Benchmade Redoubt Review | GearJunkie

There might come a time when issues get a little bit 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.

But it wasn’t that. Benchmade by no means supposed the Bugout to be something greater than a light-duty knife for out of doors fans (and it’s, actually, one the perfect such knives in our testing). When Benchmade realized what was happening, it got here out with the Bailout — a extra strong blade that eradicated the Bugout’s deal with flex — and aimed that on the tactical crowd. But 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 looking for a knife for Overlanding, dwelling off the grid, and usually 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 assume the Bugout can do.

In quick: The Redoubt is the whole lot you need in a long-term-use, utilitarian workhorse. Like the Griptilian, it’s a knife that you need to use and abuse after which hand right down to the youngsters after they’re sufficiently old to get into the grind, off the grid. It may be a juiced-up freak in comparison with the Bugout, however I’d slightly have a knife that’s overbuilt and fills my hand.

Benchmade Redoubt Review

Like the road of Griptilians which have graced the marketplace for greater than twenty 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.

But 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 colour and texture as “Overlander Grey with Forest Green Grip.” That’s fairly good advertising and proper on the cash.

The Redoubt includes a deeper-than-deep pocket clip, Benchmade’s unbeatable Axis lock, and, in a strong transfer, makes use of black coated CPM-D2, in drop level kind, 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 unique D2 recipe. The result’s stronger metal with improved edge retention and corrosion resistance.

First Impressions

Benchmade breaks up its knives into three lessons: 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 critiques, individuals appear shocked and appalled that it doesn’t look tactical sufficient. But appears might be deceiving, and within the case of the Redoubt, they most actually are. It’s a pleasant reminder that tactical isn’t simply in kind however in perform as effectively.

As such, the Redoubt is strong. 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’t.

There’s no option to ignore the design similarities between the Redoubt and a Griptilian. It’s a wise transfer by Benchmade, because the Griptilian line is the model’s most profitable line of knives to this point and units a normal for EDC design and performance throughout the manufacturing knife market.

In the Field

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.

Because it’s not meant to be a flowery knife, I didn’t thoughts getting it moist and gritty. In truth, I did a little bit work on my truck, shoved the Redoubt into all types 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. In quick, 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’ll be able to reduce weight with out sacrificing sturdiness.

Downside

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. But Benchmade didn’t immediately disclose what the black coating on the blade is.

Still, the CPM-D2 on the Redoubt, like customary D2, didn’t really feel razor sharp, regardless that 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 wrestle.

Overall

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? Though there are fairly just a few video critiques about it, they largely consist of individuals poking on the Redoubt’s appears.

By and huge, of us love the blade and hate the deal with. They assume it must be extra tactical, which once more begs the query, “What do you think tactical looks like?”

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

I’ve owned varied Griptilian fashions since 2004 and have at all times loved utilizing them since they had been constructed meant to work. With the Redoubt, multiply that exponentially. The means 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 could jam the blade into a good spot and perform a little prying, slicing, and stabbing with out worrying about it flexing, snapping, or getting banged up.

Ultimately, I’d like to see everybody utilizing a knife they’ll depend on. If you’re in search of a pocket knife you might be messy and aggressive with with out having to fret about a lot of any repairs, undoubtedly take a look at the Redoubt.