What I love most about the anthem is it gives us left hand user the opportunity to own an integral knife that is completely ambidextrous. I absolutely loveee mine. By far my favorite knife in my collection
Great review. At first I thought there was no way the 781 could compete with a Sebenza. I'm still not convinced it can. But that newly configured axis lock sure makes it tempting. Maybe I can sneak this on my Christmas list! Thanks, brother.
most excellent video. I purchased this knife today and I can say I am truly amazed. with the price creeping around 440-460 I didn't even think about purchasing it, however, I found a local place that one for 325. New from a authorized dealer, best part was they had it on display. At that price I couldn't resist.
The keys to machining metal are fixturing & processing. You're right about programming being able to send a cutting tool to a very exact point in space at a very exact speed & feed but that doesn't mean jack if the part isn't held correctly & securely or if the process doesn't yield expected results.
Glad you mentioned the spring(s) as the weak point on the Axis lock, not too many people realize that. Wow, with a coil spring the 'new' Axis lock looks more SOG than Benchmade.
You rock Apostle. You hit the nail on the head in this one. Benchmade axis lock is as tough and strong as they come. Thanks for setting the record straight on people's bias. (yes I probably have a Benchmade bias but I'm allowed to when I own examples of each)
My favorite thing to put in blade pivots these days is a tiny piece of teflon tape, cut to width. It holds as well as locktite, but remains adjustable, and doesn't leave any gunk to clean up.
I have a concern with this design: There are no stainless steel inserts within the tracks in the titanium handle where the ball bearings run. I'm worried that the steel ball bearings will eventually wear tracks into the titanium handle, since steel is harder than titanium.
It's way worse of a problem here. A normal knife can adjust for these tracks by tightening the pivot a bit to take up the gap made. The 781 is one chunk and can't really flex. If it does flex the points past the pivot will bend more than the lock side. This flexing will pinch one side of the bearing and dig them in more. I LOVE THIS KNIFE SO MUCH AND JUST KEEP WATCHING VIDEOS OF IT'S BEAUTY. The one piece is SO COOL! But, if one side gets damaged then the whole knife is junk... can't replace one side! A perk of a Sebenza is if one side is damaged it can be replaced easily. I also worry about dents forming in the Ti races due to lateral forces. If pried with, the bearings could dig holes and ruin the action FOREVER! Yep, can't replace washers on a one piece knife that doesn't have them. It looks great, flips flawlessly, sounds sweet but is fatality flawed. I really want it but my inner me know better. Maybe after a year or so of review...
I agree with you 100%. I had one and passed it off after a couple of days. Love so much about the knife but hate those dang bearings. Action isn't even smooth. Moves freely but isn't smooth at all. Maybe it will smooth out when the ball bearing wear a path in the ti and cause blade play who knows. If they had gone with washers I would have loved it. But the issues surrounding the bearings was a no go for me. I even noticed mine pinching a little when I tried to tighten the pivot enough to remove all blade play. It was starting to pinch toward the open side of the handle and was causing a very small gap between the bearings and the handle towards the closed side. Nope I'll stick with the usual. I also experienced some up and down play as well. Sent it in the Benchmade and they claimed it had none and was within specs. Blade play was definitely there though as I don't have this on other axis knives.
ToxicityAssured Unlike Chris Reeves knives, Benchmade has extremely good customer service and honors their warranty. Even when past their warranty, they will replace or repair a knife for a very reasonable price.
Extremely good review. Also a great evaluation of Benchmade as a whole when compared against the ZT's of the world. Your 45 min review of a $400+ knife kept me well entertained.
Just got mine in the mail... Blade was totally warped so I drove directly to Oregon city to drop it off so hopefully fixed tomorrow. First Production 739... You would think they would actually look at knives before shipping them.
While it's not apples to apples, a microtech single edge ultratech would be very fast at that open-cut-close test. One of my favorite parts about them while doing stuff around the house.
