Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Pocket Clip
Excellent!
I've bought AND returned at least five different Benchmade knives over the past four or five years. I have a number of Chris Reeves knives, vintage Victorinox and some other weird stuff. All I care about is the overall experience with a knife. I fully understand that within a particular price point, you get what you pay for. But this Hogue Deka really punches way above! I am a tool person and I could never get past knives like the Bugout (never actually bought one) having so much flex in the handle. The handle of ANY tool should feel comfortable, strong and give you confidence that if you are competent, you are not going to get bit. The Bugout does not deliver this at all. I've also tried a number of heavier Benchmade knives and they all had quality issues. Vertical play, horizontal play, bad blade grind. Now about this knife. Out of the box, centered, sharp, tight and confidence enspireing tool feel. This is a pretty light knife, but the geometry, ergonomics and craftsmanship is excellent! Out of the box, if you hold onto the blade at a 90 degree angle and try to let the handle drop into the locked position, it is like a clock mechanism, very good tolerances, fit and finish. The handle is comfortable, confidence building and is not at all squeezy. One last point: Without mentioning the competition, this locking mechanism is significantly more advanced. As the blade falls into the detente that locks up the blade, it drives home and locks! When you try to release the lock, you can feel some "grab". This is the only knife with this type of locking mechanism I've used that has this. Totally satisfied!
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