Benchmade 710 bias-free review and tests. ​⁠

This is a full-up review of the resurrected McHenry & Williams Seven Ten by Benchmade. Some things got better and some stayed the same. In this video I did it all: partial disassembly, hardware analysis, resilience test, sharpness demonstration, and Rockville hardness verification. I also re-profiled the edge with before and after looks under the microscope.
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00:00:00 Intro
00:24:00 2024 & 2011 Unboxings
00:54:00 Size comparisons
00:01:56 Hype Smasher test
00:04:35 Look inside
00:04:52 Flat Omega spring?
00:05:56 Looking at 2024 edge
00:10:30 Harness test of 2024 blade
00:13:08 What changed in 13 years?
00:14:28 Hardness test of 2011 blade
00:16:10 Looking at 2011 edge
00:16:50 Sharpener setup tips
00:18:12 Cutting demonstration
00:19:00 Sharpened edge close up
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#benchmade #knife #sharp #edc #everydaycarrygear #edcknife #everydaycarry
#foldingknife

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Full rate production 710 is officially available for sale now. For a mare $405. And, as usual, smoke will be blown by many infomercial-style reviewers up Benchmade’s rear end. But YOU came here for the honest, unaffiliated review. Let it rip in the comments!

[@matthewcullen7106]

I'll admit I wasn't the biggest fan of some of your earlier videos and the spine whack tests, but the dedication, equipment and testing methods in this video are on a totally different level. This kind of thing is great for the community.

[@asmrlouisiana]

This became my most trusted channel for the knife reviews. Very scientific and lots of thoughts put into the reviews. Thank you.

[@Painterrap]

Honestly you’re probably the best knife reviewer on the planet. With all of the technical and scientific testing, no one really matches you. I think your channel will eventually blow up. But please don’t take the money from the manufacturers, keep putting out honest and unbiased content.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

No plans to monetise that way. If a manufacturer came to me for consultation, I would charge a standard fee, in dollars, not party favours, and leave that knife out of my feed for other channels to review. And another restriction for me is: I can’t have fiscal relations with foreign entities. So Reate, Vosteed, Remette and such will have to rely on the usual slew of sweat pants reviewers.

[@Bostonshawn508]

Hey! Wait, is that a… it is! A microphone. So cool my brother, you sound much better. Your channel has to start blowing up with many more subs, how could it not? The information and testing with scientific equipment makes a huge impression. The more cutlery collectors that do this type in-depth analysis may make knife companies stay honest or not exaggerate so much. Thanks bro.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Were you the one who mentioned the mike? I ordered it the same day. It’s slightly more premium than the usual Amazon junk, has noise reduction and two mikes, the base allows charging the phone when connected. Am happy!

[@Bostonshawn508]

Yes I did mention the mic and you sounded good, loud and clear 5 by 5 as they say. Keep up the great videos.

[@Billfish57]

I have collected over a hundred high quality pocket knives over the last 40 years and I have always told everyone that would listen that the Benchmade 710 is my favorite. I recently received the anniversary 710 with the Magnacut blade and beautiful black handles. I love it of course. My favorite is the Gold class 710 with Damascus blade and carbon fiber handles with blue inlays, I got this about 10 years ago and have used it a lot. About that same time I got a 710 with M390 polished blade and a blue handle that is very nice that I have used a lot in the field, I do landscape design in Miami. About 20 years ago, more i think, I got my first 710 that came with black D2 steel and black handles, It cost 175 and that was a lot of money for a pocket knife back then, but I loved using it everyday, I stabbed open a lot of fertilizer and mulch bags with that pointy blade and wore off a decent amount of black paint off that blade but still looks cool. That knife made me a lot of money. My M390 blue class cost 450. and also got heavy use with only a few scratches on it, in hindsight, I probably wouldn't have scratched it up at all but I'm not crying over it, it still looks and works great. My pride of the fleet is that gold class with Damascus and carbon fiber that cost 550 10 years ago and is my all time favorite, if I could only keep one knife in my collection, that would be it. This latest blue class that cost 600 bucks last month and to me is worth it because of lot's of reasons, I probably won't give it the work out I did my other three 710's because I am done landscaping and now don't need to use blades like I used to but I still keep buying them. Thanks for this review and look, inside and out of the new 710 you got and I'm glad I'm not the only one that loves this knife design so much. It's sexy blade shape, just the right length and fits in the pocket without taking up so much room like my Spyderco's do. All this years of a 4 inch blade in my pocket and use I think ruined my ability to walk out the door with a 3 inch blade on me. BTW, my collection is mostly Benchmade, Spyderco, Microtech, about 25 of each and then several Rockstead, Chris Reeves, Protech, Victorinox, Leatherman , RMJ, Winkler, Spartan, and some one off's I also like a lot but the 710 is my favorite for several reasons. I listed my other knife brands not to show off but to show what that 710 is up against and it won easily. Great channel you have here, thank you very much. Cheers.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I would love to add the Gold class like you have, the very first ATS-34 bladed, and a 154CM versions to the collection.

