Benchmade 275 Adamas

Benchmade 275 Specifications:

Overall Length: 8.70"

Closed Length: 4.88"

Blade Length: 3.82"

Blade Thickness: 0.160"

Handle Thickness: 0.730"

Blade Material: D2 Tool Steel

Weight: 7.7oz

Today I am reviewing my Benchmade 275BK Adamas folder. I've carried this knife a handful of times since I purchased it about a month ago. Immediately opening the USPS shipping box I noticed the Benchmade knife box had some weight to it. Or at least more than what I'm use to. So upon opening the Benchmade box I was over taken how badass this knife is in person! Contained in the box was the knife, sheath, plastic molle belt loop, user care manual, and a Ranger Certificate saying that the Adamas series knives are designed by Shane Sibert to honor the soldiers.

Right out of the box this knife has a smooth open and close action. After a few minutes of playing with it I could deploy and close it using one hand. The blade locks open tight and there is absolutely no wiggling at all. The blade does sit a little to the right when closed, but not enough to raise concern. Plus that's just a easy fix anyhow. It seems a lot of people gripe about the 275 is it's weight. To some that's a deal breaker. As I stated in my Benchmade 530 review, I am a lightweight nazi when it comes to gear. But I've gotta admit, while the 275 is about 3+ ounces more than anything I am used to carrying everyday, I totally overlooked that when carrying and using it. This knife screams quality and craftsmanship.

Things I Like:

Size: From the pictures I seen online I wasn't sure if this would be a knife I'd be keeping or returning. I thought to myself, this knife just may be to big and heavy for my liking's. After opening the box and handling this knife I was blown away. I can get a solid death grip on the handle without my pinky hanging below the handle like most other knives. Also, there is about a solid inch of handle that sits below my pinky finger when gripped. That could be used to give blunt blows in a defensive role. The blade length is 3.82" inches which I feel is great for tactical and self defense roles. Out of the box the blade is sharp and cuts beautiful. The handle thickness I feel is perfect to achieve a good solid grip on this knife.
Axis Lock: The Axis lock on the Benchmade 275 is incredible out of the box. The first time I deployed the blade, it actually opened a lot faster than I suspected it to. There was absolutely no drag when opening or closing this knife. When the blade is opened it locks up tight. There is no side to side or back/forward wiggle. I can open and close this knife using one hand without any issues.
Thumb Studs: The 275 has ambidextrous thumb studs. There easy to get to, and like some other knives I used, these won't chew up your thumb deploying it.

Materials: The Benchmade 275 uses G10 handle scales, D2 tool steel blade, oversized phosphor bronze washers, and full stainless liners. The slab of D2 steel on this drop-point blade is pretty thick 0.160" (4mm) which likely attributes to the weight of this knife. The G10 scales are machined with holes and groves which I feel give the knife better gripping. The bronze phosphor washers allows this knife to open surprisingly fast for it's size.

Pocket Clip: I really like the pocket clip on this knife because it allows the knife to sit low in the pocket. Plus the clip appears to be anodized and hasn't chipped like the painted 530 Pardue pocket clip. Unfortunately for those people who like to carry tip down this knife won't accommodate tip down, sorry.

Jimping: I haven't handled a ton of knives, but the 275 has more jimping than any other knife I've had. There is six critical places on the knife where Benchmade implemented jimping. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the jimping about a 9. It's very grippy in my opinion, but not overkill. And it's not super sharp and discomforting.
Other: I didn't know how to label this so I called it "other". But I really like that Benchmade knives are handcrafted here in the United States. Every time I shop I try my best to buy "Made in USA" items. It's not easy, but if it means spending a few more dollars, I will certainly spend the extra couple bucks. The craftsmanship in each and every Benchmade knife is bar none some of the best in the industry. And the fact that they donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 275 Adamas knives to the ranger assistance foundation says an awful lot about Benchmade. Outstanding guys!!

Things I Dislike:

Sheath: The sheath is like a thin nylon material and the plastic clip to attach the sheath to a belt feels really flimsy. While I do dislike it, it's not that big of a deal. My thoughts are Benchmade and Mr Sibert put all their time, money and designing into the actual knife. And to still keep the knife affordable they offered this average quality sheath. to give you a total package for an affordable price. And you know what? I am TOTALLY OK with that. A good quality sheath and belt clip will only set me back about $10-$15 dollars if I go that route for carrying it.