Benchmade is comparable to Bentley in the knife world and a brand like that is simply going to come with a premium for the name. Lastly, I certainly cannot go without mentioning the beautiful leather dangler loop sheath that comes with this knife. Between those two even with the variants of the mini grip, I would still choose the northfork all day. The north fork being my most number one carried knife of the 11 benchmades I have it just lends its self much better to hard work. At first glance, it kind of looks like a silly gimmick, but after closer inspection, youll realize how incredibly helpful and handy having this tiny little tool on you can be. Benchmade North Fork 15031-2 8. Its hard to explain, but this knife is pretty darn cool for the right person. Yeah, we put it in the camping section because thats what I actually use it for most, but this is an all-around EDC badass. With the added strength from this treatment, theres no need to worry about the wood chipping, drying out, or getting wet. It opens smoothly, locks smoothly, and cuts smoothly. The first thing you might notice is the lack of scales. We are pocket knife experts that understand that you don't Pocket knife shopping is daunting. Normally you might find Benchmade blades coated or uncoated and typically the user will decide which version to buy based on personal preference, but the Freek only has one option and that is a nice matte black Cerakote. Its a bit harsh on the hand. My Review: As with many self-defense situations, sometimes a little deterrence in the form of striking the fear of death in someones eyes is all you need and I think thats what Benchmade was going for when they designed the ominous-looking Contego. Also, because every knife requires constant sharpening (despite what certain budget knife manufacturers claim), it must be easy to resurface. The handle has two attachment features. However, a lot of customers thought calling it Bugout is a bit of a stretch, since a true Bugout knife would ideally be more capable. Benchmade Bugout vs Bailout - Knivesandtools Boasting an excellent combination of handy features that suits everyday use, North Fork-1503 has proved to be a very reliable all-round knife. You can also get any modifications made and they will only charge for the accessory, not the fixing. However, Id suggest you stay cautious about prying, as that may snap the tip. Simply, I have to apply intended pressure to get the blade out, which is more reassuring to me given my concerns with the North Fork. All things considered, this is the best Benchmade pocket knife Ive come across. Before we jump into discussing the beautiful pieces of sharp and pointy steel offered by one of our favorite companies, you need to know the pros and cons of each blade shape as well as the steel they are made of. My vote is for the mini grip. North Fork-1503 is exceptionally well-designed. - All Outdoors Guide, [] Benchmade North Fork: With a shorter but sturdier 2.7 inch blade the North Fork is a better solution if you want to give your knife some serious abuse, but it doesnt match the 1660 for sheer cutting power. The price of a Benchmade is primarily based on three things. Ultimately I decided the blade was slightly too short for a lot of tasks, and the handle just a bit small for my preferences. It might remind you of Morakniv or Mora knives with the roundish handle and stubby blade. Speaking of sliding into your pocket, youll be getting a reversible pocket clip that will allow you to carry it on either side. Our test team (and likely you) like this feature. In short, it is smoothness. This program is designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. The owner of this website does not guarantee offers on this site, and all offers should be viewed as recommendations only. Though the blade itself is short, the cutting edge is quite long, so its going to be useful in a lot of situations. Selection Criteria Is the Benchmade North ForkThe Right Knife For You? I have owned 5 northforks and just about as many mini grips. Benchmade North Fork | Badass Knife of the Week | Knife Depot Go with the Benchmade Bailout. Benchmade OTF Knives for 2023 - We Review Our Favorites! My Review: Benchmade seems to love making little one-off designed utility tools and this would be the case for the Aller 380. The gut hook is exceptionally sharp and perfectly angled so that it slides right through skin and hair like youre slicing paper. It checks all the boxes for an excellent EDC knife by utilizing high quality long lasting S30V steel, a drop-point that is technically a bit modified as it has a slight recurve within its belly, and your choice of either a sealed woodgrain finish or the ever so popular G10 handles. My Review: Oh boy the Bedlam is a beaut of a blade but I swear, this is not the knife for everyone! The quality of a folding knife is ultimately among the most essential things you should consider way before you purchase a folding knife. The purpose The Benchmade Bugout was originally designed as a lightweight pocket knife for hikers and others who prefer ultra-light knives. Suggested Alternatives to the Benchmade North Fork, Black Friday / Cyber Monday Camping Deals: Gear, Hiking, Survival, Outdoor Deals. For more information about us or joining the team, check out the About Us tab. Benchmade 15031 North Fork is a compact hunting knife that's also perfect for everyday carry. As part of the Hunt series from Benchmade, the North Fork joins the ranks as one of the most advanced hunting knives ever, thanks to its use of premium materials and the renowned AXIS locking mechanism. From my selection, youve seen how Benchmade tends to make either straight, plain edged EDC knives or ones with a partial serration. Top 10 Best Benchmade Knife Reviews in 2022 Benchmade Bugout 535 EDC Knife The first thing you need to know about this EDC knife is that it is an amazing knife if you just want to drop it in a pocket and forget about it. All Benchmade knives are made in America and are also labeled the same. That means although it has a natural wood base it wont swell or warp its just as stable as the G10 version. That exceptionally high hardness level allows this blade to retain its edge even when highly abused for an extremely long time, making this blade very low maintenance and ready to go when you need it most. The Axis Automatic mechanism is a little more aggressive than the Axis Assist and works by ejecting the blade immediately when the Axis tension bar is pressed. Those people are right when it comes to personal preference and I understand where theyre coming from, I really enjoy many of Benchmades premium handles that arent plastic-based. This is one of the best customer care programs any knife company in the market has to offer right now. However, we cannot call it a great value. I believe this is due to state by state restrictions on double-edged blades and of course, they cant hold inventory that fits each and every states laws independently. Benchmade North Fork | Everyday Carry If you just want one knife and one knife only that exudes quality and is as versatile as it gets, the Benchmade Turret should be at the top of your list. However, if you keep it dry, these beautiful handles remain perfectly serviceable. