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- Oct 28, 2017
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TL;DR
I took delivery of a Crooked River in G10 yesterday, and I'm just a little bit in love with it! Now look at the nice pictures.
An Initial Review
I much prefer reviews made after proper use over an extended period of time, but I like this knife so much from the outset, that I'm going to be a great, big hypocrite and do just the opposite. I will, however, add to it in the future, having used it as much as possible.
First of all, here it is:
Isn't that beautiful? I think it is. And it feels just like you might imagine it would in the hand:extremely smooth and comfortable. The edge was shaving sharp from the factory, toothy rather than polished. The bevels are even, and I'll be happy to just touch it up for the foreseeable future. There's a big thread going in GKD about the woes of CPM-S30V and S35V, but quite honestly I like it very much in pocket knives, so there.
I love the blade geometry, particularly the proportions and lines of the swedge leading to what looks to be a very strong and certainly very sharp tip. Well done, Benchmade, you have got this blade spot on.
Not everyone can live with the significant sweep from the handle to the cutting edge, nor the right angle formed when the blade is closed; I can see that it would potentially snag on things, and that sharp angle will not be kind to pockets. However, this doesn't bother me at all, and I actually like the look of the blade whether open or closed.
It's a big blade at 4", but let's get things in perspective. Here it is next to a 710 in M390, my 710 in D2 being a little scruffy for the grandeur of a brand new Crooked River:
Now, I adore the 710, it has always been my default knife since I first bought it years ago, but this Crooked River has just allowed it to retire with dignity. Although a similar length, as is obvious from the photo, the Crooked River's blade is significantly deeper, similar in fact to a Cold Steel Recon 1, but just much, much nicer. As such, it weighs in just shy of an ounce heavier than a 710, and about half an ounce more than the Recon 1.
But why put it next to a Cold Steel knife, when you can put it next to a knife that defines the locking, clip point hunter?
It's quite an evolution, isn't it? The clip point will always appeal to me, particularly in folding knives. I have some classic clip point fixed blades, such as the Buck 119 and the Ka-Bar USMC, but these knives don't get taken out much, particularly the very obviously military Ka-Bar. The clip point fixed blade that I do use, in remote wilderness, is the Fallkniven A1, but then why wouldn't you?
The more aggressive geometry of the clip on the Crooked River, vs. the 710, leads to a much better point, and the absence of a recurve between the heel and the belly will also appeal to many. I never minded the recurve on the 710, but I wouldn't want it on the Crooked River.
The aesthetics of this knife are another bone of contention, with some people loathing the bright orange back-spacer, and others finding the grey G10 to be rather bland. I really like it, which is just a matter of personal taste. A very generous friend is sending me a set of the stablised wood scales, as they have made custom ones, so I'll get to try it out in both flavours. Winner!
I know there are those who abhor bolsters, but as can be seen by the closing picture, I am not one of them, particularly on a Benchmade:
I'll post an update to this thread in a few months, hopefully with some photos of the knife when it's out and about. Thanks for enduring the waffle, and I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on this model. For me it is right up there.
Tom
I took delivery of a Crooked River in G10 yesterday, and I'm just a little bit in love with it! Now look at the nice pictures.
An Initial Review
I much prefer reviews made after proper use over an extended period of time, but I like this knife so much from the outset, that I'm going to be a great, big hypocrite and do just the opposite. I will, however, add to it in the future, having used it as much as possible.
First of all, here it is:
Isn't that beautiful? I think it is. And it feels just like you might imagine it would in the hand:extremely smooth and comfortable. The edge was shaving sharp from the factory, toothy rather than polished. The bevels are even, and I'll be happy to just touch it up for the foreseeable future. There's a big thread going in GKD about the woes of CPM-S30V and S35V, but quite honestly I like it very much in pocket knives, so there.
I love the blade geometry, particularly the proportions and lines of the swedge leading to what looks to be a very strong and certainly very sharp tip. Well done, Benchmade, you have got this blade spot on.
Not everyone can live with the significant sweep from the handle to the cutting edge, nor the right angle formed when the blade is closed; I can see that it would potentially snag on things, and that sharp angle will not be kind to pockets. However, this doesn't bother me at all, and I actually like the look of the blade whether open or closed.
It's a big blade at 4", but let's get things in perspective. Here it is next to a 710 in M390, my 710 in D2 being a little scruffy for the grandeur of a brand new Crooked River:
Now, I adore the 710, it has always been my default knife since I first bought it years ago, but this Crooked River has just allowed it to retire with dignity. Although a similar length, as is obvious from the photo, the Crooked River's blade is significantly deeper, similar in fact to a Cold Steel Recon 1, but just much, much nicer. As such, it weighs in just shy of an ounce heavier than a 710, and about half an ounce more than the Recon 1.
But why put it next to a Cold Steel knife, when you can put it next to a knife that defines the locking, clip point hunter?
It's quite an evolution, isn't it? The clip point will always appeal to me, particularly in folding knives. I have some classic clip point fixed blades, such as the Buck 119 and the Ka-Bar USMC, but these knives don't get taken out much, particularly the very obviously military Ka-Bar. The clip point fixed blade that I do use, in remote wilderness, is the Fallkniven A1, but then why wouldn't you?
The more aggressive geometry of the clip on the Crooked River, vs. the 710, leads to a much better point, and the absence of a recurve between the heel and the belly will also appeal to many. I never minded the recurve on the 710, but I wouldn't want it on the Crooked River.
The aesthetics of this knife are another bone of contention, with some people loathing the bright orange back-spacer, and others finding the grey G10 to be rather bland. I really like it, which is just a matter of personal taste. A very generous friend is sending me a set of the stablised wood scales, as they have made custom ones, so I'll get to try it out in both flavours. Winner!
I know there are those who abhor bolsters, but as can be seen by the closing picture, I am not one of them, particularly on a Benchmade:
I'll post an update to this thread in a few months, hopefully with some photos of the knife when it's out and about. Thanks for enduring the waffle, and I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on this model. For me it is right up there.
Tom
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