Made in the USA

Magpul Rigger Review

The Magpul Rigger is the Gray Man of knives. It’s yet another titanium framelock with average EDC knife dimensions and a forgettable-looking design, but like the literary character the Gray Man, it kicks major ass.

Before I get into the review, here’s a little background info on Magpul and the Gray Man: Magpul Industries is a giant in the world of firearms accessories, with contracts to supply ammunition magazines to multiple branches of the US and UK armed forces.

Magpul also manufactures a remarkable variety of outdoorsy gear for the civilian market, and have earned a very good reputation for making innovative, durable, and competitively priced products, all with a minimalist design aesthetic.

The Gray Man is a conceptual term for a person who is prepared for any dangerous situation, but is inconspicuous to the point of being forgettable.

It’s also the name of an extremely fun (and violent) series of books written by Mark Greaney, who is better known as the co-author the last three “Jack Ryan” books with Tom Clancy, and who has continued writing the series after Clancy’s death in 2013. I’ve read the entire 11-book Gray Man series, and highly recommend them to anyone who reads in-depth knife reviews, AKA you. The Gray Man will also be a motion picture starring Ryan Gosling, and is slated for release in 2022.

And a Gray Man knife isn’t necessarily gray- my Microtech Ultratech (pictured below) is gray in color but is extremely aggressive looking and makes a loud, sharp click when opening and closing – there’s no subtlety in this OTF switchblade.

The Ultratech makes the Rigger look like a utility knife, and most people would never suspect that the Magpul Rigger is an extremely well made, expensive, hard use knife.

I try to never read internet comments, but in the case of online posts about the Rigger, I couldn’t help myself. What I saw was basically 10% of people dying to get one, and 90% of people bitching about the $425 price tag. Well, now there’s a significantly less expensive production version about to come out for $239.95, and people are still going to bitch about the price. However, I don’t think the criticism will be just about the price, because that’s a decent MSRP for a knife of this caliber. I think it’s because the Rigger doesn’t look like an expensive knife.

It really doesn’t look like much- it’s an extremely sparse, utilitarian design. It doesn’t look bombproof like a Rick Hinderer Knives XM-18, and it doesn’t magically emanate high-quality vibes like a Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza. I like to show people the folders that I’m carrying for review, and no one even gave the Rigger a second look other than two friends of mine who have been dual-diagnosed as both knife and gun nerds. So unless you know its pedigree, it’s not even interesting to most people. So why did I drop $425 on one? Because I’m one of the relatively few people who’ve actually handled one. I pestered the nice people staffing Magpul’s booth at SHOT Show 2020 (as documented in this BladeReviews article) until they dug out a Rigger prototype they didn’t even have on display. The moment I got my hands on it, I knew the build quality, mechanical action, balance, and blade shape were exactly what I like in a knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rigger is a little under 7-1/2” (18.7 cm) open, with a 3.25” (8.25 cm) long blade made of S35VN steel. The Titanium handle is relatively thin and flat, and is 1-1/4” (30 mm) wide at the pivot, tapering to 3/4” (20 mm) at the bottom. The flipper tab adds another quarter inch (5 mm) to either the dorsal or ventral width, depending on whether the blade is open, or folded into its generally symmetrical handle.

Every Magpul product is 100% American made, and they chose a high-end American blade steel for their high-end knife: Crucible Industries powdered metallurgy S35VN. Steel, like life, is a series of tradeoffs, and in the tradeoff between hardness (resistance to bending) and toughness (resistance to breaking) S35VN chooses hardness. This translates to excellent edge retention, which I personally prefer because I like it when my stuff stays sharp.

The blade style is described by Magpul as a modified wharncliffe with a tapered dual bevel grind, “modified” meaning that the cutting edge is slightly rounded. I don’t know if giving the wharncliffe blade a belly was an ergonomic or an aesthetic decision, but it cuts very well and looks great. From a design philosophy point of view, putting a curved blade on a knife dominated by straight lines seems weird, but I think it really ties the room together, Dude.

I prefer the ergonomics of wharncliffe style blades because most of the cutting I do is with the tip. If I’m slicing open a box on a table in front of me, the Rigger’s blade tip is nearly parallel to the top of the box, and I can slice packing tape without bending my wrist or sticking my elbow up in the air more than about 10 degrees. A traditional drop point blade shape (such as on the excellent Kombou-designed Bestech Knives Samari, pictured above) requires angling the knife to a nearly vertical 70 degrees to make the same cut.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

I admittedly have a lot of pocketknives (25 or so) but I do not self-identify as a collector- I’m a user who like variety. And when it comes to knives that are destined to be used relatively hard, I definitely have a “type”, and the Rigger is it.

I obviously like titanium framelock flipper-opening knives with wharncliffe blades, and if they have a pronounced cutout for my index finger like the Rigger does, that’s even better. Last year in my review of the WE Knife Scoppio, I performed a slippery-ness test with ten of my folding knives, and learned that the single most important factor in grip retention on a wet knife is an index finger groove.

I also like my knives well-balanced, and using the Rigger’s finger groove, I can effortlessly balance the open knife on one finger. This is possible because the insides of the handle scales have been lightened by machining away excess material. You can kind of see the hollowed-out inside of the handle in the picture below. The Rigger has perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution like a sports car- Magpul was really paying attention to details here, which I appreciate.

The handle and pocket clip are 6AL4V titanium, held together with only two large, steel screws, which have a wide slot for use with a standard screwdriver or a coin as thick as a US or Canadian quarter, or a 5 cent Euro coin. The front screw doubles as the blade’s pivot. The rear screw doubles as the pocket clip attachment. and triples as a lanyard attachment point, because it has a hollow pass-through big enough for a paracord lanyard. I personally don’t get the appeal of adding lanyards to knives with pocket clips, so I did a little research and found this little tidbit on the internet: “Lanyard comes from the French word “laniere” which means strap or thong.” I personally don’t get the appeal of wearing a thong either, but to each their own.

Nonetheless, this is the simplest, cleanest folding knife design I’ve ever seen, yet it manages to slip in a few features that are actually useful. The first useful feature is the Rigger’s reversible pocket clip- It can be switched between left or right handed tip-up carry. Magpul managed to ambi this knife up without leaving two or three little empty screw holes in the handle scales like on many Spydercos, and nearly every Benchmade, such as the Adamas, pictured below.

The pocket clip is wide, flat, and centered, and has a slight downward angle, meaning it’s taller towards the butt. This bellbottom shape is probably intended to aid in grip retention (I have a pistol with bellbottom-ey grips and they definitely help keep my grip properly high) but I see this feature as yet another example of the subtle, nearly un-noticeable details that make this an excellent knife. The clip’s width and placement make it melt into my hand, and I never noticed it as a “hotspot” during hard use. The pocket clip’s usability is also optimal- it slides easily over thick denim pants pockets, and stays put in thinner material as well. The titanium has the perfect amount of flex- it’s not too loose, and it’s not an inflexible pants-destroyer like the clip on my Microtech Sigil (below, right).

The Rigger’s spartan design is further evident in that it has machined jimping in the only two places it’s absolutely needed: the flipper tab and the spine of the blade, where it gives excellent traction to my thumb when used in a traditional overhand grip.

The only ergonomic gripe I have with the Rigger is that, during my more vigorous testing (mainly slicing thick cardboard furniture boxes into pieces that fit into my recycling bin) the handle was a little too short for me to get a comfortable four-finger grip. The handle is already longer than it strictly needs to be to hold the blade, and I appreciate the extra real estate for my fingers, but it’s a little tight for my medium-large hands.

Deployment and Lockup

There’s no way to open the Rigger without using the flipper tab, but when I want to avoid the satisfying, crisp finger snap sound effect of the Rigger locking open, I can deliberately short-stroke the flipper and quietly ease the blade open on its caged ceramic bearings. The lockbar has a steel insert to avoid titanium-on-titanium stickiness, and is 3 mm wide. My well worn in Rigger locks securely with zero blade wiggle, using about 60% of its surface area, and I can muscle it to about 80% if I want. But I never do, because if it’s a secure lock I’m craving, I can use another useful feature of the Rigger: its secondary locking mechanism.

I appreciate that Magpul has mercifully not given it a tough-sounding name like Deadbolt, Axis Lock, RotoBlock or Shark Lock, which are already taken. The secondary lock engages with a crisp little snick like a 1911 pistol safety, which it was designed to emulate. I’ve used it just to see if it worked, and it functions as intended, which is to lock the framelock in its open position. It might be an unnecessary gimmick, but I’m not complaining- I applaud innovation and understand the need to stand out in a crowded commercial marketplace.

The Rigger really hits the sweet spot for me- it has the stabby blade tip of the Microtech Sigil (top), the deep and far-forward finger groove of the GiantMouse GM1 (2nd from top), the simple harmonious design of the Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza Insingo (3rd from top), and it has a better pocket clip than any of them and takes up less pocket space.

Magpul Rigger Review – Final Thoughts

At the time of writing, I’ve had my Limited Edition Rigger for over eight months,
but during the COVID lockdown months of 2020-2021 I was way too busy being depressed to review it. Now that Magpul is poised to release the Rigger EDC, a lower-cost, production version of the Rigger, I figured I’d better start sharing my knowledge of the Rigger with the world so people can make an informed decision about getting one.

Magpul says the only physical difference between the Rigger EDC and the Limited Edition models is that the handle scales and pocket clip are aluminum instead of titanium. I noticed in a promotional picture provided by Magpul (below) that the Rigger EDC’s aluminum pocket clip looks a little chunkier than my titanium version, but I’m guessing that shouldn’t negatively affect the good ergonomics of the knife.

The most significant difference is in price and availability. The EDC will cost $239.95, which is $185 less than the Limited Edition. If I hadn’t already obsessively stalked and bagged one of the 800 Limited Riggers currently in the wild (I had it in my cart literally one second after it dropped), I’d definitely buy one of the Rigger EDC’s.

I think the following sums up my experience with the Magpul Rigger: Over the last couple of months, I’ve been carrying this Benchmade Adamas (pictured below) for an upcoming review.

After having thoroughly used and abused the Adamas, I can confidently say that the little titanium Rigger can do everything this huge, steel and G-10 tactical knife can do, but without looking like you’re about to storm an ISIS safehouse. That’s the essence of the Gray Man, and that’s why I recommend this knife.

Big thanks to Sara O’Neil for the use of her painting.

Ka-Bar TDI Shark Bite Review

by Travis Pike Leave a Comment

I have a real thing for discrete weapons. It might be a focus I have on concealed carry, but it’s extended to more melee type weapons as well. Part of this love of discrete weapons leads to weapons made from nontraditional materials, like carbon fiber, G-10, and all variance of polymers. These weapons are typically incredibly light and invisible to metal detectors and make me feel spy-like. The Ka-Bar TDI Shark Bite is one such weapon.

Buy the Ka-Bar TDI Shark Bite at BladeHQ
Buy on Amazon

Ka-Bar’s TDI series are very distinctive knives that position the blade at a 90ish degree angle. These knives were made specifically for police officers as a last-ditch weapon for self-defense purposes. The TDI Sharkbite variant is an all-polymer variant made of something called Ultramid. This super lightweight polymer design forms the Shark Bite’s entirety and creates a rather exciting self-defense knife.

An all-polymer knife isn’t made to cut up cardboard, cut through rope, tape, or other EDC tasks. It’s made for self-defense purposes. The TDI’s design is also not lent to EDC tasks, so when you make a polymer TDI, you only have one real option for it.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The TDI Sharkbite has an overall length of 5.125 inches with a 2.625-inch blade and a handle length of 2.625 inches. The cutting edge is 2.125 inches long on the main portion of the blade. The blade has a quasi dagger-like design that leaves the top of the blade with about half the bottom part’s cutting edge. The point is a spear point design.

The TDI Sharkbite weighs a mere 2.4 ounces, and it feels like nearly nothing. The included sheath is also polymer and lightweight. The TDI Sharkbite is super easy to carry and disappears as a concealed carry weapon.

The entirety of the knife is made from Ultramid. Ultramid is a polymer, but it seems like the fancy term for it is molding compound. This ‘molding compound’ is known for its high mechanical strength, stiffness, and stability variance regarding temperatures. As far as the Sharkbite is concerned, the best property of Ultramid is its impact resistance. According to my research Ultramid is perfect for this type of weapon. It won’t crack, bend, or break when driven hard into a target.

I set up 12 layers of cardboard (thanks Amazon and Christmas shopping), duct-taped them together, and then taped them to a pole. I drove the Sharkbite into the cardboard a half dozen times, and each time it penetrated through all twelve layers, and the point struck the wood. I was pleasantly surprised at the blade’s ability to penetrate.