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. All these attributes are difficult to balance and tune. Blade Style: Drop-PointBlade Composition: CPM-S90VHandle Composition: Full-Tang handleless with Micro Carbon ScalesBlade Length: 3.08Total Length: 7.38Total Weight: 1.67 ounces. On the back its straight for about half its blade length then curves gently down to give a fine, slim tip. A Review of the Benchmade North Fork Knife: Is it Right for You? My current daily carry is the SOG AE24-CP Aegis Mini, and if you are familiar with it or similar products, it is a spring loaded release and takes some thumb effort to get the blade out. Smaller knives (with no limit, really) are more portable. However, the wooden handle might start to look a bit beaten up. Larger knives are better in bigger than average hands and for bigger than average tasks, but the size of the North Fork is just right for most people in most applications. I would like to hear your thoughts and Im sure other readers would as well! The Freek was purpose-built to be a heavily abused EDC style knife. Personally, I prefer a subtle matte or black coated blade, even though they tend to get scratched quite easily. I'm just a survivalist and knife lover. This knife is also available with a little pizazz, offering a carbon fiber handle and beautiful accents. If you need serrated knives for tasks like rope cutting or some light sawing that cant be accomplished by a straight edge, consider a partially serrated EDC. It also comes super sharp out of the box, boasting a full flat grind. The 440HC steel is not like the typical premium hard to sharpen steels that Benchmade usually uses and can be sharpened relatively easily in a short amount of time. Start Your Benchmade Career Today. Or the Benchmade Bailout. It's a small, unobtrusive deep carry tip-up design that can be flipped to the other side if you're a lefty. Today many EDC enthusiasts have also embraced this great pocket knife. Check out the beautiful Benchmade 15080BK Crooked River Gold Class. It seems like they keep bringing it back with new styles, new grips, new colors, etc and I really like that because the Bugout has a special place in my heart. You would be hard-pressed to find a good EDC of this level that can perform utility tasks this well. Another difference is that the original Freek came equipped with lower quality handles called Versaflex but the Super Freek comes with those G10 handles we all know and love so much. The cutting edge is about as long as its possible to fit on a 2.7-inch blade theres no wasted space, with the sharpened edge starting right at the pivot. For this reason the Bailout is also a part of Benchmade's 'Black Class'. Since this Benchmade knifes thumbhole has the same purpose, were also calling it a Spydie hole. Wrapping it all together is a very well built polymer sheath with a snap lock and that coveted Benchmade butterfly stamped on it. The Bugout has a fairly standard drop-point blade. Lifesharp support will receive your knife and immediately disassemble it for inspection. They offer some real advantages, especially when youre working blind inside a cavity; its much easier to predict where the smaller blade is going to be, so youre less likely to find it sticking in your other hand. That interesting texture you see near the spine of the blade is simply laser-etched tacticoolness to help you open it up if you do happen to feel like neglecting the giant hole since it was originally designed to be a two-handed manual opener. Benchmade Aller 380 Tiny But Mighty. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. I like the low visibility these EDC blades offer. I REALLY appreciate all the thoughts and opinions. If youd like to show your support to Les De Asis and the Benchmade family, visit this link and find out how you can become a part of the Benchmade community by contributing to his Makerspace memorial contribution fund that is geared towards educating our youth for further exploration, innovation, and entrepreneurship. These were actually designed later than the others and were requested by Benchmade enthusiasts. Benchmade calls this a hunting knife and yeah, I could understand that, but really, I think this is more of just a flat out awesome design thats refreshing and unique to the usable and functional fixed blade industry. Blade Style: Drop-Point With Saw-Tooth SpineBlade Composition: D2Handle Composition: Bare Skeletonized and SlottedBlade Length: 4.2Total Length: 9.03Total Weight: 5.6 ounces. If youre an avid outdoorsman looking for a knife you can carry to work with you and then head off into the fields after you clock out, this your knife. On different note, do you think my concern about the knife opening unintentionally is a valid concern? The very name Puukko simply stands for a small Finnish full-tang belt knife that hosts a single elegantly curved edge and a mostly flat spine. Lighter, more blade length, and better slicer. The knife makes use of an assisted opening mechanism that you can access with just one hand, any hand. The Bedlam features a rather massive feeling 4 Scimitar inspired blade packed into an impressively compact package all being tied together with G10 handles and equipped with the coveted AXIS Lock. Folks, I really appreciate the responses so far. Kershaw 1660 Review - The Ultimate EDC Knife? You can refer to the reviews there to check if the seller is authorized or not. This extends the blades longevity and ensures it doesnt lose its razor sharp edge. Do you want random dudes to smile in awe and quickly ask Bro, is that a Benchmade? Maybe you do, maybe you dont, but thats the kind of brand recognition Benchmade has earned by delivering exceptional customer loyalty and overall quality.