Specifications:
Blade Length: 3.1"
Blade Thickness: 0.130"
Open: 7.3"
Closed: 4.25"
Handle Thickness: .59"
Blade Material: 154CM Stainless Steel
Blade Hardness: 58-61HRC
Blade Style: Drop-Point
Weight: 4.85 oz.
Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, Reversible
Lock Mechanism: AXIS
Class: Blue
Today I am reviewing the Benchmade 300SN Axis Flipper. I've been carrying this knife in my EDC rotation now for almost two weeks and absolutely love it. There are some personal dislikes I have which I will discuss further but overall it's a great flipper at it's price point.
Immediately taking it out of the box I noticed how grippy the G10 texture was. If I had to compare it to another knife I would say it's almost close to the same texture as the Benchmade 915 Triage. At almost 5 ounces in weight, it comes in a little heavy for being a 3.18" blade. If you're used to EDCing a 3-4oz knife like me, the extra 1oz really isn't that big of a difference I don't think. In the hand the ergonomics are great. The finger grooves on the underside of the handle allow a firm purchase on the handle in regular or reverse grip.
Straight to the business end. The Benchmade 300SN blade measures in at 3.18" long and 0.130" (3.3mm) thick. It is offered in a plain-edge or a serrated combo-edge. The blade shape is a drop-point construction using 154CM Stainless steel. 154CM is a American made premium grade stainless steel originally developed for tough industrial applications. Known for its best all-around qualities, it offers great corrosion resistance with good toughness and edge quality.
Fresh out of the box it was very sharp! Whether I was using it for prepping food, cutting down boxes or any other daily utility task it cut right through with no issues. This knife would work great for just about any EDC system. The knife work great at any cutting task short of maybe cutting a car in half. I am normally a Cerakote black finish blade fan but the stonewashed finish on this knife is absolutely beautiful! But that's not to say I wouldn't love to see this knife offered in a Cerakota black finish blade too. The tip of the edge is perfect with no dings. This knife does have ambidextrous thumb studs that are actually usable if you don't like the flipper.
My personal opinion on the jimping, I feel they could have done a better job. I think if Benchmade extended it back onto the handle or maybe another .25" forward on the spine of the blade it would have made a substantial difference. But as it is - it's better than nothing and does a "ok" job.
Here you can get a good view of the flipper. I really like that Benchmade put some jimping on the flipper for added traction. When deploying this knife you have three options: Flipper, thumbstuds or flicking the wrist while having the Axis lock pulled back. Either way the blade gets out there very fast. As for closing the blade it's made simple, just pull the Axis back and flick the wrist and it'll close right up. The smooth and fast action on deploying and closing this blade is attributed to bronze phosphor washers and of course perfect machining tolerances by Benchmade.
The handle on the Benchmade 300SN is constructed using brown and tan textured G10 handle scales. The grooves on the scales are symmetrical to one another and help with securing a firm purchase on the handle. Between the two slabs of G10 are full length stainless steel liners with standoff pillars securing the knife together. In typical Benchmade fashion, both liners are drilled out to keep the weight down on the knife.
I had someone ask me on twitter about the overall thickness on this knife. In my opinion, the thickness on the handle isn't that much different than a lot of EDC blades out there. I rounded up a few blades and snapped some pictures to illustrate the thickness of the 300SN compared to other EDC blades of mine.
Benchmade 275 Adamas
Benchmade 300SN
Spyderco Tenacious
Kershaw Skyline
Kershaw Cryo
Zero Tolerance 0560
This pocket clip is awesome!! I wish Benchmade would use this on all their knives. The deep carry clip on this knife allows the knife to sit nice and deep in the pocket but not so deep that it creates a issue for fast deploying. You can change the clip for LEFT or RIGHT but tip-up carry only! Seriously Benchmade, please use deep carry clips on more of your knives (happy face).
More Pictures:
- In Hand Closed
- In Hand Open
- Length Reference (ZT560, BM275, BM300sn)
- Random Tabletop (BM300sn, BM275, ZT560)
My final conclusion on the Benchmade 300SN: For the price, I think you'll be hard pressed to find a better quality flipper knife out there using the same quality materials. Not only that, but it's backed by a company that gives you a no "BS" warranty and customer service. If it has the Benchmade name on it, they'll fix it if you should find a way to damage it. I thoroughly enjoy carrying this knife in my EDC rotation and look forward to putting it through some more abuse!
My dislikes on this knife are very few:
- Better Jimping
- Cerakote Black Blade Option
- Black, OD Green, Orange G10 options.. Even a lime green w/ black blade would be neat in a Limited Run (hint).
My suggested retailer for the Benchmade 300SN would be BladeOPS. I had this puppy in two days which is pretty fast considering their in Utah and I'm in Pennsylvania. You can purchase from their site or call in and tell Graham I sent ya.
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