Last Updated: August 11, 2019
Every now and then I see a knife that I absolutely have to own. Now, believe it or not, my collection of knives is small in comparison to the size (and value) of many knife collectors, so I like to think I exercise some “restraint” in my purchases. This might have more to do with the size of my bank account than anything else, but my point is, this knife really struck me as something special, and I bought it. I am talking about the Boker Exskelibur, a collaboration between Boker Knives and South African custom knifemakers Mike Skellern and Fred Burger.
Buy the Boker Plus Exskeliber at BladeHQ
The Exskelibur is part of Boker’s “Plus” Line which is their line of high quality value knives. For purposes of the review I would classify the Exskelibur as a EDC knife, and perhaps even a collectors knife. I know mine wont be seeing much use even despite the very reasonable price tag – I simply want to keep this knife nice for my collection. What we really have here is a gentleman’s folder; it’s simple lines and rich titanium accents make the Exskelibur an exercise in minimalism and elegance that will feel very at home in an office or carried during a formal event.
I have found the attention to detail and build quality on this knife to be extraordinarily high. What may be most surprising to some readers is that this knife is made in China. Now, my Spyderco Tenacious review showed that Chinese manufacturing isn’t always synonymous with low quality, but the Exskelibur isn’t just well made for a Chinese knife – it’s well made for any knife.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Exskelibur I has a 3 5/8″ blade, an overall length of 8″ and a weight of 3.3 oz. Due to the advanced handle construction almost all of that weight is in the blade. And speaking of the blade, what a beautiful piece of steel. It’s a large and simple drop point design with a high hollow grind. The blade has been given a nice satin finish that glows under the light of my studio. What strikes me about the blade is how big it is relative to the handle. The blade to handle ratio is very impressive and has to be close to 1:1.
The steel chosen here is 440C, which is a mid grade steel that is very popular in European knives. Seeing how this is a mid range knife I was very happy to find 440C here, it is one of my favorite all purpose knife steels. 440C is capable of taking a very keen edge and my Exskelibur I came shaving sharp right out of the box. The blade is beautifully finished and has a “Boker Plus” logo on one side and a Skellern logo on the other.
Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip
The handle follows the same minimalist approach of the blade, while weaving in a couple interesting features that really elevates the style and sophistication of the knife. The handle is made almost entirely out of black G10. The G10 is very lightly textured and doesn’t offer much in the way of friction, however the there very good jimping on the spine of the knife and the handle has been contoured to allow your fingers to wrap around it comfortably. The resulting grip is very good for normal EDC tasks. I think the texturing is adequate and fits very well with the overall classy theme of the knife.
The construction of the handle is not open, a piece of G10 runs the entire back length of the handle and in between that piece and the handle slab is a thin strip of red G10. This is purely for aesthetics and is a very interesting detail that makes the Exskelibur a little special and is really quite cool.
The pocket clip is a piece of titanium that has been finished in a dark matte blue. It’s a little stiff but it performs well and is reversible for tip up or tip down carry (right side only). The clip is held in place by 3 small Phillips screws which is a bit of a departure from the allen or hex screws we often see. Another thing to note here is that there isn’t a lanyard hole in this knife. Since this is a larger EDC knife, I really don’t miss the lanyard hole, but I thought it was worth pointing out.
Deployment and Lock
The Exskelibur deploys with an unobtrusive flipper located on the back of the blade by the pivot. This is a very simple yet effective method of deployment. The blade moves easily and I find that I can quickly and easily open this knife with 1 hand. The bushings on this knife appear to be phosphor bronze and everything is very smooth. The knife opens quietly with a soft click as the blade snaps into the titanium liner lock.
There is only one liner on the Exskelibur and it is made of the same blued titanium that clip is fabricated from. It makes the knife incredibly lightweight and it provides another interesting detail that sets the Eskelibur apart. I have found the lock to be strong and it locks in the middle of the open blade with no danger of slipping.
