The Benchmade Anthem Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- Today, we're going to review the Benchmade Anthem, which is their first integral and the first knife to feature a new pole-based axis lock. Although it's far from perfect, it's absolutely exceptional, and enough of a Gem to find a home in my collection (at least for a little while!)
I checked out this knife today for the first time and WOW I was amazed how nice it was.
Then I saw the price and WOW !!!!!!!
I purchased a Ruger SP101, 357 with a 3 inch barrel instead.
Mike 45 yep you Can get a collection for the price of the benchmade Anthem
Carlos EDC
Lol your not kidding.
My buddy owns a tactical store and he told me if I want one he would sell it to me for $280.
Same
Loved this one after having handled it a couple times, nearly bought it. Got a loaner on the way, looking forward to it. Great review Nick
I work in the knife dept at a head shop, and i have absolutely fallen in love with this knife. I'm glad to hear about the flaws first, before I buy it though, even though I'm getting a giant discount, so I can try and plan out how to remedy some of these problems if I do get it
Thanks for another great interview man
Have been researching knives as i am looking to get one for edc. I have been going through your videos. Thank you for your hard work. It really helps those of us who don’t know much about knives. Having said that, I still haven’t decided which to get. 😩
Beautiful knife but I agree with the clip. Just make a deep carry an option on all knives, simple as that.
Yeah, or maybe they should include a spare deep carry clip in all of their boxes.
For what they charge I think they should absolutely put a spare deep carry pocket clip in the same color. They used to send them out for free but they charge you now most of the time. I have several benchmades I like but sometimes I'm less than thrilled with how the company operates to put mildly
w00t! Finally! My 'non-first production' didn't suffer any of the problems your did and was (aside from the hideous pocket clip) as close to perfect as it could be.
I've had my Anthem for a few months now. At first I was hesitant of the price, but after having it - it is worth it. I describe it as... "balanced." Balanced weight vs size, balanced overall size, balanced blade vs handle... just an all around "this one's just right" type of knife. Makes ZT actions look and feel like Fisher Price rejects. The only thing I don't like is the clip - it's horrible. However, a aftermarket titanium Spyderco deep carry clip will absolutely fit (so weird) and is the best and only change I made to mine. Swap the clip and it's golden.
What aftermarket clip are you referring to? Can you link me, please.
Nick, i appreciate your well thought out and even handed reviews. I'm new to cutlery (is that even the term?) and I just bought a knife you reviewed - perhaps you should set up an amazon affiliate account so you can get some credit for referring people.
Wow. Great looks, simple and impressive construction, and a perfect version of an excellent lock. I would absolutely love to own one of these. Man you tore into that woman with the voice and everything. I was dying.
I not a benchmade fan but I was really enjoying the review until the price tag. Wow I almost choked on my adult beverage! Great stuff Nick.
You think it’s expensive for a Titanium integral, 20CV blade riding on ball bearings?
Who offers a comparable US made knife for less? Just curious.
@@BC08 This knife is fugly, meh steel, meh design. Yea it is way to expensive for what it is.. More like $250 would be acceptable.
Daniel NA Looks great, top tier steel, integral billet titanium handle, innovative variation on axis lock, show me a comparable product selling new for anywhere near $250 and you’ll have a point. There aren’t any, thus your opinion carries no weight
@@Wuwuyvzvvaga did you call 20cv a meh steel?
I had a chance to handle this knife over the weekend at GPKnives. Initially I thought the MSRP was insane even by Benchmade's standards. I had previously owned the 765 TI Monolock and hated it, I figured this would be a similar experience as another TI Benchmade knife. After playing around with it for a while, I began to realize why the price is set so high. Compared to the TI Monolock, this knife is simply better on every aspect. The lockup is perfect, finishing is perfect, and build quality perfect. The only thing I don't love is the pocket clip. It may be sacrilegious to suggest, however I think this knife flat-out beats the Sebenza as the premium EDC folder to have.
Nick, have you actually tried to fit a deep carry clip on the Anthem? As it only uses the two outer screws, as long as their spacing is the same, it might fit. Just a thought...