I attempted a few slashes, and while it made abrasions in the cardboard, this is not a very effective slashing weapon. It wouldn’t be a pleasant situation to be in, but it’s better at stabbing

The tip did dull a fair bit from those few attacks into the cardboard. Sharpening the point is possible with a file or using a blade from a pocket knife. This does make the tool disposable, but it’s a tool you’d use in a fight, not for everyday tasks. If you only use it for one fight, it’s likely worth the low admission cost.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Sheath

The 90-degree positioned blade makes this a quasi punch dagger, and the handle works well for that. The handle itself is short and thin, but the curved design offers you an excellent grip on the blade. Your thumb sits on top of the grip, and the jimping on the back of the blade shows you exactly where to rest your thumb. The grip and the blade work together for a good retention based grip. Due to how the handle is designed, there is no need for aggressive texturing, which is great because you don’t get any.

When striking with the TDI, there is an impact point behind the blade that strikes your finger. It causes some pain as it digs back into your trigger finger. This little pain is unlikely to be noticed when the TDI is used defensively.

The sheath is all polymer and designed to accommodate a variety of carrying styles. This includes on the belt, around a necklace, into a MOLLE section, or even laced into your boots. The lightweight design also makes carrying the knife easy, but the sheath is a little bulkier than it needs to be.

The blade weirdly locks into the sheath. The blade has a cutout in the middle that locks into two posts that are part of the sheath. To deploy the blade, you have to press down on the posts with your finger and lift with your hand. The sheath covers the edge portions of the Sharkbite, but the majority of the knife is left exposed.

TDI Sharkbite Review – Final Thoughts

The TDI Sharkbite is a compact and well-designed polymer-based knife, that is half impact weapon and half stabbing tool. It’s solely for self-defense and will disappoint you if you choose to try it for anything else. The Ultramid blade is a smart design that is impact resistant and suited for the Sharkbite’s design.

The polymer design does allow you to squeeze passed metal detectors, but you’ll still be breaking the law should you take the knife into an airport or courthouse. If you want to get through an area with metal detectors that don’t have the force of law backing their use, then the Sharkbite is a perfect choice.

The ultra-lightweight design makes it convenient to carry, but the sheath is somewhat bulky. However, the sheath’s polymer design would allow it to be easily modified and trimmed via Dremel tool.

The TDI Sharkbite is super cheap, often selling for less than twenty bucks online. The Sharkbite is a discrete self-defense tool that is worth the few bucks it costs. It’s not perfect, but in a last-ditch situation, it’s better than harsh words.

KA-BAR Knives KA9908 TDI Shark Bite, Knife, Black

Made in United States
The KA-BAR/TDI (Tactical Defense Institute) Shark Bite is made completely of Ultramid B3EG6, a synthetic hard plastic material
Features a 2.625" long and 1.438" wide blade.
The overall length is 5.125" and the approximate weight is 0.15 lb..
The Shark Bite comes with an Ultramid sheath and 24" #3 black epoxy coated steel ball chain.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the TDI Sharkbite at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Gerber 06 Auto Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

The Gerber 06 Auto has always struck me as a stand out piece for Gerber. A well worn trope in knife reviewing is to bag on Gerber for their decline from an American standard to a mass market, Wal-Mart oriented, overseas produced stuffed shirt of a brand.

Buy the Gerber 06 Auto at BladeHQ

The poster child for that era of corner cutting was their plastic handled Bear Gryles Parang that would break in half if you tried to use it. I’m not sure you could even saber open a bottle of Dom with it on the hotel pool deck, much to Bear’s chagrin. If there ever was a rock bottom for Gerber, that was it.

The 06 Auto is a standout for the brand because it is USA made piece geared towards military and law enforcement instead of mall ninjas and glampers. It’s an automatic knife, so federal law forced Gerber’s corporate overlords to produce the 06 in the USA. The bean counters were pissed when they realized this, and groused about the diminished margins. But enthusiasts have referred to the USA made 06 as a “happy accident”, because the resulting knife was not an orange plastic encased turd best known for its propensity to break in half. Imagine that!

In the past few years Geber has attempted a turn around. Knives like the Fastball have shown the company is committed to making high quality blades again, but the 06 has been around for 10 years. In fact, the 06 I have here happens to be the 10 Year Anniversary variant with an OD green handle. It’s high time we check this modern classic out.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 06 Auto has an overall length of 8.625″, a 3.625″ blade, weighs 7.14 ounces and is made in the good ole USA. This is a full size knife with a similar footprint to my Strider SnG or Spyderco Paramilitary 2, but it’s about twice the weight thanks to a thick blade, full steel liners under aluminum handles, and a chunky steel backspacer. It’s not my top choice for an urban EDC knife, but if you are looking for a heavy duty piece this 06 feels like it can be used to bust through cinder blocks.

Here is a size comparison with a Spyderco Delica and an Endura. All in green!

The blade is a handsome traditional drop point, with a saber flat grind and a long swedge. The blade of my 10th anniversary edition has been given a simple stonewashed finish, but generally the 06 comes with a flat black blade coating. The grinds are clean and even and the edge has been neatly applied, the last 1/8th of an inch at the heel is unsharpened for some reason. I’m not a fan of that as I find material can get hung up on the unsharpened portion. I suppose that could be ground out, but would prefer to see the edge completely sharp all the way to the heel straight out of the box.

Gerber runs S30V steel on their O6s these days. I have no real issue with S30V. It’s a fine steel that gets the job done, although these days there are more exotic steels available. Depending on the heat treat S30V can be stubborn to sharpen. I found that this 06 is easy enough to touch up on my Spyderco Goldenstone, so that’s good. No issues with rust or corrosion so far.

I’ve used this 06 a bit. It doesn’t leave the house much, as I prefer to carry smaller lighter knives when I’m on the go, but I’ve carried it around the house and neighborhood, and used it on many cardboard boxes. It’s an effective box cutter, tracking smooth cuts through cardboard and other packing materials. It also whittles well, peeling off long thin strips of wood and bark. It’s also a stout blade that should hold up well in harder use cases. I think it would be a good choice as folding camp knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

As I mentioned before, this knife comes with hard anodized aluminum scales over full steel liners and a thick steel backspacer. All the hardware has been given a black oxidized finish. This Ten Year Anniversary edition comes with OD green handles. I find that to be fun and a nice change of pace from the blacked out regular edition. Some of the finish is a little crude, most notably the tool marks on the backspacer, but the parts all fit together nicely. It’s a solid and well made handle.

You can also see Gerber went through the trouble of skeletonizing the steel liners. The big honking backspacer also provides room for a lanyard hole and an “impact tool”. As far as impact tools go, this 06 Automatic means business. I would not want to get hit with this thing.

