The?Mini-Skirmish?is designed by Neil Blackwood, and to me it is more of a collector's item.? It integrates the successful designs from a few high-end knife manufacturers, and custom knifemakers.? I have never used this knife, and don?t plan on using it.? This review is based on the useless knife knowledge I have accrued over the years, my wasted youth in playing with knives, and the hard-earned dollars I've spent in collecting knives.? Although I have never used this?beautiful knife, I am certain that it?is built to handle extreme abuse.??
Blade The blade material is made from Crucible Materials Corporations? CPM-S30V steel, which is generally accepted as one of the best stainless steels for knives.? Usually found in high-end tactical knives, and knives made by custom knife makers, the CPM-S30V is known to be tough, and hold an edge for an extremely long time.? It also offers one of the best corrosion resistance among the stainless steel class.? However, one caveat is that because of its toughness, this blade tends to be difficult to sharpen, and requires more patience.? If you are not experience in sharpening knives and afraid to damage the blade, you could send it to Benchmade Corporation and they?ll sharpen it for you for a $5.00 shipping and handling charge.?
The blade length of 3.43? makes it an excellent size for outdoor purpose.? The blade is one of the thicker blades for a folding knife (0.13?), which contributes to the overall ?toughness? of this knife.? However, the blade is grind to near-cult sharpness.? The blade?s ?hump and hole? is derived from Spyderco?s patented designed (I am not sure about this knife, but I know Benchmade pays Spyderco a licensing fee).? By boring a hole on the knife, it makes it very easy for user to open knife using both hands (regular and reverse opening).? Approximately ?? of the spine is false-edge (unsharpened), making it easier for penetration.
*** Handle and Locking Mechanism: The handle is made from 6AL-4V titanium, which is a very expensive raw material, and difficult for knife manufacturer?s to work with.? By using titanium, the handle is lightweight, strong, and corrosion resistant. ?The handle?s curve makes it very ergonomic to hold (at least for my hands).? The handle is very smooth, and ?non-grippy?, so there are patterns at the end of the handle to increase the gripping power (somewhat).? The finger notch on the front of the handle prevents from accidental slipping.? The most beautiful feature of the knife is the locking mechanism.? Benchmade calls this the ?monolock?, which is an integral frame-lock that was derived from custom knife maker Chris Reeve?s Sebenza Folding knife design.? From the bottom picture, notice a section of the handle was carefully cut out, and bent to form the lock.? Essentially, this is liner lock on steroids!!!? This is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, locking mechanism for folding knives.? By using the frame as a lock, it decreases the overall weight and bulkiness of the handle.
Conclusion Among all the folding knives currently in the market, this one probably sits very high in its class.? The only bad thing about the knife is that it is very beautifully designed, making one hesitant to use it, and it is rather pricey.
Title: Benchmade Mini Skirmish (Blackwood Design) - Model #635 Category:Knives Reviewer:Sam Added: August 7th 2006 Viewed: 894 Times Score: Options:
