I just received my REI dividend. If you are not part of it, I suggest you go for it. It’s almost like having Christmas in March. This round I had a pretty hefty chunk to spend. But really, I knew what I wanted from the day I made my big purchase. I felt like I was sitting on an egg, waiting for it to hatch, for a year and 5 months. I made a big purchase in December 2017 or January 2018, the rewards didn’t hit until March of 2019. There was some fine print about purchases made around that time would not be reflected in March.
Yes, I was hoping to make a purchase in 2018. Instead I had to wait.
What did I pick?
When I made my big purchase, I quickly went to the REI site to figure out what I wanted to get. This round it was the Crooked River knife by Benchmade. Why? The orange highlights of course. So a year goes by, my brother reminds me of the REI rewards, so I quickly head over to the store to go knife shopping. Mind you, since 2017 and today, there have been at least 5-8 news knives that hit the market. So my wish list went from Crooked River to:
- Mini Crooked River
- North Fork Knife
- Bug Out
- Pardue
- Hidden Canyon
- Puukko
- Saddle Mountain
I made REI take out all the knives they could so I could get a feel of the weight, blade, gimping, and over all feel. Then it came down to the Crooked River, Mini Crooked River, and the North Fork. Then I knocked out the North Fork and brought in the 940 Osborne. Then I was stuck. Do I go carbon fiber or wood? Also, the 940 Osborne and the Mini Crooked River were pretty much the same size.
I ended up going with the biggest blade possible and wood – Crooked River with Stabilized Wood.
Specs
A traditional shape combined with modern technology that pushes the preconceived notions of what a hunting knife should be. Made in USA.
Designer: Benchmade
Mechanism: AXIS
Action: Manual-opening
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V (58-60 HRC)
Blade Length: 4.00″ (10.16cm)
Blade Thickness: 0.124″ (3.15mm)
Open Length: 9.30″ (23.62cm)
Closed Length: 5.33″ (13.54cm)
Handle Thickness: 0.60″ (15.24mm)
Weight: 5.41oz. (153.37g)
Features
Blade Edge: Plain
Blade Finish/Color: Satin
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V (58-60 HRC)
Blade Style/Shape: Clip-point
Clip Type: Split arrow
Clip Position: Reversible Tip-Up
Glass Breaker: No
Lanyard Hole: Yes
MOLLE Compatible: No
Sheath Type: No Sheath
Use: Every Day, Hunting, Outdoor
Overall Rating
After holding this knife for a few hours. I’m totally happy I went with it. Warning for people with small hands. This knife is huge! The AXIS mechanism is smooth and flawless. 5 stars!