The ergonomics of this knife are quite good. The handle is generous and can accommodate larger hands and gloved hands. The anodized handles offer a little texture without being abrasive. There is some millwork in the handle for extra traction, but it seems that the 06 benefits the most from its simple and large handle shape. The knife is a little pommel heavy, and I find the most balanced grip is when I am choking back on the handle. However if you decide to choke up, the flared handle shape prevents your fingers from slipping forward. All in all this is a comfortable handle that should work well for most people.

The pocket clip is large, and doesn’t provide for particularly deep carry. A good inch or so sticks out, which makes the knife easy to retrieve, but not super discreet. The pocket clip is secure with good spring retention. That is essential for a heavy knife like this.

Here is your in the pocket shot:

In practice I found the 06 to be a large and somewhat cumbersome knife to carry. If you are used to a heavy load out then the 06 is just another day at the office, but if you regularly carry a Dragonfly 2 or Mini Bugout like I do, then the 06 will take some getting used to. No surprise there, the knife is over 7 ounces.

Deployment and Lockup

Now for the fun part. As you know, the Gerber 06 is a push button automatic. The coil spring inside the handle is strong and snappy. It has no problem propelling the blade out. Gerber has also included a large safety button, or safety slide, that will lock the blade open or closed. Most safetys are fiddly and detract from the knife. The safety on the 06 actually enhances the experience. It’s surprisingly satisfying to use. It’s large and takes a purposeful amount of force to manipulate. I have yet to accidentally manipulate the safety. I don’t mind it at all on this knife.

For lockup the 06 comes equipped with a button lock. This is a robust locking mechanism, and the safety slide allows you to lock the knife open if you choose. I like button locks in generally, and think the button lock here is pretty good. The blade is secure although there is a small amount of side to side play. No up and down play. When it’s time to disengage the lock, an appropriate amount of force is required. There is no stickiness in the lock. It’s good. No complaints here.

Here is a parting size comparison with my Strider SnG. I still enjoy this knife, and imagine it’s a collectible at this point. I thought it would make for a cool size comparison.

Blade centering is good on my knife. I’d say it’s off by a hair, but is still good enough for government work.

Gerber 06 Auto Review – Final Thoughts

The 06 Auto has been on my radar for as long as it has been in production. It has that universal cool, and is a strong departure from Gerber’s standard stuff. It’s handsome, rugged, and overbuilt. Who wouldn’t want one?

Well, an argument against the 06 is it’s a heavy duty tool. If you are a normal person, you could carry one for the novelty, but I think you will find that it’s overkill for most EDC use cases. Certainly if you are in law enforcement, military, or have a reason to carry a heavy duty piece like this, then the 06 is a great choice. But if your typical carry is an ultralight EDC knife, then the 06 Auto will get old fast.

With those caveats aside I can recommend the 06 Auto. It’s a robust knife and it shows what Gerber is capable of if they put their minds to it. It’s a quality piece, and I’d love to see them riff on this design and offer lighter and maybe even non-automatic variants. More “happy accidents” please, and less orange plastic.

Gerber 06 Auto – From $169.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber 06 Auto at BladeHQ. Thank you for reading.

Microtech Dirac Review

by John Burridge 1 Comment

Buy the Microtech Dirac at BladeHQ

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” (Arthur C. Clarke, 1962)

Every time I use my Microtech Dirac, I feel like I’m doing a magic trick. The Dirac is an out-the-front (OTF) switchblade, and its 2 7/8” (74 mm) blade snaps out and back in so fast that my eye can’t perceive the movement of the blade springing out of the handle- there’s no blur of motion, the blade just appears where there was previously nothing. I’ve been carrying the Dirac on and off for several months and I never get tired of watching it. I’ve also come to some conclusions about it as an EDC knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Dirac is a light, compact, stabby little knife. The blade is just over an inch shorter than the handle, which is 4” (102 mm) long, not counting its 9/32” (7 mm) glassbreaker. May I just add that the Imperial measurement system is antiquated and absurd, and I refuse to use it any more. The rest of the review will be using Cubits, notated as “cu”, with handy conversions into Biblical Cubits (Bcu) and Ancient Egyptian Royal Cubits (AERcu). The Dirac’s blade is a pretty handy EDC length of 0.162 cu (0.128 Bcu / 0.141 AERcu) and is quite thin at 0.0054 cu (0.0043 Bcu / 0.0047 AERcu) and the knife weighs a scant 0.00193 bushels. It’s obviously a thin, light knife that you barely notice in your tunic.

My Dirac has a double edge dagger-shaped blade made of Bohler M390 steel. M390 is a “super steel” made using a process called powder metallurgy. After reading a couple of very well-written articles on KnifeSteelNerds.com (thank you!) I think I can explain why M390 is so desirable for knife blades: small carbides. Powder metallurgy steel is made by heating iron, chromium, vanadium, etc. to a liquid form and thoroughly mixing it together. How finely ground the individual ingredients are affects how thoroughly it can be mixed together, and the goal is to eliminate big chunks. Have you ever not stirred pancake batter enough and gotten a lump of grainy batter in your pancake? Powder metallurgy pancakes would never have lumps like that. M390’s tight, homogenous grain structure makes it extremely hard (for sharpened edge retention) and pretty tough (resistant to chipping). Its tiny grain structure also enables it to be sharpened to a very fine edge. To sum it up, M390 is just about as good as it gets for blade steel in 2021.

The Dirac’s blade has a black DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating, which I scratched cutting a cardboard box in the first week I had the knife. I have a few other non-Microtech knives with DLC coatings, and I never managed to scratch any of them. Maybe my DLC coated knives by Reate, WE, and Bestech and would have gotten scratched under the same circumstances, but I doubt it. Microtech’s DLC coatings are known to The Internet to get scratches and edge wear easily, and I can personally verify that. My Microtech Ultratech (aka my favorite knife in the world) looked just as worn-in after a few months of EDC as my Dirac does now.

The aluminum handles on both knives are scratched, the steel pocket clips have shiny edges, and the sliders (Microtech, like White Castle, calls ‘em sliders), have shiny raw metal showing where my thumb has rubbed the DLC off. I certainly don’t mind- I’m not a knife collector, I’m an enthusiast (aka knife nerd) and I think Jeeps and Microtech knives both look better with some dents and scratches. Microtech clearly agree with me that their knives still look good after some use, so they’ve done limited runs of most of their knives with a “distressed” finish. Microtech really took the distressed concept to the next level with their “Bounty Hunter” series, which are designed to look like knives that Boba Fett (a bounty hunter from the Star Wars films) would use.

