\n<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows<\/a> is an extremely<\/em> expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very<\/em> expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero<\/em> to spend on a production knife \u2014 let alone a custom blade \u2014 no matter how cool the design, how well it\u2019s made, and how great the materials used are.<\/p>\nMost of you can now jump directly to the comment section and bang away at your phones declaring your shock, outrage, and righteous indignation at that price and proclaiming that the Milwaukee folder<\/a> you picked up on sale for $17.99 at Home Depot is plenty good enough and has has done everything you need an everyday carry knife to do for the last six years.<\/p>\nThere. Are we OK now? Have the vapors dissipated? Did everyone get that out of their systems? Good. With that behind us, let\u2019s talk about this knife.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nThe Benchmade Narrows seems to be as much an engineering exercise as it is a first-rate, incredibly light and beautifully made folding knife.<\/p>\nI own many knives. They range in price from the high teens up to, well, this one. This is unquestionably the most expensive knife I own. The Narrows is a truly impressive design, made in America of (mostly) American materials, and it is (mostly) flawless.<\/p>\nWhether all of that makes it worth the eye-popping price will, as always, be up to each individual buyer, their needs and the amount of disposable income. Let\u2019s take a look at what makes this thing unusual and what went into it that makes Benchmade think they can get that much for an EDC folder.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWe first got our hands on one of these when Benchmade showed it off at the SHOT Show<\/a>. The first thing you will notice when you see one is how shockingly thin it is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Most of you can now jump directly to the comment section and bang away at your phones declaring your shock, outrage, and righteous indignation at that price and proclaiming that the Milwaukee folder<\/a> you picked up on sale for $17.99 at Home Depot is plenty good enough and has has done everything you need an everyday carry knife to do for the last six years.<\/p>\nThere. Are we OK now? Have the vapors dissipated? Did everyone get that out of their systems? Good. With that behind us, let\u2019s talk about this knife.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nThe Benchmade Narrows seems to be as much an engineering exercise as it is a first-rate, incredibly light and beautifully made folding knife.<\/p>\nI own many knives. They range in price from the high teens up to, well, this one. This is unquestionably the most expensive knife I own. The Narrows is a truly impressive design, made in America of (mostly) American materials, and it is (mostly) flawless.<\/p>\nWhether all of that makes it worth the eye-popping price will, as always, be up to each individual buyer, their needs and the amount of disposable income. Let\u2019s take a look at what makes this thing unusual and what went into it that makes Benchmade think they can get that much for an EDC folder.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWe first got our hands on one of these when Benchmade showed it off at the SHOT Show<\/a>. The first thing you will notice when you see one is how shockingly thin it is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
There. Are we OK now? Have the vapors dissipated? Did everyone get that out of their systems? Good. With that behind us, let\u2019s talk about this knife.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nThe Benchmade Narrows seems to be as much an engineering exercise as it is a first-rate, incredibly light and beautifully made folding knife.<\/p>\nI own many knives. They range in price from the high teens up to, well, this one. This is unquestionably the most expensive knife I own. The Narrows is a truly impressive design, made in America of (mostly) American materials, and it is (mostly) flawless.<\/p>\nWhether all of that makes it worth the eye-popping price will, as always, be up to each individual buyer, their needs and the amount of disposable income. Let\u2019s take a look at what makes this thing unusual and what went into it that makes Benchmade think they can get that much for an EDC folder.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWe first got our hands on one of these when Benchmade showed it off at the SHOT Show<\/a>. The first thing you will notice when you see one is how shockingly thin it is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The Benchmade Narrows seems to be as much an engineering exercise as it is a first-rate, incredibly light and beautifully made folding knife.<\/p>\n
I own many knives. They range in price from the high teens up to, well, this one. This is unquestionably the most expensive knife I own. The Narrows is a truly impressive design, made in America of (mostly) American materials, and it is (mostly) flawless.<\/p>\n
Whether all of that makes it worth the eye-popping price will, as always, be up to each individual buyer, their needs and the amount of disposable income. Let\u2019s take a look at what makes this thing unusual and what went into it that makes Benchmade think they can get that much for an EDC folder.<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nWe first got our hands on one of these when Benchmade showed it off at the SHOT Show<\/a>. The first thing you will notice when you see one is how shockingly thin it is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
We first got our hands on one of these when Benchmade showed it off at the SHOT Show<\/a>. The first thing you will notice when you see one is how shockingly thin it is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
What you see here are two very similarly sized knives, the Narrows and a Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance 550 titanium frame lock. They have very similar drop point blades (even down to the top swedges) and virtually the same overall lengths.<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nWhat you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\nThese are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
What you see here is a comparison of the thickness of the two knives. The Narrows is just a smidge over one-quarter inch wide, officially .28\u2033 tough my caliper says .27. The 550 is .57\u2033 or just over twice the width. Both are US-made titanium with premium Austrian steel blades.<\/p>\n
These are both very capable knives. The Narrows, however, is engineered in every way to make it as thin, light, and easy to carry as humanly possible. If you\u2019re going to be heading into the back country and looking to shave every ounce you can, you can see the attraction of the Narrows.<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nBenchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\nThe motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\nAs for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\nBoth are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Benchmade didn\u2019t just use thin slabs of Titanium for the Narrows\u2019 scales. That alone would certainly have kept the weight down. But then they milled the scales out, not only on the outside for looks and grip, but also on the inside. The effect is sort of an I-beam design.<\/p>\n
The motivation here was obviously to shave literally every fraction of an ounce they possibly could while maintaining strength. Those ultra-thin titanium scales are still exceptionally rigid. Trying to pinch them together as hard as you can, even with both hands, barely budges them.<\/p>\n
As for the 3.43-inch blade, Benchmade chose M390 steel for the Narrows, a premium powdered metal steel that\u2019s known for its high hardness and superior edge retention. One of the ongoing battles in the knife knut world (think GLOCK vs. 1911 or AR vs. AK) is M390 vs Magnacut.<\/p>\n
