Benchmade - Mini Barrage 585 Knife, Drop-Point Blade, Plain Edge, Satin Finish, Black Handle

I am borderline addicted to knives. However, I bought my first Benchmade, a Mini Griptilian, about seven years ago. If any of you are like me and can't get enough knives, let me tell you that in the seven years since I bought the Mini I have only bought two other folders since. I also regretted buying those two because Benchmade knives are fantastic in every way and as close to perfect as it gets probably. They are expensive, but I do not doubt that the Mini has saved me fivefold what it cost me. This Mini Barrage is no different. It's a great size, quality, and craftsmanship. I love it, but do not need it at all lol. I still find myself carrying my trusty Mini Griptilian 90% of the time. If this is your first Benchmade and you want assisted opening, then you cannot go wrong here. It's no cheap but also NOT CHEAP and will last you as long as you don't lose or abuse.

I have lots of knives but we use these around the ranch daily. Small enough to keep in a front pocket. Quick blade deployment without having to look at the knife. Important if you have ever had a horse down in a trailer. Sometimes the only option is to cut a lead line and speed is important. Same for self defense! No time for a traditional folding blade!A bit expensive, but the design makes it worth it. We just gifted one as a graduation present to a cowboy friend. Cutting round bale netting will dull any knife fast. This knife holds an edge as well as any.

I am a real fan of Benchmade. This is my favorite carry size, and I decided that the assisted open feature of the mini Barrage would be an interesting departure. I have no complaints. When you get it, you will find that the "safety" that prevents it from opening in your pocket is a little sticky. It's plastic. I found that a little bit of white lightning and moving it back and forth about 50 times smooths it out very nicely.

I bought this brand of knife on a recommendation from a friend. I wanted a knife that would hold and edge and easy to carry. I also wanted assisted opening. Wow this benchmade right out of the box was sharp and after I figured out how to open you could feel the quality. I look for directions on how to operate the opening thinking the pin slide was like a switch blade but it's a lock to hold the knife open. The lock to hold it close is on the back and slides. It does not need the lock close at this time as it stays closed. I can tell already that this knife is going the be the best one I've have owned.

FYI: Received this " Benchmade 585 Mini-Barrage Osborne Design Knife " from Amazon, and found it was a partially serrated blade. Neither the description nor the photo list or show this trait. I don't mind it, I actually do need, use and like partially serrated blades - so I will keep it (at $83 this is a good deal for a mini Barrage)... but I'm sure there are those out there that will not like the fact this is partially serrated and I thought I'd better warn buyers of that fact.Here is the link to the specific page (as of April 15, 2010) to the knife I bought, which is partially serrated:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QEDRI0/ref=oss_productOn the knife itself - I love it! Perfect size for daily carry, love the axis lock. I actually love the feel of the handle. I see reviews where people complain of it, but it feels just like my polymer framed handgun's frame material and I have no complaints at all on that feel... the people that are complaining must not be polymer gun folks. Mostly up till now I've owned Spydercos, and I've got to say I do really love the assisted opening feature on this knife.I also see people complain of the width of the knife. While it's not as flat as my Spyderco Persistence, it certainly is not overly thick either. Its actually about the same thickness as my Buck Vantage, which I don't hear thickness complaints about - so I don't really understand this complaint from others that much. Its thinner than my CRKT M16s and M21s as well.The serrations on the one I received are perfect for cutting the packing straps that are placed around pallets and large boxes. I previously had to keep a Kershaw Scallion with serrations handy for such use, and my daily carry knife was a Spyderco Persistence (plain blade), but with this mini-Barrage I now have 1 knife that can perform both duties. Again, I really like this knife.Overall, I rate this as one of my best knives, and I own 20 or so from Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT and Kershaw, some of which are far more expensive.5 stars... great everyday use utility knife ... many would probably reduce the stars due to Amazon's misrepresenting it, but this is a rating of the knife in my opinion, not of Amazon webpage screwups. FYI this is not the first time I've bought a knife from Amazon that was not actually what was pictured or described... in the past I always returned them when that happened, but again in this case it's a non-issue to me and the price and the knife are so nice I will definitely keep it. Benchmade 585 Mini-Barrage Osborne Design Knife