From the Sharpening Bench: Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter -- Non-Traditional Excellence 

Probably one of the most underrated bushcraft knives out there.

I just bought one recently. Great all-purpose knife but I immediately got a new sheath.

I have finally decided. I'm saving for one of these. Thanks Rob.

the sheath isn't modified. the plastic is from the factory.

I've had an used mine for a few years now. Amazing knife. Holds an edge forever and kills it when batoning. But the sheath is a giant cow pie.

I bought my bushcrafter 162 about a month ago...after tax it was $182 out the door...I've since used it to strike a fire steel successfully as well as carving feather sticks. I love mine. I did a lot of reseach before making a purchase that big and I must say it was well worth it.

I love mine. Sheath also. Tubes are Ti and plastic insert in sheath is stock. I definitely prefer to refer to mine as a "model 162" rather than Bushcrafter. Sea kayak camping, hunting, fishing...it's just plain awesome.

Always amazed at the mirror polish you get. I sharpen and strop and have some shine but your mirrors are amazing.

I have as many as 15 bushcraft knives. The Benchmade Bushcrafter is the best of the best. Cuts better than my scandi knives making it a good carver for feathersticks, tent pegs, bow drill set, shelter making, food prep, game processing, batoning, light chopping, and striking a ferro rod. Fairly easy to sharpen and holds an edge better than 1095.

Great video on a knife I personally own . God bless you and yours!

I like it a lot. I do bushcraft and I see no problem with that knife, I would beat it death. Everyone should always think outside the box from time to time or you will end up stuck in that box. (if that mess makes any sense) Great review brother.

I love this knife. Fits in my hand great, love Benchmade.

I just ordered one of these knives - I think I'll be sending it to you to improve the edge

"God made the Rocky Mountains, but He lives in TN!" Gotta love it. Headed down on Friday to look at some property in East TN. Can't wait to bask in some "warm" weather! One of these days, Camp, you'll have some new "neighbors"!

If it makes the purists feel better S30V has a much higher Carbon content than 1095.

I love my Benchmade bushcraft sibert so so much. My sheath is a bit different. Its a bit darker with the benchmade logo embossed on it. and cheers from here in Nashville.

I have the same knife. Its one of my favorites

"God made the Rockies, but lives in Tennessee" haha love it!!

I'm new to bushcraft, but from my best learning, i think the best way to live out yonder is with an axe or hatchet AND a small blade, like this. FFG is fine for that as long as you aren't chopping with it. I feel like this, a gransforks Bruns wildlife hatchet, and a bahco Laplander would give you all you need

Yea the plastic insert is how everyone receives the green version of this knife. That plastic insert is done at the factory. Also the green version comes with a leather sheath and the tan version comes with a kydex sheath.

All it can cut is paper with their stock edge. ...Nothing like having to reprofile a $200 "bushcraft " knife out of box. I knew what I was getting into with mine but most reviews are hush hush about the useless edge they have Mine also had an unfinished and lopsided handle shape which I fixed . For me it's a non issue but for others that would just suck. The shoulders on that V grind were way to broad for a woods knife. I raised up that relief edge and now it's awesome. I do love the handle design it's a great knife even with Benchmade screwing up mine. Once I used the knife I learned why it's shaped like it is those who trash talk it probably never used it. I do have a few reviewers I don't trust now but ya live an learn.

Titanium tubes.

The only thing this knife cannot do is strike sparks off the spine using rock. Perhaps not a one tool option, but great for everything else. Not sure what all the disappointment was about. I just put this sucker on my wishlist over at bladehq. I'll gladly own it.

Hi Apostle, I know its a old vid, but I hope you can answer me this. I just got one at my shop, started to carve some wood to get a feeling on the knife. And I used the spine to strike some fire rod (which is kind of soft by the way). It strikes fine, but after wiping out I notices the spine is all scratched. You can see and feel the micro bites in the corner of the spine. Is it normal..? Don't remember noticing them on my 1095's after just a few strikes.

Titanium Tubes.

I’m surprised not even a single comment has mentioned titanium tubes 🤷🏻‍♂️

What did you use to sharpen this knife?

Are you in Washington state? Which town, is there a place i can go to for your services?

Bushcraft purists can get mad all they want, but progress is only made by pushing the envelope, or trying new things.

