Product Review

25-Jan-01

Roland Leong, Mangaging Editor Benchmade Knives 705 Axis Folder 820 Ascent   The only time I don't leave the house with a pocket knife is when I plan on going through a security checkpoint and I don't want to take the time to check the item, or get told that I can’t proceed with the knife, or worse, that I've committed some felony and that I should call an attorney with my last quarter. I feel incompletely dressed without one. That having been said, I am very particular about pocket knives. They have to open with one hand, be small and light enough to be carried in a front pants pocket unobtrusively, yet substantial enough to fit the hand well if some serious cutting is necessary. Benchmade Knives has two knives that deserve mention in this category. Their 705 Axis Folder, and 820 Ascent the are impressive knives. I have seen, handled and used six Benchmade knives over the years and all of them were of high quality materials and were made with fine craftsmanship. The more expensive knives exhibited a higher level of material quality and perhaps mechanical complexity that translates into a knife that has a superior feel. The more expensive knives usually weighed more, used more expensive metals or components and may have been better finished. The result is analogous to opening and closing a door on an expensive luxury automobile and that of a less expensive car. When handling the more expensive knife, one immediately recognizes the step up in quality. This is not to say that the less expensive knives have a cheap or flimsy feel. On the contrary they feel very good, and when one factors in the element of price, the less expensive knives exhibit great value. The 705 Axis Folder derives its name from a patented locking mechanism designed by Bill McHenry and Jason Williams, and exclusively licensed to Benchmade. The Axis locking mechanism gives the knife great strength in the open position, true ambidextrous functioning, and an extremely smooth feel when opening and closing the knife. The blade, of ATS-34 steel, has a dual thumb studs for ambidextrous opening ease. The body is made of heat-treated 410 stainless steel covered with G-10 composite. Additionally, there are finger treads near the forward handle for better grip and handling stability. A steel carry clip is movable depending on your preference for right or left handed carry, or the clip can be completely removed for a more compact profile. The blade can be plain edge/satin finish or ComboEdge/satin finish. Blade Length 2.95" Total Lenth 6.75" Width .500" Weight 2.70 oz MSRP $145 The 820 Ascent is the least expensive knife in the Benchmade line but is not a cheap knife. The blade is ATS-34 steel with a large round hole for ambidextrous one-handed opening. The handles are molded Zytel, and the steel carry clip is removable but not reversible. The clip is secured to the Zytel handle Torx fasteners into with stainless steel inserts molded into the handle material. This minimizes any chance that the Torx fasteners will strip out of the handle and come loose. Features like this support the contention that this is not a cheap knife. The locking mechanism is a lock-back system and the blade can be closed with one hand. The pivot screw is oversized for strength and adjustable for tension so that the owner can set just the right amount of opening friction. Blades come in two styles with a pointy clip point and ambidextrous opener hole, or a radiused drop point design with dual thumb-stud openers. Blade Length 2.90" Total Lenth 6.75" Width .500" Weight 1.80 oz MSRP $55 The 705 Axis Folder is very high quality knife that looks, feels and handles like a luxury item. The combination of substantial, quality materials, close tolerances and careful assembly give this knife heft and smoothness of operation that make it truly enjoyable to handle. This is a fine knife and it rates 4 checks out of 5. It will be a good fit for the individual who demands a fine quality tool. The 820 Ascent is a high quality knife, not in the same league as the the 705 Axis Folder as it lacks the quality materials, close tolerances heft and smoothness of operation. However, it is a high quality knive at a very reasonable price, and as such represents such an excellent value that it rates our highest rating of 5 checks out of 5. It should be noted that to get a 5 rating, a product not only has to exceed expectations but also be an exceptional value. The 820 Ascent meets these stringent criteria. It will be good choice for the person who values lightweight package and is willing to trade off the difficult to describe quality of "feel" and heft found in another product. Benchmade Knives can be found on the web at: <www.benchmade.com> Shotgun Report Check Ratings One-Well below expectations Two-Below expectations Three-Meets expectations Four-Exceeds expectations Five-Exceeds expectations + a high value Note that the only difference between Four and Five checks is the issue of value. A product in Five may actually be of lesser quality than one in Four, but because of it's exceptional value, or performance/$, will get a Five rating. Thus a Four rating does not imply inferior quality to a Five, and in fact may be of higher quality. A Five rating is for a product with exceptional performance/$ value.