Boker Exskelibur I Review – Final Thoughts
The Exskelibur I is an outstanding folding pocket knife. The knife oozes style and is a simple and beautiful folder. I appreciate the great design and quality manufacturing and am not put off by the fact that this knife is made in China because the quality control here is outstanding. The titanium liners, the big sweeping blade and lightweight handle are all very appealing. I think 440C was an excellent choice for bladesteel and love how big and practical the blade is. It’s hard to find fault with the knife, I think if you use it as an EDC or gents folder you will be very pleased with the Eskelibur.
- 440C satin finished blade
- Blue anodized titanium liner
- Contoured G10 scales
- Red fiber spacer
- Reversible titanium pocket clip
I recommend purchasing the Boker Exskelibur at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.
Kershaw Skyline Review
Last Updated: March 19, 2019
The Skyline is often regarded as a reference point. A knife we compare other knives to. It’s also a damn good Every Day Carry (EDC) knife. Back when I originally reviewed the Skyline in 2010, it was among the first reviews to be published on the site. It was a great knife then. Today, it is just as relevant and excellent of a knife.
Buy the Kershaw Skyline at BladeHQ
This is an in-house design from Kershaw, meaning it wasn’t designed by a popular custom knife maker, and I doubt that when they originally created the knife they expected to have such a run away success on their hands. The Kershaw Skyline is an American-made, high-value, lightweight, EDC knife with all the features you would expect from a modern folding knife that is widely available and accessible at almost any budget.
General Dimensions and Blade Steel
The Skyline has an overall length of 7.375″, a 3.125″ long blade, weighs 2.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. In addition to being long and light, the knife is slim, measuring an inch across when closed and 3/8″ wide. The Skyline is ideal for EDC.
The Skyline sports a long spearpoint blade shape with a plain edge and a hollow saber grind. This is a very practical blade shape that is good for piercing and slicing. It is surprising how much blade you get considering the weight. The full size blade and handle lend a lot of versatility to a little 2.3 ounce knife.
The blade, liner, and pocket clip are all made of Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel. This is a hearty Swedish steel that holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen. My Skyline came sharp out of the box and is easy to maintain. The blade and the clip has a beadblasted finish. This isn’t my favorite finish, because it is more susceptible to rust than a stonewash or satin finish, but it works here (especially at the price).
Given the tremendous popularity of the Skyline, Kershaw has released this knife in a number of different handle colors and blade steels (including carbon fiber covers, a damascus blade, etc). So the knife can also have a collectible element to it if you want to go that route.
Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip
The handle of this knife is made of lightly textured G10. The G10 is lightweight, feels nice and provides decent grip. The liner lock has received some jimping which works well however the spine of the knife has no jimping at all, which means your thumb has no real grip on the top of the knife when in use. This can be a problem, especially if you were to do some stabbing or thrust type cuts or were working with something like slimy foods, and is one of my few complaints with this knife.
The Skyline has a a pocket clip that allows for tip up or tip down carry. I found the clip to be very tight and I had to bend it with a plastic spatula before I got the desired pocket retention – an easy adjustment. One problem I do have with the clip is that it is not ambidextrous. Being left handed, this is something of a concern, and I would prefer if they drilled and tapped the handles for 4 way carry. They may have opted not to do that because there is only 1 liner.
The pocket clip rides fairly low in the pocket, there is about an inch of knife sticking up when the clip is mounted for tip up carry. I would prefer a lower riding clip, but the knife is still pretty discrete.
Deployment and Lock
The Skyline uses a flipper to open the blade. This was back before flippers were cool. Consequently, it does not have the dialed in, rocket the blade out action that we have come to expect on modern flippers. You need to pre-load the flipper tab or use your wrist to ensure fast opening, but it certainly gets the job done. There are thumb studs, but they are primarily blade stops. You can use the thumb stud if you are right handed to roll the blade open, but the flipper is the preferred way of opening the knife. Inside there are phosphor bronze washers, a feature typically found on higher end knives – especially when this knife originally came out.