With a little filing to the holes, I probably could have, but it wasn't worth it.
Hey Nick, have you tried the Contego or the Adamas Clip? The Adamas clip is standard-like, but the Contego uses bigger screws for the clip attachment, so the holes in the clip are bigger. Maybe on a Contego Clip you wouldn't need to file. Best Regards Nico
OMG you are VERY correct on their QC. I sent my 940 in for lifesharp and it was sent back uneven .. twice. not by a small margin either. took it to Plaza cutlery (RIP) and dan laughed about it out loud before making it perfect
I've been wanting to get a benchmade for a while and I saw this and said "yeah I'm gonna get that one" and then I saw the price... i now own a bugout instead
Where do you think Benchmade is now in 2019 with their quality control?
Bill leaving a comment here because I too, am interested in if their quality control has improved
Me three
Me 4
Ya interesting
Bill I had a 940 that i broke the blade on.. now i live in norway so to send the knife would cost 60, replace blade 30 and (voided warranty) will be 20 extra.. thats AS much AS a new knife almost, and They would NOT send me a replacement blade under any circumstances! Will not be buying more benchmades
Regarding the pivot screw getting loose: you should actually use Loctite 222MS, it can withstand vibrations much better compared to the "red" or "blue" Loctites, it's more rubber like when it dries compared to the plastic like of the other two Loctites. Also always clean the surfaces with 99% alcohol prior to applying any Loctite.
I have the 781 and don't have any pivot loosing issues after using this Loctite.
just picked this up. i was comparing to my 940 and i noticed the bm logo on the blade is laser etched in a bronze color that matches the ano haha different than all my other bms
So how stiff is the spring feeling verse the Spyderco Manix 2? They both seem similar in execution, albeit with different parts overall. Does it easily disengage with just one finger like a traditional Axis lock or does it require you to pull back on both sides of the lock like the Ball Bearing Lock? Curious since this is a new way to do an axis lock.
moves like a 940, but a little more consistent lower tension.
sam oberg
Good to know! Thanks for the heads up.
The manix is much stiffer than pretty much any axis lock, and the Anthem has the smoothest Axis mechanism I've ever handled
When you made a knife comparison you missed an obvious comparison: it's essentially an integral Sebenza with an Axis lock. The blade profile is very similar, as I noticed when I had it alongside my CRK Mnandi and saw the profile similarity.
Finally got my hands on one of these knives last week. I've been carrying it ever since and have been in love with the blade profile, and I had this same realization after a couple of days, the blade is basically a slightly smaller flat ground large Sebenza blade! No wonder it's so great and useful!! 🤘
I had an itch for an integral knife, I scratched it with a WE Knife 702. Terrific knife with ceramic bearings running on ss washers, all for a whole lot less $$$.
I had the same problem with my 20cv mini grip. The edge was on one side a millimeter higher! (Luckily the company had great service so I got a new one). Not sure if this is true. But someone told me those edges are because they make the knives that are in demand, not like in big numbers. This way the sharpeners keep getting different knives and steels which result in uneven edges.
sjoerd stok interesting, but the skill should still be there, unless it’s “the new guy” who hasn’t ground that/those before, and isn’t necessarily naturally talented.
Hi Nick, I have the same knife, and would like to know kindly where would you be sending the knife to just so i can hopefully do the same and get my anthem taken care of as well.
Unfortunately living in Australia my only choice is to buy online and In the past I have purchased 8 Benchmade knives. Of those only two have been centred, one maybe just, the 950 was actually scraping the liner. Only one has had no side to side blade play,the 710 was the only one with an even bevel and that was the Knife Works exclusive in M390. Needless to say I don't have 8 Benchies in my collection.
As much as I like some of what Benchmade produces the 40 USD shipping cost backwards and then forwards again to rectify any issues really puts international buyers out of pocket. I have spent far less just for shits and giggles on $60 knives from Aliexpress and dhGate and received knives of a better fit and finish, even bevel and way sharper than all but one Benchmade that I own. As much as I want to love Benchmade knives they make this very difficult by allowing absolute garbage get past their QC when it is apparent that they can do so much better. Meh!
