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I’ve been getting e mail after e mail concerning the new Benchmade Weekender knife, which is meant to be “the redux of the standard folder pocket knife tailor-made for weekend escapes to nature.”
Benchmade says that the Weekender “has every thing you want for fundamental camp chores, from whittling to opening a chilly one by the hearth.”
Benchmade sellers make it sound just like the Weekender is an instant-classic and the perfect off-hours EDC folding knife ever made.
Don’t get me unsuitable, it looks like a strong design – perhaps – however one thing’s lacking.
And this isn’t simply because I had a horrible expertise with Benchmade’s first flipper knife, main me to steer away from the model anytime they struggle one thing new once more. This design appears easy sufficient to be pretty risk-free.
The Benchmade Weekender has a 3″ clip level blade “in your EDC reducing wants” in line with one supplier, and a smaller 2″ drop level knife for “smaller reducing jobs.”
One other retailer says the saber-ground clip level blade is for heavy work, and the flat floor spear level knife blade for finer duties.
It additionally comes with a bottle opener. No, it’s not a mixture screwdriver and bottle opener, or can opener and bottle opener, it’s only a bottle opener.
The blades are made out of CPM-S30V, and you’ve got two deal with materials decisions – greenish brownish Micarta, or gray G-10. The deal with measures 4.08″ closed and is 0.40″ thick.
If given the selection between Micarta and G-10, I believe Micarta is the higher selection for an outdoor knife, because it tends to deal with higher in sweaty arms.
Right here’s what the gray G-10-handled model seems to be like.
The Weekender has a non-locking slip joint mechanism for each knife blades.
I’d wish to ooh and ahh on the new Benchmade Weekender, however I can’t assist however really feel that it’s a miss.
I’ve nothing in opposition to slip joint knives, and personal a pair. S30V is a superb knife metal that has good edge retention, wearability, and corrosion resistance.
The knife is priced at a premium, however doesn’t appear unreasonable for Benchmade, particularly once you consider that that is two knives in a single, and that you just get Micarta or G-10 fairly than fiber-reinforced plastic of comparable.
However, I really feel that I may take two different USA-made knives, one massive and one small, and cobble collectively a slimmer multi-bladed knife for much less cash. It wouldn’t be a Benchmade, although.
Possibly it’s the absence of lively locks that’s throwing me off. Or – the place’s the pocket clip? Lanyard gap? If that is marketed as a weekend tenting knife, the place’s the carabiner clip?
I’m within the minority in the case of Benchmade knives. I’ve bought their Bugout knives for assessment functions, and whereas I don’t strongly dislike them, I additionally don’t perceive how they’re as standard as they’re. Possibly the identical will likely be true right here, and I’m method off-base.
I’ve had each good and unhealthy experiences with multi-bladed folding knives, and so I don’t suppose that’s my downside.
The best way I see it, both the knife is lacking one thing – at the least for a knife that retails at $225 – or there’s one thing coloring my views.
I’m sorry – I do know not each device or knife is fitted to everybody’s particular person wants or tastes, however there appears to be a disconnect between what I see within the Weekender (or don’t) and the entire promotional hype surrounding it.
To me, it doesn’t look comfy to carry or handy to hold, with no carrying choices moreover having it swimming round a pocket or device pouch. A gentleman’s slipjoint knife needs to be slimmer. An outdoor knife ought to have a lock.
If a “go Go, get a free knife” card landed in your hand, would you get the Weekender, or go on it? Why?
Choices: Micarta (mannequin 317-1), G-10 (mannequin 317)
COO: USA
Value: $225-250
Notice: One retailer has particular “name for value” pricing that’s decrease than rivals’. You don’t must name them, merely add it to your cart and also you’ll see the particular low value at checkout.