I just wish they would make this knife in a 6.5" version... Like the ESEE-6...

Everyone knows God lives in the Rockies - everyone else just tries to claim that. Nobody has even heard of tenne..... whatever it was. HA! Seriously though, great review. I love this knife. I have the tan handle, and the kydex sheath that came with it was HORRIBLE. Got a custom one made off a guy on ebay, it is absolute first class. Don't know whey put such a crappy sheath on a great knife. Not sure I like the grind yet, but it has certainly been making me a believer.

Enjoyed the video brother and keep them comeing.The word grace you know alot of people do not no by grave are you saved which was given in Christ Jesus before the world begain.I know you know what it means as you always use it all have a blessed day Randy.

For some reason this Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter doesn't get the attention it deserves. I have been in Alaska now almost 7 years. My Benchmade 162 is on my side 24-7 365 days a year. In my EDC Pack (That is with me every where If you live in Alaska you know) I have a Becker BK7 Mollie to my Direct action Dragon Egg2 (I think) and inside also have a Becker BK2. The Benchmade 162 as I stated is 100% 365 Days a year EDC. The BK7 and BK2 stay in my pack. I'll tell you though in all honesty that Benchmade knife is my favorite by far. Holds edge wonderfully and (Knock on Wood) has not chipped or failed in any way. I was nervous about it because it's $200+ USD I have to say a VERY good investment, I really think that ENORMOUSLY thick spine helps...one hell of a knife Boys.

S30V, heresy I say!!!! Actually, I love mine and wish I could get the edges as pretty as yours. The purists may not like it but it goes through wood with much less force than my scandis, holds that edge for an extremely long time and most importantly (for me), doesn't patina, stain or rust in the damp forest. I don't like food prepping with a stained blade.

for benchmade fans it defiantly is!

The 757 vicar. I only know cause i love mine. Lol

This knife is actually pretty good for bushcraft. The biggest problem with the knife itself is the handle thickness. It is very thick and hard for ANY one to wrap there hand around. Thus making it a very fatiguing to carve with. Anyways pretty good option for bushcraft. Matt

I propose had Benchmade NOT named this knife the "bushcrafter" this knife would be a better seller. Naming it that put it into a niche market of purists that may not totally dig this approach. It's something different to use and to compare against my other scandi blades. For me it's a good chunk of S30V, buying it helped out a buddy AND last but not least it's green : )

The sheath is buckskin and the kydex comes in it

Why doesn't the sheath have the logo?

No paper cut tests? D'oh!

I totally agree with you, It's a very well built knife, Mors Kochanski once suggested in his book that a knife should be strong using a sharp pry bar that works wood good. and I agree. Yeah, I have my Bushcrafter #162 for a while now, Infact I have one of the First Production Runs #299. At first I had to get use to handle, but after I rounded the boxy edges the knife fits me like a glove. After hours of using the knife in the bush, I noticed I didn't have any hitdpots, The designer took alot of things into consideration, The angle the way the knife hold's in your hand allows me to make some very thin curls, I love it, It's now one of my Fav's, I think once you sand the handles and not much but very little improved the way the knife feels in my hand, Yeah, I would recommand this now to everybody, Yeah its defenetly a keeper, and I do have a few knives in this size, But right off the hand the lenght is just a little shorter than 5" and just a little longer than 4" making it perfect for me as a " Bush Craft Knife, and that's what I looked for with this knife. "A Prybar that works wood very good", , ,

I have to disagree with what you are saying a lot of bushcrafters use FFG's FG's Saber Grind's and Scandi's

Handled one before. It seems like a good idea (high end powdered metal SS, thin grind), but there's a few things not designed correctly. The handle swell toward the front when they should swell in the middle for better grip. It also needs a proper thin convex edge. The sheath is also flimsy feeling and uses way too thin leather stock. If you gave this a better handle, a convex edge, and a thicker leather sheath, it would be perfect. Scandi edges aren't bad, but they tend to not be very high and they're not as strong as convex grinds. Also I think for outdoor use that thin of a grind with S30v would be way too chip prone, thought part of that depends on how hard it's heat treated.

I only own one scandi ground knife, it's a mora companion heavy duty. Not a fan of the scandi grind, glad I only paid $20 for it

The carbon blade isn't about striking a fero-rod but rather for using with a piece of flint or chert to drop a spark on some char cloth. It's a pretty rotten way to treat your knife if you ask me.

