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Benchmade Adds Another New Knife in the Form of the 85 Balisong

June 9, 2020

Yet another Benchmade is on the way, it seems. Hot on the heels of the Meatcrafter debut, today the company unveiled a brand new balisong, the 85 Billet Ti Bali-Song.

The 85 follows in the footsteps of the 87, the first Benchmade bali with handles each made from a single billet of titanium. That knife was part of the class of 2017, and had a massive 4.5-inch wharncliffe blade. The 85 is nearly as big, with a blade length of 4.4 inches; however, the blade shape here is a technical-looking drop point, with a pronounced recurve and stylized fuller.

It’s reasonable to assume, given the lush construction, balisong format, and relatively high price point of the 85, that most people will prefer to keep it as a collector’s piece rather than press it into duty as a day-to-day cutting tool. However, the aggressive geometry of the 85’s blade would make it a capable cutter if it is used as a large EDC. The just-released Meatcrafter was the first Benchmade knife to be made from S45VN, but here they’re back to their tried-and-true S30V.

The 85’s handles will be familiar to anybody who has owned or handled the 87. Visuall, they hearken to older Benchmade balisongs – a look that is echoed by the blade’s decorative fuller. This nod to history is compliminted with some very modern machining. Each handle half is made from a solid piece of titanium – the balisong equivalent of integral construction. The 87’s slightly shorter blade compared to the 85 does shave off a little weight too: 5.29 oz. vs. 5.37 ounces.

Benchmade has been maintaining an absolutely furious pace of new releases. Last week ended with the debut of the Meatcrafter fixed blade; before that the Tengu Tool and the Auto Osborne expanded two existing model lines; and back in the first half of May the carbon fiber Mini Freek was released.

The company says that the 85 will be available for purchase in the first half of July.

Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade 85 Billet Ti Bali-Song

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