The Skyline uses a liner lock to lock the blade open. This knife has only one steel liner (on the side of the lock) which greatly reduces the weight and thickness of the knife. I think this was a wise decision by Kershaw although some might prefer a beefier knife. In that case, I would simply suggest buying a bigger knife. The lock itself performs admirably. I like liner locks in general and this knife has a good one. Blade centering on my knife is perfect.
Here is a size comparison with the Skyline and another top shelf EDC blade, the Benchmade Mini Griptilian:
Kershaw Skyline Review – Final Thoughts
This is an amazing knife that has stood the test of time. The build quality is extremely high. Everything feels nice, the knife is well put together, and the materials are all of high quality. The Skyline is thin, lightweight and unassuming, which makes it an ideal choice for EDC. I often forget that I have it in my pocket. For around $40, you can use it guilt free.
In a perfect world, the Skyline would come with a 4 way pocket clip to ensure maximum versatility, and the detent strength would be improved to ensure better flipping action. Beyond that it is tough to find fault with the Skyline.
There is a reason why the Skyline remains so popular among knife enthusiasts for years and years: it is an excellent knife.
- 3.1” blade made of high-performance Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, offers excellent strength, corrosion and wear resistance
- Lightweight G-10 handle scales offer a secure grip with texture and a deep index-finger contour
- The drop-point blade offers good balance and a strong, hard tip. The rugged Stonewash finish is capable of hiding scratches and fingerprints
- The perfect EDC for cutting tasks such as opening difficult packages, breaking down boxes, removing zip-ties, cleaning small game, aggressive animal defense, slicing fruit, and stripping small wire
- An excellent gift idea for any hunter, hiker, hobbyist, carpenter, angler, backpacker or any knife enthusiast in need of a highly reliable, American made pocket folder
I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Skyline at Amazon or BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
SOG Pentagon S14-N Review
Last Updated: August 9, 2019
The SOG Pentagon is an interesting little knife. What other knife solves the age old dilemma of carrying a plain edge or a serrated edge so effortlessly?
Buy the SOG Pentagon at BladeHQ
Purpose
Make no mistake, the Pentagon is a full out tactical knife. It’s relatively light weight and slim design make it a discrete carry or backup carry option. I think it’s a little too aggressive looking to be an every day carry knife, and since it is technically a dagger, it may very well be illegal to carry depending on where you live.
General Dimensions and Blade Characteristics
Today I am looking at the full size Pentagon. SOG offers a smaller version of the Pentagon (the SOG M-14K) that is equally cool and perhaps even more practical if you want to carry this knife every day or use it as a boot knife. The S14-N has a 5 inch blade, an overall length of 9.75″ and a weight of 5.8 ounces. For its size, this is a lightweight knife and it fills the tactical / emergency tactical role well.
The steel of this knife is AUS 6, which is a little dated by today’s standards, but is still a decent steel (and is reflected in the knife’s very modest price tag). AUS 6 is in the same family as the very familiar AUS 8 stainless steel, and shares AUS8’s quality of being easy to sharpen while offering good corrosion resistance. Edge retention is this steel’s weakness so you will find yourself sharpening this knife more often. That said, the AUS 6 is serviceable, and it has 2 edges so if the plain edge gets dull, the serrations will continue to rip things up until you can find a whetstone.
In terms of blade shape, this is a wicked dagger designed for stabbing and slashing and has a relatively thin blade with a weak tip – I wouldn’t use the knife to open any paint cans. I big feature is of course the Pentagon’s double edge. One side is plain edge and the other is mostly serrated, with a plain tip. The knife is shaving sharp from the box and I really like the options this knife provides. Serrations are great for cutting fibrous material and they don’t dull as easily. Plain edges are great for slashing and detail work. You really get the best of both worlds here, provided you live in an area that allows you to carry a double edged knife.