Thanks for the great review. Again, you reviewed a knife that exactly fit a niche I was looking for. Last time it was the Buck Marksman (mine did have some QC issues that Buck took care of) but otherwise a phenomenal and unique knife. Again, on this knife I think you accurately understood the TNP "philosophy of use" and reasoning behind Benchmade's design decisions. This time my copy of the 781 exhibited none of the issues with the pivot or threads that you noticed, so maybe that was was limited to first production run (mine was not part of that run). I paid less than $400 for mine because I got it from REI with one of their 20% off coupons plus some extra dividend credit I had which took the edge off some of the wallet "sting", but having it in hand, I realize I wouldn't have felt like paying full price was too much. When it comes to premium, folding, US made, non-frame-lock, robust EDC knives, this is about the best/ only option out there right now. For me this knife fits the Sebenza-shaped hole in my pocket better than a Sebenza. I don't intend to hard-use it, but unforeseen emergencies happen (as they have for me before) and I just refuse to risk losing a finger to a frame or liner lock ever again. It's good to know that if called upon, the lock on the 781 can take more force than I am capable to putting on it.
I found this knife at a failing Gander outdoors for $260 and havent looked back. A true gem for benchmade that they have yet to try to grow on unfortunately. Please benchmade try more stuff like this!
I love the design but the example I bought and returned had some pretty bad centering issues that I wasn't able to correct. Lock-up, action, and ergonomics were very good. I'll probably give it another shot once it's out of the "first production" run.
Thanks great review. I also love benchmade but omega springs that fail made me buy backups to my 940-1 a stryker which i love. not a super fan of frame locks . looks like the spring problem is going to be in the past. cant wait to see other variations of this new lock (the new 940) prefer 2 sided knives so one can play with custom scales. thanks again for well done review.
Beautiful construction, and without the omega spring, can't get much better. I'd probably buy one if it didn't look so gaudy and ribbed for her pleasure. Plus 20CV steel isn't very practical for everyday use in my experience... but if BM changes the design I'll definitely be buying one. Great review, as per usual.
on expensive beautifully styled knives, I appreciate some method of avoiding exposed clip holes. perhaps flush screws, finishing plate or rear mounted reversible clip design to avoid unfinished look.
Great Review... the only thing I want to add is that you can barely touch a ZT for less than $180. So when comparing them you need compare at that level. The other point is that Benchmade is more production than some of the other companies... I think that they are striking an excellent balance of quality and price for the types of knives they are producing. Plus overall I think that Benchmade make far more usable blade profiles than ZT... I think too many ZT knives tend to have unbelievably wide blades and chuncky blades.
Do the bearings run on a steel track inserted into the titanium or are they going to wear a track into the titanium and therefore cause blade play? Interested in getting one but not sure on the design for sure.
Justin Gabor No track, no steel. There is solid engineering theory on this wear pattern, however. Once the "bearing track" starts to conform to the shape of the bearings, the increased surface area will eventually support the bearings without further wear. In my experience, this happens very quickly during break-in. Not really an issue if done right.
It's way worse of a problem here. A normal knife can adjust for these tracks by tightening the pivot a bit to take up the gap made. The 781 is one chunk and can't really flex. If it does flex the points past the pivot will bend more than the lock side. This flexing will pinch one side of the bearing and dig them in more. I LOVE THIS KNIFE SO MUCH AND JUST KEEP WATCHING VIDEOS OF IT'S BEAUTY. The one piece is SO COOL! But, if one side gets damaged then the whole knife is junk... can't replace one side! A perk of a Sebenza is if one side is damaged it can be replaced easily. I also worry about dents forming in the Ti races due to lateral forces. If pried with even lightly, the tiny bearings could dig holes and ruin the action FOREVER! Yep, can't replace washers on a one piece knife that doesn't have them. It looks great, flips flawlessly, sounds sweet but is fatality flawed. I really want it but my inner me know better. Maybe after a year or so of review...
How do you tighten the knife to account for the fresh Ti that has conformed slightly. The one piece design makes this harder than it usually is... :( Love the knife!
My thoughts too. Really want to love the knife but I think I will wait and watch for a little while before pulling the trigger. In the mean time, I will just spend my money on my first sebenza. I've been wanting a sebenza 21 large for a while and I probably should buy it as my first real high-end knife. Got over a hundred knives and, other than a couple Bark Rivers, nothing over the $200 mark.