I’m sure these Bounty Hunter models were popular when they were initially released in 2016, but since the premiere of the Star Wars Universe TV series “The Mandalorian” in 2019, these little suckers have become nearly impossible to come by. This one was snagged through a combination of Instagram stalking and checking several Microtech reseller websites ten times a day. The knife pictured is a UTX-85 Bounty Hunter, and it’s about the size of the Dirac, which I consider to be a good, small-ish EDC knife size. There’s also a much larger version of the Dirac, named the Dirac Delta. The Delta’s overall length of 9.4” (235 mm) makes it nearly as big as the Microtech Cypher seen dwarfing the regular Dirac in the picture below.

I personally find huge knives like the Microtech Cypher, Dirac Delta, and Combat Troodon to be unnecessarily large for anyone who doesn’t have giant sausage fingers, but what does necessary have to do with expensive switchblades? That’s my Cypher in the picture below, and I love that thing despite the fact that it makes me look like I have baby hands.

I’m always interested in the origins of names, and Microtech specializes in badass aggressive ones: The HALO, named after the US special forces High Altitude Low Opening skydiving technique, the now-discontinued Nemesis, named after the Greek mythological spirit of divine retribution, and the Troodon, named after an 11 foot tall bird-like dinosaur. I therefore naturally assumed that the Dirac and its larger variant, the Dirac Delta, were named after a bareknuckle boxer or something. I emailed Microtech customer service and was told this: “As far as the name DIRAC goes, it is actually a mathematical term. Dirac Delta is the “function”… represents an impulse.” It’s named after a math equation. WTF? I then actually did some research, and the aforementioned theory is by Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902-1984) who predicted the existence of antimatter. Antimatter is definitely badass, so Dirac is still a cool Microtech name, but it’s a thinker…

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The ergonomics are what initially attracted me to the Dirac. Before I bought my Dirac I had the opportunity to handle a Benchmade Infidel at SHOT Show 2020 and in the context of fiddling with it at Benchmade’s booth, I knew I intuitively liked the ergonomics of its top-mounted slider, but couldn’t quite explain why. When I got my Dirac and started EDC-ing it, I discovered the huge advantage of a top-mounted slider vs. a standard OTF spine-mounted slider:

When pulling the Dirac out of my pocket, I pinch the knife between my thumb, which slides into my pocket, and the middle joint of my index finger, which is below the tip of the pocket clip. It’s a pretty deep grip- my thumb is on the top slider, and my index finger is just as far forward on the back side. This deep drawstroke allows me to open the blade and use the knife without adjusting my grip. I can’t think of any other style of folding knife that allows for instant use right out of the pocket. Spine-mounted sliders require a grip adjustment to get your thumb on the switch, and any non-OTF knife (even ones with the Emerson Wave opening feature) require your fingers to get out of the way when the blade swings out.

As I was figuring out the mechanics of this draw, it felt a little un-natural using a knife with my thumb on the flat side of the knife instead of the spine. I realized the awkwardness was because I had extensively used single edged knives- I hold single edge knives with my thumb on the spine in a “forehand” style when cutting left to right, or I flip my hand over into a “backhand” style when cutting right to left. With a double edged knife, there’s no need to flip my wrist over to change cutting direction- there’s blade on either side, and my thumb can just sit in the middle and drive the knife left or right with equal ease.

I used this grip style to destroy a large stack of cardboard boxes, and the only problem I had was that the “shoulder” of the pocket clip (see circle on pic below) created an uncomfortable hot spot on my hand fat.

The most comfortable grip of all was with the slider facing my palm, which further reinforces the utility of double-edged knives: it doubles the practical grip options.

The Dirac is Microtech’s first new OTF design in several years, and although it’s clearly in the Microtech in-house design style, there are some subtle improvements to the handle and slider that I noticed in my obsessive examination of the knife.

The top and bottom of the handle are convex instead of flat, which adds to the Dirac’s pleasant feel in the hand. It’s hard to see in the picture, but it’s easy to feel.

The Dirac’s jimping pattern is less sharp. On every other OTF except the Combat Troodon, the jimping pattern is two or three little narrow close-together scoops, then a little plateau, then more close-together scoops. The Dirac’s jimping pattern more spaced out. It’s a little less grippy than other Microtechs, but more comfortable when I have a tight grasp on the handle.

The slider now has angled sides instead of the classic flat sides like the Ultratech and Cypher in the picture, providing more contact surface area with fewer sharp edges, which makes it noticeably more comfortable to use.

The Dirac’s pocket clip is similar to Microtech’s normal bent steel double-dip clip, but there are small improvements here as well.

The simple genius of the double-dip clip is a higher section at the base of the clip near the glassbreaker that’s designed to loosely sit over the thick, folded seam at the top of a pants pocket, but still have good retention due to the lower, tighter section below it. Compared to the Ultratech clip (left) the Dirac can ride lower in the pocket because it doesn’t have a useless little tight section between the glassbreaker and the high section of the double dip. The clip works very well on the Dirac, which is rather light at 2.27 oz (64.4 g). My copper Ultratech, which weighs more than twice as much at 4.95 oz (140.5 g) has a similar clip, but due to it’s heavy copper top, I feel like the clip barely keeps it in place when I’m horizontal or upside-down. My Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza (another somewhat heavy knife) came with a similar double-dip style clip, and I had the same retention problem with it. I was so afraid of losing my fancy Large Sebenza that I went to the Chris Reeve Knives website and ordered a Hawk Pocket Clip (pictured below), which requires the user to pinch the little lever with the hole in it to open the tip of the clip, resulting in a very secure grip.

In case any of my hard-core knife nerd brothers are wondering, my Sebenza is technically a Chris Reeve/Wilson Combat collaboration knife called the “Star-Benza 21” with the optional Insingo blade shape. The only way this differs from a regular CRK Sebenza (besides costing $50 more) is the groovy Wilson Combat machined starburst pattern on the scales and the Wilson Combat logo on the clip, which I swapped out for the Hawk clip.

One other difference between the Dirac and most other Microtech knives is the clip doesn’t have the little lanyard hole that virtually no one uses.

