Benchmade 945BK-1 Mini Osborne AXIS Lock Knife Black G-10 (2.9" Black)

BladeHQ Exclusive (Blackout Version)

This is such an Awesome Knife & I Love it so much! Perfect for EDC… It’s Funny that this Knife Design has been around for like 20-Years now and Still has that Perfect Function w/ a Modern looking Design.

Please BladeHQ!.. Make a (BladeHQ Exclusive) “Blackout Version” of this Knife!.. Black Liners, Black Spacers, Black Hardware, Black Grip, Black Blade. All Black Everything!!

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Great knife

very sharp and great quality

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Over priced and not sharp

After a few months of owning this knife, being my first mid-high end knife, I've been a little disappointed in its sharpness. I mainly use it for cutting boxes and zip ties. It would rip printer paper rather than actually cutting through it. Pretty inconvenient for someone without the tools or knowledge on how to sharpen knives properly.

Action was fine out of the box, a… read more little tight but broke in within about a day of Flipping it open and close.

Even with its smaller size I didn't have any issues with the ergonomics, lock location, and it wasn't intrusive in my pocket.

Overall great knife. I just can't recommend paying 175$ for a knife that comes dull.

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Now we need the 9450 (auto mini osborne)

Maybe my new favorite edc. I have started to prefer smaller lighter knives for edc, and as far as manual knives this is now my preferred over all my others... So wish they would make an auto version of this to compete with my Protech Brend 2. Definitely has a better all around feel then my mini bugout or even full size bug out. I went for the black although i think any benchmade… read more fan should own an original green osborne, but wish they had made the back spacer design the same as the full size rather ten the barrel spacers... plus the black blue combo is so nice. highly recommended...

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Excellent design, poor quality control.

I love the size, look, and feel of this knife! It is crazy lite and all around just a great knife made with quality materials.

The downside is that Benchmade’s quality control is terrible. If they’re going to ask for $175, the knife needs to come with zero flaws. Action out of the box was bad and had considerable lock stick. One of the screws was caked in loctite so… read more disassembly was a nightmare. And personally, I’m not a fan of the coarse edge benchmade puts on their knives. I just think it’s ugly and a bit lazy.

I’ve fixed all the problems and now it works great but for $175 it shouldn’t have come with the problems in the first place.

I expected more of a company I respect so much.

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Nice Little EDC

I've had this knife for about a month and it's become my go-to for EDC. I have quite a few Benchmade knives in my collection and was intrigued by the 945. Out of the box, it was a little gritty, but after some cleaning, nano-oil, and use, the action has become near perfect. The blade came pretty sharp, but I put a more keen edge on it and it seems to be holding up fairly well. Centering… read more was dead on with this example. It carries nicely and is lightweight. The example I have has no blade play and no noticeable flex. That said, another knife would be a good choice for hard use since this is a smallish EDC focused knife. The only thing I don't like is the thumb stud tends to get in the cutting path on long cuts of cardboard. Otherwise, this knife has been a joy to use.

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Nice but overpriced

David H. wrote a great review. I have the full size Osbourne in the green and even added an aftermarket deep pocket carry clip in purple to match. But as a lady, the pockets on my clothes are not deep enough for any knife, so it was just a fashion upgrade. When I got the mini as a gift the first thing I did was remove the crap clip they put on it. That made me drop 2 stars. Benchmade… read more infuriates me when they put that basic clip on expensive knives. I then have to call them and pay $5 (it's not free anymore) for a deep pocket clip. Just save us all time and include it already! But I digress; I removed the clip and let it sit in my pocket like the Proper. It is beautiful and very useful. The full size Osbourne is just too much for my dainty hands, but like David H. wrote, this mini isn't for serious use. I open boxes, cut garden hoses and other simple tasks with it. I still love it and it is in my mini rotation along with the bugout, barrage and griptilian.

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Most disappointing purchase of 2021, Kids version of a mans tool knife.

As a Machinist & Tinker I see a knife as a tool. This review is from the point of view of someone who would be using the 945BK-1 as a daily EDC that gets used on a daily basis. From cutting rope & ribeye's, to whittling wood, stripping wires & splinter removal. This is also my first review, that's how strong my reaction to this knife is.

I always liked the original 940,… read more it is a very well made & tough knife. But the color!!! Unless you like the joker (Green & Purple) or want to pay up for a custom or special edition its just not a good choice. I really wanted to love this one, looks great and with a much more EDC friendly blade size. The blade steel is good, it has held its edge so far. This little knife does also have a very smooth action without any break-in. The Axis lock does let you open and close it with a flip of the wrist! However it can be a bit hard to use the Axis lock due to its awkward size and shape of the handle.

But unlike its big brother the toughness and durability just isn't there. This thing flexes like a $20 budget import. I could snap this thing in half easily, and it feels cheep. My $35 CJRB RIA feels better, and flexes less! The pocket clip is not deep carry, so a big chunk sticks out of your pocket. I think a deep carry might not be a good idea though, it might be a hot spot. But this thing does feels like a cheap steak knife in hand anyway, so I guess maybe a hot spot would give you something to grab onto.