If ZT and these other companies are outclassing Benchmade, then Benchmade needs to answer the bell or get in the back seat. From what I hear, they are improving the QC. I've had plenty of issues with more than one overly expensive Benchmade. If competition forces Benchmade to step its game up, then once again, the market has worked as intended. Enjoyed it Rob.
i love this knife and have several bm's but for 420+$ you should never have to take a new knife out of the box and add lock tite to the pivot screw. I had a 940 for yrs and it constantly coming loose. might have to try the chris reeve locktite. thanks for the video.
Nice review! Think you might get your hands on a Benchmade Proper 319?? Would love to hear your take on it. I like the look of the Micarta version but either would be great.
I really like the overall design and look. Thanks for showing the new Axis lock. Nice insight on the integral design. I like the Chevrons, but the chevrons on the clip should be the same size. I really dislike extra holes for left-handed carry without a tab to cover the ugly holes. The hardware should be anodized to match the handle. The screws coming through the spine in silver looks cheap. I agree that Benchmade is standing still, which is the same as regressing in a competitive market. I just got the Going Gear 940 exclusive and the screws still are protruding through the liners. That is horrible for a $240 knife. I hope Benchmade improves and prevails, but the Chinese are winning.
That pocket clip was a waste of manufacturing resources. They should have just stuck a standard clip on there. Good thing it can easily be replaced with any other clip.
I will take 1 benchmade over 5 spydercos, Try to get them to fix there cheep soft striped screws. Benchmade warranty is second to none. I have NEVER had an issue with benchmade. Might not have latest, greatest but u get heirloom quality and a company that stands behind it. They are. No joke.
@TheApostleP hey I'm really considering buying a large sebenza 21 clip point. this decision is based on watching lots of reviews, including many of yours. however it still is a very expensive knife for me here in Canada. How would you say the sebenza compares to say the slysz bowie? is it worth the extra cost? thanks. anyone else please weigh in!
Almost one of the strongest folding knives in existence an integral axis lock with no scales or liners - Then they added bloody ball bearings and weakened the whole thing!
The Benchmade, when compared to a CRK, has a much better blade steel (CPM20CV > CRK S35VN at 59-60RC). Arguably the Benchmade has a more secure/stable lock.
None of my Axis lock knives with traditional washers have ever failed me in my use...I own several 940's (couple 1st production run models :) I don't see the added value of the ball bearings and the spring action as it relates to the added cost involeved. This is not a Sebenza 21 (got some of those too) so the price point seems out of line for what we are getting here. I like that Benchmade is trying new things but I don't follow the "ball bearing flippers or nothing" mindset that many in the knife community seem to follow. Practically and cost are more relevant to me. This knife should be a a price point of no more than $175....
I'd really like to send a couple of knives to you for sharpening. Primarily, my ZT 0562cf and my little Piranha Virus. What is your average turnaround time? I'm sure you have no trouble staying pretty busy.
After handling both knives I think there is no comparison between the Sebenza V. Anthem lock-strength wise. The Sebenza is tougher, stronger and much more durable as a hard user especially along the pivot. The Anthem is a beautiful gentleman's knife, much smoother that the Sebenza and but it is a light user. The new spring doesn't add durability when compared to the Sebenza's perfect quality washer/pivot system. That said it's a beautiful "lightweight" knife.
Sharpbevel Watch Cold Steel's testing videos on any Benchmade and the Sebenza. The Sebenza's lock is prone to slippage, and is pathetically weak. Even compared to ZT's Frame Locks.
Those tests are extremely subjective. Look at Rob's video about it-- The tests are to examine a very specific aspect of lock strength that is not reflected by normal usage.
My inkosi easily slipped with light hand pressure on the back of the spine and cut me so bad I needed stitches. I shouldn't have had my hand there when testing the lockup but I didn't think a gem knife would fail so easily. Yea the lock is strong enough if you are gripping the lock bar tight but what if your not gripping it tight enough one day and it slips when cutting. A $410 framelock knife should not slip that easy. Other ftamelocks can handle more abuse and are done better in my opinion. The Chris reeve thick titanium ftamelock should not slip easier than a liner lock.
