Benchmade 917 Tactical Triage Family Review

Benchmade has a history that dates for over three decades. They have gotten to the point where they are today with the help of many dedicated employees, a never-quit demand for excellence and the de Asis family’s vision and total commitment to culture, service, and innovation.

The story began in 1979 when the founder of the company, Les de Asis, wanted a knife that reflected the latest in materials and manufacturing technology to replace the cheap butterfly knives he had used as a kid. All he knew about the process came from his high-school shop skills, which he used to blueprint his dream knife.

Their history includes three name changes and one bankruptcy, but was finally settled on Benchmade. Les felt that while there was “handmade” and “factory made,” it was “Benchmade” that descried the quality of Les’ product. He was building an operation that made precision parts, but with hand assembly on the finished products. This was a “bench” operation and Les wanted the name to reflect the marriage of manufactured and custom. Even to this day, the name still describes Benchmade’s positon in the market.

Today, Benchmade continues to focus on innovation, customer needs, responsible business ethics and operations to bring the highest quality products to the world’s elite.

Today we will be discussing the Benchmade 917 Tactical Triage Family.

 

The Blade:

The bale on each of the three versions of this knife family is made out of CPM S30V steel. This steel is designed by Crucible Steel Industries, which is a United States based steel company. When they designed and created CPM S30V steel they designed it specifically with knives in mind, especially high end pocket knives and kitchen cutlery. This means that they designed it to have some of the best steel qualities that can stand up to lots and endure through plenty of different environments. Crucible set this steel apart by adding in vanadium carbides to bring the steel extreme hardness without being brittle. Overall, this is considered a premium steel that you can get at a reasonable cost because Crucible did later update the steel in CPM S35VN. CPM S30V steel is known for having the best balance between edge retention, hardness, and toughness. This is a complicated balance because often times the harder the steel, the less tough the steel is going to be. And the softer the steel, the worse the edge retention is going to be. Crucible really nailed it with this steel. Lastly, CPM S30V steel can resist rusting and corrosion with ease, which means that the maintenance time on this knife is not going to be incredibly taxing.

When it comes to this family, there are two different blade finishes that you get to choose from. The first one is a satin finish. This finish is created by sanding the blade in one direction with increasing degrees of a fine abrasive, which is usually a sandpaper. A satin finish shows off the bevels of the blade, showcases the lines of the knife, all while also reducing its reflective glares that can occur when it is not a matte finish.

The second option that you have in the Triage family is a coated finish. The coated finish is found on two of the three versions of this knife, both being black. A coated finish reduces the reflection and glare while reducing wear and corrosion. Unfortunately, all coatings can be scratched off after continuous heavy use, and the blade will have to be re-coated. Coatings do prolong the life of the blade, mostly because it prevents corrosion and rust. A quality coating can add cost to the knife, but it does provide more corrosion resistance, less reflection, and require less maintenance than a lower quality coating.

All three of the versions have been carved into drop point blade shapes. The drop point blade shape is going to be the most common blade shape that you can find in the cutlery industry today. This is because the drop point blade is an all-purpose blade shape that is tough and can take on almost any task that you throw at it. The drop point shape is ideal for the Tactical Triage because the drop point can be used for everyday knives and tactical knives, which are two things this knife has been specifically designed for. The shape of this knife has the back edge of the knife run straight from the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow curved manner, which creates a lowered tip. It is the lowered tip that gives the user more control when you are using the knife, which is ideal for when you are using this knife as a rescue knife and you don’t want to injure the person you are rescuing. The lowered tip is also broad, which gives the style of blade its characteristic strength. This strength is what allows the drop point blade shape to excel at being a tactical tool, because you don’t have to worry about the blade snapping right when you go to defend yourself. Because of the broad tip, the drop point is not as sharp as other all-purpose blade shapes, such as the clip point blade shape. This is really the only disadvantage to the drop point blade shape, because you won’t be able to pierce as well. However, the drop point blade shape is going to be more durable when you do use it to pierce. The drop point blade style allows you to take on any situation, whether it is the expected scenarios throughout your everyday life or the unexpected situations where this knife comes in handy such as tactical or rescue knives.