I did a Google image search for “Microtech OTF” and found 19 million pictures of Microtech OTF knives, but not a single one with a lanyard attached. I then did a search for “Microtech OTF lanyard” and of the 19 billion pictures, I found 6 knives with lanyards. That’s 6 out of 19 trillion. My scientific research indicates it was a smart move by Microtech to remove a feature that was used by only 6 out of 19 gazillion people.

Deployment and Lockup

The deployment is the reason I bought this knife- it’s magically delicious. The lockup, which has wiggly blade play in two directions, is the price you pay for the awesome deployment. If this were a manual folding knife, I wouldn’t accept this much blade play in a $10 gas station folder, much less one that cost $270 like my Dirac. Unless you drop $2,500 for a G&G Hawk Deadlock OTF (made by the designers of the CRK Hawk clip on my Sebenza, by the way) your OTF is going to have lots of blade wiggle. Therefore, the only fair lockup comparison I can make is is against other OTF knives, and I don’t have any non-Microtechs to compare to the Dirac.

The other three Microtechs I have on hand also all have blade wiggle in one vertical direction (up) and one horizontal direction (right). My memories of handling a few Benchmade Infidel and Autocrat OTFs 11 months ago aren’t super sharp, other than noting that they had blade wiggle too and that the Benchmade switches were significantly easier to actuate than any Microtech I’ve handled. I personally prefer the heavier Microtech trigger weight because I don’t want any auto knife unintentionally opening in my pocket.

The Dirac, like all other Microtech OTF knives other than the HALO, are designed to basically fall off their coiled spring train tracks if the knife encounters resistance during deployment. Launching the blade into something as soft as a piece of thick paper is enough to stop the blade from fully extending, and the blade has to be manually pulled out to get back to its normal functioning state. The HALO has no such safety feature, and is meant to be carried in a sheath. It deliberately doesn’t have a pocket clip to try to discourage people like my friend Shaun from pocket carrying it. Shaun’s HALO opened in his pocket and luckily it just ripped a hole in his pants instead of in his femoral artery.

I don’t have a way to measure the pounds-per-inch of force to move the slider on my Dirac, but it’s heavy enough to require deliberate effort to deploy or retract, and it’s not so stiff that I can’t easily manipulate it. My Cypher’s spring is so strong (perhaps because it’s a significantly longer and thicker blade) that I can barely close it with one hand, and it leaves a dent in my thumb. Microtech seems to have a lot of variation in their slider tension and whether the slider rattles.

My Dirac’s slider doesn’t make a sound, my Ultratech’s slider rattles when the blade is out but not when it’s in, and the UTX-85’s slider rattles all the time. I know that the coiled spring that powers the action is at rest in both the open and closed positions, but why the slider would be loose on some individual knives is beyond my understanding. I do know that it doesn’t seem to affect mechanical performance.

Regarding mechanical performance, The Dirac is my least expensive, still-in-production (AKA replaceable) OTF knife, so I really worked this knife hard, using it for tasks I wouldn’t ordinarily touch with any of my other OTF knives. While cutting cardboard and plastic, I put so much pressure on the blade edges that several times I thought the blade might snap out of the handle. It held up perfectly and the deployment is unchanged after months of use.

Microtech Dirac Review – Final Thoughts

I’ve had a few side-opening switchblades over the years (in fact I just got the Kershaw Launch 13 side-opening switchblade for an upcoming review) and I used to think their level of convenience and ease of use was unmatched. But after carrying and really using the Dirac, I found the form factor of this small OTF knife to be ideal in almost every way. I absolutely love the one-handed ease of use of an OTF knife- the instant it clears the top of my pocket it’s ready for use, and it’s just as easy to put away. The Dirac’s size and shape are well-suited to most tasks I encounter in my life, the M390 blade steel keeps a sharp edge for a very long time, and I consider the handle length of four inches (0.22 Biblical Cubits) to be the minimum usable length for my medium-large hands. By the way, the Microtech UTX-85, which is comparable in size to the Dirac, is generally thought of as an 85% size version of the Ultratech (thus the 85 in its name) but that 85% number only refers to blade length, since the UTX-85 is dimensionally nearly identical to the Ultratech in everything except length. The Microtech UTX-70, however, is actually smaller in all dimensions than an Ultratech. Fun fact? It’s fun for me at least.

I’ve only found three real downsides to carrying the Dirac:

There’s no quiet way to open the knife, other than fake coughing to cover the sound of the addictive in-out-in-out-in-out (until your significant other tells you to stop it with the fuckin’ clicking!)
If the blade has food or tape residue on it, I try to not retract the blade until I clean it because there are parts inside the handle that don’t like sticky goo.
OTF knives seem to be extra scary to non-knife people, at least in my beloved Los Angeles. The other day I was picking up a big bag of vegan fast food at Veggie Grill, where they tape up the takeout bags (to keep the COVID out I guess) and out came the Dirac to cut the tape and check my order. I am not a person who derives pleasure from other peoples pain, but I must say that the looks of shock I saw on the faces of the two employees behind the counter was… satisfying. Sorry not sorry.

Oh yeah, and switchblades are illegal in a bunch of places, so that’s another thing to keep in mind. What I primarily keep in mind however, is that I never, ever, ever, get tired of doing the Dirac’s magic trick.

Thank you to Sara O’Neil for the use of her painting.

Microtech Dirac – From $280.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Microtech Exocet at BladeHQ. Thank you for reading.

Zero Tolerance 0308 Review

by Travis Pike Leave a Comment

I got a little silly with my knife purchases in the last few years. If it wasn’t an automatic knife, my purse strings got tight. I’m not saying I’m a cheapskate, but I was ignoring some great knives in the premium market if they didn’t have a button to flip them into action. A friend told me I needed a Zero Tolerance because I had never owned one, and he sent me the Zero Tolerance 0308, and upon my reception of the knife, I saw how silly I was being.

Buy the ZT0308 at BladeHQ
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The ZT 0308 is a sweet knife that’s designed for heavy-duty work, and it doesn’t have that fancy button I love to press to deploy a blade. I’ve always known that Zero Tolerance makes great knives but never had one I could personally experience. I quickly figured out how much I’ve been missing out on when it comes to ZT knives.

The Zero Tolerance 0308 is a new knife in the ZT line up and is a good choice for those who prefer a bigger knife for everyday carry.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0308 has a 3.75-inch blade that is 1.375 inches wide, and .16 inches thick. The overall length of the knife is 8.875 inches long, with the blade open. The ZT 0308 weighs 7 ounces and is a big, beefy knife. This big knife is certainly not for everyone, and it may be a bit much for many looking for an EDC knife.

