NEW From Benchmade: P.S.K., Redoubt Tanto, & Mini Bushcrafter [REVIEW]

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 | 151.05g

The 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.

REDOUBT TANTO

New 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 | 104.89g

A 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.

MINI BUSHCRAFTER

Another 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.

LOOSE ROUNDS

Of 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.

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