BLADE Show Week heads outdoors with some newly updated HUNT series fixed blades from Benchmade. Troy Hellman takes us through the thought process and motivation behind the improvements to these capable hunting and camping knives.
In addition to refinements to the profile, Benchmade have also released a higher end version of the Saddle Mountain Skinner fixed blade. It features a number of upgrades, including a Richlite handle with orange G10 liners and S90V blade steel. I'll focus on this knife here, as the same things apply to the base S30V/Dymondwood version.
The handle does boast a few tweaks that make it more comfortable in the hand and less likely to snag when using it in a skinning/gutting situation. They are not what I would call “hand-filling” at least in the sense of what a bushcrafter might look for, that being a fat grip that is built for hours of woodcarving. Rather, the Saddle Mountain focuses on agility, with a thinner (but still nicely contoured) handle providing a nimble and secure hold on the knife.
The blade sees a number of improvements as well, most noticeably it no longer features a recurve at the heel of the edge. This is going to make sharpening easier, and since S30V and S90V can both hold an edge for quite a while, Benchmade found that the added edge-length provided by a recurve wasn't really necessary anymore.
The slicing efficiency of these new-generation models is also vastly improved over the previous iterations. They have gone with thinner blade stock this time around, just under 1/8″ thick (they were previously closer to 5/32″) and kept the flat grind nice and high for a keen profile. The S90V versions take things a step further than the S30V models, combining the thinner blades with a more acute 14-degree per side edge angle (dubbed SelectEdge), rather than the standard 20-degree edge. This combined with the already impressive edge holding of S90V makes this version a true performance powerhouse.
The one knife I really want to talk about is a new version of the runaway hit CEO by Richard Rogers. Dubbed the CEO Bamboo, it leans more heavily into the kwaiken influence that was always hiding just beneath the surface of this model.
The kwaiken was a style of blade carried by the samurai, so it is only appropriate that this new model features vibrant synthetic handle scales that are shaped like bamboo. Not only does this style reflect the Japanese influence in the design, but it also adds a bit more grip in the hand.
The rest of the knife is just like the original, with a thin, pencil-like profile and deep carry pocket clip making it very easy to carry just about anywhere. The narrow, straight-backed blade is constructed from 8Cr13MoV steel and is agile and effective at most daily tasks, provided you don't need something for large jobs.
CRKT is also bringing a Razel design back to the market. With a forward-facing sharp edge, the combination Razor/Chisel style shows up here on a small Wharncliffe-esque blade, hence the name Razelcliffe Compact.
This should make a great everyday utility knife. It is a stainless framelock flipper with IKBS bearings, so the action is satisfying, and the blade is ready to work. The sharpened two edges come together to make a very effective point that will be great for piercing tough materials. The leading edge, of course, will also enable scraping cuts that most pocket knives are incapable of.
Despite the small overall size, the grip is very secure thanks to the wide stainless frame that offers plenty for your fingers to hold onto. This means the knife does not feel dainty and allows it to “punch above its size.”
Of everything Russell showed us, it was the humble CJRB Ria that has captured my attention. This knife has an unassuming classic look, like an old-school slipjoint that discovered liner locks, thumbstuds, and pocket clips. It has everything you need in a modern, classy pocket knife.
The blade comes in just under 3-inches, the perfect size for most moderate EDC tasks, and the drop point blade features a full flat grind for a good mix of strength and slicing ability. My favorite part is the action. With ball-bearings in the pivot and a single thumbstud, perfectly placed, I seriously thought it was assisted when I first flicked it open. Excellent job!
It will be available with G10 or Micarta handles, and two different flavors of steel: 12C27 and AR-RPM9. You can find out more about this particle steel in the full video (posted below), but Russell tells us they were targeting D2 and 14C28N when it came to the performance. I also enjoyed the updated Crag model, which will now be available with their new Recoil-Lock, with the overall profile unchanged from the original liner locking versions. Same great pocket cleaver shape but with a new lock that offers a few advantages over crossbar-style locks such as Benchmade's AXIS-Lock.
You can still operate it with either hand, as the system is fully ambidextrous, and it also allows you to keep your fingers out of the path of the blade when closing things up. Unlike the AXIS though, you can pull back on the lock with a single finger since it is spine mounted, rather than being embedded in the handle sides. This also allows it to function as a thumb ramp, with your thumb pressure adding even more to the positive safety already present.
Most interesting to me was the Pochi which was designed to stand up on its side while looking like a little puppy. This tiny knife is definitely whimsical but it is still built to the same high standards as anything they make, so it is far from a novelty. They've even included one of the most anticipated new steels on the market, S45VN, the next-generation successor to S30V and S35VN.
What surprised me most about the design is the “tail.” It folds into the handle when closed and can be folded out to complete the canine illusion. Eric told us it was more than just decorative, however. Since the knife handle is so small, the tail actually provides an anchor for your third finger, allowing a more secure grip on the knife when in use. I also personally appreciated Eric's philosophy regarding the upcoming K390 Lightweight series, which pairs their basic, yet excellent, bi-directional FRN handles with hot-rodded K390 supersteel.
Usually, you only see exotic materials like this steel on more expensive, high-end knives. The downside of that is that the working man, who could benefit from the performance upgrades perhaps more than anyone else, is often priced out of enjoying them. The K390 LW models bring the horsepower to the masses - to paraphrase Eric, putting a Ferrari engine in an economy car!
At the time of publishing, the Ladybug version of this knife is already available, with Endura, Delica, Dragonfly, and Manbug variants following soon. Also on the horizon is a new Sprint Run Z-Wear Shaman. An earlier Sprint configuration of this knife with Cru-Wear steel and brown Micarta handles was a runaway success, with the entire run selling out almost instantly. This left a lot of folks disappointed and unable to get one, so this new version is intended to serve those who missed the first run.
This version still featured the same Micarta handles, and if you've never held a Shaman before, you know the grip is excellent. The Micarta construction makes it feel even better - ready for hard work!
To mix things up and not repeat the previous Sprint version, Z-Wear tags in for the blade this time. While different, it is relatively close to Cru-Wear from a metallurgical standpoint and is poised to offer extreme performance. With this combination of materials, this Shaman is built for tough work.