Both are premium steels. The slight compromise you arguably make with M390 in terms of toughness and ease of sharpening compared to Magnacut is balanced out by better corrosion resistance and edge retention. M390 in general and the Narrows in particular is one hell of a slicer.<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nLike those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\nOver the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Like those never-ending gun debates, there are zealots on both sizes, but you can\u2019t criticize Benchmade\u2019s choice here. Well, you can and some definitely will, but short of repeatedly batoning the hell out of it \u2014 the blade is .08\u2033 thick \u2014 very few people will be disappointed by the performance of M390.<\/p>\n
Over the last three months, I\u2019ve cut cardboard, wood, rope, food and a lot more with it and the Narrows does hasn\u2019t perceptibly dulled at all. That\u2019s a good thing, because sharpening M390 takes time and patience (Benchmade offers free sharpening if you don\u2019t mind shipping it back to the mothership in Oregon).<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/p>\nYes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\nBenchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Yes, that\u2019s an AXIS crossbar lock that Benchmade is so well known for (and so many other knife makers use now that its patent has expired). No, that isn\u2019t your father\u2019s AXIS lock.<\/p>\n
Benchmade\u2019s engineers had to redesign it to minimize the width. The old design required a thicker handle. They\u2019ve replaced the original\u2019s steel liners with stepped titanium handles that do the same thing in less space and the omega spring is gone. Expect to see this re-thought AXIS design in other knives down the road.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The pivot is almost magically smooth. The blade glides open effortlessly with the flick of the thumbstud. Benchmade used thrust bearings rather than the usual washers to minimize width and reduce friction.<\/p>\n<p>And you might think that, as thin as it is, it wouldn\u2019t be comfortable in the hand, especially when you\u2019re really bearing down on it with a firm grip. I\u2019m happy to report that just isn\u2019t the case. With its nicely radiused edges all around it feels good in the hand with no hot spots or abrasions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-541939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point.jpg 513w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-434x700.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-150x242.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-300x484.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-point-260x420.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019re probably noticed, the Narrows has Benchmade blue hardware including the pivot, thumbstud, screws, standoffs and clip. Ahh\u2026that clip.<\/p>\n<p>Benchmade has used a tried and true stamped steel deep carry clip here, one that they\u2019ve used with other models. They\u2019ve even drilled the scales with three holes if you prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/images.salsify.com\/image\/upload\/s--DRLZlShM--\/jcnxpvrdvbsijalymxzd.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their standard clip<\/a> instead. This clip, of course, has that nice Benchmade blue PVD coating. It\u2019s a good, sturdy clip that doesn\u2019t chew up your pants. I prefer sprung clips to sculpted clips eight days a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just that this one isn\u2019t\u2026perfect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541941 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full.jpg 1306w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-598x700.jpg 598w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-768x899.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-150x176.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-300x351.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-696x815.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-1068x1250.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-359x420.jpg 359w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-full-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the PVD coating is very even and nicely applied, you can see stamp marks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-700x559.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-768x613.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1536x1226.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-2048x1635.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-696x556.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1068x853.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-1920x1533.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-526x420.jpg 526w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-clip-other-edge-560x447.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Especially on the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Is that a ridiculously picky and stupid thing to notice, let alone comment on? Of course it is\u2026if we\u2019re talking about a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/things-that-dont-suck-benchmade-mini-bugout-edc-533bk-2-folding-knife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mini Bugout<\/a> (which uses the same clip). But we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a knife that will run you over $500. It seems reasonable to expect an otherwise wonderful knife \u2014 and make no mistake, the Narrows is a truly wonderful knife \u2014 to have cleaned that up.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-541943 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-2-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s literally the only gripe I can find here (we dealt with the price at the top, remember?). The Narrows is a wonder of engineering. It\u2019s jaw-droppingly light, deploys smoothly and almost telepathically, and carries incredibly comfortably, especially for a medium-size knife.<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love this thing and carry it now more than any other blade I own. It\u2019s bigger than knives I usually like to carry on a regular basis, but it\u2019s amazing slimness and ultra-light weight offset its larger size. If you get one, you\u2019ll no doubt love it, too. Assuming you\u2019re willing and able to clear that price hurdle. Here\u2019s hoping you can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specifications: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmade 748 Narrows Folding Knife<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blade Length: 3.43 in.<br \/>Overall Length: 8.02 in.<br \/>Closed Length: 4.58 in.<br \/>Weight: 2.41 oz.<br \/>Width: .28 in.<br \/>Blade Steel: Bohler M390<br \/>Handle: 6Al-4V Titanium<br \/><strong>MSRP: $580 (about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladehq.com\/item--Benchmade-Narrows-748-AXIS-Lock--179532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$520 retail<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rating: (out of five stars):<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Overall * * * * \u00be<\/strong><br \/>As much as I love everything about this knife from its materials to its engineering and ergonomics, I have to knock a <em>little<\/em> off for the finish on the clip. Just a smidge. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that this is an extraordinarily good knife.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gear-review-benchmade-748-narrows-folder\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get this part out of the way right now. The Benchmade 748 Narrows is an extremely expensive production knife. Not a little expensive. Not pretty expensive. It\u2019s\u00a0very expensive. It has an MSRP of $580 and a street price of around $520. That is a lot of dinero to spend on a production knife \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1645","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americangunpeople.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-edge-scaled.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/narrows-closed-scaled.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Narrows-feat-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Narrows")