Handle and Ergonomics
This is a full tang knife with a Kraton handle. Kraton is a popular polymer used with a lot of fixed blade knives. It feels soft but it is very resistant to wear. The Kraton is nicely textured and provides outstanding grip wet or dry, with our without gloves. There is a lanyard hole near the pommel which you could use for added security. Since this isn’t a chopping knife, I typically leave the lanyard at home. This is an incredibly comfortable handle and I think SOG generally did a great job with it.
One concern I do have with the handle however, is the total lack of finger guards. I would really like to see some sort of guard on this knife, especially since it is double edged. The handle is super grippy but it gives me peace of mind to have that guard. To combat that SOG doesn’t start the edge immediately where the handle ends. The first inch of blade is completely unsharpened and in fact has some jimping for grip. I would prefer that SOG included a finger guard and started the edge sooner, but perhaps that says more about me than the knife.
The Sheath
SOG includes a nice molded kydex sheath with this knife. It holds the knife securely and provides 3 options for mounting. First we have a pocket/belt clip on the outside of the sheath. This is handy if you want to carry the knife in your boot or waistband (or pocket for that matter). SOG has also included a traditional belt loop and several eyelets for lashing the sheath to you or your gear. The sheath also has a drainage hole at the bottom so if you were to get water in the sheath, it isn’t going to sit there and rust out your blade. I also like how thin and light the sheath is, it makes for a very discrete carry. All in all, this is a good sheath that will appeal to a lot of people.
SOG Pentagon Review – Final Thoughts
The SOG Pentagon is truly a wicked blade. 2 edges make this knife incredibly versatile and potentially dangerous. It is an all out tactical knife designed as a backup for military personnel and law enforcement. However, there may be some minor issues with this knife depending on your point of view. The lack of a finger guard bothers me a little and some may like to see SOG use a steel that holds an edge longer. That said, there is a lot of value in this knife, and when you consider that this good sized doubled edged blade can be had for around $40 these issues become very forgivable.
- 5-INCH AUS-8 STAINLESS STEEL FIXED BLADE KNIVES: The SOG Pentagon fixed blade knife is a double edge knife with a straight and serrated knife edge; measures 9.75 inches in overall length
- 5.6 OUNCES W/ KRATON RUBBER HANDLE: Double jimping and crossguard keep this combat knife nimble in the hands of any tactical pocket knife user; textured rubber offers sublime control
- DOUBLE-EDGED FULL TANG KNIFE: Formidable as a boot knife, outdoor knife, pelt knife and fighting knife with superior grip and balance; a rare straight-edge and full serrated knife blade combo
- BALLISTIC NYLON MILITARY KNIFE SHEATH AND LANYARD HOLE: Great as a camping knife, rescue knife, boot knife, throwing knife or general outdoor knife; a very versatile carry with lanyard hole
- SOG KNIFE FOR LIFE: Take care of your dagger knife and we’ll take care of you; SOG fixed blade knives are built to last, and we consider all repair and replacement requests
If you would like to buy a SOG Pentagon, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.
Benchmade 860 Bedlam Review
Last Updated: August 3, 2019
The original Benchmade Bedlam 8600 is an automatic knife released in early 2010. The knife received rave reviews across the community and this large, middle eastern inspired knife was quickly deemed to be a new Benchmade classic. However, the knife was only available as an automatic, which is totally sweet, yet not particularly practical because large automatic knives are illegal in lots of places without a military or police exception (plus there is just more stuff to break with an automatic knife).
Buy the Benchmade Bedlam at BladeHQ
Thankfully, Benchmade understood that this knife was meant for the masses, and they recently released a non-automatic version, the Bedlam 860 that you see here. The 860 is very similar to the 8600. It’s a large blade that could be used defensively, but will probably be a collector’s item more than anything. Lets take a closer look at what makes the new Bedlam 860 tick.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Bedlam is a very big folding knife with a 3.95″ blade, an overall length of 9.71″ and a weight of 7.1 ounces. I know some guys have been talking about using the blade as an EDC, but the length and weight doesn’t make it practical to me. I find it more to be built as a self defense tool. The kind of specialty blade used by martial artists. Of course you could use this for whatever you want – as a collector I found it to be immensely appealing and have carried it as well.
