Benchmade, Spyderco, Leatherman and a few other knives mentioned significantly cheaper. Not sure if any of that applies to you.
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I have carried one some and gifted several to coworkers. They are well respected by myself and coworkers who have put them to use in a professional role. Now, I keep one in easy reach, but not necessarily on me usually.
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An excellent point. I would add to this that in addition to the two big ones (GovX and IDme) with several knife companies if you email them and set up an account on your own, they give a discount directly and it is sometimes better than you get through the either of the big two 1st responder vendors I just mentioned. Usually you just need a picture of your credentials/ID.
My Lt keeps one in her personal vehicle. It was obviously designed with a lot of thought by someone who really knew what was needed.
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IME Spyderco, Gerber and Leatherman usually are cheapest direct. GovX is decent on Benchmade and Zero Tolerance if they have what you want in stock, but I usually wait for a holiday sale for extra 5-10%. Though I am open to any other leads you have
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IME Spyderco, Gerber and Leatherman usually are cheapest direct. GovX is decent on Benchmade and Zero Tolerance if they have what you want in stock, but I usually wait for a holiday sale for extra 5-10%. Though I am open to any other leads you have
Yeah, that's about what I've come up with as well.