Gear NEW From Benchmade: P.S.K., Redoubt Tanto, & Mini Bushcrafter [REVIEW] David Lane September 9, 2024 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More Benchmade is a brand name that almost everyone knows. They are simply an ever-present company that never goes long without releasing another banger of a knife.Here are three new releases that hit the market in August 2024! P.S.K.Personal Survival Kit might be a bit of a stretch for a folding knife, but for a hard-use folder that can take a beating — the P.S.K. is impressive. SPECS:Open Length: 8.3981” | 21.33cm Blade Length: 3.4466” | 8.75cm Blade Thickness: 0.11” | 2.79mm Closed Length: 4.9534” | 12.58cm Handle Thickness: 0.6165” | 15.66mm Mechanism: Axis® Assist With Integrated Safety Blade Style: Drop-Point Handle: G10 Pocket Clip: Yes Blade Finish: Cerakote Blade Color: Cobalt Clip Color: Black Clip Finish: Black Oxide Clip Position: Tip Up Clip Type: Deep Carry Ambidextrous: Yes Handle Material: G10 Handle Color: Od Green Lanyard Hole: Yes Blade Steel: Cpm-Magnacut Stainless Steel (60-62 Hrc) Weight: 5.328oz | 151.05gThe best part of the P.S.K. is that it is built for abuse with everything being overly designed to meet demand. Secondary lock on the spine gives you the option for locking the knife closed or open. Closed makes sure it doesn’t come open in your pocket or pack, and open makes sure it won’t snap closed when you’re putting it through the worst of what survival might throw at you. Either way, a nice feature. Beyond that… I don’t love this knife.The opening assist mechanism is strong and works great for opening the P.S.K.. Downside to that is getting it closed is a bit harder than I would like. Combined with the linear thumb lock and it has come close to nipping me while trying to close it one-handed. Is this something you can work around? Yes, but it's still not something to love. Ridges on the G10 grip also fail to give the kind of purchase I would like on the knife. They’re fine, but lacking on a knife with a design goal of being ready for the worst life can throw at you. Maybe this knife will speak to someone else, but this isn’t one I see myself getting a lot of use out of.PROS: Strong opening assist Secondary lock is very robust Overbuilt folder can take more abuse CONS: One-handed closing is difficult Grip isn’t as grippy as it should beREDOUBT TANTONew blade type but the same general knife that has been around for a couple of years, the Redoubt has quickly earned a reputation as a solid folder that comes in at a much lower price. Grivory grips make for a nice change that still delivers a good grip that doesn’t slip when wet. Aggressive texturing can wear on your hand for longer projects, but it does keep the knife locked in place. SPECS:Open Length: 8.27” | 21.01cm Blade Length: 3.53” | 8.97cm Blade Thickness: 0.124” | 3.15mm Closed Length: 4.75” | 12.07cm Handle Thickness: 0.65” | 16.51mm Mechanism: Axis® Lock Blade Style: Drop-Point Handle: Grivory® Pocket Clip: Yes Blade Finish: Cerakote® Blade Color: Black Clip Color: Black Clip Finish: Black Oxide Clip Position: Tip-Up Clip Type: Deep Carry Ambidextrous: Yes Handle Material: Grivory® Handle Color: Ranger Grn/Forest Grn Lanyard Hole: Yes Blade Steel: Cpm-D2 Tool Steel (60-62hrc) Weight: 3.7oz | 104.89gA workhorse of a knife, this is great for EDC and actually what I’ve been carrying the most as of late. Tanto blade can do almost anything pretty well and makes for a great option. Linear lock is ambi and easy to use while keeping the blade firmly in place. Overall the Redoubt just gets the job done. For EDC or in a pack, it does what you need when you need it without costing an arm and a leg.PROS: Grip does the job wet or dry, hot or cold Easy to deploy and put away safely CONS: Grip might be a little overly aggressive for someMINI BUSHCRAFTERAnother spin on an older Benchmade design, the Mini Bushcrafter is pretty straightforward as a no-frills camp knife. Fixed, short blade, beefy handle, and a leather sheath that won’t win awards but it gets the job done and looks nice doing it.SPECS:Open Length: 7.58” | 19.25cm Blade Length: 3.3823” | 8.59cm Blade Thickness: 0.164” | 4.17mm Handle Thickness: 0.925” | 23.5mm Mechanism: Fixed Blade Blade Style: Drop-Point Handle: G10 Blade Finish: Stonewash Blade Color: Satin Ambidextrous: Yes Handle Material: G10 Handle Color: Od Green / Red Lanyard Hole: Yes Blade Steel: Cpm-S30v Premium Stainless Steel (58-60hrc) Weight: 6.45oz | 182.85g Sheath: Dark Brown Leather Sheath Weight: 2.49oz (70.59g)What you see is what you get. The Mini Bushcrafter doesn’t pretend to be anything else besides a good, handy little camp knife that will get most jobs done without being too much knife. In a world that seems to push monster knives way too much, a handy mini-camp knife is a nice thing to see. The leather sheath comes with room to carry a ferro rod and the Mini Bushcrafter’s blade is cut to make starting a fire easier. Nice little perk like that is what helps set this knife apart from the field.Oddly, with a smoother grip than the P.S.K., the Mini-Bushcrafter provides more grip in your hand both dry and wet.For a small knife that doesn’t screw around, I really like this edition of the Bushcrafter.PROS: No B.S. knife that just works Sheath is a nice touch Clearly able to handle long term use CONS: No ferro rod includedLOOSE ROUNDSOf the three the Redobut Tanto is my favorite. I love a good tanto blade and this knife just hits the features I need in an EDC without going crazy. It’s a pleasant surprise that the Redoubt is also half the price I expected. For a camp knife that would be perfect on any trip, the Mini Bushcrafter is a solid option that I can strongly recommend.Explore RECOILweb:Check out the preview of Black, Season 2The Superbowl Commercial you WON'T see todayTuff-Writer Mini-Click PenEpic Shoot: Alpha Foxtrot Aluminum Glock Frame NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. 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