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Benchmade Discontinues Loads of Knives for 2021

October 5, 2020

The Benchmade Discontinued List is out, and it’s a doozy. Dozens of models getting the cut for the new year, with all three major production lines – Black Class, Blue Class, and Hunt – being thinned out. You can check out the full list here, but we’ve listed some of the most noteworthy blades that are leaving the Benchmade lineup next year.

810 Contego

The Contego is a close cousin of the 940. It beefs up that knife’s reverse tanto blade shape for harder cutting chores, and trades in the slender aluminum handle for a more angular G-10 one.

980 Turret

Released just last year, the Turret channeled a different era of folder design, when burly blades and overbuilt handles were in vogue. That throwback style created a hardworking blade that appealed to some, but this wasn’t enough to get it a spot in the active catalog for another year.

133 Infidel Fixed Blade

This Infidel expansion brought Benchmade’s enduring OTF into the fixed knife genre, translating the double-edged dagger blade into a bigger profile, suited to an expanded range of tasks.

781 Anthem

Benchmade’s first integral served as a statement of intent from the company. Until it released, they hadn’t been playing much in the $300+ production knife arena (outside of Gold Class models). The Anthem proved that Benchmade could compete in that field as well, and it’s sure to become a collector’s piece in its retirement.

318-2 and 319-2 Proper

These fancied-up Proper models feature carbon fiber handle scales and S90V blade steel, making Benchmade’s little gentleman’s folder even more…gentlemanlier. But the CF Propers are going the way of the red G-10 variants, which were discontinued last year.

486 Saibu

Seiichi Nakamura’s elegant Saibu is on the chopping block for 2021. Its bamboo-inspired frame was paired with a CPM-20CV blade to create an EDC as high performance as it was classy.

560 Freek and 565 Mini Freek

These two hard-working knives followed in the footsteps of the Griptilian family, aiming to deliver rugged, reliable performance at a reasonable price point. Maybe their most notable feature was the handle, which was comprised of hard Grivory and softer Versaflex portions.

Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade Anthem

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