The 0308 is an excellent knife for those in the first responder field who need something a bit bigger than the standard pocket knife. This does offer those in that role a knife with a big, thick blade, a superbly secure lock-up system, and a grip that’s perfect for gloved use. I work in a field that takes me in and through the woods at times, so I do prefer a bigger knife for my daily carry.

The big, beefy blade does provide a very nice belly that gives you 4 inches of cutting edge and a drop point tip. The upswept drop point design does give you the ability to slice deeply and cleanly. The swedge on the top of the blade certainly helps when cutting straight through soft materials. It also reduces weight and does give the blade an eye-pleasing appearance.

Speaking of eye-pleasing, the stonewash finish is evenly applied and looks fantastic. It’s not overtly bright or eye-catching, but quite handsome. The top of the blade is jimped for texture, and the flipper is also jimped to ensure your finger latches on as you press the edge into service. At the bottom of the blade, we have a sharpening coil, which is a nice touch.

The 0308 steel is made from CPM-20CV steel, which is a Crucible Industries creation. This is very high-quality knife steel that is hard and extremely durable. It’s not difficult to sharpen and seems to stay sharp for absolutely forever. The CPM-20CV is an excellent all-around steel that stands up well to abuse. I batoned wood with it and have yet to see a cheap or bend, or anything else. Batonning wood is typically a function of hard, heavy-duty fixed blade knives, but the ZT 0308 is also up to the task.

During my quarantine blues, I’ve been setting up a bit of a home gym, and to hang a punching bag, I strung up some 10mm climbing rope. The ZT 0308 chewed through that thick rope without any difficulty. It just cut and sliced through that material exceptionally smoothly.

For more traditional cutting, the 3.75-inch blade chewed through cardboard, 550 cord, envelopes, heavy-duty clamshell packaging, and even fabrics including thick 5.11 Tactical pants.

I had a spare pair of work pants with blown-out knees, and I wanted to see how fast I could cut through them. This would replicate what a first responder may have to do to access a wood, cut through a seat, and more without stuttering the ZT 0308 cut right through them.

It’ll also cut right through chicken for my famous chicken fajitas.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

As a guy with big hands, I love a big grip. The ZT 0308 has a significant grip that is a must for such a big blade. One side of the handle is a G10 panel, and the other is titanium. Both sides are textured aggressively but comfortably as well. Hot spots are only an issue at the area where the pocket clip sits. Loosen that grip a bit near the rear, and the knife comfortably works and works hard without rubbing you raw.

The texture is also well suited for glove use, which many first responders will undoubtedly be wearing. With my thick and heavy fire rated gloves, the ZT is still easy to wield, and both deploy the blade and put it away. Once the flipper is locked into place, it also acts as a tiny finger guard.

The pocket clip is broad and clings tight to the knife. This prevents it from catching on an armrest when you sit down, and as someone who does that all the time, I appreciate it. The pocket clip is reversible, and according to the ZT website, the knife is compatible with aftermarket pocket clips as well. On top of that is a lanyard loop, which is another good option for military and first responders.

Deployment and Lock-up

I was surprised by how fast and how easily and smoothly the blade deployed. A big heavy blade would be seemingly slow and rough to deploy. It’s just physics, right?

ZT utilized KVT Ball bearings in the action, and the blade slides out incredibly smoothly. It locks into place with a loud and satisfying thwack. The jimping in the flipper is also a must-have for gloved use, and ZT was smart to include it.

The titanium frame lock is beveled for smooth engagement, and you get plenty of real estate for pressing it inwards and allowing the blade to close. The frame lock is outfitted with a hardened stainless steel lock bar insert to protect that always wonderful titanium.

The lock-up is remarkably strong, and the blade doesn’t budge in any single direction. I can’t force this thing to give.

Zero Tolerance 0308 Review – Final Thoughts

The ZT 0308 is a very well made knife. It’s designed to be a big, hard-working tool with a big belly and a lot of power. It can take some serious abuse and still keep kicking. It’s big, and some will feel like 7 ounces is a boat anchor, but it gives me a feeling of confidence. The ZT 0308 showed me that my obsession with expensive automatic knives made me ignore some very well made and designed flippers. The ZT 0308 is my work and field knife for here on out, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Sale

Zero Tolerance 0308 Folding Knife, Premium CPM 20CV Blade Steel, Manual KVT Opening, Coyote Tan G10 Handle, Made in the USA, 3.7 Inch

Large 3. 7 Inch razor sharp blade, premium CPM 20CV Steel provides exceptional hardness, wear resistance, and edge retention
Coyote Tan G10 Handle on the front scale with a titanium back - above average weight at 6. 9 ounces
Stonewashed blade finish helps hide use scratches while a titanium framelock holds the knife open while in use
KVT opening mechanism is manually opened with a flipper; the blade glides smoothly open on ball bearings. Pocket clip is reversible and compatible with many aftermarket pocketclips.
Made in the USA - All Zero Tolerance Knives are produced in our Oregon facility

Zero Tolerance 0308 – $300.00
From: BladeHQ

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0408 at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Benchmade Mini Bugout Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Last Updated: July 17, 2021
If you have handled the original Benchmade Bugout, then it won’t take any explaining to understand why the Mini Bugout is such a big deal. The original Bugout was a home run for Benchmade. Slim, lightweight, capable, and attractive with its classic drop point hunter lines and vibrant blue handle.

Buy the Benchmade Mini Bugout at BladeHQ
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So the thought of shrinking down the full size Bugout to something approximating the dimensions of a Mini Griptilian is a no brainer. The question is whether it works. Most of the time you can’t simply shrink down a knife and expect it to feel and perform properly. Did Benchmade get it right with their Mini Bugout? That’s the eternal question.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Mini Bugout has an overall length of 6.49″, a 2.82″ blade, and weighs 1.5 ounces. Captain Obvious tells me this is a thin, light, and small knife. It’s perfect for EDC. It would be a great choice hiking, perhaps as a backup knife depending on what you are asking of your blade. The high visibility orange handle seems to suggest it was designed with outdoor use in mind. Personally, I use it for urban EDC, but in a situation where “ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain” this knife should save you some pain.

Here’s a size comparison with the full size Benchmade Bugout:

An obvious comparison would be with the Spyderco Dragonfly II. I’ve referred to the Dragonfly II as a “magic trick” in the past, and the Mini Bugout helps illustrate that point. While the Mini Bugout is very small, the Dragonfly II is still smaller thanks to it’s curved handle and finger choil. The DF2 is just a crazy small knife and it’s amazing that it still offers a full grip and all the utility of a larger folding knife.

