Home / Knives / Benchmade Maintains Blistering Pace, Reveals 818 Mini Loco

Benchmade Maintains Blistering Pace, Reveals 818 Mini Loco

September 18, 2017

Benchmade is maintaining a blistering pace of new product releases with news of the 818 Mini Loco. The new knife shrinks the original 808 Loco down to a more carry-friendly iteration of the premium tactical folder.

With a blade length of 3.4 inches and a 4.5 oz. weight, there is hardly anything ‘mini’ about the 818. But fans of the 808 will appreciate the two-ounce weight savings versus the original. The reduced weight comes with a minimal loss of cutting-edge, too – there’s just a .3-inch difference between the 818 and the full-sized Loco.

Visually, Benchmade kept almost every detail on the 818 the same as its bigger brother. It sports the same Osborne 940-esque reverse tanto blade shape, S30V steel, and ambidextrous thumb oval as the original. It’s outfitted with the increasingly common deep carry clip to maximize the benefits of the trimmed down package. As is also the case on the original, full stainless steel liners contribute to the heft and increase durability.

The Loco design is an unusual one in Benchmade’s lineup. It doesn’t share much family resemblance with other Benchmade knives. But, 3D-machined G-10 handles and custom hardware won’t be unfamiliar to anybody who has owned or handled the original 808.

> > Keep your folders awesome. Grab a Pack of 5 Microfiber Blade Sleeves for $8.99 < <

The 818 follows just days after the announcement of the premium “Grip Million” Mini Griptilian knife, and is now the sixth major announcement outside Benchmade’s usual SHOT Show release window. Whether the company still has more plans for the remainder of the year remains to be seen, but several 2017 releases including the Mini Coalition and Rukus II seem likely candidates for new variations in the future.

We’ve seen the full-size Loco model release in several versions, including partially-serrated and black-coated options. Currently,  only a satin finish, plain edge model is on the menu at an MSRP of $225.

Knife featured in image: Benchmade 818 Mini Loco

Related Items