[@samturner6455]

I have the ats-34 and the M2 version. M2 is probably favorite steel on the 710.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@samturner6455 M2 is an interesting choice!

[@vintran9127]

I really appreciate how thorough and honest all of your reviews are. You are always testing the current knives/steels. I learn a lot from your videos. Keep up the great work. Thank you.

[@Huey4214]

Really good close, hard look at the 710, thanks for the great work and details provided .

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Appreciate your response!

[@stevendalton7686]

I feel like I've been to school! Thank you for this!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Hahah! A school of physics or psychiatry? 🤣

[@reconrc1787]

Great video and we love the deep dive technical discussion and data points you provide. Please keep the knowledge coming!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Will do!

[@mel87123]

Love the time capsule comparison! Fantastic idea!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thank you! That was a lucky find! I’m pretty good at lucky finds…

[@mangobadger]

Fascinating analysis and comparison. I did not see that voice over coming at the end. Can’t believe how much further BM manages to fall!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

They see it as success. But Kershaw, Boker, and Spyderco will overtake them.

[@Elmax17.5dps]

As always this was a great scientific review. Thanks

[@caheme1984]

I Know that your knive company would be superb just waiting on u to start one. Great video per usual.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I know to much about manufacturing situation in the US…. It would be a crazy move!

[@christopherr1711]

Honestly with what other American knife companies are charging currently I am fine with this price point given the added warranty that comes with it. Thanks for confirming hardness glad it meets specs and parameters posted on benchmade site.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Honestly, after the Ram Loc was fixed last April, Microtech Amphibian is a better choice. IMHO

[@christopherr1711]

@@CuttingBoardRx good to know! I have not handled Amphibian yet I’ll have to check it out

[@carbon_root]

Thanks!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thank you so much! Great to have you on the channel!

[@BladeLabMiami]

Hey, CBR! I'm glad you decided to try the gel on the hardness test. I think it's a big improvement over testing dry. Something else I like to do is try at least one strike on the opposite side of the tang. Sometimes I see a difference, and in that case, I always go with the higher hardness side, because I figure it's making better contact.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks for coming forward! Awesome advice, I’ll definitely try it out.

[@dambigfoot6844]

I just saw that Benchmade is releasing Osbornes mini, regular, and auto in Magnacut towards the end of July. I am very excited that Benchmade is starting to offer the Magnacut option on already existing popular models. From what I see its a $30-$60 price increase which I think is very reasonable

[@SteinzVsKnives]

my channel is growing brotha thank you for the info you gave me !

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Keep it up!

[@carbon_root]

Thank you for all that you put into your videos, I've learned quite a bit about the craftsmanship that's put into making production knives. I feel the same like many others do about benchmade and their pricing compared to the craftsmanship they put into their knives. I love so many of their designs but am pushed away once i see the pricing and i look at what others like yourself have to say if it's worth buying. You've definitely got my sub and a lil thank you $$ for your services. Slice on brother🔪

[@CuttingBoardRx]

The most annoying thing about Benchmade, they put a ton of effort into designing and crafting a perfect knife but then give this beautiful piece of engineering and craftsmanship to someone who will f-up the edge and especially the tip to that extent?! Somehow Spyderco manages to deliver a near perfect edge on EVERY knife.

[@carbon_root]

@@CuttingBoardRx I absolutely agree, also another reason why I'm a huge Spyderco user/abuser & collector. Them edges my friend are well tuned.

[@jayrod1980]

Ooh I like the launch with that wharncliffe blade

[@heavyweightsound]

Once again, your intro had me cracking up! 🤣🤣🤣 Yay reality!

