How to disassemble and maintain the Benchmade Proper Slipjoint Pocketknife

Today, we'll pop open the Proper, Benchmade's first slipjoint, and lubricate things up.

[@Happytrees1]

The spring is called a "backspring". I've been waiting for you to bring us this one since it was released, I'm excited to see your full review! I like the idea of having a slip-joint style knife that can be disassembled and maintained Proper-ly 😉

[@jeffreymliss]

I was going to disassemble my Proper to oil it. After watching your video I changed my mind. It is harder than most to open, but it's still a sweet blade.

[@peteg22397]

I was always kinda tempted by this knife. As a UK resident, I have a lot more use for a slipjoint than other knives, so this might make a really nice EDC. Now that I've seen how easy it would be to make my own scales for it, I might just have to bite he bullet. I've got some lovely buffalo horn slabs that would really suit this knife, might just have to make myself a little project...

[@danielrisner1496]

Peter G I would just recommend getting a gec

[@themawsjawz_9491]

Hyped for this review. Almost impulse purchased this earlier at my local gun shop.

[@randallkelley3599]

Proper good video! This is a very good looking knife, waiting for the full Nick on this.

[@troypierce3967]

Good looking knife. Look forward to the review.

[@mitchelldelmar9682]

Always satisfying to modulate the laterality. Bought a few GEC slip joints to see what the attraction is and like a lot about them. One downside is keeping them vertical in your pocket - they seem to end up sideways at the bottom of your pocket unless you use a slip case. Like seeing the crossover between traditional/modern in the industry. A fresh perspective.

[@daveglarner2138]

"Poppity Poppity!" Stuck in my head all day. So, ya know..... Thanks for that!

[@gerardopietrantoni6452]

I cleaned my BM Proper and Frog Lube the liners and back spring as you usually do but didn’t do on this disassembly video. Also the back spring can be removed freeing the other liner from the scale easily. The “pins” are “D” shaped and go out and in easily. As slip joints go the spring tension could be better for a snappier walk and talk. Good job Nick.

[@davidaxman]

I can recommend loc-tite for those kinds of loose little pieces like that blade-stop! Sort of glues it in on one side without being permanent and makes it less likely to come flying out when cleaning.

[@Marcusg562]

Nice vid! Thanks a lot!

[@Draknareth]

Back spring is the term you were looking for :)

[@shotgunbowen]

Your jokes just ruined my day. Thanks Nick!

[@JakesTake]

Your alcohol has expired.

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Cute blade...

[@davidpyper82]

Love you

[@yogililly1]

No frog lube? Wonder if a little frog lube would allow spring bar to move easier between the frames...

[@scottsodyssey2485]

Nice Omega Seamaster.

[@lotriguitarist]

i want one so bad!

[@baboonmcgoon6605]

Apologies for being off topic but what is the frame lock that you show right at the end of the video at around 11.20?

[@Criticalcore]

i believe its the kizer toro, only a couple of their knives have that grooved handle so im almost certain.

[@13irishsailors]

Hey Nick! I’ve been going through all your videos and I’m wondering which knife has been the most difficult to disassemble? Specifically which one that you made a video doing it?

[@peteg22397]

13irishsailors I believe the Delica / Endura was one of his most hated disassemblies. He did a 45 minute disassembly of the Endura, and made a video shortly after recommending that people DON’T disassemble it, a real rarity for Nick. Hope that helps.

[@RaduMichael]

How's Yosemite Sam these days, Doc? 🙂 Thank you the know-how!

[@deadpoollee9497]

Looks great would like to have but that butterfly tax just cost to much.

[@GustavoHernandez1]

Cuál es la nueva herramienta que usas para desarmar tus navajas? You're not using the Wiha anymore

[@NickShabazz]

Check my gear disassembly video, I give the name.

[@jamief7079]

What is the best quality, budget friendly slip joint?

[@peteg22397]

Jamie F Anything by Victorinox. Can’t go wrong with a Solo or a Bantam, and the Alox options can really make them pop.

[@Al-ds3sw]

Nice video this knife get some shit but I love for edc nothing fancy just works

[@charliebowen5071]

Technically it’s called the tension bar but the industry seems to prefer back spring

[@alibaba02121996]

It's called the springy thing!

[@MrGeerbear]

Nick- I have the Proper in green micarta and clip point blade. The micarta seems a bit over polished. I'm so glad to see you expanding your horizons and reviewing slipjoints. They are very sheeple friendly (not murdery in your parlance). Sad to see the demise of Queen Cutlery. Check out GEC and the French made Laguiole. Some really beautiful knives. I don't watch many of your disassembly videos, but I always know they are there as a reference which I appreciate.

[@mattfinish2196]

MrGeerbear, What happened to Queen Cutlery?

[@vlkafenryka788]

Matt Finish they closed down within the last few weeks .. imho they were too expensive for the quality offered not that they were bad knives but on average 20-30 bucks overpriced

[@mattfinish2196]

Vlka Fenryka78, Thanks for the info. Sad news.

[@josh31183]

Queen has been circling the drain for years.

