Benchmade had it so right, so why do they still get it wrong?

[Benner]

Read into this what you like, a review, a moan and groan, but I think the Elishewitz designed Sentinel 875 by Benchmade made around 12 years ago had everything a tactical folder should have.  So why is it that present manufacturers still keep getting the combination wrong?



For me a tactical folder is a daily carry item and it takes a certain amount of criteria for it to go in my pocket and stay there for a long time.  The first thing, and possibly the most important one for any knife buyer is how the thing looks.  If you make a knife look like garbage, even the best spec in the world will result in poor sales.  That is, unless you are a maker in the "in crowd" where even the most hideous of designs seem to sell like hotcakes, but for this argument I am referring to the average Joe buyer.  I see a number of knives that look over-designed with ergonomics being sacrificed in favour of looks, with silly patterns and shapes plastered all over them, but what is wrong with keeping things simple?  For me, the Sentinel 875 has nice, simple lines to it with just a splash of a single bold colour and it just works.  The ergonomics fit the hand well and even extensive cutting tasks produce very little fatigue.  It is a beautiful knife with no sacriface in appearance over function.



To me, for a knife to be truely classified as being tactical, the thing has to open - FAST.  Now I admit, most manufacturers these days can make a knife that opens quickly, but again it seems to have been overcomplicated with waves, quillions, and on the extreme scales, assisted openers and switchblades.  The Sentinel got the mix perfect.  A simple thumb stud which offers good traction, decent low friction washers, and an opening "circle" that is small and tight.  To open this folder, your thumb has to rotate round a very small radius which twinned with the other factors, offers a lightning quick blade which would rival any switchblade or assisted opener.



Now, in order for people to carry your knife it needs to be just that, carryable.  For me this involves 2 very important areas, the size and shape of it, and the pocket clip.  The 875 excells in both of these areas.  Not only is the knife of a reasonable weight (I find anything 5oz plus for me to be pushing it for EDC) but it also folds up to a slim package with very little wasted space.  I find it to be a common occurace where the blade folds away leaving lots of excess handle that isn't always necessary and just adds to the weight and unnecessary bulk.  But the true part that makes the 875 so easy to carry is it's pocket clip.



Pocket clips to me seem like such an easy thing to get right, yet so many struggle to do so.  For me a clip needs to be mounted high up on the knife leaving very little exposed and as much of the knife in the pocket as possible, be strong and secure holding the knife in well, and also easy to attach and remove from the pocket.  The 875 does all of these well.  The clip itself is mounted as high up as feasably possible and the shape of the clip itself is perfect as it clips on tightly and due to it's lipped end, is very easy to clip on.  Why every manufacturer doesn't use a knife clip like this I have no idea.  Benchmade also got the surface under the clip right, it being smooth and not one that will chew up your pockets every time you want to use your blade.  By keeping the clip black and by not plastering branding or polishing it up, it also keeps the clip averagely discrete, reducing those dodgy looks from the non-knife people of the world.



In addition to ergonomics, the next thing that aids the use of knives and keeps them where they should be, is jimping.  Jimping again is something one would think would be simple to do and do correctly but I find it amazing just how many can't.  In the majority of knives I have handled, jimping is either incorrectly placed or not present at all, or the jimping is there but is so rounded off it serves no purpose whatsoever.  The 875 has what I'd call perfect jimping with the texture and the location being spot on.  The texture is aggressive and offers good purchase when gripping the knife, and it is correctly placed on the thumb ramp and underneath near the locking bar.  These are the areas where most pressure is applied to the handle with the fingers and it makes sense to increase the traction in these areas. 



The final thing for me that makes or breaks a blade is the lock up.  Make a knife that has side to side or vertical blade play and I pretty much disregard it completely.  The 875 is as solid as a rock and it achieved with a titanium liner lock and an uncommon design of the thumb stud also acting as the stop pin.  By reducing the parts involved, this offers a very reliable and very slow wearing lockup that is still solid today despite it's many years of use.



So there you have it.  These are all simple things that in my opinion can make a knife just that bit better but just seems to be lacking in one way or another on most modern folding knives.  Have manufacturers lost their way in what counts and have got lost in a world of pretty ninjaness?  Or am I just an old fart?  Either way the Benchmade Sentinel 875 keeps me coming back for more and I don't see this changing any time soon.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Bloody fine write up there mate



I've got to say it's not my favourite Benchie. Though it does look superbly screwed together

[J-sews]

Wow, that was incredibly well considered Ben. Everything you said made complete sense to me, and I'm not a knife person. Are there not any other tactical folders out there today that get it all right like your Sentinal?

[Benner]

Wow, that was incredibly well considered Ben. Everything you said made complete sense to me, and I'm not a knife person. Are there not any other tactical folders out there today that get it all right like your Sentinal?