[@BlueWingedRino]

Woah! My 710 cost me 95 bucks a little over 10 years ago. When BM implemented map I was pretty much done with them.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

In 2011 the 710 in D2 had MSRP of $170 so you got a great deal. That would be $235 in today’s money

[@BladeWalker77]

I lost the opportunity to buy a Benchmade years ago, and in Italy, prices are even higher . But the Griptilian is still affordable.

[@DXSharpening]

Great video and test as always. I just unexpectedly bought a Case Longhouse today after feeling it in store for the first time, would love to see a review of it! The clip is unfortunately the same as rhe Marilla and Kinzua, but the feel of it is fantastic and it is in 20CV, curious to see the hardness testing of it.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Dang it! You remind me that I bought the Longhouse and was going to film a review! Thanks! It’s a decent knife but the lock could be stronger. I do have an Rx for that!

[@DXSharpening]

@@CuttingBoardRx Looking forward to it! Appreciate the response

[@Steel_addiction71]

I think this is reasonably priced for what it is. If Spyderco made a similar knife in Golden, it would cost the same if not more IMO. Mine should be here tomorrow as the USPS is painfully slow lately. 😂

[@jeffpeters4497]

Great video! Thank-you for an honest review. I have a 25 year old 710 that I bought while still in the Army and it instantly became my favorite edc and still is. I was going to buy a new one retire it the old one but I was just a little to late, Benchmade had just retired it. I would love to get one of the new ones but it it just way to far out of my price range. That is one big place I think Benchmade fails is in the pricing (or should I say overpricing) of their merchandise.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Good morning! They are targeting the consumer that shops at REI or other boutique outdoors stores, where a pair of merino wool boxers brief underpants sells for $50.

[@jeffpeters4497]

@@CuttingBoardRx I know and that makes me sad because I have been such a Benchmade geek for so long.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

It was a pretty expensive knife in 1999, you probably paid around $100 at the PX for it? That would be $188 in today’s dollars. I paid $315 for mine, after a 30% discount, so where did the $127 difference go?

[@markdamon77]

Have you looked at compliance Edge?

[@dayannahkali]

I love my Benchmades, I have only two, and at the time they were not that overpriced (super Freek at 250 and hidden canyon for 210) but now we see overpriced models and inferior heat treat. Your channel is definitely up there, keep going, GG

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks! Help me get more subs so that the companies start paying attention!

[@dayannahkali]

I will, also American speaking knife nerds are quite rare in my circle here in France.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@dayannahkali Can’t help you there, but I have a question: other than Opinel, are there other French brands worth checking out?

[@dayannahkali]

@@CuttingBoardRx We have a large tradition of knives in the province of Thiers, they are most famous for the folder Laguiole, produced in a wide variety, from 10 to 1000+ euros. Nontron is also quite famous, like opinel, but a little more premium. We have also a lot of traditional form factors depending on the province. Some are non-locking at all, some are slipjoints like the Laguiole or with a "virole", the rotating collar like opinel. The steel is 12c27 at best, or 1075 for low alloy. And we also have customs made in little shops, like everywhere, I suppose. All in all, I’d say that we have a clear orientation towards tradition over performance, cutlery wise, we see a lot more bone, brass, antler, wood and crap steel than S90V and carbon fiber, also they exist. I encourage you to add a Laguiole to your collection, also I consider it the worst knife possible, it is still very very gentleman style.

[@tgonzalez1983]

I wouldn’t mind getting the 710. Just would’ve preferred the visuals of the limited edition. The white will show wear more

[@Barney_Greenway]

Benchmade is very consistent with their edges, you have to give them that 😂

[@pateralus9]

17:34 Am I hearing correctly that the spine of the blade doesn't need to be paralell to the jaws? How do you determine whether you have the correct true angle you're trying to sharpen to? If the blade itself is angled, wouldn't that throw off any angle measurements you take to determine your secondary bevel angle? I have a Wicked Edge, & one of the most important things I do to prepare to sharpen is to ensure the blade is sticking as stright up to 90 degrees as I can get it. That way I know I can get both sides of the bevel equal.

[@norrisfong6445]

Cant you measure the angle of the arm at different points along the blade and get an average?

[@matthewsbernier]

Benchmade's heat treat on D2 made me curious about their heat treatment on their CPMD2, and sure enough, that became one of my favorite steels. People don't believe me when I tell them it noticably outperforms their S30V, and maybe that's because their S30V isn't as optimal, but it's not even close between them. I want to try their Cruwear at some point. Also heard great things about what they do with that steel.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Take a look at my videos about Benchmade Claymores, all of them are CPM D2 and it’s definitely a great steel.

