I still remember the very first Benchmade Knives [1] folding knife I ever owned. I don’t remember which model it was, but I still remember at how “shocked” I was at the super high-quality of the knife. Without a doubt, it was every bit as well-made, if not, better made than custom folding knives I had seen. It continues to this day, Benchmade Knives are of the highest quality you’ll find. This comes as no accident, as I’ve toured the Benchmade factory a couple times, and I’ve seen what is involved in making their knives. To be sure, Benchmade even has a machine to make their own screws, believe it or not.
I had a sit-down with Les d’Asis, the owner of Benchmade some years ago – this was a great meeting. First thing you’ll notice about Less is that, he’s not a suit and tie type of guy – I really like that. Les takes knife making seriously, and it shows in his products, too. Last I heard, Benchmade was running two, full-time shifts, trying to keep up with supply and demand. And, they would run a third shift, if they already aren’t, if they could find enough QUALIFIED people to perform the tasks involved in knife making. Benchmade Knives are always in demand, and its not unusual for them to be out-of-stock, at any given time, on many of their models. Several of Benchmade’s knives are sold to the Department if Defense – they met the high standards required of the DOD, to be issued to our military personnel.
The knife under review today is the Adamas Model 275 folder [2]
I had to wait more than a month to get my sample – my contact, Alicia Hunt, who handles these things at Benchmade, is a great person to work with. If samples are available, she gets ’em right out to us.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box the Adamas came in is, how stout this folder is – I like a lot of handle to hold onto on a knife, especially one that might be used for self-defense or survival use. The handle scales are desert tan, made out of lightly textured G10 handle scales, with stainless steel liners. There are lightening holes drilled in the handles, too, as well as a lanyard hole in the butt of the handle. Friction grooves are places in just the right spots on the top of the handle, as well as the butt – really nice, really nice! A sheath is included with this folder, and it is compatible with all military gear. I liked the handle shape, too – it fit my hand perfectly!
The blade is made out of super-tough D2, tool steel. This stuff is hard, real hard – it takes an edge and it holds it a long, long time. The only problem I’ve ever encountered with knives made out of D2 is that if the edge is properly applied to start with, they are hard to re-sharpen. Needless to say, Benchmade put a great grind on the edge of the Adamas. Rockwell hardness on the Adamas is 60-62, so you know the edge will last a good long time. The blade style is a drop-point, and is TiNi coated black, for a non-reflective finish. There is a dual thumb stud for quick opening, and I found I could also just flick the blade open, too. The Axis locking mechanism keeps the blade firmed locked open. Best thing about the Axis lock is that, over time, as the blade wears a little bit at the locking point, the Axis lock automatically adjust for this, and the blade stays firmly locked just as it was from the first day you opened the knife.
The pocket/clothing clip allows for deep-carry in the pocket, in the tip-up position, and it is reversible for right or left pocket carry, too. Overall length of the blade is 3.82″ and it’s about perfect if you ask me. I like a folder with a blade between 3.5″ and 4.0″ in length, and this one fits the ticket just fine in my book. Overall length of the Adamas in the open position is 8.70″ and weight is 7.68 oz – a tad on the heavy side for some folks, but when you see how stout this hummer is, you’ll appreciate the weight. Blade thickness is 0.160 and the handle thickness is 0.73″ – like I said – stout!
The Adamas was designed by Shane Sibert, who resides right here in my home state of Oregon, and this knife was designed to honor the courage and commitment exhibited by our fighting heroes. A portion of the sale of each Adamas will be donated to the Ranger Assistance Foundation, too. Sibert has been a custom knife maker since 1994, so he’s been around quite a while.
I showed the Adamas to quite a few folks, and needless to say, the first thing they commented on was how stout the folder was – most really liked it, only one said it was too thick and heavy – we all have opinions on guns and knives! I really like the Axis locking mechanism not only for the way it locks a blade open, but for the already mentioned self-adjusting feature. I also like that the Axis lock can be releases from either side of the knife’s handle, too – makes it nice for southpaws, as well as us righties!
The Adamas can also be had with a partially serrated blade, as well as in a fixed blade version, which has a slightly longer blade, and skeletonized handle – that you can wrap with 550 paracord if you desire.
I’ve often said that if you want to see if a gun or knife will break, give it to a US Marine – they will give products a test and evaluation like you wouldn’t believe. I honestly believe that the Benchmade “Adamas” is US Marine-proof! If you manage to break this baby, you were probably trying to use the knife as a lever to lift a Hummer. As with all Benchmade knives, the Adamas comes with a lifetime warranty against materials and defects. Benchmade also has a lifesharp service policy – if you send a knife back to them, they will re-sharpen it for free – they only request a $5.00 fee to offset return shipping, and these days, that’s a bargain in my book.
I’ve been writing about Benchmade Knives, for probably close to 20-years now, and I’ve never had one pass through my hands that I didn’t like, or one that had any sort of defects. To be sure, I’ve had several prototypes that I did articles on, and not one of those babies had any problems, either…and if there is a problem, it usually shows-up in a prototype.
Quality never comes cheap, and the full retail price for the Adamas Model 275 is $195. Believe me, this knife is worth every penny – and then some. I wouldn’t hesitate spending more for this folder, if they were asking more for it. What didn’t I like about the Adamas? Nothing! This folder falls under “perfection” in my book for a self-defense or survival knife – it’s that good – honestly!
I could rant and rave all day long about the Adamas, but nothing is a substitute for getting one in your hands. Once you do get your hands on an Adamas 275 folder [2], you won’t want to put it down. So check the balance in your checking account before you pick-up this knife. You’re gonna want to buy it, on the spot.