In this knife family, there are also two different edge styles that you get to choose from. The first is the typical plain edge. This is going to give you cleaner cuts and is more suited if you are choosing to use this knife as an everyday or tactical knife. The second that you get is the serrated edge, which is exceptional when it comes to using this knife as a rescue knife. This is because the teeth or serrations are going to allow you to saw through thicker and tougher materials such as rope or seatbelts, if it comes to it.

 

The Handle:

The handle on all three versions of this knife is made out of black G-10. G-10 is laminate composite that has been made out of fiberglass. This material has very similar properties to carbon fiber, except that it is slightly inferior, and because it is inferior, it can be made and bought for a much smaller cost. To create this material, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in resin, then compresses them and bakes them under pressure. This process yields a material that is very tough, very hard, very lightweight, and strong. Out of all the fiberglass resin laminates, G-10 is the toughest. The overall benefits of a carbon fiber handle is that it is going to be tough, it is going to be light, and it is going to be durable. Unfortunately, it is a brittle material, and it does lack elegance. The handles can look plastic-y and generic, but you do get a crazy amount of durability from this material, so most people can overlook the way the handle looks.

The handles on the Triage’s are pretty basic, but that does not mean they aren’t exceptional. The handle is mostly rectangular, although it does curve inward slightly on the belly to give you a more comfortable grip. There is a finger groove, which comes in handy when you are using this knife as a tactical or rescue knife and can’t focus all of your attention on what your fingers are doing. There is plenty of checkering on the handle which provides enough grip to feel confident that the knife won’t slip, even if you do find yourself with clammy hands. Three grooves cut across the width of the handle further provide you with texture.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip attached is one of Benchmade’s signature split arrow clips. The split arrow looks just like it sounds; it has the shape of an arrow and it has a slot cut down the majority of the middle. The clip is reversible when it comes to tip up or tip down carry.

 

The Mechanism:

This family of knives are manual opening and employ the AXIS mechanism.

The AXIS mechanism is a patented Benchmade exclusive which has been turning heads and winning fans ever since its introduction. A 100 percent ambidextrous design, the AXIS gets its function from a small, hardened steel bar that rides forward and back in a slot machined into both steel liners. The bar extends to both sides of the knife, spans the liners and is positioned over the rear of the blade. The mechanism engages a ramped tang portion of the knife blade when it is opened. Two omega-style springs, one on each liner, give the locking bar its inertia to engage the knife tang. As a result, the tang is wedged solidly between a sizable stop pin and the AXIS bar itself.

There are a few advantages to having this Tactical knife being a manual opening knife. The first is that because it is a manual opening knife, it is going to be legal in almost every single state, city, and area in the United States. This allows anyone in the market for a safety, tactical, or just a simple EDC knife to own it and carry it. The second advantage is that you don’t have to worry about this knife deploying accidentally in your pocket. The third is that it has a simple mechanism, so while you do have to maintain the innards and keep them dry, you aren’t as bad off if one of the pieces breaks. There is no spring to wear down, so this knife is going to last a long time when you take care of it right. Unfortunately, in a tactical or rescue scenario this knife will take a little bit longer to open than if it were automatic. Because you have to manually open the knife, the blade cannot be brought into play as quickly as some would wish.

The knife does utilize a thumb stud, which is simple and easy to use.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this family of knives measures in at 3.48 inches long, with a blade thickness of 0.124 inches. The handle on this knife family measures in at 4.85 inches long with a handle thickness of 0.55 inches. When the knife is opened, it measures in at 8.33 inches long. The knife weighs in at 5.28 ounces, which is a pretty good weight of knives for your everyday carry knife. However, it still has the weight to use this knife as a rescue or a tactical knife. This knife is made in the United States of America.

 

Conclusion:

When Benchmade is discussing this knife they say, “Public Safety workers desire and deserve the very best equipment. The new Triage gives them the features they need, along with the best materials for their applications.” The S30V steel is going to give you a high quality blade that needs little maintenance because of how well it resists rusting. You can choose between a satin blade that will give you a very classic look to the Triage, or you can choose a coated blade that is going to give you a sleeker, yet still more rugged finish. The drop point blade shape allows this knife to excel at being an everyday carry, a rescue, and even a tactical knife. The G-10 handle is durable and low maintenance, with plenty of added texture so that this can stay securely in your hand. The AXIS mechanism and thumb stud work to make this a fully ambidextrous knife. You can pick up your favorite version of the Benchmade Triage today at BladeOps.