Here’s the Mini Bugout next to the Dragonfly 2:

The blade is the same simple drop point on the full size Bugout. It has been shrunken down, but it’s still a lot of blade. That is one place where it outshines the DF2; you are getting a significantly longer blade, which could be more useful in some situations. That long blade is paired with a thin full flat grind and a simple swedge. The end result is excellent slicing blade geometry and a good tip.

My particular knife came with a blade made of S30V steel. S30V is now considered to be a classic stainless steel. Back in the day it was almost considered a super steel. It’s still a good upgrade over budget blade steels like 440c, AUS 8, 8Cr13MoV or even VG-10 and 154CM.

I have found that the heat treat plays a significant role in S30V. Obviously a good heat treat is significant for any knife, but I’ve found S30V blades on factory knives perform differently. For example, I’ve always considered the S30V on my Para 2 and Sage 1 to be reluctant to sharpen. In contrast, Benchmade heat treats their S30V in a way that is much easier to sharpen. That combined with their thin blade and edge geometry make their S30V blades a blast to use. For example, their old Volli model is a beast of a knife in S30V. All this to say, Benchmade seems to have mastered S30V and the Mini Bugout is no exception.

I’ve used mine mostly for opening packages. Lately I have been doing a lot of bulk buying and re-selling (of all sorts of things), so I’ve been working with a lot of cardboard. Whether that’s opening packages, resizing packages, or breaking down boxes, I have gone through an inordinate amount of cardboard in addition to my usual every day carry tasks. The Mini Bugout has been a laser. It is excellent at slicing, is easy to control, it holds a great edge, and is simple to sharpen. If you want a lightweight user this little Bugout will get the job done with style.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is a shock of bright orange Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN). You will have a harder time misplacing this knife, and it’s a great choice if you are going to take this knife camping. Benchmade also offers the knife with a white handle. That could be a cool. I’ve never owned a white knife before, and wonder how it will hold up with use. Hopefully they will offer some more colors in the future.

Inside the handle you have tiny steel liners. Contrast that with the heavier Mini Griptilian, which has steel liners stretching almost the entire handle. Despite the short liners, the Mini Bugout is still extremely rigid. That is likely due to the way they placed the standoff, and the engineering of the handle.

And much like the full size Bugout, Benchmade color matched the standoffs and thumb stud. That gives the knife almost a jewelry like quality. It’s a little thing, but I think it’s nice touch that you don’t see on many knives at this price point.

I had concerns regarding the ergonomics of the Mini Bugout. You can’t always shrink down a knife handle and expect it to work. In this case, it works. The Bugout had a simple handle design to begin with, which allowed the good ergos to shrink with the rest of the design. There is room for a full 4 finger grip (just barely), and Benchmade has used an appropriate amount of texturing. Mild jimping, diamond plate, and a soft texture to the rest of the handle all come together to offer grip without gripe.

Let’s turn to the pocket clip. It’s the exact same clip found on the full size Bugout. It’s a black oxidized deep carry clip. This is a shorter clip compared with Benchmade’s standard offering found on models like the Griptilian, but it still gets the job. And if you like deep carry clips, then you might say it gets the job done better then Benchmade’s standard clip.

Here’s your in the pocket shot:

As you can see the knife disappears into the pocket. It is uber discreet. And the clip has excellent spring retention as well. The knife is held firmly in place and doesn’t float around. As for how the knife carries, well, I hardly notice the knife. Much like the Dragonfly II I quickly forget it’s there until the time comes to use my knife. The original Bugout carried well, but it was a longer knife so it took up some real estate. This Mini Bugout is even less noticeable.

Deployment and Lockup

Like many Benchmade knives, the Mini Bugout comes with dual thumb studs and an axis lock. The thumb studs are easy to get to, and the blade pops out with the flick of a thumb. This knife comes with phospher bronze washers and the action is smooth and reliable. Really there isn’t much novel about the thumb studs or washers here. It’s exactly what you would expect if you have owned a Benchmade like this before.

And the Axis Lock is just like all the other axis lock knives I have owned. It works great, and continues to be one of my favorite locks. In fact, I think Benchmade may have made tiny improvements over the years as this knife has absolutely no blade play, up or down. In the past a common critism is that Axis lock knives would have a little side to side blade play in them. I wouldn’t be shocked if that developed over time, but I’ve actually used this knife pretty hard.

We have had a lot of rain here in Florida, and our stand of bamboo in the back corner of the yard has started sending out runners all over the place. Within a few days you can have a 6 foot tall bamboo shoot sprout up. A few dozen of them came up in our yard and I used the Mini Bugout to slice through them. Probably a bit much for a little knife like this but the Mini Bugout was up to the task.

Here’s a parting size comparison with the Benchmade Mini Griptilian:

I like both knives, but the Mini Bugout is even thinner and lighter. Personally, the Mini Bugout gets the nod over the Mini Griptilian.

Blade centering is off by a hair, but still acceptable in my book.

Benchmade Mini Bugout Review – Final Thoughts

The Mini Bugout is a smaller version of the already great Bugout. And the nice thing is that you don’t give up much with this smaller knife. I have done everything with the Mini Bugout that I would have done with the original Bugout, and I suspect that’s going to be the same story for a lot of people. Sure, there is the occasional use case where it’s better to have a bigger folding knife, but for most tasks you will be fine with the Mini.

The knife is well made from premium materials. Fit and finish is great, and there are enough details to make it feel special. Unless you have Andre the Giant sized hands, I suspect you will find this Mini Bugout to be fully functional. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. It’s a great ultra light EDC piece and I can easily recommend it.

Benchmade Mini Bugout – From $250.00
From: BladeHQ

Benchmade - Mini Bugout 533 Folding Knife with Orange Grivory Handle (533)

ERGONOMIC BUILD: The Benchmade 533 Mini Bugout Knife offers a lightweight, ergonomic build designed with everyday carry and general outdoor use in mind
BLADE: This practical model incorporates high-performance CPM-S30V drop-point blade with satin finish
HANDLE: Its comfortable Grivory handle has been textured on both sides for added grip without being abrasive
ERGONOMIC DESIGN: The Mini Bugout is designed for the modern outdoor adventurer, incorporating the lightest, best performing materials in an extremely slim yet ergonomic package
EASY TRANSPORTATION: The knife comes complete with an over-sized lanyard hole and reversible mini deep-carry clip for convenient transportation

I recommend purchasing the Benchmade Mini Bugout at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.