Arthur Misirlis oooof ! You are a glutton for benchmade punishment ;-)
Much to be said of their quality control. Seems they have some great lookin knives that fall way short in the outcome.
Maybe buy used benchs so you won't take such a high price hit in wallet?
I hear you but unfortunately the secondary market in Australia isn't so big. That backed with the paranoia of 'why are they reselling , is it because it's another BM donkey being passed on?" This prevents me from even considering it. Sadly I think I am well and truly done with BM and the arrogance of Mr Les de Asis who seems happy to pretend that they are producing quality knives despite the complaints of so many (ex)loyal customers. Thanks for the advise though Hooper45.
If your anywhere near Brisbane theirs a in store shop that sells them
@@arthurmisirlis6994 u know I never understood Australia laws. I always thought it was outdoor Hard work guns an knive culture? Its shame they look at them as dangerous weapons an not tools
@Deadpool Lee yeah I hear you mate it's a load of crap. There's a lot of outback Australia for sure but most of our population is spread out through five major cities and most folk are quite detached from the hard country life. What makes it tough here is a sad story that did not end well for civil liberties. In 1996 all it took was one individual who was clinically mentally deficient to kill, using unregistered and illegally obtained firearms, 35 people and injure a further 23. Add to this a spineless Prime Minister who knew how to milk a so called "progressive" left wing agenda for an upcoming election. Result being all Australian citizens lost the right to semi automatic firearms as well as having huge amendments made, for the worse, regarding anything to do with guns. All it took was one nut case and since then the government and our left wing media continue to tar us all with the same brush and continue to view any citizen who wishes to own a firearms license with suspicion and as a potential threat. Sucks big time.
10:32 - "It's not a danger in any way."
MXG Gear makes some deep carry clips that use only two holes. Actually the Benchmade deep carry clip only uses two. (Assuming that it's the furthest back hole that doesn't line up)
Kept waiting for something like, "It's better than a lot of Benchmade knives...An-Them some."
(It's still a wrinkled dick clip btw)
Got mine today. $300 second hand and fresh from BM SPA. Loving it.
Oh you lucky bastard, great deal you got there.
@@soulzzplaysgames wait til you hear i got one for $228.12...
My ZT 0452 had dividing right out of the box. I'm not sure if it's the blade, or the handle scales. When freshly lubed, it has a really gritty, stepped feeling to the blade. It gets much better as the knife gets carried for a couple days, and then gets worse again after a week or so. I don't know if someone overtightened the pivot before I got it, or used it as a prybar, but this is how it's been ever since I bought it. When it is running well, the action is beautiful though.
would you still buy this knife today in 2020? or is there just a better knife from another company now? i LOVE titanium and also integral handles plus that blade shape looks amazing to me im just not sure if the almost 500$ price tag is worth it so i am asking would you still buy one today?
Thanks for the vid Nick. This was a knife I had on my radar since I’ve seen it. After seeing the price I was excited about getting my hands on it. We’ll gladly pony up and pay this kind of cash for a knife, but this is simply over priced. You touched on many of the “Nick-picks, that I found myself. So... conclusion, very nice knife in my opinion, but way over priced as usual for benchmade.
I got one today, already have an MXG clip otw
How did the re-anodizing go? I just got one and am interested in stripping the anodizing and giving it an Oxiclean bath to give it the matte Sebenza look
Dont worry about that bearing thing. You would still have to apply a lot of force to damage the titanium in that way. And Im pretty sure, with that force, you'd also damage most of knives where the bearings are running against titanium.
It's a great looking knife and the lock appears to be a big improvement over the omega springs... I wonder what the percentage is of omega spring failure ?
Benchmades QC might be getting a little better but still problems..I see many of them in person..I've seen 4-G10 940s (including an REI) with missing G10 pattern in same area of scale...
