Five of the Best Benchmade Folding Knives

Benchmade is known for their high quality knives that do not disappoint. At this point in time, you can get almost any style of knife from Benchmade; however, this was not always the case. When this company started they were making balisong, or butterfly, knives and that is how they became known as a company. Because of this, their logo is a butterfly. They still have fantastic butterfly knives, but they also have fantastic knives of every style. Today I have put together a list of the five most popular, best rated, and most liked knives that they have produced.

 

The 940 Osborne:

This Benchmade knife is one of the best options that you can get. Many people consider this the best Benchmade knife around. To design this knife, Benchmade co-designed it with Warren Osborne, who is an expert when it comes to everything cutlery. This knife is similar to the Griptilian, but it is smaller and lighter. The Osborne has a blade length of 3.4 inches and only weighs 2.9 ounces. This knife was first designed with S30V stainless steel, which holds an edge for a long period of time and is easy to sharpen, but to give you exactly what you want you can get the Osborne in Benchmade’s variety of steels. The tanto blade is a plain edged knife. The Osborne sports an anodized aluminum handle. This is how the knife is so light, but you don’t have to sacrifice any of the sturdiness for the lost weight. To help with sturdiness and durability, the handle boasts stainless steel liners. The Osborne has a dual thumb stud which makes this an ambidextrous opening knife. Plus, it has Benchmade’s Axis locking system and a reversible pocket clip. This knife can be modified for any of its users. As an added bonus, this knife is made in the United States of America.  You can find a full selection of Benchmade Osborne knives here at BladeOps.

Pros of the 940 Osborne knife:

• This knife is extremely light because of the anodized aluminum handle.
• The original S30V stainless steel knife is sharp and durable.
• The blade is easy to sharpen.
• If you don’t want the original steel, you can personalize this knife and get a variety of different steels.
• This is originally a straight edged knife, but you can get it in a combo edge.
• Stainless steel liners add durability to the handle.
• Ambidextrous knife.
• Made in the USA!

Cons of the 940 Osborne Knife:

• Some people like a heftier knife for their everyday carry.
• The included pocket clip can feel a little large and not sleek.

 

The Griptilian:

Like previously mentioned, the Griptilian knife is very similar to the 940 Osborne, the biggest difference between the two is that the Griptilian is just a little bit larger. Just like the 940 Osborne, this is one of Benchmade’s most popular knives. This knife only weighs 3.25 ounces, which is the perfect weight for an everyday carry knife. It isn’t too light and it definitely isn’t too heavy. The blade is 3.45 inches long made out of 154CM stainless steel. This steel holds an extremely sharp edge. Plus, you can get this blade in a straight edge or a combo edge, giving each user their personal favorite. What truly sets this knife apart from the others is the handle, which is a glass-filled nylon with stainless steel liners. The stainless steel liners offer extra durability. The handle is textured providing a very secure grip, making it perfect for heavier duty tasks. This knife features the Axis lock system, which securely locks the blade in an open position, which is another reason that it is such a good option for heavy duty jobs. This knife is an ambidextrous knife because you can open it from either side and switch out the pocket clip. You can also get a mini version of the Griptilian if you love the knife but don’t need it to stand up to such big tasks. All of the Griptilian knife options are made in the USA and you can get yours here.

Pros of the Griptilian knife:

• This is an ambidextrous knife.
• The 154CM stainless steel holds a crazy sharp edge.
• Can get the blade in straight edge or combo edge.
• The handle is super durable.
• Only weighs 3.25 ounces—perfect for EDC.
• This knife can stand up to the heavier duty tasks that it is faced with.
• You can also get a mini version of the Griptilian.
• Made in the USA!

Cons of the Griptilian knife:

• The texture on the handle is rougher than it needs to be and can tend to scratch up your hand.

 

The 275 Adamas:

While many users of this knife as their everyday carry, but it can definitely be considered as a tactical blade. The blade on this knife is made out of D-2 steel. The blade is thick, yet flat, and extremely sharp. This knife has been known for holding its edge for crazy long periods of time. The blade features a drop point silhouette. A very unique aspect of this knife is the handle. It is made out of G-10, but it has three holes drilled into it. These holes are there to reduce the weight of the handle, but you keep the strength and durability of the G-10 material. The three holes also give you great grip. Along with the holes, the chunky-ness of the handle also help with grip. Because of how chunky this knife is, this is a great option for people with bigger hands, or if you have to wear gloves during your tasks. Another fantastic feature of this knife is that it comes with a reversible pocket clip. Because of how the pocket clip is designed into the handle, your blade will always be tip up while using the pocket clip.  The full line of Adamas Folders can be found here.

Pros of the 275 Adamas knife:

• This knife has a chunkier design, making it perfect if you have to wear gloves while using this knife.
• Is an ideal option for everyday carry or your tactical knife.
• The blade is crazy sharp.
• Three holes drilled into the G-10 handle, making the knife lighter, but you don’t have to sacrifice the sturdiness of the G-10.
• Reversible pocket clip.