At the risk of saying no and then getting flooded with a load of suitable options  , I'd say they were very few and far between.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is the best knife or even my favourite knife, it just seems that all those years ago Benchmade got the basic "recipe" of what a tactical folder should have and yet most of todays knives seem to be seriously lacking in 1 or more of these basic areas.

[J-sews]

Wow, that was incredibly well considered Ben. Everything you said made complete sense to me, and I'm not a knife person. Are there not any other tactical folders out there today that get it all right like your Sentinal?

At the risk of saying no and then getting flooded with a load of suitable options  , I'd say they were very few and far between.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is the best knife or even my favourite knife, it just seems that all those years ago Benchmade got the basic "recipe" of what a tactical folder should have and yet most of todays knives seem to be seriously lacking in 1 or more of these basic areas.

And at the risk of offending someone by running down their favorite toad sticker, do you have an example or two of these serious lackers?

[Benner]

The Cold Steel Voyager is a good example on the jimping and pocket clip front.  The jimping on the spine is laughable really as it serves no function whatsoever.  The pocket clip suffers from that pocket ripping issue I mentioned as well.  It could also be mounted a little higher really.

Another is my H&K Blitz.  Now this is a £120 knife so there are no excuses here.  The pocket clip is so tight you cannot use it and the jimping is so rounded that it is next to useless also.

Jimping and pocket clip position I'd say are the most common issues.  I'll get some pictures up to show what I mean. 

[Mr. Whippy]

The final thing for me that makes or breaks a blade is the lock up.  Make a knife that has side to side or vertical blade play and I pretty much disregard it completely.  The 875 is as solid as a rock and it achieved with a titanium liner lock and an uncommon design of the thumb stud also acting as the stop pin.  By reducing the parts involved, this offers a very reliable and very slow wearing lockup that is still solid today despite it's many years of use.

This is the best explanation of the one thing that drives me crazy.  That little bit of side to side waggle or vertical play completely puts me off on a  knife.  In my mind, that sort of blade play makes for sloppy cutting at best and is dangerous at worst.

Excellent point. 

[Benner]

It's good to know I am not the only fussy one on here. 

[Styerman]

Alan E. is a very good designer , nice package . What nixes it for me is that it's a liner lock , a format that can be tuff to produce . I tend to agree with you an Mike , the older stuff was very nice . Things like Bob T's Starmate , not to mention his customs were very tasty and livley conffections .

Chris

[Neil]

Tactical folders are not really my thing so I've nothing useful to add, just like to thank you for a very informative read

[Benner]

Thanks Neil, and thanks for the other comments guys. 

This little write up has been on my list for a while.  Just never felt inspired enough to start it until today.

[Benner]

I can't believe I spent half a day writing this all up and I get 10 replies, but a thread about my hair gets over 30. 

[Gadget Guy]

Ben, I totally missed this thread. Nice job mate!   

[Benner]

Ben, I totally missed this thread. Nice job mate!   

Come on be honest, you only found it because you were performing a search for "hair" weren't ya?! 

[hawkchucker]

I can't believe I spent half a day writing this all up and I get 10 replies, but a thread about my hair gets over 30.  

Well most of us are balding, so we are just jealous. But Benchmade does make some fine blades. You really got to look into the Griptillians. I love mine.

[Benner]

Getting them here used to be difficult, but they are stocked here now.  Not cheap at over £70 for an FRN folder though.    It does look nice though.

[Gadget Guy]

I can't believe I spent half a day writing this all up and I get 10 replies, but a thread about my hair gets over 30.  

Well most of us are balding, so we are just jealous. But Benchmade does make some fine blades. You really got to look into the Griptillians. I love mine.

Who's balding?     

[hawkchucker]

<--------------------   He is

[Benner]

I hardly expect you have an afro under that hat  

[hawkchucker]

Nothin but a fat bald grape/

[hawkchucker]

Oh yes I have a new avatar

[Benner]

So you have John and John has me...

What is going on here? 

[hawkchucker]

I would call this a disfunctional family

[Gadget Guy]

So you have John and John has me...

What is going on here?  

 

Ben, you need Mike's picture. 

[Benner]

What and scare off all the members?! 

I'll stick with my button I think. 

[Gadget Guy]

Nothin but a fat bald grape/

  

[jzmtl]

Well most of us are balding, so we are just jealous. But Benchmade does make some fine blades. You really got to look into the Griptillians. I love mine.

The griptilian is pretty nicely designed, but ever since I dropped one in the snow I don't like the axis lock anymore.

[David]

Good write up Ben.   

[hawkchucker]

Good write up Ben.   

OK OK back on topic.

What kinda hair do ya think GG has under the hat?

[Benner]

Good write up Ben.   

Thanks David. 

(And thanks for trying to crawl this thread back on topic  )