I love BM designs and I'm rooting for them too.. But, some things really bother me.. The axis lock and Anthem lock have weak detents.. Many BMs (940s etc) have the pivot screw loosen up.. Some claim lock tite doesn't fix it.. Maybe it's not being applied properly...The Omega springs are always in the back of my mind but so far no problems with about 12...Again, I'd guess BM will try and replace axis lock with new lock on the Anthem... Still need to straighten out detent, screws backing out and QC...
I wonder if BM has a friggin clue about cos like Kizer, WE, Reate, Real Steel etc...
Nick, please do a mini re-review on the Anthem once it's been anodized with comments on who you use/recommend for anodizing for people who'd like a quality job done with our Ti scaled knives (it's hard to send away some knives, with the money that you put into them, not knowing if the result will be worth it or just mess it up). Love your reviews, keep up the great work!
Never mind, after falling down the TH-cam rabbit hole, I found out that you did exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks! (Still love your reviews.)
Very nice knife Nick, great review.. When are you going to do a review on band-aid's? I can tell from all your videos that you have lots of experience with them! Lol
I actually don’t mind the price but I expect perfection at that price like you said. This actually popped up at a local dealer and I’m thinking to ask him to thoroughly inspect although I’m worried he won’t be as thorough as me lolAlso I noticed a bunch going on sale On bf for 300ish. So I wonder why if there is some other problem with it
I have a benchmade mini grip in 20 CV and it's a great knife and is mostly perfect except for the magical unscrewing pivot I just added more blue lock tight
The pivot would still take a good bit of brunt from lateral force on the blade, the bearings could do some damage from over tightening before they'd damage the liner from lateral stress, but you wouldn't care as much because your pivot would be bent first lol.
Knife looks good and seems to operate very smoothly. But the ONLY way I would consider getting one is if Nick accompanied me to several brick and mortars to help me pick out the gem of the bunch. Now that would be a fun excursion! Unfortunately, this will likely never happen, alas, no Anthem for me.
On a side note, my 551-1 was flawless right out of the box, the way it should be. A great working knife. But until Benchmade squares away their QC issues, I'll have to pass on them.
this guy doesn't appreciate the absolute beauty in the small details. the matching axis lock and thumbstud, the amazing smoothness, the matching clip, bronze titanium, stonewashed blade, smoothed top of blade, simple design, easy to clean, one piece of titanium, light but also completely metal
He commented on literally all of those points.
Dont worry about breaking thr titanium with the bearings. Having thoroughly overtightened my zt0450 on accident before, I can say with some confidence that the first things to go are the bearings themselves. The titanium was unaffected, but all of the bearings in that knife were flat spotted.
dieseldargon *insert joe dirt “dang” meme
That sucks man. Thats why i use a pen style torqx driver, you really have to grip and rip it to over-tighten. But to be honest i have never had my 0450 apart yet so i hope it's not easy to hurt the bearings. What did ZT nail you for a new set?
Chuck Beef ZT will usually send you a whole new set of bearings for free if you have issues like that. Just send them a message on their site about the bearings breaking or wearing out.
All of my benchmade knives have that issue with the grind. 3 bugouts, emissary, and an Osborne. Their QC is crap. Bought the first one in 2015, last one in 2020.
If Benchmade were to put that new lock mechanism on the 940 I'd throw my current (2nd time broken spring) 940 in the bin and get the new version in a second.
paul greenwood may i ask you how they broke sir? I own mine and just fondle it. Is that pup gonna break? How long did you wait for it to come back
Hi Andrew. My usage was very light indeed. It never left the house, just peeled fruit, sharpened grandkids colouring pencils..that kind of stuff. The service was beyond reproach though. Julie Morris at Benchmade emailed me updates at every stage of the repair, and from sending it to getting it back was about four weeks. No mean feat considering I live in the United Kingdom.
paul greenwood thank you for your feeback! Cheers
@@andrewhaverlin8644 you can make springs by yourself from guitar strings it's not a big deal I've broken a few on the 940 however the griptillian has never broke
It’s most likely user error, I have 3 Benchmades. One of them going on 4 years all of them have had no springs break.