[@toma1460]

You can definitely tell between a mass produced machine sharpen vs finished hand sharpening.

[@brayansalazargonzalez6772]

Hello which knife do you recommend buying, I am looking for something with a 3’ blade or less or a little longer. I was thinking a mini griptilian. I already have a hogue Deja, Kershaw bel air, Spyderco para 3, sog terminus xr, cjrb pryite, and Kizer drop bear.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Since yo seem to be opened to knives made overseas, and are on a mini grip budget, check out Reate PL-XT or even more budget, Vosteed Raccoon with top liner button lock. I reviewed/tested both and found them well made and well aligned with the price. They are $118 and $60 respectively. With the Raccoon make sure it’s the correct lock because they have regular button locks and cross bar locks on the same model. The one I’m recommending has a button that is not recessed.

[@Billfish57]

Spyderco Delica with K390 is a fantastic small knife for about 132.00. That blade steel is my favorite right now but if you want one, you better move fast because they are selling out and probably won't be coming back. For a Benchmade, the mini Grip is a great choice, I have one and love it as a neck knife. For me, the steel is half the knife so getting a super steel makes my day and if you don't abuse the blade, you may never need to sharpen that K390, it will stay sharp as long as you strop it once a week or month, depending how much you use it. Wipe a little oil on it with a rag once a in awhile too, it's not stainless but it will hold fine, that steel is unbelievable for EDC. I have the Eudora and the Stretch 2 but I may pick up that Delica too. It's that good.

[@jayrod1980]

Wow I didn’t know Benchmade did that for their prices… I mean I know they are expensive and I love every BM I own but I got them all 25% off retail through Gov-X (military). I’ll have to check out whether Gov-X raised their prices

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I shop at MCX sometimes and they did raise prices twice in the last 18 months. On top of that, it looks like BM no longer has the contract with USG, the last new knife model at MCX was TaggedOut that came out last year. Thank you for your service, Sir

[@jbmc638]

Thought we would see some tree of death stabbin..... now I will never know how strong a $400 tip is.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I have a major cut on my right hand middle finger that prevents me from a) stabbing the Tree of Doom and b)flipping off some sarcastic fans! 🤣😅 just kidding! Love your comment!

[@SneakyCaleb]

I love mine and I didn’t pay over $200

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Great to hear

[@jlogue751]

Ritter/hogue or this case griptilian....lmao..nice

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I know who you’ve been watching!

[@Logan2070]

Benchmade is not this premium...I have over a dozen BMs but I'd never pay the prices they are now asking.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

In their mind, they aren’t charging premium prices by 2024 standards. They look at brands like WE or Rike and think “if folks are paying $300 for a Chinese knives, why shouldn’t we charge 50% more? Not arguing their side, just guessing how they think…

[@Carnivorous_edc]

If Benchmade sharpened their knives better it would bring up the price about 10,000😂😂😂

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I would be ok with them outsourcing sharpening to Kershaw or Spyderco

[@armandkokotajlo2085]

I wanted a new 710 to replace my D2 but come on the price is ridiculous... for the price putting aluminium scales is a scam...

[@mattrc77]

More like a 325 then 400.

[@EDCandLace]

Benchmades factory edges are always bad. Very very rarely do you get one that's consistent it's to the point that on a lot of knives if I personally bought it I would send it back immediately. Benchmade hasn't gotten a dollar from me since I bought the super freek when they hap a map of 190 and I highly highly doubt I will ever purchase another BM.

[@Cid_1]

It's a shame Benchmade doesn't bother to put in the work and effort to deliver high quality knives and value like they once did. They have fallen so far behind the competition that it will be really hard for them to gain any meaningful traction back. That's why we see them re-release old models and charge a leg and an arm for people with nostalgia. Releasing new Bushcraft models, slap some Carbon fiber scales on them and charge $600 ($430 & $450 Retail), and the Carbon Fiber isn't even finished well. It might gain them some money in the short run, but I doubt it will gain substantial traction with the knife community. Why pay $450 for a basic Bushcraft knife, when you can get a custom made one for WAY less. You also get a custom heat treat at your desired hardness, so you have a knife built for your desired use case. I would not be surprised to see many of these new Benchmade models sit at retailers until they hit the Sales bin. I hope Benchmade one day can turn the ship back around, but at this time it does not look good. Thanks for the look at the new 710

[@BC08]

You don’t have to buy the carbon fiber scales. 🤷‍♂️ Why don’t I see these same complaints about Buck? Oh that’s right…groupthink

[@Cid_1]

@@BC08 You do if you want the Cruwear blades. And you absolutely hear the same complaints about Buck. You just don't hear it as much, since they usually cater to a different part of the knife community.

