Benchmade’s Newest and Best-Looking Flipper Is Also Its Most Affordable

Material swaps help the darkly dazzling new Lowden treatment upgrade the aesthetics while shaving $50 off the price.

Close-up of a black textured plastic component with a brass threaded insert and a black screw.

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As wide-ranging and robust as Benchmade’s lineup of EDC knives is, the brand offers surprisingly few options featuring that fidget-friendly staple, the rear flipper.

In the current catalog, there are only two: the Lowden, which launched around this time last year, and the Vector, which dates back to 2018.

Black folding knife with textured handle and partially serrated blade resting on a black fabric surface. — For those who always bet on black, Benchmade’s latest Lowden is not only its most wallet-friendly flipper but also its most attractive.

Making the Lowden even more unique is the fact that this knife employs Benchmade’s patented Axis Lock, not Axis Assist, making it the brand’s only truly manual flipper.

Though both knives are pricey ($350), Benchmade just made the Lowden a bit more affordable, thanks to some darkly dazzling material swaps that turn it into arguably the best-looking of the bunch.

Lock and Lowden

Formally known as the 491BK-02, the latest Lowden treatment retains the silhouette of its more colorful predecessors.

Highlights include a 2.79-inch spear-point blade, Axis Lock flipper mechanism, gently contoured handle and reversible pocket clip.

Black folding pocket knife with textured handle and metal clip on a dark reflective surface. — The knife retains the reversible pocket clip and Asis Lock flipper mechanism of earlier iterations.

However, the materials used in both the blade and the handle mark a distinct departure from what has come before.

Whereas the earlier Lowdens employ Böhler M390, the new one opts for S90V, which is certainly different, but for most EDC users, frankly, not that different.

They are both super steels, after all, but if you really want to split hairs, M390 offers greater overall toughness, corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening, while S90V offers superior edge retention and wear resistance.

Black folding knife with a textured handle and a partially serrated blade on a dark background. — The new blade material is S90V, which, in the grand scheme of knife steels, is not *that* different from M390.

It’s worth noting that the new Lowden gets a Cerakote finish, boosting corrosion resistance and narrowing the gap between the two steels on that metric.

Meanwhile, the handle material shifts from anodized aluminum to milled G10, a potentially more meaningful change.

Whereas aluminum is a pretty tough material, it is also prone to nicks and scratches, and its smooth surface is harder to grip.

Black textured folding knife with a metal clip and a visible brass pivot screw on a black fabric surface. — Aesthetically, the new Lowden most resembles the polarizing Gold Class variant, which costs $1,500 more.

Though considered “cheaper,” G10 offers its own durability, light weight and grippiness, with the milled nature of the new Lowden lending itself to a firm, confident grasp.

As laudable as aluminum’s strength-to-weight ratio is, the new handle also comes in notably lighter, helping the knife hit 2.55 ounces, nearly half an ounce lighter than the 2.99 ounces of earlier versions.

Two black folding knives with textured handles and copper-colored pivot screws, shown from the back on a black background. — The milled G10 handle scales may be less durable than aluminum, but they are also lighter and easier to grip.

Considering the fact that most users won’t abuse these knives enough for the materials to make that much difference, aesthetics may be a more important factor, and that’s where the new Lowden really wins out.

The blacked-out blade and handle, beautifully accented by the burnt copper lock bar, are pretty dang unbeatable, especially when you can save 50 bucks in the process.

Availability and pricing

The Lowden 491BK-02 is available now for $300.

Benchmade

Benchmade Lowden 491BK-02

$300 at Benchmade

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.