Love the shape of the handle especially. Looks kinda like a 940 with a larger choil
Or a Sebenza sorta.
Just snagged one of these BNIB for a steal.
Almost paid eBay scalper prices because of this review.
The blade shape seems a bit awkward to me, it starts dropping too early from the spine and stoops down too low so that the blade spine near the tip look too artificially chopped off, would've preferred a reverse tanto or better looking spear point.
I got way too excited when I saw this in my sub box
Beautiful knife...great review as usual.
They're not back unfortunately. They sent me a cracked 550-1. I like some of their knives just can't see myself buying them again
stainlessfour5 😓
Doesnt the deep carry clip only use 2 screws though???
BENCHMADE 781 or Inkose large?
Benchmade Anthem cost: $450
Oy, and dare I say, vey.
I see you filmed this review before the anodizing
The opinions would have been the same, maybe he might have put the color in the bad, maybe he should have a neutral section, but this color change definitely confirms his last thoughts
Is it as thin as the bailout in 3V
So, they have two version? A grey one and gold one?
honestly depends on the anodizing you get from Benchmade. I ordered a gold because it was all that was left and got a gray.
What is your Anthem Nick?
Hey Nick. Just de-assist a 583 barrage for the same satisfaction. The price is...a beautiful thing.
This is exactly the type of knife I would expect for the price of a 940-1. The biggest problem I have with the 940 is that it's designed to be a user knife, and they've priced it out of the realm where I would feel comfortable abusing it.
I just got my Anthem. the box date is 28 Oct 18. Would you consider another review of the Anthem? My blade isn’t straight down the middle, but dang I sure do like this knife! It is a rather thin channel the blade has to fall into. I got mine for $350
I don’t the knife has any detent At all I think the only thing that’s holding this knife up is the coil spring I feel no resistance in the night at all in the closed position when I try to open it with my hand there it feels as if though there is no detent whatsoever
Nice review, dad.
. The revamped axis lock looks appealing and blade looks fantastic. My only beef is the thumb stud just not a fan. Pocket pecker > t stud
Spot on w the clip thoughts nick.
For 425 beans the bronze ano the clip,blade play and lack quality control should not exist. Benchmade just doesn't get it
Always a joy to watch nick
You are a gem to the community band aids and all
Axis lock with a coil spring !!! 😍😍😍😍😍
The anthem or the reate jack ?
Reate. I have both and the Jack is a better knife.
I used to collect knives like you back in the 90s/00s, the last folders I bought was a Microtech Lightfoot and a Benchmade Doug Ritter in S30V when it first came out. After that I never coveted a new folder again. Had the Doug Ritter for 12 years now, and am surprised to see how similar the Anthem is. I never had a problem with the omega spring in the Axis lock in all this time.
How much is it?
It looks like something a Bond villain would use.
Thank you for the review
I've been looking forward to this review forever. Pretty sure I'm going to pick one up, just hope that I can find somewhere within an hour or two drive that I can handle a few and pick the best one. Amazing review as always... And STILL need an amazon link to your disassembly mat!!
EDC with Aaron if you have a cabelas anywhere near you, you can order it through them, pick it up at the store, and if you don't like it you can immediately return it. That's how I buy all of my benchmades
dieseldargon not a bad idea. Thank you!
handle thickness.
Benchmade Anthem 0.43
Cold steel holdout 3 0.34
You gave the anthem a title it doesn't deserve, but thin is good.
Nick, have you seen the DPx 2019 Aculus yet? Seems similar to the Anthem. It is a flipper unlike previous knives.
Show us the knife after you have if modified please.
The fact the didn’t put a d shaped pivot like I don’t know EVERY OTHER KNIFE they make makes no sense
Nick, could you possible take the blade from a 940 and use it in the anthem body? Just curious..
I like the knife , just really over-priced right now. I really love the blade shape , it reminds me of a Sebenza , especially with the crown on the blade , or a Doug Ritter blade shape which I love on my Benchmade Freak. I usually reprofile all my knives , because the grinds are almost never even , but for this amount of money , they should be ,and that would really piss me off. Ca'Mon Benchmade ! !