@TheApostleP I have huge bias that I was hoping you would be willing to discuss a bit. I'm not old, by any means, but I'm in my early thirties, and joined Bladeforums when I was 18. I very much remember the era when the high end was Benchmade, Spyderco, to a lesser extent Kershaw, and Chris Reeve was the epitome of what a production folder could be. I definitely feel you on the interlopers and their obsession with bearings and flippers. I've had hundreds of BMs, Spydercos, and most everything else pass through my hands, as well. I also know well the politics and scandals that have come and gone over the past 12 or so years. These are the biases that the hardest for me to overcome.I was always a Spyderco guy, first, but also a huge fan of BM. I very closely followed the early licensing of the Spyderco hole by BM, followed how BM began to release the models, AFCK if I remember right, with an oval opener instead, stating that it was better anyway. No big deal, so far. Years later, holes began to appear again on BM knives like the Pika and Griptillian. Spyderco made it clear that this was not an approved by Spyderco, and that they were working legally on the issue with BM. The drama ended abruptly with Spyderco stating that they had come to an arrangement with BM, and that they could say no more. The holes on BMs stayed, and Sal himself expressed disgust at seeing the hole on a BM that was posted. The entire thing rubbed me very, very wrong, and I actually sold all of my BMs and never looked back. BM is actually releasing some knives lately that are very interesting, to me, but I'm just too biased to pull the trigger.Now, this is how it occurred to the best of my recollection. Some details may be off, and there may be parts of the story I don't know, but that's my understanding of it.Do you have any thoughts?
Wait... Does the steel axis bar cam directly up against the (kind of thin) titanium cutouts in the axis lock slot? Not going to lie, I'm not particularly enthused about that particular design point. I don't think many will really use and abuse this knife anyway, but I don't think the knife lockup would hold up well if they did.
marrenmiller That's correct. The section thickness is slightly more than a standard steel liner on an Axis Lock knife, and the Ti is almost exactly the same hardness as the 410 stainless used in most other Axis Locks (HRc 45 or so). Totally not an issue.
marrenmiller Close enough. Lie Ronnie 40's on both materials, and Ti is probably stronger at that hardness than 410 SS. Interesting concern though... it's interesting to see so many guys who recognize the potential pitfalls of the integral handle design. In general, the integral is a solution in search of a problem.
TheApostleP I'm a mechanical engineer, so I don't think it's possible for me to not overly worry about these things, unfortunately :( Flexural strength is one thing, but bearing strength is a different animal. I'll have to research this further...
marrenmiller My big concern in differential hardnesses was galling between the Axis bar flanges and the Ti sliding surface. There is none, and I mean none. And given the overall light duty application of the knife, I just don't think your concern is the weakest aspect of the design. There was another commenter concerned about the ball bearings on bare Ti, requiring so much pivot adjustment as the track wears in, that the sides of the frame will be far out of parallel when the knife breaks in. That worries me more than the bar track distorting.
a flipper that may beat the time of a good axis lock is the stan wilson nff but it is kind of an exception in the world of flippers... and a heck of a lot more expensive too xD
I love the Axis Lock but $425? Well I’d rather pay $425 for the Anthem than $450 for a Sebenza but we are right at the Bodega entry point of $460.. So I could see this knife in my pocket but here are my issues.. 1) the unused screw holes for the reverse side pocket clip are ugly. 2) the unsharpened space between the plunge line and blade edge creates an area that catches rather than cuts, the sharpened area of the blade should continue closer to the handle or that area should be a true finger choil. 3) the clip screws look funny on that clip, I’d would have preferred a deep carry clip rolled back over to partially hide the screws. 4) would have preferred a higher thumb ramp with traction cuts to help lock the knife into your hand. I’d jump on this knife for $250ish but not $425 with these issues..
A lot of your issues are totally subjective. Does not devalue the knife at all. A thumb ramp with traction would have destroyed the lines along with a lot of your other "issues" including a deep carry fold over pocket clip. What you said is like saying a Ferrari is only worth $50k because you don't like the paint colour and prefer gull wing doors...
