Overall I'm glad to see something different from Benchmade. It's a cool concept of a classic long standing knife design as a camp or Swiss army style knife. Over thr years of having different varieties of these style knives I always go back to victorinox. I've found for the price and variety they are the best for me personally. As a secondary edc carry, a knife for outdoor carry as a backup to a large locking folder of fixed blade they are just great. An excellent comparison. Great video 👍
It's basically like my GEC Farm and Field Sudbuster, for a similar price but with an extra blade and a worse bottle opener. I know because I have both. I like it but I'm disappointed with Benchmade's execution of the bottle opener, which is loose and floppy without the nice tension of a slip joint, so I have to pick my GEC as the better one. EDIT - Bombshell at the end, people must watch it all the way thru!
As someone who finds little to no use for slipjoints generally, this is the only one I’ve been even remotely curious about. I think it fits a niche for someone who already carries a lot of the other stuff. I could see it being a great light duty companion to a bigger fixed blade for camping, so the major drawback of a slipjoint (non locking) for me wouldn’t matter in that application, and it’d be used solely for the smaller blades being more useful for those detail tasks and the fact that there are two blades so you’d have options if one dulls and you don’t have a field sharpener immediately available. I think the Weekender being a little wider than the Proper makes it fit larger hands better as well. And as far as the bottle opener goes, I see it as a good backup for someone who already carries a more full featured Leatherman or something similar who has the “two is one, one is none” sort of philosophy. So I’d say it’s nowhere near the ideal slipjoint for most people, but for a specific group of people, it might be exactly what they’re after.
Slipjoints top out around S30V? Spyderco with production LC200N, S90V, S110V etc. slipjoints would like a word :) I don't like the look of the Weekender at all, but then I hated the Proper too- the backspring was feeble and it just didn't feel like it was designed by someone who understands slipjoints. The S110V Spyderco UKPK is similar money to the Proper, and is more functional, ergonomic and has vastly better steel. It may look fugly, but ye gods, it works. Well sharpened, it cuts like a lightsaber. The thing I like most about this video? It makes me want to carry my Pioneer X, which I always overlook. I'll get a little bit of novelty with no money spent, which is perfect. Thanks for the video!
Cool knife but it is a bit high for me. I could get a two bladed Lionsteel Bestman and have plenty left over for a fancy bottle lifter. Having two Benchmade butterfly logos on the knife is weird and corny. I also collect SAKs, all this has over those is edge retention and micarta, but at the cost of many tools. If they could’ve gotten this to the $100 or below price point, it would’ve been great.
Thanks for this excellent video. I am really impressed by the value proposition that you came up with. Question: have you looked at the MKM Malga 6? Micarta, M390, interesting tools including a fork. Would love your take on it. Using your math and adding it to a bm proper it only costs $12 more than the weekender. FYI For my uses, a weekender wouldn’t be a camping tool but a road trip with the wife knife. Think a week in the country : farmers markets in the country or wine and cheese by a fireplace. Love my pioneer x! Thanks
I haven’t had the MKM yet. I really was excited about it then forgot to get one and just never did. I may try to get one after the next knife sale. I’m about two months behind in getting videos posted, but I have a bunch recorded and just need to edit to post. Once I get those moving I may have to pick up one of the MKMs.
They call it weekender and not bushcrafter cuz they don't expect it to be taken "in the woods" in the sense you make. At it's hardest it's camping with a tent trailer and pals drinking beer by a fire. More likely a backyard party. I think Benchmade would insist on one of their more hearty knives for the kind or weekend you are looking toward. Like the content.
Looks like a nice knife, way over-priced. I'll take a Victorinox Picnicker over it. BTW, you were showing the Farmer X, not the Pioneer X. Easy mistake to make, but the Pioneer X is one layer thinner.
I picked up the ASK Jefferson. Absolutely hated it it. The blade opened ok but the other tools were so hard to open it tore my damn mail off. I took it apart and put it back together and no luck. I returned it. That’s the 3rd Medford (well ok it’s not technically a Medford) that has had issues. Over priced in my opinion. Not a fan of that Benchmade design either but have t held one. Great video as always brother!
Thanks! I am surprised you had so many consecutive clunkers from Medford (unless the other ones were older knives bought on the secondary) as their QC has become a lot better over the last few years. They do have some clunkers every now and then due to lockstick or some issue with fit, but considering they are mid-techs that are closer to semi-custom, that’s not a huge surprise. I have found several I am very happy with. Regarding the ASK, the action on yours sounds like it was stiffer than mine. I am not a fan of nail nicks and I can still manage the ASK fairly easily, so maybe there is some variance among the individual pieces. Thanks again for watching!
Am I missing something here...? Who claimed it was supposed to be a camping assecory...? It's a weekender knife...not a working type of knife for no reason... Maybe cut open a package of brats, a bottle of beer, or six..Benchmade do make knives for heavier tasks.
I think the price is outrageously high at 150 maybe but 225? Hard pass and I love the design i really wanted it but the price turned me off i think a version with just the main blade and the cap lifter would be much better
Trash in my opinion and I told them that it would have been worth buying if it had a can opener rather than a bottle opener but would have been somewhat exciting if they would have made it with can/bottle opener combo with a better steel option than something that’s over 20 yrs old and getting to be pretty over rated with all the new options out there it also seemed pretty clunky and oversized for what it offers