Hey sir i need your help i am sharping a SNG Strider, the bevel on the strider was tricky for me and on won side i have a wider edge than on the other side, i want to send it to you to be sharpened can you fix it, it needs work, i hope you can help me sir, give me address and name of your service or info to send ro you, how much and can you help

they all come with the plastic liner.

People getting into bush crafting in droves, ignorants new to the hobby with cash sitting in their pocket buy this knife and use it until they become more familiar with the ins and outs and they become “purist”, claimed expert now buys a REAL bushcraft knife, the new knife performs poorly compared to the pretender knife, REAL bushcraft knife goes permanently into the junk drawer and Fake knife goes back into service indefinitely. Bench-made for the win!!! 😁👍

I have a first run model of the Benchmade Bushcrafter, excellent, once you use it, you start liking it better, and better to use, you get use to the handle very easy, like I said, great bushcraft knife, it's just a step down in size from one of my favorites, the Busse Son of Badger, which I also think it's a great bushcraft knife, anyhow, there should be a plastic sleeve in the sheath, from watching this video, it's missing.

The kind of RU-vid video I hate most is where someone just rolls the knife around in his hands for 15 minutes. This video could have been a contender with some scenes of the knife actually being used.

Beware: Stainless steel is an iron alloy with less than 2% carbon and it contains chromium and it's resistive to corrosion but is NOT rust free forever or in any condition, stainless steel eventually going to rust if is exposed to moisture sometimes with the formation of little rust spots, partially or complete rusted depending of the quality of the stainless steel so the best is give to the blade a basic care.

Reason tennessee can't have nice things. Tornadoes .hurricanes and floods. But people ignorantly keep rebuilding in the same spots.

Sorry for making 3 post, yes the steel is a very good steel for bushcraft, and the Saber grind, goes through wood like a hot knife through butter, mine does, no offence to Blind Horse, and I do own the Bushcrafter too, hmmmm, both are Bushcrafters, but anyhow, the Benchmade Bushcrafter will hold its own against the Blind Horse Bushcrafter, I like them both, but I lean towards the Benchmade Bushcrafter #162.

fyi the tubes are supposed to be Ti

Actually titanium tubes

My sheath has plastic In it and fits much better, I also got the leather frog, the part that goes from the d-ring to the belt from Battle Horse and it matches perfect, it really improved the carry, mine is now a drop carry, I also just got my Swamp Rat INFI it's a RatManDu in the INFI Steel, it's my third RatMandu and my second in the INFI Steel, it's one of my Fav's, But I had this one thinned down and now it look's a little like the blade on my Bushcrafter #162, You could put a Zero Grind on it so it's like a High Scandi Grind, As my new knife is its a High Saber Flat Grind. and it came scarry sharp, , ,

The tubes are titanium

I just have to say it. In no way shape or form can this thing out perform a scandi. I don't care who you are. The scandi is just better. A knife like this just makes you work harder.

I really don't know what benchmade was thinking when they made this one.

The CEO of benchmade is anti 2nd amendment! So melted my benchmades that I had. Now only bark river knives for me!!

You lost me with all the preachy stuff. just saying.

So many technical specs just wrong in this video. It’s not like they’re had to come by. Just have a sheet or site open when doing the video. Also, why speak to the pros and cons of its use in bushcrafting if you aren’t experienced in it.

This knife is poorly designed for a Bushcraft style knife. Do your research, I would not waste my time with Benchmade's quick and gimpy attempt to grab a part of the rising Bushcraft market. The sheath quality is terrible. Amen to the prayer!

Say Heah, F. Y. I. if your Bushcrafter 162 Sheath came without a plastic liner, contact Benchmade tell will send you one. My 162 is the very first Production Run and is numbered. I also added a leather frog, now it's a dangler and I like it much better. ,, .

I have a first run model of the Benchmade Bushcrafter, excellent, once you use it, you start liking it better, and better to use, you get use to the handle very easy, like I said, great bushcraft knife, it's just a step down in size from one of my favorites, the Busse Son of Badger, which I also think it's a great bushcraft knife, anyhow, there should be a plastic sleeve in the sheath, from watching this video, it's missing.