The blade shape of this knife is very cool, and really distinct. People commonly refer to it as a trailing point blade or even a “Persian” style blade. While both of those names are accurate, in it’s place of origin this style of blade is commonly referred to as a “Jambiya”. The Jambiya is a traditional style of knife found in a lot of Middle Eastern countries. Jambiyas are also used as official Combat Knives for the country of Jordan, and it is rumored that the 860 was originally designed for the Prince of Jordan’s royal guard.
At any rate, the Bedlam has a large upswept blade with a thin swedge running along the top part of the blade and a hollow grind starting from about 3/4 of the way up. This is a nasty looking knife with plenty of attitude. If you study the tip you will notice that it is designed so that the last few millimeters of steel actually thickens as it reaches the very tip. This is known as a revere distal taper and provides extra strength for thrust cuts and stabbing. Even with the tapering it’s still a fairly delicate tip so I wouldn’t use it to pull nails or stab through cinder blocks.
The steel is 154CM which I have covered in a couple of my other Benchmade reviews. Suffice to say 154CM is a great all-around steel and was an excellent choice for the Bedlam. It sharpens easily, holds a great edge and is resistant to wear and corrosion. The entire blade is hit with Benchmade’s proprietary BK1 matte black coating. BK1 is a tough scratch resistant finish that is very resistant to corrosion. You also have the option of getting the knife in a plain (uncoated) satin finish. To me the knife looks a little naked without the coating, but it’s all a matter of personal preference.
Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip
The handle of this knife is made of 2 large pieces of sculpted G10 over full stainless steel liners. The G10 scales are wonderfully sculpted and have been given an interesting tiger stripe like pattern. Underneath the liners (along with the rest of the hardware) has been given a flat black finish. The liners are partially milled out to reduce weight and place the balance point right in the middle of the second choil. There is a partial backspacer made of some sort of resin, and a stainless steel pommel that could serve as a glass-breaker or non-lethal impact device. The handle is screwed together so you could take it apart for cleaning and maintenance. Everything is secure, well aligned and totally flush.
From an ergonomics standpoint, the 860 is quite nice. You would expect a knife of this size to feel good in hand and the Bedlam does not disappoint. What interested me is the variety of grips. the two choils allow you to either choke up or sit back on the knife and really extend your reach. There is a good amount of jiming on the thumb ramp, first choil, and the pommel so the knife feels very secure. The G10 has a low to medium amount of traction to it, but given the overall size of the knife and it’s handle features, I feel very comfortable wielding this blade.
The pocket clip is given a black finish and allows for reversible tip up carry. It’s a pretty deep carry, but not super deep. Clip retention is fairly weak, which makes it easy to insert and retrieve from the pocket, but it also increases the chance of the knife falling out. It’s a delicate balance, but I do like the ease of retrieval.
As far as overall carry goes, this is a large 7 ounce knife, so you would expect to notice it. I actually found the Bedlam to carry well, and liken it to a larger tactical flashlight. Compared with the other big knives I’ve carried (like the Cold Steel Spartan and ZT 0300) the Bedlam carried very well.
Deployment and Lock
While the deployment of the 860 Bedlam isn’t as fast as the 8600 Bedlam, it is still very good. The big black blade really sings with just a flick of a thumb stud and it locks in place with authority. The ambidextrous thumb studs are big and easy to get at. There are phosphor bronze washers in this knife, so you can expect a nice smooth deployment every single time.
