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This Beautiful New Benchmade Knife Redefines the Gentleman’s Folder (Exclusive)

Enjoy an early-bird sneak peek at an heirloom-worthy smorgasbord of premium materials and styling.

benchmade-crooked-river-gear-patrol-1Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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Updated

With new knives dropping daily from an ever-growing multitude of makers, it’s easy for EDC enthusiasts to become jaded, viewing them as oh so many shiny flashes in the pan.

But every so often, one comes along that stops us in our tracks, reminding us true craftsmanship ain’t dead — and that today’s new release might be the heirloom knife your great grandkid is polishing a century from now. 

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The upcoming Crooked River is a veritable masterpiece of materials and machining.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Such is the case with an upcoming Benchmade offering, a new edition of the Crooked River that can serve not only as a high-functioning outdoor blade but as a refined gentleman’s folder perfect for years of earnest use and eventual handing down to the next generation. 

What’s so special about this knife? As it will not be available until July 15, here is an exclusive sneak peek.

Uncommon ingredients

Considering the current Crooked River features a CPM-S30V stainless steel blade and a contoured wood handle with anodized aluminum bolsters, upgrading the materials is no easy task.

Stepping up to that challenge, first and foremost, is the 15080BK-04’s knife steel.

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The Mini variant of the knife boasts all the same great traits in a slightly smaller size.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

The new edition boasts a 4-inch drop-point blade made of CPM-MagnaCut, the hottest super steel around thanks to its unmatched blend of toughness, corrosion resistance and edge retention.

Said blade emerges from black canvas micarta handle scales with a burnt copper bolster. Resembling dark denim, the scales have a built-in patina that nicely mirrors the DLC Battlewash finish on the blade.

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The blade proudly advertises its world-class blade steel on the offside.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Rounding out the high-end materials is fittingly matched black oxide and black anodized hardware. 

Editor’s note: A Mini variant of the new Crooked River, also available July 15, carries the same materials with scaled-back dimensions, including a 3.4-inch MagnaCut blade. The Mini (15085BK-04) will cost $340 while the full-size knife will cost $360.

Time-tested design

While the materials should endure for years and years, the design and construction of the knife ensure it will deliver top-notch performance for decades too. 

Like so many great Benchmade knives, this 5-ounce beauty boasts the Oregon City, Oregon-based brand’s patented AXIS Lock, which is about as smooth and reliable as they come.

crooked river folded
The AXIS Lock is one of the best in the business, both satisfying to deploy and super sturdy.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Flick one of the ambidextrous thumb studs to deploy the blade, then simply pull the tabs next to the pivot and let gravity or a flick of the wrist bring it home to the handle.

A stylish split-arrow reversible pocket clip, meanwhile, ensures it’s always on your hip when you need it. 

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Switching the pocket clip from one side to the other is a simple matter of repositioning three little screws.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Pro tip for you or anyone you pass along this knife to: Benchmade will clean, oil, adjust and re-sharpen the blade to a factory edge for the life of the knife. 

No receipt required when you send it in — the classic butterfly logo alone is all it takes for the brand to accept it as one of their own and bestow the appropriate LifeSharp Service.

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The classic butterfly logo is both a nod to Benchmade’s bali-song history and the key to its factory doors.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
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.

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