Benchmade auto knives worth the extra money?

[jeff43]

I’m wanting to get a new auto knife,around a 3.5” blade. I got some Kershaw knives and really like them for the money. I have 1 Kershaw auto. I been looking at the Benchmade auto knives online, are they worth the extra money?I may go by Smoky Mountain Knife  works this weekend and look around .

Edited September 18, 2023 by jeff43

[DJTC45]

Protech is about the snappiest of all my switch blades except for my Gavin Hawk mod C OTF(but that one was around $1800 to have it built) I've had some Benchmade Out The Side Aoutos they were okay, I bought a Medford Smooth Criminal Out The Side but I wasn't really impressed by it, but every Protech Switch Blade has realy impressed me with how they open. I bought a couple of the TGO mod. that one of the members here would do every so often but not lately. I bought one of the TR4 w/4" blade and if your not careful or paying attention it will just about pop out of your hand when you open it and it's probably 5yrs old or a little more and I've carried that one almost daily and the spring and action are just like new still. The only other Aouto that snapped out fast and hard was my MicroTech Halo V OTF, but someone wanted it more than I did and helped their self to it one day at work, it was in my lunch box, git home and was cleaning it out and it was gone.

[Defender]

I’ve got a few good knives, I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but here’s my 2 cents worth.  I’ve got 2 Protech auto knives, and I like them, but overall, I think you can achieve similar quality for less money. I’ve got a Benchmade Adamas with an 3.82 inch blade, and it is probably my favorite pocket knife.  It’s built like a tank, and you could probably chop wood with it, LOL.  It opened in my pocket once though, and I’m kinda leery of carrying now so it’s on my go bag.   I’ve got a Gerber 06 auto with a safety, and this is my EDC now.  Not too heavy, holds an edge and opens with a snap.  I like it.  I think it’s 3.8 blade length.   I also have a little Kershaw Launch 4 auto with 1.9 inch blade, which is also my EDC.      I have 3 Gerber sheath knives, in addition to the folder above, and I love them. So yes, if you can afford them, I think they’re worth the price, especially if you look on here for someone selling one.  But having said that, I’ve carried knives ever since I was a little boy, and you don’t have to spend Benchmade money on a good knife

Edited September 19, 2023 by Defender
Typing errors while apparently asleeep, lol.

[MacGyver]

I’ll take the under on this.

And I say this as someone who loves Benchmade and has a bunch of them.  The AFO set the standard for what a good auto should be - back when you had to have credentials to own one. They’re amazing - but you can get a great auto for a lot less money these days.

I’d start with something less expensive with a lock.  The kershaws are great.  Notice a trend of how many folks have had autos fire in their pockets.

Honestly, I guess I’m in a place in my life where I can carry about any knife I want - and have more than I’ll ever  reasonably carry. My daily carry is one of a few Spyderco PM2s.  They’re practically as fast as any auto out there - and one has yet to either open in my pocket or jump out of my hand. 

[Defender]

20 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

I’ll take the under on this.

And I say this as someone who loves Benchmade and has a bunch of them.  The AFO set the standard for what a good auto should be - back when you had to have credentials to own one. They’re amazing - but you can get a great auto for a lot less money these days.

I’d start with something less expensive with a lock.  The kershaws are great.  Notice a trend of how many folks have had autos fire in their pockets.

Honestly, I guess I’m in a place in my life where I can carry about any knife I want - and have more than I’ll ever  reasonably carry. My daily carry is one of a few Spyderco PM2s.  They’re practically as fast as any auto out there - and one has yet to either open in my pocket or jump out of my hand. 

Reading this thread made me realize a bunch of errors in my post, so I went back and corrected.  Apologies to anyone that read the original post and thought I was an idiot.  I may well be, but I fixed the errors.

After the Adamas opened in my pocket, unknown to me, and I sliced my palm open, I decided no more big sharp knives in my pocket without a safety.  Hence, the Gerber 06 (with a safety) I carry now, clipped to my pocket.  It's not like I carry the knife as a quick draw defense weapon.  The exception I'm making right now is I also carry the little Kershaw Launch 4 loose in my pocket. I may look at clipping that somewhere too.  Like MacGyver said above, safeties are the way to go with a knife in the pocket.  My Adamas opened due to me somehow pushing the button with either my clothes or something brushing hard against it, not while using it. 

Edited September 19, 2023 by Defender

[MacGyver]

9 minutes ago, Defender said:

Reading this thread made me realize a bunch of errors in my post, so I went back and corrected.  Apologies to anyone that read the original post and thought I was an idiot.  I may well be, but I fixed the errors.

After the Adamas opened in my pocket, unknown to me, and I sliced my palm open, I decided no more big sharp knives in my pocket without a safety.  Hence, the Gerber 06 (with a safety) I carry now, clipped to my pocket.  It's not like I carry the knife as a quick draw defense weapon.  The exception I'm making right now is I also carry the little Kershaw Launch 4 loose in my pocket. I may look at clipping that somewhere too.  Like MacGyver said above, safeties are the way to go with a knife in the pocket.  My Adamas opened due to me somehow pushing the button with either my clothes or something brushing hard against it, not while using it. 

