Benchmade's Narrows Asks $522 for 2.41 Ounces
The Benchmade Narrows has a number problem, and it is printed on the box. Five hundred and twenty-two dollars buys an eight-inch knife that weighs 2.41 ounces, with a blade thinner than almost anything else in its size class and a titanium handle that flexes less than it should. Every one of those facts is impressive. None of them is impressive enough to make the price feel considered.
Reviewer Wayne Walter's list of genuine positives is longer than the knife's reputation suggests: a very thin M390 blade that arrived razor sharp, extraordinary weight for the length, and crossbar lock controls he actively enjoys using. The thin titanium handle resists flex better than its dimensions imply, which is a real engineering achievement on a knife this slim.
The negatives are the ones buyers will notice first. The handle is uncomfortable in a normal-sized hand because it is so narrow, the closed-blade retention is weak, thumb-stud deployment is unsatisfying, and his sample had an off-center blade plus a blemish on a blue thumb stud. The clip is a familiar Bugout-style design that feels cheap on a $522 knife. None of that is fatal; all of it is disqualifying at this price.
That is the comparison that matters. A Bugout costs a third as much and is a better all-round user; a full titanium framelock from WE or Kizer costs half and offers a more comfortable grip; a Hogue Deka or a Kershaw Bel Air gets you lightweight American-made carry for under $180. The Narrows is thinner than all of them, and thinness is the only axis where it wins.
Verdict: buy it if you collect engineering exercises and the idea of an eight-inch, 2.41-ounce folder is worth the money to you. Skip it if you want a knife to use, because there is nothing the Narrows does that a $180 knife cannot do more comfortably.
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