The axis lock is the same used in the 8600, and it was a great choice for the 860. This is a strong lock that is easy to use with one hand and is fully ambidextrous. At first, I noticed zero blade play with this knife – everything was very snug as you would expect from a Benchmade. Over time I found that the pivot loosened up a little and I started to experience some side-to-side blade play. This is pretty normal for a lot of folding knives (and not the first time this has happened with an axis-lock blade). What I did was apply some blue lock-tite to the pivot screw. This fixed the problem completely and I haven’t had issue with blade play since.
Benchmade 860 Bedlam Review – Final Thoughts
What can I say? If you are all into the Bedlam then I am here to confirm that this is a sweet knife. A big, USA made knife with rock solid construction, great materials and it looks really cool. There is a lot to like with the Bedlam. The real question is whether this is something you can get away with carrying. For some I know this will mostly be a novelty or collectible. Others might buy it with an eye towards use as a utility and self defense blade.
If you like the looks and have room in your collection, then the Bedlam is a well made knife worthy of your consideration.
- HIGH-QUALITY: The 154CM stainless steel blade is tough, rust resistant, and holds an edge well. The G10 handle is durable and stable enough for a wide range of temperatures, making it ideal for tactical use.
- WELL-DESIGNED: Benchmade's AXIS lock is exceptionally strong and fully ambidextrous. The Bedlam 860 is a manual knife that can be opened and closed single-handedly.
- COMFORTABLE: The 860 is large yet is one of the most comfortable knives to handle. The reversible pocket clip offers ultimate accessibility.
- FOR TACTICAL USE: The Bedlam 860's curved blade style is inspired by scimitar swords, which were used for military defense. This modern version is good for slashing and is designed for tactical applications.
Spyderco Military Review
Last updated: February 14, 2019
Those in the military, law enforcement and contract defense firms require high quality gear designed to meet the rigorous demands of these types of positions. The Spyderco Military was designed to meet these demands as either a large utility knife or a full on tactical blade. In addition to law enforcement and military use, this could be an excellent civilian self defense blade or an oversize EDC knife. Lets take a look at what sets this knife apart from Spyderco’s more civilian oriented offerings.
Buy the Spyderco Military at BladeHQ
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Spyderco Military has an overall length of 9.5″, a 4″ blade, weighs 4.2 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s a large knife, but when you pick it up I think most will very surprised how light it feels. The knife is extremely light for it size, making it practical for both a hard working tool and as a dedicated self defense knife.
The blade on the Military is a modified drop point design. Spyderco started with 1/8″ blade stock, added a nice full belly, and applied a full flat grind. This is quintessential Spyderco blade, simple, elegant and entirely effective. There is no swedge or recurve – just a simple and utilitarian cutting surface. The tip is unreinforced, and is somewhat delicate if you aren’t careful with it, but I find the blade to overall be very well balanced and good at a variety of cutting tasks.
Spyderco selected CPM-S30V stainless steel for the blade. S30V is excellent stuff. It’s best known for holding a great edge, but it’s also fairly easy to sharpen and very corrosion resistant. I think for a combat knife S30V was a good choice here, provided that you are willing to occasionally sharpen and maintain the edge.
Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip
The Spyderco Military features a large handle, designed for serious use. As far as construction is concerned, Spyderco started out with large pieces of G10 and added nested partial steel liners. This provides a lot of strength and rigidity but is also what keeps this knife at an amazing 4.2 ounces. The steel liners are screwed into an aluminum backspacer. Everything can be taken apart and is extremely easy to clean. This is a simple and very effective handle design.
When discussing the ergonomics of the Military, the first thing to mention is how large this handle actually is. I can almost get a 2 hand grip on it – and I wear large gloves. This gives you plenty of room for forward or reverse grips with or without gloves. The G10 provides plenty of traction and Spyderco has done a great job of jimping the thumb ramp and choil. This is very aggressive jimping and it works very well. There is also a small choil so you can choke up on the blade. I’m a big fan of this choil – it allows the Military to flex between a defensive (or offensive) tool, and a straight up utility knife. The ergonomics on the Military are outstanding.