I never thought about that. That is an expensive penis and normally Benchmade will send 10 a year out... Are they now going to start making exceptions or just abandon the practice? This new knife is really stirring things up!
Sadly, I just can't stand Benchmade and their over priced product. The only BM I've liked was the AFCK and I'll never understand why they stopped it's production. The 940 CF would be my only BM on my list. Great channel by the way.
I see so much criticism aimed at Benchmade for this knife. I don't understand why. I have one and love it, it looks great and works a treat. CRK on the other hand are so overrated. Boring over-used designs. The tip of my Umnumzaan catches fingers when the blade is closed because it's too close to the edge - bad design!
No folks. It's a nightmare to mill a piece of titanium into an integral frame folder. Its arguably the hardest folder to CnC. You will break bit after bit. This guy isn't a machinist. He knows not. And just for the record?? I'm no Benchmade fan. I'm definitely a ZT guy. But I know a well made knife when I see it. That 890 is a well made knife. Mr.Apostle's skeptical enthusiasm aside? That's clearly not a prying tool.🤣🤣
It's pretty. But it costs a hindered bucks more than a Weld double beadlock aluminum racing wheel (trust me just bought 2 of those). I can appreciate it for what it is. It has a sweet name. But there's really only ONE Benchmade that sings to me. That serenades me to buy her. Which would be the Crooked River. That blade is a very curvy fox with long legs. I guess I really an not a knife enthusiast. But I get excited when one of the guys I work with has me sharpen a Benchmade. Or even a Spyderco or heck even a Buck or Gerber or Cold Steel. A lot of people carry absolute junk. Chinese Smith and Wesson garbage. I charge them almost as much as a replacement of that POS. Spend 30 to 40 dollars on a knife, you'll get something that's at least okay. Although.... I may finally have to break with my trend of all my life and get a bench made crooked river. Sincerely a non knife enthusiast that doesn't know what he's talking about.
Who on earth opens knife, cuts and closes in a little more than a second in the real world? I prefer the Lion Steel TiSpine Aculus over this Benchmade 781...For about $25 more you can get a beautiful Chad Nichols Raindrop Damascus blade on the Aculus and the Aculus has a better looking handle better looking overall IMO...PLUS it uses washers not the current fad of ball bearings like the 781
For my money, it just isn't worth what they're asking. It very well may be a great knife but there are dozens of knives I would buy before even considering one of these. Benchmade isn't keeping up with their competitors when it comes to quality control and their designs just don't call to me like many other knives do. I'm also not a big fan of the axis lock; not because I don't have faith in it as a locking system but because I just prefer a frame lock or liner lock flipper. If I need a knife for extreme hard use, I'll take a fixed blade. I carry folding knives for basic cutting tasks, not for jamming into trees and using them as climbing pegs. I do understand what some people see in this knife but for $425, there are a whole lot of knives out there that I'd prefer to have over this one.
Kyle Stewart Lets be real, Kyle... no production folding knife is objectively worth $425. A Glock is worth that, but no production folder is. When you get to this price range in a knife, it's all emotion, pure and simple. Anyone who tries to argue otherwise is probably trying to justify addictive behavior 😉
Haha I cannot argue with that. That's why I made sure to include the phrase "for my money". And once you really start to think "Hmm. I could use a knife which costs as much as my Glock 19.." or god forbid "This custom knife costs as much as my custom 1911" you've entered full-blown addiction mode.
What the hell are you rambling about? "Criss reave" "loosening" and his family run it. They have been there forever and can continue on without Criss...
Why is the "penis clip" a different shade of color than the handle scales lol. That bothers me for a knife at $420. And Chris reeve should reduce his prices because what do you get for $410 with a sebenza...you get soft s35vn steel which is better heat treated on a Kiser, you get a weaker framelock than most other framelocks I believe because of where the cutout is (I've had an inkosi close on my finger and had to get stitches), you get non contoured titanium scales (which you pay $100 more for inlays), not good flicking action (tons of knives flick open better). I believe sebenzas are good knives and ive owned them but times are changing and for the money I don't feel like it's worth it. You pretty much pay for fit and finish, the name, and a decent warranty which many other companies nail for less money. IMHO