[@MrGeerbear]

Josh- It is a very competitive business. I have a couple of Queen knives that are quite nice. They also made the Northwoods brand owned by Derrick Bohn of knivesshipfree. I hope they can reorganize and come back. The timing seems particularly bad given the new popularity of traditional slipjoints. It was also the oldest knife company in the US. I hope that it at least serves as a cautionary tale to American companies living off their past.

[@ZacharyPierce0351]

It might just be my copy, but the action on the newer carbon fiber Proper is much better. The pull is way less strong out of the box than even my broken in and well lubed Micarta. So much so that it feels like they had to have changed either the blade's or the spring's shape. The pull is near perfect so I'm not taking it apart to check... yet.

[@NickShabazz]

It is! Review coming soon

[@davidpyper82]

Back Spring

[@jayweast1306]

On your hopes and dreams for 2018 video you said you had two hopes for Benchmade. One of them was to see more knives like this from Benchmade and I didn't see anything else. Did I miss something?

[@NickShabazz]

Probably not. I'm #NotABrilliantMan

[@jayweast1306]

Nick Shabazz I'm kind of curious what it was. I figured it was probably better quality control which almost goes without saying when you're talking about Benchmade.

[@Atheistic007]

Wiha ftw.

[@Rashoop]

Man it made me nervous watching you manipulating the spring with the blade in your hand... cutting edge right there to show you how sharp it is. Sure seems like taping that up would have been prudent. Glad you didn't cut yourself. Overall, nice knife, and a good disassembly video. Thanks Nick!

[@Aeifur]

Looking forward to the next terrible knife of the month episode!

[@graemeelliott4147]

As an owner of this knife, I don't see a need to ever take it apart just to clean and oil it.

[@williamzwuck1562]

You were out of camera range alot when you were working on the knife.

[@winomaster]

Open Letter To Nick Shabazz: Nick, I'm wanting to buy a small knife suitable for attaching to my keychain. (I dont want to have to pull out my Boker Kalishnokov to cut a piece of fruit.) I'm about 70% focused on a knifes look rather than the feel in the hand or the action. I have been lusting after the Benchmark Proper and am taken with its sheep's foot knife tip, the stone washed blade, the color and visual texture of the handle and especially the overall lines of the knife. $115 seems like a lot to pay for such a small and mechanically simple knife. But, I'm taken by its appearance. My question: Given my intention to use the knife on a keychain lanyard, I'm wondering if I can expect it's appearance to hold up under that sort of use. I intend to use lanyards to attach my flashlight (plastic), knife and perhaps the keys too. But, the keys (2) will unavoidably have some metal surfaces that could scratch the surface of the knife. I'm wondering if keychain duty is just not going to allow the plastic surfaces of this knife to remain unscratched. Any thoughts, Nick?

[@peteg22397]

Keychain duty always has a knack of scratching up any knife. Sadly that kind of use case is best left to a beater knife, anything pristine will be ruined about 100 times more quickly than one that’s just left in its own pocket. Your only real option would be to buy/make a leather slip case for it, that’s always a good idea with any knife you want protected, especially in the pocket traditionals. Otherwise, you might just have to accept that you’re gonna love using it, and that the scratches are part of the process. They can be removed if they’re shallow enough. Sandpaper will do for the scales and a polishing wheel can work on the blades. The finish will never be the same as it was when it was new though, so that’s something worth bearing in mind.

[@winomaster]

Peter G: Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I was hoping someone would see it differently.

[@slick_slicers]

I realise this was a while ago, but firstly, beating up a micarta knife like the 319 Proper, just makes it look better (it’s not polished micarta) and secondly on my key chain, I’d find the Proper a bit big, but I do have a Victorinox SAK Jetsetter. It lives in a small leather slip, but it the slip that joined to the key chain, not the ‘knife’. I used to have a SAK Classic SD on there, without the slip, and it was bashed to bits in days. That being said, a SAK ALOX Cadet would look pretty cool all bashed up on a keychain... very ‘industrial’, especially if you got a coloured one in red or black.

[@r1w3d]

I really want this knife I just think the colour options are bland. I feel weird buying a knife that is the colour of a Swiss army knife and the tan one is ugly impo.

[@jenriquel]

My proper will never be the same 😐

[@mozezfreek777]

It's a shame it doesn't have a pocket clip and 1 handed opening. UKPK has it all and doesn't need liners.

[@jonasfoellner5279]

"That's sufficiently lubricated" who are you and what did you do with Nick Shabazz? Nothing is ever sufficiently lubricated until it swims permanently in Nano-Oil.

[@BlackwoodBlades]

second COMMENT!

[@rodrigoteresa7944]

You can't have play if there is no lockup 😁

[@rileybracelin4274]

I can’t wait for the review. Don’t “slip” up. Get it?

[@homsuplo7757]

I think you might have stated the scales were g10, while in fact it's micarta

[@NickShabazz]

This model has G10. Other models have Micarta.

[@MJFallout]

meh. It looks good, but not over-one-hundred-dollars-good.