This forum is rife with threads of people getting stitches because their auto opened in their pocket.  Heck, one of our group buys was endemic with them opening in pockets - and that particular knife was a hidden mechanism.

There was a time when there was a real market need for autos.  I was carrying an AFO on a search and rescue team when I got the first Spyderco Rescue any of us had seen.  In a season we went from 100% autos to no autos. The conditions on the ground just changed.

We have so many great options these days that fill the same space autos once dominated.

If you want an auto by all means get an auto. For me, that means three things have to be present:

1. It has to have a manual safety

2. I need to have full control of the knife even with my thumb pushing the button.  There should be no questions as to whether or not it’s going to jump out of my hand.

3. The locking mechanism is really important to me - this is often a weak point on autos.  If there’s a question as to whether hard use is going to make that mechanism less reliable - that’s a no for me.

4. I guess I’ll add a fourth - it needs to come from a vendor who’s going to offer good warranty service.  

[Chucktshoes]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

This forum is rife with threads of people getting stitches because their auto opened in their pocket.  Heck, one of our group buys was endemic with them opening in pockets - and that particular knife was a hidden mechanism.

There was a time when there was a real market need for autos.  I was carrying an AFO on a search and rescue team when I got the first Spyderco Rescue any of us had seen.  In a season we went from 100% autos to no autos. The conditions on the ground just changed.

We have so many great options these days that fill the same space autos once dominated.

If you want an auto by all means get an auto. For me, that means three things have to be present:

1. It has to have a manual safety

2. I need to have full control of the knife even with my thumb pushing the button.  There should be no questions as to whether or not it’s going to jump out of my hand.

3. The locking mechanism is really important to me - this is often a weak point on autos.  If there’s a question as to whether hard use is going to make that mechanism less reliable - that’s a no for me.

4. I guess I’ll add a fourth - it needs to come from a vendor who’s going to offer good warranty service.  

I’m one of those people who sliced the ever living crap out of my finger with that particular group buy knife. It was magnificently, sharp and went really deep in the tip of my finger.

 

So yeah, if you’re going to put an auto in your pocket it better have a manual safety.

[BigK]

I bought/traded for with a forum member for a Pro-Tech Magic. It's the only expensive auto I own. I didn't get cut the 1st time it opened in my pocket, so I wasn't smart enough to stop carrying. The 2nd time I got cut and learned my lesson. Never happened w/ anything else except my Kershaw Leek (assisted, not auto). I'm realized I'm not tough enough to carry knives that open that easy, LOL.

[Defender]

Yeah, it’s kinda funny, I don’t like guns with safeties much, but do like safeties a lot on auto knives.

[lock n' load]

I own a Kershaw Launch 5 and carried it daily for several years. On a few occasions it would somehow open in my pocket. The last time it did that, I sliced my finger reaching into my pocket. It had also cut a hole in the pocket of my tactical pants which really irritated me (those aren't exactly cheap). I started looking for another auto knife with a manual safety.  I didn't want to spend a ton of $$ for one though.  I did some researching and ran across the Boker Plus Intention II. It only cost $60 and seems to be an okay knife. My only gripe is that it isn't American made. I guess that's why it was so cheap. I still like my Kershaw but a manual safety is must for me now.

[BigK]

2 hours ago, Defender said:

Yeah, it’s kinda funny, I don’t like guns with safeties much, but do like safeties a lot on auto knives.

same, LOL

[jeff43]

Thanks for all the comments, I have some Kershaw assisted knives and 1 auto (launch 11). Im just wanting a little bit bigger one. The lock on one would be a great thing to have.

[tnhawk]

On 9/19/2023 at 2:59 AM, DJTC45 said:

Protech is about the snappiest of all my switch blades except for my Gavin Hawk mod C OTF(but that one was around $1800 to have it built) I've had some Benchmade Out The Side Aoutos they were okay, I bought a Medford Smooth Criminal Out The Side but I wasn't really impressed by it, but every Protech Switch Blade has realy impressed me with how they open. I bought a couple of the TGO mod. that one of the members here would do every so often but not lately. I bought one of the TR4 w/4" blade and if your not careful or paying attention it will just about pop out of your hand when you open it and it's probably 5yrs old or a little more and I've carried that one almost daily and the spring and action are just like new still...

I have several Protech knives and have been using them for years.  I've had Benchmade and MicroTech knives but prefer the Protechs.

[tnhawk]

16 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

I’m one of those people who sliced the ever living crap out of my finger with that particular group buy knife. It was magnificently, sharp and went really deep in the tip of my finger.

 

So yeah, if you’re going to put an auto in your pocket it better have a manual safety.

I've had an auto open in my pocket but I wasn't injured.  All my knives have a safety now.

