Benchmade Mini Freek AXIS Lock Knife Carbon Fiber S90V (3" Stonewash) 565-1

Gold Class Looks at a Blue Class Price!!

As the title suggests. I consider the Mini Freek to be a top tier Blue Class that borders on Gold Class in the appearance department. The Red Thumb Stud and Back Spacers Really set off the Carbon Fiber Scales. I do agree that a Deep Carry clip should be the norm on ALL Benchmade knives, but this is a simple and easy swap to the deep carry. This is Benchmade #5 of 6 in total I've… read more owned. The other being the CF Bugout I ordered at the same time. Comparatively, they are just different enough to have their own respective places in my knife rotation. To wit, the Bugout is the daily, whether it be my Mini Bugout, Bugout or CF Bugout and the Freek is the Weekender/Special Event/Social knife.

Now onto the knife, its centering, factory edge, grind and pivot. The Centering is spot on, the factory edge, as with most Benchmade knives will need a little stropping, so expect a little rough cutting out of the box. All of my Benchmade Knives have needed a quick touch up to meet MY level of sharpness expectations. This is nothing against Benchmade and should be expected. The over all grind is very well centered as well. The pivot, as with all NEW Benchmade knives will come out of the box a little stiff, so expect it! Again, this isn't a drawback! Just work the knifes action and it will loosen up. Or, tweak the pivot screw so the action is to your liking.

Grips, Thumb Stud, Back Spacers and Clip. The Carbon Fiber Grips are SO nice in the hand. Words cannot describe how well they feel over the typical textured grips. You simply need to have it in hand to appreciate. Thumb stud and back spacers in red really set the Freek off in the looks department. I would love to see Flytanium replacements in other colors and materials and after this review I'll probably take a peek. Orange is my color so.....yeah. Now onto the ONLY drawback/shortfall with the knife. It comes with that blasted outdated high carry pocket clip. Sure, it's easy enough to switch out, but Come On Benchmade! Ditch that old tired clip and give us the Deep Carry as standard! I'd also love to see a red deep carry clip or Orange in my case. But the high carry clip? Nah...Not my Cup-o-Jo.

In closing, price vs. what you're getting. 100% worth it! Premium Steel, Carbon Fiber and in a smaller form factor for those of us who prefer a more discrete carry option. Fits great in my medium size hands with a firm three and a half finger grip. The 3" blade is an optimum compromise between a large and small knife. I consider this knife a Medium size knife and in the realm of my preferred carry of 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" blade length. If you're considering a Benchmade, most will gravitate to the Bugout as their first Benchmade, and that is a great first! But being a decades long user of Benchmades, The Freek is even nicer than my CF Bugout (#6 in the collection). If you're expecting that perfect action right out the box, realize that as with anything new, the Freek will need a break in period. Carry On! Zip~

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Excellently Designed and Manufactured

The best way I can describe this knife is: intuitive. This is the easiest to use knife I have ever owned. It can be opened in many different and useful ways, it's very comfortable, the blade is designed to slice well, and it carries excellently.

I'm a firm believer in not giving a product 5 stars if I can find anything against it, but I'm going against this this practice,… read more because my only gripes against it are the use of T6 screws (so what), and that it is pricey (so what).

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Beautiful Knife

This one of the best looking knifes I have seen. The milling on the carbon feels amazing in your hand, and the red spacers really add to its overall good looks. This is a small knife (~7") but still feels right. I can get all 4 fingers on the handel with little overhang.
The only down side to this knife was the factory edge. It was not as I would have expected it to be from… read more Benchmade... But, even with that in mind, I am happy with this knife and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tough and very good looking EDC.

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Love it!

The 3" blade is enough for most daily tasks and with a 7" overall length, the knife feels good in your hand. It is easy to carry. It could use a deep carry clip if you wanted to add one. The blade comes really sharp and the S90V is a great steel. The knife is pretty light because it has all carbon fiber handles. The black carbon fiber with red accents looks awesome in my opinion… read more as well. I'm very happy with this knife even if it is a little pricey.

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