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Benchmade’s Most Controversial Folding Knife Is Back and More Affordable Than Ever

With an EDC form factor that belies its backcountry bona fides, it’s the kind of blade few brands dare to make.

Close-up of a folding knife blade and handle. The blade is metallic with a matte finish and has the text "ELMAX PAT: benchmade.com/pat" etched on it. The handle features a textured black grip with visible screws and a locking mechanism. The background is a rough, speckled surface.Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published

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Updated

Just over a year ago, Benchmade launched a new product that in the minds of many enthusiasts raised a controversial question: Does a survival knife’s blade need to be fixed?

The renowned Oregon City, Oregon-based brand made a helluva case with the PSK (Personal Survival Knife), which boasted top-notch materials, a rugged design and the premium price tag to match.

Folding knife with a gray blade featuring three rectangular cutouts and a butterfly logo near the base. The handle is two-toned, with a black section near the blade and a textured light gray section extending to the end, which has a lanyard hole. The knife is placed on a textured stone surface.
The new PSK notably swaps MagnaCut Steel for Elmax in the blade and G10/carbon fiber for grivory in the handle.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Despite the (perhaps largely semantic) fuss, or perhaps buoyed by it, the PSK was a big hit — one the brand says has proven to be one of the toughest, most reliable, borderline indestructible knives they make.

So it was really only a matter of time before Benchmade rolled out a (relatively) more affordable variant. But can the $325 593GY-02 PSK match its predecessors? Let’s take a closer look.

Fresh ingredients

In addition to the brashness of positioning a folder as a survival knife, something else that stands out about the original PSKs (yes, there were actually two original editions) is the material involved.

The flagship PSK (593BK) boasts a 3.4466-inch drop-point blade made of MagnaCut super steel (prized for its unbeatable mix of toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance), finished in protective Cerakote, plus grippy G10 handle scales.

Folding pocket knife with a textured handle, featuring a two-tone design in light gray and black, resting on a rough, brownish surface. The knife is closed, showing screws and a lanyard hole on the handle.
With a closed length of 4.95 inches, the PSK should stash securely in your pocket or pack.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Its elevated brother, the 539BK-01, features the same blade steel and a Cerakote finish, plus a handle made of carbon fiber and G10, which lightens the load just a bit, from 5.328 ounces down to 5.223 ounces.

The new PSK dispenses with the pleasantries, opting instead for an all-business Elmax stainless powder steel blade (again with a Cerakote finish) plus a handle made of ultralight grivory.

The update is just a pinch smaller, with its blade measuring 3.44 inches. More notable on the specs front is how much lighter it is — the substance swaps translate to a nearly 16% dropoff from the flagship model, tipping the scales at 4.48 ounces.

A folding knife with a silver blade and a textured handle. The handle is two-toned, with the upper part black and the lower part light gray. The blade has three cut-out sections near the spine and a logo near the base. The knife is placed on a rough, light brown surface.
With an open open length is 8.39 inches, the PSK is in the neighborhood of some of the best survival knives.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Beyond these differences, the new PSK carries all the well-received hallmarks of the knives that came before, including a super-sturdy Axis lock and an Axis Assist with Integrated Safety mechanism for swift, smooth deployment.

Let’s not forget a lanyard hole and reversible tip-up pocket clip for easy carry, plus a ferro rod striking choil in the heel of the blade, strategically un-Cerakoted to optimize fire-starting fortitude.

Same result?

All of which leads to a different question: Can a survival knife with less-rugged materials possibly perform as well as its predecessors?

I’ll answer that with another question: What are you planning to use it for? Because as we’ve noted on these very pages, MagnaCut and other super steels, while fantastic, are often more than you actually need. 

Folding knife with a textured handle featuring a light gray upper section and a black lower section. The handle has a black metal clip attached with a butterfly logo. The blade is partially visible and has a matte finish with some geometric patterns near the base. The knife is placed on a rough, light brown stone surface.
The reversible pocket clip and angular lanyard hole give you multiple carry options, including stringing a cord through the hole and wearing as a neck knife.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

If you are the type to push your knife to the limit, regularly, during ambitious backwoods adventures involving bushcrafting activities such as batoning, by all means, shell out the extra $75 for the flagship (or $125 for a bit of carbon fiber, if you’re feeling fancy).

However, if you’re more in the market for an overqualified EDC folder that can capably tackle occasional forays off the beaten path, the new PSK deserves serious consideration. 

After all, Elmax is no slouch, boasting pretty high wear resistance, toughness and corrosion resistance itself, especially when reinforced by Cerakote.

Close-up of a folding knife blade and handle. The blade is made of ELMAX steel, as indicated by the white text on the blade. The blade has a matte finish with three rectangular cutouts near the spine. The handle is textured black with visible screws and a locking mechanism. The knife is resting on a rough, stone-like surface.
Benchamde would not boldly print the name of the steel on the off side of the blade if they did not stand by it.
Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

The grivory handle, meanwhile, lightens your load while still standing up to its fair share of abuse. 

Now, does this silver, black and white edition look good? C’mon, we’re talking Benchmade here. It ain’t even a question.

The Benchmade PSK 593GY-02 will be available beginning September 18 for $325. You can sign up now to be notified when it launches.

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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