If you are a Man or Woman with small hands, THIS KNIFE ISN'T FOR YOU! If you want to get your kid a cute little knife to match your adult knife, Perfect! Their little muscles likely wont bend or break it. Until they outgrow it at around 12 year old.

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Perfect out the box.

I've bought several Benchmade knives, all from BladeHQ and this is the first one that was absolutely perfect out of the box. No blade play. Perfectly smooth. No lube needed, no pivot adjustment needed, just perfect. Also probably the sharpest Benchmade factory edge so far.

I really like the blue base layer and the blue spacers, combined with the black blade and black hardware… read more is a really nice combo. I replaced the clip with a mini deep-carry clip I bought from Benchmade.

The G-10 here is really smooth, could be pro or con depending on your preferences; I usually prefer a gripper G-10, but for this design with the extra jimping I can still get a secure grip.

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Gentlemen's EDC

Beautiful piece, slim and carries easy. This is my third benchmade and it is as expected in terms of fit and finish. I have small hands and for me, it barely fits all 4 fingers if you hold it in a hammer first. Barely 4, more like 3.75 fingers if you hold it with the thumb jimping. Mine still has slight lock stick, but I'm assuming that'll go away with time. The only thing I'd change… read more here is the G10. It is really smooth, I wish there was a little more texture so it feels more secure in hand. With the recent price drop, I highly recommend this one.

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Benchmade quality and a Benchmade price

I've wanted a Benchmade 940 for a very long time, but generally am not a fan of blades pushing 3.5", so I figured the 945 Mini Osborne would fit the bill perfectly. While it's a fine knife, there are some issues specific to this knife, and other issues which have become unfortunately common across the brand.

On the plus side, the construction materials exhibit a high level… read more of quality. The S30V blade is a great slicer and the G-10 handles feel almost like aluminum (minus the cold touch). The action, once broken in, is wonderfully smooth. The blade flicks open very nicely, and it will drop shut once the AXIS long is disengaged - so easily that you need to be careful not to have a finger in the way. My blade was centered perfectly, although I think this is an overrated measure of quality. As long as the blade doesn't make contact with the liner and it's straight when open, the "center-ness" while closed is a purely aesthetic issue.

The problem with the blade is that it wasn't very sharp out of the box. It ripped printer paper when trying to slice through it. I had to touch it up on my Sharpmaker to bring the edge to an acceptable level. This isn't something which should need to done on a knife this expensive before 1st time use. Also, the G-10 handles are too smooth to provide a secure grip considering its small size. While providing an almost metal-like feel, the handle can slip around in the hand if you're not careful. A little more texture on the scales is needed.

Now the problems with this knife that are common across many Benchmades. First, it's way overpriced. The so-called "butterfly tax" results in a knife that's probably 30-40% more expensive than it should be. When you buy this knife, you're paying almost as much for the name as you are for the materials. The next issue is the AXIS locks have an annoying habit of becoming stuck if the blade is opened forcefully enough. This will smooth out after a hundred or so flicks but, just like the dull blade, this simply shouldn't be an issue on a knife at this price coming out of the box. Not everyone reports dull blades and/or sticky locks, so this points to an ongoing issue at Benchmade with their quality control.

There are a lot of knifemakers doing as much or more with their blades at a far lower price to the consumer (look at what Civivi and Kizer are releasing lately). I'm concerned Benchmade has become so comfortable with the reputation they've built over the years that they've become either complacent in their ability to keep pace with a rapidly improving budget to mid-tier market, or they're simply arrogant in thinking that people will continue buying their products based on name alone. We've seen once-dominant brands like GM, Blockbuster, Motorola, and Kodak watch the market pass them by as they rested on their laurels. There's a reason you rarely see anyone under 40 riding a Harley-Davidson. Benchmade will always have its brand-loyalists, but if they don't do something about their pricing and QC, that shrinking base of brand-loyalists may eventually be all that remain.

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I wanted to love it

I reaaaally wanted to love this knife. Solid steel, solid build, meh coating (DLC is much better than cerakote), but it's just a little too small. I consistently found the thumb studs hitting stuff I was cutting.

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Very happy with my purchase

Im not a knife expert but I'm impressed with the look and overall quality of the knife.

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Great, but a bit awkward.

Great knife. Standard exceptional Benchmade quality. However, if you’re looking for something small and compact, this may not be for you. I don’t think the design of the Osborne suits this size. The contours of the Osborne make this knife feel very small in the hand and a bit unstable. It also makes it difficult to engage the thumb stud. My mini Bugout however is the same size… read more but feels just as sturdy and comfortable as its big brother.

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Beautiful

Beautiful knife. Nice smooth action. Love the Axis lock. It feels expensive in the hand. Agree with other reviewer however that if you have a griptilian or a mini bugout they are essentially the same with mildly different looks.

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Good knife

Pretty decent knife but something to take note is the blade/handle length is almost identical to my mini bugout and mini griptilian sheepsfoot. The blades are almost exactly the same when you put the osborne ontop of the mini grip the only big difference is the spine of the osborne its cut flat where the opening hole would be on the mini grip.

so is it worth it for the price… read more difference over a mini grip almost half the cost? (considering the difference of handle materials, design ect) if your a fan of the 940 you'll like it

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