Nobody asked, but FWIW here's my opinion on the full size new Adamas.
I bought this at Turner's because the display example had a very good action and I liked the looks. I never had an Adamas because generally I don't really get the whole thick blade thing. Thick blades and flat grinds have ruined many Cold Steel staples, but I digress.
The handle is incredibly comfortable, which reduces the felt effort. Not only is it crazy thick, it's also chamfered to perfection. I always test this by carving through a piece of 1 x 2 douglas fir. Of about 40 pocket knives, this has the most comfortable handle for hard cutting. Also your hand can't go forward or back very far so the grip is very secure. Traction is decent due to the holes and slots, so that's a win too.
The action is good, great for a Benchmade. Part of this is they finally made a model where the washers are as large in diameter as fits. Maybe they're just buying standard sizes and they got lucky, who knows. I'll take it any way. The axis spring pressure is light though, which I don't get. It's about the same as the original Presidio, lighter than Presidio II's. Since most parts of the Adamas are thicker/stronger than the Presidio, I don't get the light spring. I'm obsessing over this because spine whack failure is the weakness of the axis lock, and the weak spring isn't helping. Maybe someone flips a coin to pick the spring.
The blade looks really good with that cool blood groove. The tungsten grey color with white silkscreen is a huge win too. Little things like that probably boost sales more even than the blade steel. Speaking of Cruwear, how can a knife nut resist? It may add $80 dollars to the price and $10 to the cost. But I'm not complaining, I appreciate the chance to buy it. Good for Benchmade.
I love this knife, but I have to be honest and say it cuts worse than average. In wood or cardboard the effort is noticably high. The problem isn't behind the edge thickness. It started about 0.023" at about 22 dps, and is about 0.025" at 17 dps. That's no different than knives I have that cut better. I think the problem is the main grind angle which is 12 degrees total. Plus the coating friction is probably hurting it.
I like the fact that it's strong. The pivot screw is a beast. I don't like to pry with a knife, but I like knowing the knife will handle it well.
I'd say this knife works best for self defense or maybe as a survival pocketknife if there is such a thing. For heavy cutting use you'd be better off with a Presidio II or a Shaman.
If I could change one thing about it, I'd give it a hollow grind. The Cruwear will absorb 4 times the energy for the same size chip as S30V. It doesn't need a thick edge. A hollow grind would make it cut. Too bad hollow grinds are out of fashion.
Conclusion: Pricey, but recommend.