The clip is a simple affair, it’s been blackened and is made of tempered steel. One of the biggest complaints peole have with this knife is that the clip is tip down right side carry only. I know most people prefer tip up, and that would be my preference as well. However, there are no steel liners near the butt of the handle, so there really is no place to add a clip unless you want to significantly increase the weight by adding a larger liner. For people wanting left side carry, Spyderco has a separate left-hand version of the Military available here.
All in all, the clip is good. It rides decently low, it’s discreet and has good retention. Tip up carry would be nice but it’s not feasible given the overall design.
Deployment and Lockup
The Spyderco Military, utilizes an oversize thumb hole (or a “Spyder hole”) for deployment. Deployment on my knife is pretty fast. The thumb hole is a generous 14mm in diameter, which allows for easy access with bare hands or gloves. I can flick the blade out on my new Military, but it takes a little more force. With time the knife and it’s high quality phosphor bronze washers will break in, and deployment will only get smoother and easier.
After deployment the blade is locked in place with a thick steel liner lock. When the lock engages its sounds sorta like someone stepped into a bear trap – it makes a very crisp and satisfying “SNAP” when it locks in place. Lockup is very secure. There is no blade play at all. The partial liners are bolted together through the aluminum backspacer – this is just a rock solid design and again, I’m blown away by the fact that this knife only weighs 4.2 ounces. To have such a big knife with such a strong lock with this weight puts the Military in a class of its own.
Spyderco Military Review – Final Thoughts
The Spyderco Military is an amazing folding tactical knife. With its light weight, large handle and incredibly versatile blade, the Military is made with tactical use in mind. It’s a very well thought out design, and Spyderco has been refining the knife for years. I also really like how the Military is made in America.
In terms of potential criticisms, I would caution readers on the relatively delicate tip of the blade, and the fact that the pocket clip is designed for tip down carry only. If you want a folder that doubles as a pry-bar, I’d look elsewhere (the Zero Tolerance 0550 comes to mind), but if you want a practical tactical knife you will not be disappointed with a Military.
- Iconic Design: Originally created to meet the demanding needs of forward-deployed military personnel, it incorporates all the best elements of Spyderco's unmistakable style while exemplifying our commitment to "Reliable High Performance."
- Superior Blade Steel: Since the steel is the spirit of the knife, CPM S30V seemed the logical choice for the blade given its reputation for long-term edge retention and rust resistance. It is available in satin finish or non-reflective DLC coating.
- Light and Durable: The Military Model is modified with a clip-point profile and a full-flat grind for balance strength and exceptional cutting performance.
- Versatile: A defining feature of the Military Model is the fully accessible 14mm Round Hole. It ensures swift, ambidextrous, one-handed opening: even while wearing gloves.
- Dependable: Each knife includes a nested Linerlock mechanism, textured G-10 scales, lined Lanyard holes, and right-side, tip-down pocket clips that keep your knife poised and ready for immediate access.
I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Military at Amazon or BladeHQ . By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com and help produce future reviews without any additional cost to you. Thank you very much.
Benchmade 741 Onslaught Review
Last Updated: August 21, 2019
Once in a while you run into a knife that really blows you away. The Benchmade 741 Onslaught is certainly one of those breathtaking knives for me. Designed by the late Bob Lum, the Onslaught is a large and elegant folding tactical knife that speaks to me on a lot of levels.
Buy the Benchmade Onslaught at BladeHQ
General Dimensions and Blade Steel
Make no mistake, the Onslaught is a big knife. The blade alone is 4.3″, the overall length is 9.63″ and the weight is 6.8 ounces. Yeah, this is a big knife and I wouldn’t use it for EDC. I would prefer to use a Benchmade 746 Mini Onslaught with a 3.45″ blade, an overall length of 7.8″ and a weight 3.9 ounces. The “mini” is still a pretty big knife, but I find it much more practical for daily carry. That said, the full size Onslaught could make for a very deadly defensive/tactical knife, or a high end user.
