Benchmade Redoubt Overview | GearJunkie

There could come a time when issues get just a little bizarre, society falls aside, and we discover ourselves duking it out over cans of beef stew — and for that day, many of us invested within the Benchmade Bugout knife.

However it wasn’t that. Benchmade by no means supposed the Bugout to be something greater than a light-duty knife for outside fans (and it’s, the truth is, one the perfect such knives in our testing). When Benchmade realized what was occurring, it got here out with the Bailout — a extra sturdy blade that eradicated the Bugout’s deal with flex — and aimed that on the tactical crowd. However even the Bailout wasn’t meant to be a workhorse.

Enter the subsequent evolution, the Redoubt, with model cues from the long-lasting Griptilian. It was the reply for people searching for a knife for Overlanding, residing off the grid, and customarily being ready.

So why the heck haven’t we heard that a lot about it? The Redoubt is a knife that wants our consideration — it does what you suppose the Bugout can do.

Briefly: The Redoubt is every little thing you need in a long-term-use, utilitarian workhorse. Just like the Griptilian, it’s a knife that you should use and abuse after which hand all the way down to the youngsters once they’re sufficiently old to get into the grind, off the grid. It is perhaps a juiced-up freak in comparison with the Bugout, however I’d quite have a knife that’s overbuilt and fills my hand.

Benchmade Redoubt Overview

Like the road of Griptilians which have graced the marketplace for greater than 20 years, the Redoubt is constructed off a metal body and makes use of Grivory — an injection molded thermoplastic — for its deal with enclosure so as to add influence and warmth resistance.

However the Redoubt units itself aside with its textured insert, which greets your palm and received’t allow you to let go. Benchmade refers back to the juxtaposition of coloration and texture as “Overlander Gray with Forest Inexperienced Grip.” That’s fairly good advertising and proper on the cash.

The Redoubt incorporates a deeper-than-deep pocket clip, Benchmade’s unbeatable Axis lock, and, in a stable transfer, makes use of black coated CPM-D2, in drop level type, for the blade.

I used to be particularly excited to mess around with the knife’s CPM-D2 metal, which shouldn’t be confused with D2. CPM-D2, by Crucible Industries, is a powdered metal designed to iron out imperfections within the authentic D2 recipe. The result’s stronger metal with improved edge retention and corrosion resistance.

First Impressions

Benchmade breaks up its knives into three courses: Blue for EDC use; Black for extra tactical, aggressive use; and Gold, a regal, premium-material knife that pulls out all of the stops.

The Redoubt falls into the Black class, and — primarily based on the opinions, folks appear shocked and appalled that it doesn’t look tactical sufficient. However appears may be deceiving, and within the case of the Redoubt, they most definitely are. It’s a pleasant reminder that tactical isn’t simply in type however in perform as properly.

As such, the Redoubt is powerful. It’s thicker than most knives within the Black class and has a substantial quantity of contact factors and a rock-solid construct that enable it to do all that the aforementioned knives on this article can not.

There’s no solution to ignore the design similarities between the Redoubt and a Griptilian. It’s a sensible transfer by Benchmade, because the Griptilian line is the model’s most profitable line of knives thus far and units a regular for EDC design and performance throughout the manufacturing knife market.

Within the Discipline

The Redoubt fills your hand and feels prepared for aggressive use. Its Grivory handles have a tough end and jimping on all main touchpoints. The grippy inexperienced overlay, which partially encloses the blade cavity to assist block particles, retains the knife in place in your palm, whether or not it’s moist or dry.

As a result of it’s not meant to be a elaborate knife, I didn’t thoughts getting it moist and gritty. In reality, I did just a little work on my truck, shoved the Redoubt into all kinds of soiled and rusty crevices, dropped it on the driveway, and let it roll round within the oil pan.

And I didn’t really feel dangerous about it.

No must wrap it in a diaper and discover a shaman to bless it clear. Nope, I hit it with a hose and let it dry out for some time. Briefly, it’s a blue-collar beast — like Pabst Blue Ribbon and double-knee Carhartts.

And, when you think about its cumbersome appears and stout construct, the Redoubt additionally feels surprisingly light-weight. That’s the fantastic thing about an injection-molded Grivory physique — you may lower weight with out sacrificing sturdiness.

Draw back

My one gripe is that Benchmade coated the blade metal. As somebody whose favourite metal is D2, I wished to see the place the enhancements towards corrosion occurred. However Benchmade didn’t straight disclose what the black coating on the blade is.

Nonetheless, the CPM-D2 on the Redoubt, like normal D2, didn’t really feel razor sharp, although it was. I sliced by means of some rubber hosing and formed it up a bit for some modifications I used to be making on my truck with out battle.

General

I don’t know why it feels just like the Redoubt resides within the shadows. It got here out final summer time, and I didn’t hear a lot, however perhaps it’s simply me? Although there are fairly a number of video opinions about it, they largely consist of individuals poking on the Redoubt’s appears.

By and huge, people love the blade and hate the deal with. They suppose it must be extra tactical, which once more begs the query, “What do you suppose tactical appears like?”

The Redoubt is a knife that’s meant to give you the results you want. You received’t really feel dangerous being just a little tough and messy with it. For $200, which is across the identical worth because the Bugout, you may have a pocket knife for all events.

I’ve owned numerous Griptilian fashions since 2004 and have at all times loved utilizing them since they have been constructed meant to work. With the Redoubt, multiply that exponentially. The way in which the deal with swells into your palm, lined in inexperienced grippy bits, feels reassuring.

The CPM-D2 metal, dipped in a tough textured coating, signifies that you would be able to jam the blade into a decent spot and do some prying, slicing, and stabbing with out worrying about it flexing, snapping, or getting banged up.

In the end, I’d like to see everybody utilizing a knife they will depend on. For those who’re on the lookout for a pocket knife you may be messy and aggressive with with out having to fret about a lot of any maintenance, positively take a look at the Redoubt.