Product Review
Roland Leong
Managing Editor
The Osborne Model 770BC1 is Benchmade Knife Company's version
of a Formula 1 car.
It is a knife that uses the newest and latest technology in materials
to produce
a showpiece cutting tool. The 770BC1 has carbon fiber scales.
The clip point
plain edge blade is 2.80 in length, the knife 6.50 open, 3.70
closed and weighs
1.60 oz. A stud attached to both sides of the blade gives a purchase
point to
ambidextrously open the knife with one hand. A polished stainless
steel clip
secures the knife in a pocket minimizing the chance of loss. The
clip does not
appear to be reversible as the base of the clip is counter sunk
in one of the
scales and not the other as it comes from the factory. The clip
is removable.
All the hardware appears to be stainless steel or aluminum alloy.
Carbon fiber
This light, stiff material while smooth to the touch, gives the
appearance of
smooth fish skin, that is, it reflects light like fish skin without
the layered
feeling of fish scales. While light and stiff, the carbon fiber
scales can be
shaped with sandpaper or an emery board. A metal scale knife feels
cool to the
touch on initial handling. A carbon fiber scale knife while is
not exactly
ìwarmî feeling, it is not cool to the touch. Think about picking
up a metal pipe
and then a piece of wood. Though they may be the same temperature,
the wood
doesnít suck the heat out of your hand like the metal does.
AXIS™ lock
The 770BC1 uses an AXIS™ lock to keep the blade from closing when
in the working position. The AXIS™! lock serves double duty as
it puts pressure
on the blade when in the closed position to keep the blade safely
closed. While
there is enough pressure to keep the blade closed, the pressure
is easily
overcome when one deliberately moves to open the knife. The AXIS™!
lock
mechanism has a U.S. Patent (5,737,841) and can only be found
on Benchmade
knives. BC1 Coating This coating is a ceramic coating. It appears
that it is
harder than the blade steel, and is permanently bonded to the
metal. The coating
is dark grey and slightly reflective. The coating makes the knife
a well color
coordinated piece as the photo shows.
Blade
The metal is 154CM hardened to 58-60 RC. The "Handbook of Knife
Knowledge and
Terms" published by Schrade Cutlery of Ellenville, NY describes
it this way: A
high-carbon, high-alloy, space-age, stainless steel first used
for knives by R.
W. Loveless about 1972. At that time it was vacuum melted. Carbon
1.05%,
Manganese 0.5%, Chromium 14.0%, Molybdenum 0.4 - 0.55%.
Impressions
It is almost as if Les de Asis, President of Benchmade said, Build
me a high
tech pocket knife, make it as small as practically possible, make
it as light as
technically possible, and make it so I say Wow when I see it.
If this were the
case, Id say they were successful.
The combination of the grey ceramic BC1 coating on the blade and
the charcoal
colored carbon fiber makes for a visually distinctive appearance.
I prefer the
plain edge blade rather than a fully or partially serrated edge
for aesthetic
reasons and because I dont have the need to cut rope or materials
that are
better cut with serrated blades. The blade steel, 154CM is similar
to ATS34
steel that has been widely used in high-grade knives in the past
few years. The
blade in the 770BC1 was sharp enough to dry shave hairs off the
forearm,
straight out of the box. The blade edge was easily kept shaving
sharp using the
Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker™. The materials and assembly make
for an easy
operating knife. Tolerances are tight. In the open position, there
is no
discernable lateral play between the blade and handle in any direction.
For a
right-handed user, the clip offers additional purchase to open
the knife.
Because the base of the clip is inletted into one of the scales,
the clip is not
reversible, so a left-handed user doesnt have the same benefits
as a
right-handed user. The knife is light and feels well made. The
carbon fiber
scales do not feel cold to the touch as metal scales do. A metal
scale knife in
a cold environment is unpleasant to hold. Touching a cold metal
object seems to
draw heat from the hand.
The thumb stud opener allows the knife to be opened easily with
either hand. I
find the thumb stud opener be just as effective in opening a knife
as a round or
oval thumb hole opener. There is the added benefit in that a stud
opener takes
less space, so the knife can be made smaller. There is a channel
in the scales
that direct ones thumb to the stud opener. The belly section of
the scales is
beveled slightly. This extra attention to detail makes the knife
feel slimmer.
There were no sharp edges on the scales that could cause discomfort
with use.
In the past, Ive always carried a knife in the front pocket. I
find myself
putting the knife in the rear pocket as close to the side as possible.
In
conjunction with the carry clip, I find this position to be more
secure with
less chance of loss and more comfortable. The Osborne Model 770BC1
is about the
minimal size that a one-hand opening knife can be. A smaller knife
would be
difficult to hold and open with one hand.
List price is $220. More information can be found at the Benchmade
website:
www.benchmade.com
Shotgun Report rates the Benchmade Osborne Model 770BC1 the highest
rating of
five out of five (5) checks. It has become this reviewers personal
carry knife.