In reality, I think many of the people who buy the 741 will buy it as a collectors piece. They may be fans of Bob Lum or simply like the look (it’s pretty wicked looking). There is nothing wrong with that. When you drop $150+ on an elegant folding knife like this, you are probably not going to immediately take it to the backyard to thump on some 2x4s. This is the kind of knife you could pass on to your kids, and who knows, if Benchmade decides to discontinue the model or ship production overseas, it may even be a little bit of an investment down the road.
Anyhow, lets talk about the blade. The 741 Onslaught has a big, up-swept modified clip point blade. There is plenty of belly on this knife, and it looks like this would be a decent skinner. There is a long swedge that terminates with a very delicate tip. For such a big knife the tip is almost comically thin. In fact, the entire blade is made from pretty thin stock. I would prefer if they made it slightly thicker. I think this would improve the strength and utility of the knife as I would be very cautious with putting this knife in any kind of hard use role.
Further adding to the delicate nature of the blade is the almost full flat grind. The slicing ability of this knife is incredible and the long thin blade will shave off material with ease, but this is all done at the expense of blade strength. My blade came with a lightly stonewashed finish, but you also have the option of a black coated blade as well.
Blade steel on this knife is tried and true Benchmade 154CM. 154CM is a hearty steel that takes a great edge and holds it well. The 154CM can be somewhat prone to rust so keep the knife clean and dry to ensure it will stay beautiful.
Handle and Pocket Clip
The handle is made of large pieces of G10. The G10 has a relatively smooth finish and it isn’t particularly grippy but the handles are so large it doesn’t really matter and the result is you have a beautiful knife. Under the G10 scales are full stainless steel liners. These liners have been blackened and are skeletonized in effort to reduce the weight. Everything is screwed together with attractive black chromed hardware and a large black backspacer runs most the length of the handle.
As far as ergonomics are concerned the handle is fairly comfortable. The handle material doesn’t have a high traction finish, instead relying on larger design elements to hold your fingers in place. The choil and sweep of the handle have a way of wedging your hand in place. This provides a firm grip and is still pretty comfortable for my larger hands. If I choke up a little more on the knife it’s much more comfortable and allows me to better control the big blade. There is no jimping to be found on this knife, which doesn’t bother me because of the overall size, but for such a big knife I felt the ergonomics to be decent, but not outstanding.
The pocket clip on the Onslaught is rather large, which compliments the overall size of the knife. It is made of blackened nickle and allows for right side tip up carry. It is designed to support a lot of weight and balances the knife well in your pocket. I like the chrome finish Tip up carry is preferred for quickly deploying folding pocket knives so I am not complaining that Benchmade didn’t leave an option for tip down. The nickle pocket clip fits well with the overall elegant nature of the knife.
Deployment and Lock
For a big knife the Benchmade Onslaught moves fast. There is a large thumb hole that provides enough room to snap the blade out with or without gloves. The G10 scales have been machined to open up access to the thumb hole. Even though the thumb hole is partially occluded by the handle it is still easy to get at.
The Onslaught uses the Benchmade Axis lock. This is a great lock and has been proven time and time again with Benchmade’s other offerings. The Axis Lock in the Onslaught is very smooth and when the blade is locked open there is zero play in the knife. When the blade is closed it is centered in the middle of the handle, another small detail that I’ve come to expect from Benchmade.
Benchmade 741 Onslaught Review – Final Thoughts
The Onslaught is a beautiful knife with amazing build quality and great attention to detail. As a working mans knife you could find some faults with the design, but I suspect that Benchmade had the collector in mind when they built this blade. Practical weaknesses would include a relatively thin tip and a low traction handle, but the end product would still make a serviceable weapon and a beautiful heirloom. All in all I like the full size Onslaught a lot, but for every day carry, and even tactical use I would reach for the “mini” version.
- Axis Lock Bob Lums first
- 154 CM
- Big Awesome Folding Knife
- Reversible pocket clip
I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Onslaught at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.