Best in Class; Benchmade Edition!

[ChazzyP]

Sure would like to see more guys weigh in on this theme, BMCGear . I have to revisit my picks because I only just came to realize that my Ritter Grips are Black Class. My only negative with Griptilians is the stock handles, which I abhor, so all 5 of mine wear aftermarkets. My Ritters have Wilkins coarse G10 with red backspacers and are at least a tie with the Strykers I listed as Best in Class.

If I can have a second Honorable Mention for Blue, I'll add my other Grips--550 and 555 in orange G10 Igordeds--

--and my 551SBK in Igorded green canvas Micarta.

 

[Knives&Lint]

Cool idea for a thread! Here's my selection. I'm no expert, but I have collected Benchmade for a while, and these are the ones that have suited my tastes and uses best.

Black Class: Adamas. Such a great overbuilt tank of a knife. The perfect heavy-duty work / hard-use outdoor folder IMO.

Blue Class: The Riitter Grip. A great EDC and hiking knife

Hunt: The venerable Crooked River of course. A pic of it speaks for itself. I'm glad there's a mini version coming out, but honestly the full size version suits me just fine.

Honorable Mentions:

Vicar: This knife blew me away from the beginning. Despite the cool design, I had held off on picking one of these up for some time, because I usually only purchase AXIS locks when it comes to Benchmade. However, I'm so glad I glad I ended up giving it a shot. The quality, smoothness, and fit and finish on this knife are amazing. The feeling that the blade makes when your closing it and it sucks back up into the handle makes me giddy. Not a huge fan of the shade of green on the outer scales though. I'd like to look into something custom for that at some point.

Snody HK AXIS: This was my first Benchmade, my first nice knife, and honestly still one of my favorites. I'm pretty sure this one was made before the HK line got the memo that it was supposed to be less refined than the other BM models. This is a beautiful knife. The quality is top notch, built like a tank, ergonomics similar to a Griptilian (IMO), and ultra smooth action. One of the best AXIS locks I have experienced in fact. You can hold it straight out and it will free-fall completely opened and closed without fail. And the beefy metal frame makes for an ever so satisfying feeling when you fling it open. To this day I keep one of these on my desk, as is it my favorite fidget flicker.

 

[ChazzyP]

I thought this was a really good idea for a thread, BMCGear , and I'm surprised it never really took off. I'll add another knife to my Black Class picks and hope a little bump will open things up again here.

I'd noticed that the older model Triage was being discontinued to be replaced by the new "Tactical Triage" which seems a bit oxymoronic to me. Anyway, I'd always wanted one, but had just never gotten around to pulling the trigger. I started searching for a good close-out price and was very pleased to find a great deal on an orange-scaled, black-bladed model. I've grown to appreciate SheepFoot blades with my CRK large 21 Insingo, BMK 550 & 555, along with my Hinderer MP1. N690C takes a really good edge and the rescue hook will come in handy for cutting line. Knife is a great looker, too.

 

[Higgs Particle steel]

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[Cursum Perficio]

I'll stick to what I own, so no mention of Gold Class other than, darn tiguy, that 941-81 is gorgeous!

Black Class - 950 Rift. My only Black, but this is my most used BM and its awesome. Sometimes it languishes in the drawer for months, then I pocket it for a while and remember how darn good it is. The hump under the handle doesn't fit some hands, though it fits mine just fine. I'm happy with 154CM, the size and weight are in the sweet spot for most of my EDC needs, and the tip is very stout. As a general use workhorse folder the 950 ticks lots of boxes for me.

Blue Class - 940-1. Quintessential EDC folder in CF/S90V. What can I say that hasn't been said. The only way it could be better is if it was a 943-1. Benchmade
Honourable mention 1 - 581 Barrage. So comfortable to use and M390 rocks. I like the AO, not as much as I used to though. And the thought of de-assisting is a brain thorn that won't go away.
Honourable mention 2 - 790 Subrosa. Comfortable, good ergo's? Not really. Any hot spots when gripped tight for a bit? Yep. A clip that looks a bit funky? Yep. Tip up? Nope. A detent that really feels like it won't accidentally spring open? Nope (but it never has yet). A lock to make sure it stays closed? Nope.
And yet I really like the 790. Slim, 3.8oz, 3.76" blade (I like a slight recurve), easy to strip and maintain and an AO that really kicks. It's like the quirky girl that's great to hang with.

Hunt Series - Got 2 now, the mini CR arrived yesterday and the jury is still out. Need some time with it. If I had to pick right now I might prefer the 4" CR. It's a smooth, beasty, great looking, fun to use, large Axis Lock folder that carries well.

 

[Camarofan69]

I have #24 of the 941-81 I carry it everyday

View attachment 822736 I like the Gold Class 941-81. It is the only production knife I have ever seen with orange peel anodized Titanium.

 

[BMCGear]

I thought this was a really good idea for a thread, BMCGear , and I'm surprised it never really took off. I'll add another knife to my Black Class picks and hope a little bump will open things up again here.

Thanks ChazzyP I just realized I had deleted some old photos so put new ones up. That may help as well. I just thought it would be fun to talk about our favorite Benchmade's in each class.

 

[ChazzyP]

Thanks ChazzyP I just realized I had deleted some old photos so put new ones up. That may help as well. I just thought it would be fun to talk about our favorite Benchmade's in each class.

Nice new pics, BMC. Glad you kept that 551-1702--just a great knife and quickly becoming one of my favorite BMKs.

 

[BMCGear]

Nice new pics, BMC. Glad you kept that 551-1702--just a great knife and quickly becoming one of my favorite BMKs.

Same here. Really enjoy it. Also loving the Crooked River these days when I'm not at the office. I am seriously considering a custom one.