I see you included the Rask comparison. 😁 I tried a standard clip and it would require modification to fit, unfortunately.
Is it just me or does that blade shape look more like a sebenza
mini prepper yep, anthem blade is their take on the sebenza blade, while the rask is the grimsmos take on a shirogorov blade (with sebenza crowning).
Exactly what I was thinking. Who designed this might found his old Sebenza and thought "oh man I love this, it's just so bad that I will get eyes at the company carrying this, if I could only hide it in a Benchmade handle"
If inspecting the knife for quality was not an option would you choose the Anthem or a Sebenza?
Well done
Sweet knife
Gotta hand it to Benchmade for being able to sucker people into buying a $200. knife for $425..
Thanks for calling them out on their Q.C. issues. I hope they hear and react. The stuff they're spitting out is making me look at Chinese goods. Thought I'd never be going there for anything high end, but I'm looking.
I handled one of these at smokey mountain knifeworks and it was so off center that it was rubbing the side. I mentioned how that was unacceptable at the price point and the benchmade rep got offended and started going on about how thats a side effect of them being hand made and started complaining about brands like ZT, WE, etc and how they are all made by machine...
Wait, what? Lol. That's awful.
I had no words lol
Sounds like a tall tale to me
Honestly sir i enjoy all your videos but this knife perfect . Another thing years later and ill pay up to 600 for a brand new anthem again and again .
The Bugout also had a similarly high grind while having a great edge.
Also, the box label should have a date code and initials for the QC person. You might want to send that to Benchmade.
Didn't you say that you wanted the sharpeners that work in the life sharp stations work on the assembly line instead? Because from what I heard (I think even from you) is that they work magic on their knives, getting them into Rocky Balboa from Rocky I shape
Nick, is the wear even across the blade stop "pin"? On mine it appears that only about half of the blade is touching the titanium frame/blade stop.
I wish bench made still made this
You're like a knife god.
I want to love it. Luckily there are a few clips out there that can make this guy better because that’s the only thing giving me pause. If you ever end up in Portland we can take the Benchmade tour together!
Brogan Marcotte Where can we find clips for this thing?
That might have been one of your most confusing reviews ever. I thought you were gonna give it a thumbs down 👎 and then you called it a gem lol. You are a very complicated man Nick🤔. It is a really great knife though. If it wasn’t for the price I would be all over that.
Yeah it's nice and all but I'd much rather a fancy PM2 or many other knives. I got to handle one and the ergos and action is really nice but hundreds of knives for hundreds of dollars less.
Bought my first Benchmade at a Cabela's across the border. No issues when I picked it up but within 5mins of fidgeting with it there was already side-to-side 😡 Also yes, I did try tightening and diassembly and everything, nothing helped, sending it in soon. It also came with an uneven bevel.
Wonderful review, thanks!
It would be cool if they made the exact same integral design in aluminum for a hundred bucks less or so. Perhaps even a budget version with a fiber impregnated resin encasing thin al or ti plates and m390 blade steel. Utter work of art as it is, but I'm scared to carry my 581 most of the time after losing my first one, much less something more than twice as pricey!
Nick, I would love to see a review of the absolutely abhorrent Mantis Kunitza. I think you're the man to formally (and hilariously) pick this knife apart. An April Fools video touting it as the best knife ever would be pretty funny also.
Just Lost me as soon as you mentioned the price. Bugging out on this one. Thanks.
If they made this in Vanax steel it would be the best edc knife of all time.
I wanna see this in copper with a copper thumb stud. I love the look and feel of this knife.
Omega springs are weak but this ridiculous design is more robust? People have long speculated about omega springs being the weak link in the axis lock but I've never heard a legitimate account of them actually failing.
I have the same pivot loosening issue on my 940-1. I have to tweek it every so often to tighten up the action.
Nick, didn’t you have a custom blue anthem? Or am I just an insane person?
Yes it’s fun to hold and more fun to show. Feels close to perfect.
You have a great talking voice !
That Bugout clip won’t fit on the Anthem?