Cons of the 275 Adamas knife:

• The handle is very chunky, which makes it a poor fit if you have smaller hands.
• This is a bigger option for an everyday carry knife.

 

The 810 Contego:

This knife gets its name because Contego is the Latin word for “shield” or “protect”. The knife was designed after those two words. You can get this blade in black or gray and Benchmade has made different styles of this specific blade. Some of the styles are a combo edge, a coated blade, or a combo and coated blade. So really, you can get exactly what your heart desires. The blade is a reverse tanto style that is 3.98 inches long of CPM-M4 steel. This is actually a pretty large knife, when it is open it is 9.28 inches long and weighs 5.92 ounces. The knife can be opened with either hand, because of the ambidextrous thumb stud. The handle also sports a carbide glass-breaker, which makes this a great knife to always have on you. It can really get you out of any situation. The handle, like many Benchmade knives, uses the Axis locking system, which is a very sturdy locking system. The handle is actually very thin, measuring in at barely over half an inch, which takes away some of the weight and space that this knife would take up.

Pros of the 810 Contego knife:

• The CPM-M4 steel is very durable and you can get it in black or gray.
• Benchmade has released multiple versions of the blade, so you can pick all your favorite aspects for your blade.
• The knife is ambidextrous, because of how the knife opens.
• Sports a carbide glass-breaker.
• The knife is a very large knife, but not heavy because of the thin handle.
• Sports the Axis locking system.

Cons of the 810 Contego knife:

• Some people don’t like how large the knife is, especially for everyday carry.
• Because of how large it is, it can be hard to use for longer periods of time.

 

The 915 Triage:

The 915 Triage is much more than a knife, in fact, it is a superior safety tool. This knife was designed for emergency responders, but I believe that this is also a fantastic everyday carry knife. This knife is a beefier knife, measuring in at an overall length of 8.2 inches and weighing 5.1 inches. The blade is 3.5 inches long of N680 stainless steel. Benchmade then heat treated the steel, because this process adds toughness and lets the steel keep the edge for much longer. Plus, by doing this heat treatment, it makes the steel easier to sharpen when needed. The handle is made out of G-10, which you can get in black or safety orange, and also sports stainless steel liners. The liners add some weight to the knife, but it mostly adds durability and strength. The G-10 handle doesn’t look like anything special, but extreme texture has been added to the handle to give you fantastic grip. The handle is larger than some other handles, giving you a better grip, even during stressful or high intensity situations. The knife features a deep carry pocket clip, which lets it sink lower into your pocket, but you will still be able to grab it easily when needed. This pocket clip is reversible, so you can carry it ambidextrously. So far, this seems like a stellar knife, but we haven’t even gone over the extra features on this knife. The 915 Triage has a safety cutter that folds out of the handle with a hook on the end. Plus, on the butt of the handle, there is a built in carbide glass breaker.  Find the full line of Benchmade Triage knives here.

Pros of the 915 Triage knife:

• The steel on this blade is heat treated to add toughness, edge holding abilities, and makes the blade easier to sharpen.
• You can get this knife in black or safety orange.
• The stainless steel liners in the handle add weight and durability.
• The extreme texture on the handle and the larger handle size give you great grip.
• Ambidextrous knife.
• Features a safety cutter and a glass breaker.
• Fantastic for emergency responders.
• Has Benchmade’s Axis locking system.

Cons of the 915 Triage knife:

• If you are looking for a simple knife, this does have a lot of extras.
• The knife doesn’t look like anything special when you first see it—it has a very simple design.
• The knife is one of your larger knife options, some might not like it for an everyday carry knife.
• The larger handle size is not ideal for people with smaller hands.
• This is not a good knife for intricate detail work.

 

Conclusion:

When Benchmade first hit the market back in 1979, they were solely producing high end butterfly knives and their company name was Bali-Song. These knives were a hit and Bali-Song became popular. They changed their name and started producing other styles of knives and Benchmade was born. Even though they were once known for their butterfly knives, they are now known for all of their knives. Benchmade is a trusted brand that people can rely on. Each of their knives is carefully thought out and designed to give you everything that you need. With so many fantastic knives to choose from, it is hard to know which one would work best for you. I made this list of the five most popular, well-known, most liked or best rated knives. The five best include: the 940 Osborne, the Griptilian, the 275 Adamas, the 810 Contego, and the 915 Triage. These knives all are great options, but each vary from the other. Some are made for safety purposes, some are designed to be tactical, some are ideal for everyday carry knives. I’m hoping that these descriptions and the pros and cons of each of these options help narrow down which knife you want and which Benchmade knife will work best for you. Truly, almost any Benchmade knife is going to be a reliable knife.