Long Term Review: Benchmade Auto Triage and 917BK

[Dave]

I have to admit that prior to using a Benchmade Knife, I was a sub $100 knife guy.
My thought process here was pretty simple – affordable knives do work, and if I ever lost a knife it wouldn’t hurt my wallet as much as a more expensive knife. Yet like so many other tools, knives are something where you get what you pay for – and my time using affordable knives has seen me do a lot of sharpening, with a few unexpectedly sharp surprises along the way. I’ve had an affordable knife open more than once in my pocket, and had a knife for a short while with a locking mechanism that quite simply didn’t lock – so let’s just say I made a point to handle these knives with extra care. And, when it came time to use one of these knives, all it took was a few dirty cardboard boxes or a quarter of an elk to make a noticeable difference in the edge. All of this left me wondering – what did paying more for a knife really get you? ...

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[Celt II]

Benchmade makes a really nice auto knife. I have had the 154CM Mel Pardue for probably the better part of 10-15 years now. It's still going strong with no issues. The only thing I do not like about them is the clip. They tend to be too flimsy and snap off and the three tiny set screws wear out quickly and do not securely hold the clip in place.

 

[Dave]

Benchmade makes a really nice auto knife. I have had the 154CM Mel Pardue for probably the better part of 10-15 years now. It's still going strong with no issues. The only thing I do not like about them is the clip. They tend to be too flimsy and snap off and the three tiny set screws wear out quickly and do not securely hold the clip in place.

I feel underwhelmed with most knife clips. They're either too rigid which makes them hard to use, or too flimsy and don't hold up well to use. Definitely hard to find one that's just right for me.

 

[Celt II]

I feel underwhelmed with most knife clips. They're either too rigid which makes them hard to use, or too flimsy and don't hold up well to use. Definitely hard to find one that's just right for me.

Over the years I have for the most part stopped using the belt clips because they get in the way or are too flimsy etc. I have a CRKT that has one that's nice and solid.

 

[WashingtonTaco]

I love my Benchmades. Two folders, Mini Griptilion (EDC for work and general abuse), full size Osborne (for trail work and camp abuse), Nimravous (zip tied to the oh poop handle in the GX) and Bushcrafter (just because).

A couple other Benchmade items I have is the Tacticool pen (always in my pocket) and the no longer available rescue tool that is a seatbelt cutter, and spring loaded glass breaker.

 

[Steve & Deb]

My only Benchmade is a model 970 Emerson CQC7 from the mid-'90s. Extremely nice quality and durability. It was Benchmade's licensed version of Ernest Emerson's custom made CQC6 that were in high demand by military guys in the Middle East, typically with a five year waiting list! Emerson would bump civilians up the list if they bought a second to send knife to a deployed soldier. I was on the list for a while until he licensed Benchmade to make the CQC7 at about 2/3 the cost of a custom direct from Emerson, and at a fraction of the wait time. Prices for the long discontinued Benchmade 970 are insane!

It is by far the best knife I own, although the single bevel tanto blade is less than ideal. So my everyday carry for the past several years has been the humble but versatile Opinel carbon #8.

 

[Dave]

My only Benchmade is a model 970 Emerson CQC7 from the mid-'90s. Extremely nice quality and durability. It was Benchmade's licensed version of Ernest Emerson's custom made CQC6 that were in high demand by military guys in the Middle East, typically with a five year waiting list! Emerson would bump civilians up the list if they bought a second to send knife to a deployed soldier. I was on the list for a while until he licensed Benchmade to make the CQC7 at about 2/3 the cost of a custom direct from Emerson, and at a fraction of the wait time. Prices for the long discontinued Benchmade 970 are insane!

It is by far the best knife I own, although the single bevel tango blade is less than ideal. So my everyday carry for the past several years has been the humble but versatile Opinel carbon #8.

 

[Steve & Deb]