 

[BigK]

Am I the only one to find it odd that we all seem to want a lock/safety on an auto knife?

I keep telling myself that makes it slower than a manual folder, so why pay for an auto when you could deploy a regular folder by the time you release the lock. I haven't convinced myself this is sound logic yet though because I still love autos.

[Defender]

15 minutes ago, BigK said:

Am I the only one to find it odd that we all seem to want a lock/safety on an auto knife?

I keep telling myself that makes it slower than a manual folder, so why pay for an auto when you could deploy a regular folder by the time you release the lock. I haven't convinced myself this is sound logic yet though because I still love autos.

Probably very few of us really need the speed of an auto, i think.  The fact that they were illegal for ages made them attractive I think.  Personally, I definitely did not want or need a dang safety, at least until I cut myself, that is, LOL.

[TGO David]

18 minutes ago, BigK said:

Am I the only one to find it odd that we all seem to want a lock/safety on an auto knife?

I keep telling myself that makes it slower than a manual folder, so why pay for an auto when you could deploy a regular folder by the time you release the lock. I haven't convinced myself this is sound logic yet though because I still love autos.

No, I generally don't want a lock on an automatic knife.  But I also choose knives that are not easily opened, let alone accidentally, and I only carry automatics in certain situations for specific defensive purposes and they are not my only nor primary knife even then.

I have several of them now.  My favorite is probably my Microtech DIRAC Delta.  It is a largish double-edged automatic and the activation switch is arranged such that it is ambidextrous.  The switch also requires an intentional shove to activate and the blade will halt if it encounters resistance.

That knife is carried on my weak side to be used as a "get the hell off me" tool if I am fighting someone over control of my handgun.  It's not used for opening Amazon boxes, whittling sticks, or cleaning under my fingernails. 

 

 

[Frog4aday]

I have a Microtech Ultratech OTF knife I really like. It seemed really expensive to me when I was thinking of buying it but I bit the bullet & took a chance. I'm happy! Now that I've owned it for three years & used it a ton, it was worth the money. No problems at all with it & I'm using it for heavier tasks than it was really meant to do & it doesn't seem to suffer. Reliable. Tight. Ambi release mechanism that requires a long & hard enough push that it never opens on its own. But it always opens when I need it. Great knife and very handy. Did I need an auto? No. But it's fun & I like it!

3.35" blade: https://microtechknives.com/knife/u

 

 

[jeff43]

1 hour ago, Frog4aday said:

I have a Microtech Ultratech OTF knife I really like. It seemed really expensive to me when I was thinking of buying it but I bit the bullet & took a chance. I'm happy! Now that I've owned it for three years & used it a ton, it was worth the money. No problems at all with it & I'm using it for heavier tasks than it was really meant to do & it doesn't seem to suffer. Reliable. Tight. Ambi release mechanism that requires a long & hard enough push that it never opens on its own. But it always opens when I need it. Great knife and very handy. Did I need an auto? No. But it's fun & I like it!

3.35" blade: https://microtechknives.com/knife/u

 

 

Does the blade sharpen pretty easy?

[Frog4aday]

The blade sharpens about as easily as my Gerbers & Buck knives as long as I don't let it get too far dull. It seems to hold that sharpness longer, which is a plus.

[jeff43]

11 hours ago, Frog4aday said:

The blade sharpens about as easily as my Gerbers & Buck knives as long as I don't let it get too far dull. It seems to hold that sharpness longer, which is a plus.

[TennesseeCamper]

On 9/19/2023 at 5:15 PM, BigK said:

I bought/traded for with a forum member for a Pro-Tech Magic. It's the only expensive auto I own. I didn't get cut the 1st time it opened in my pocket, so I wasn't smart enough to stop carrying. The 2nd time I got cut and learned my lesson. Never happened w/ anything else except my Kershaw Leek (assisted, not auto). I'm realized I'm not tough enough to carry knives that open that easy, LOL.

I cut myself on a leek also. It just is a little awkward handling to me. I never carry without locking it now and don’t carry it often. 
 

I have a couple assisted opening kershaws and a gerber assisted. Don’t own any autos. 
 

I carry manual thumb open blades  like spyderco mostly  and Ontario. 

[jeff43]

What do y’all think about the Benchmade Claymore?

[BigK]

5 hours ago, jeff43 said:

What do y’all think about the Benchmade Claymore?

I love the Claymore series of knives, especially the mini version. I like the tip-up deep pocket clip and the shape of the handle and how slim it is. I really dig how the lock locks it closed AND open too.

One thing that scared me off was that it would be accessible for daily use, but wouldn't be my EDC. So, I was worried it'd rust if I didn't wipe it down good every few days and it'd be out of sight, out of mind unless I was using it more.

Another was that I'm not the best or the most patient at knife sharpening and I understand CPM-D2 is pretty hard steel. I figure anything that holds an edge that good has to also be hard to sharpen.

[jeff43]

I looked at one at SMKW, they are on sale. They guy said they were easy to sharpen,so I don’t know.