[@BC08]

@@Cid_1 YT comments, Bladeforums, Reddit…I constantly hear these complaints about Benchmade and virtually never Buck. I HAVE heard the complaint about Buck…but we’re talking something like 100:1 ratios here. Folding knives have been Benchmade’s bread and butter for a very long time now. They always have a few fixed blades in rotation but it’s never been their core product. Knives like the Cruwear Raghorn are aimed at Benchmade’s audience…not bringing in new customers. It’s perhaps a weakness in their lineup, perhaps not.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@BC08 so really, Buck makes mostly junk and most of it in China. That said, what Benchmade charges for the Bushcrafter is absolutely ridiculous! The difference between in performance between the S30V and CruWear is completely negated by the blade geometry: being so robust it will withstand any possible abuse and being so thick behind the edge, it will never be a good enough slicer to worry about edge retention. I just got the carbon fiber version and will film a video comparing it to the original.

[@mel87123]

Lowering the discount...corporate greed

[@floridaman727]

Oh god here we go again… I love your videos but man it’s exhausting sitting here watching Benchmade destroy themselves.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

As long as there’s REI, Cabela’s, BassPro they will be selling overpriced knives to men who aren’t “knife people”

[@floridaman727]

@@CuttingBoardRx and at full retail sometimes. They are a perfect match for each other

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@floridaman727 did you know that if you’re a Sportman’s Warehouse employee and take Benchmade salesman’s class, they will give you 60% off every 6 months on ANY knife? That’s below dealer’s cost!

[@Oneoneone111One]

“Bias free” lol ok

[@gagjte]

Ka-Bar 4065 better

[@user-oc4bj7no2m]

the further you go, the worse it gets. And the hardness is small, and there is almost no lock reserve. And the axle springs are not protected by anything. And they think that true Benchmade connoisseurs will just turn a blind eye and continue to buy? In my opinion, they only increase demand in the secondary market and discontinue excellent models. Where is the company looking? I think the general developers should be fired!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

As long as major sporting goods chains carry the brand (Cabela’s, Bass Pro, REI) there will be thousands of people who will buy them. About 95% of them have no knowledge of knives and that’s how Benchmade continues doing what they do!

[@user-oc4bj7no2m]

@@CuttingBoardRx Unfortunately, the times when buyers were captivated by quality and thoughtful design are gone. Nowadays they use advertising and bright external images, behind which nothing practical is usually hidden. It's a shame that Benchmade went this route. And it turned out unsuccessfully, judging by their lousy new products. If this continues, the sale to the GSM monopolist will not take much time. It would be better if they released Griptilian and Presidio on plastic with magnacat, and everyone would be happy!

[@user-oc4bj7no2m]

@@CuttingBoardRx By the way, thank you very much for the video 😌🤝very useful

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@user-oc4bj7no2m glad you like it! Don’t forget to share with your social media friends!

[@jacklin4124]

Benchmade big scam 400$ 💔

[@CuttingBoardRx]

That almost makes 748 Narrows look reasonably priced

[@jeremiahjenkins9221]

Almost everything they put out is a fckin scam. Insane that people actually shell out the cash for their over-priced, mass produced BS

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@jeremiahjenkins9221 except for the edge, this knife feels premium to me. More so than anything I’ve seen from Reate.

[@jeremiahjenkins9221]

@CuttingBoardRx It's a beautiful knife for sure. And I will admit. My only benchmade (the 940) has been my daily driver for years. But for 400 I'd rather buy a Bill Harsey folder.

[@user-tv2fs7ee1r]

$400in Joe Bidens America is like $250 3.5 years ago.

[@krantivira70]

Benchmade never comes sharped…

[@Edgekeeper747]

Unfortunately Benchmade is a scam. That’s coming from someone who has a few older Benchmades. Their pricing is an absolute scam. I wouldn’t buy another one

[@CuttingBoardRx]

You are not their target consumer unless you buy $80 underpants at REI… becoming a poser brand for sure. Yet, it’s a very nice knife. The edge is the only complaint I have.