Benchmade - Freek 560BK-1 EDC Knife with Gray/Black G10 Handle (560BK-1)

this is one sweet pocket knife. i've had one of bench made knives for years and it has stood the test of time and work i put it through and has held up well but it was time to get another so i got this one and one of the assisted open ones. they are both very well made as i come to except from bench made. yes they cost but if you want a knife thats going to last you a life time can you really worry about cost. glad i got this one and would tells others to do the same.UP DATE: after having the SUPER FREEK 560-1 pocket knife for a few days thought i'd add to my review. first i'd like to say my first one i've had for 20 yrs or so and other then needing sharpening it works to day as it di the first day i got it.the one here SUPER FREEK 560-1 i got is great. the blade is centered in handle perfect, the inside plates are red and really cool looking, the handle is tampered around the edge which makes it comfortable to hold, the blade is nice and tight end it not being lose wether it's open or closed. i didn't know about M4 or 154CM steel but both are good american steel as far as i know. i was just looking for another Benchmade knife that had the coated blade w/straight edge as mt first one had straight and serrated edge.

Pricey, but worth it. Lifetime sharpening!Good, solid workmanship and excellent materials.Not fully self-opening, but opens fairly easily.

What a beauty. Nice size. Was a little stiff but breaking in nicely with a little KPL. The CF is a nice touch.

I had a mini-Griptilian, the D2 blade was great. It held its edge quite impressively. I only had one issue, the size of the handle. This Freek 560 BK-1 solves that problem for me. The handle is significantly larger and fits my hand better. The knife feels much more secure.The Freek has the same drop point blade shape so it still feels and runs the same. The G10 grips give plenty of traction for grip security.The lock mechanism was a bit gritty at first. I used some oil to help, but have read it will break in after use. Looking forward to that. The knife is larger. But I have not had any issues with carrying in slacks, jeans or even sweat pants. I have always dedicated a pocket for just my knife, so it hasn't impacted me. If you plan on using the pocket with the knife it may be cumbersome.

Came out of the box sharp and ready to go. The steel is high quality and hasn't been nicked or scraped yet. The axis lock allows for smooth deployment or you can hold it down and flick the knife closed. The aesthetics are eye catching.Part of the price of this knife is the look of it. Let's be honest. It's stealth flashy. Higher quality than the skull, dragon, and flame knives of mall stores and gas stations, but also more subtle in its flair. It could be all black, or have a simple single colored handle, but it doesn't. It has the color scheme of a blackbird stealth plane. And if that's your jam, then the extra bucks will feel worth the cost.My favorite thing about the knife though is the handle shape. It fits perfectly into my hand. And that is 100% a personal preference thing. Everyone's hands will be slightly different, but the shape, grooves, and placement of the clip on this knife all align perfectly in my grip. I used a BUCK knife before, because I liked the handle shape. My previous EDC was a SOG model that had a boxy frame (I did not like that knife). The shape of a knife's handle matters a lot to me. The fact that this knife fits so nicely in my hand is a huge bonus, but I can't recommend someone else buys it just because it fits nicely in my hand.Buy it because you like the look, you want quality materials, and Benchmade's life time sharp program sounds like a great deal.

You need to know that as a knife this is a great tool. I had the M4 super freek for years and when this version was announced I knew I needed one. The CF handle is pretty so I think the fancy Freek is a good nick name for it. I don't hard use this knife but it probably would handle it with no problem but within the limit of the S90V steel. S90V holds an edge for a really long time and you won't have to sharpen it often providing you cut with it and you don't do non-knife stuff with it. It is a full size knife and fills the hand nicely for me and I have medium/large work glove size hands. If you can sallow the price you will definitely like the knife and it will serve you for a really long time and the lifetime warranty Benchmade has will always be there. It's a quintessential Benchmade!My issues are more with Benchmade price increases and the select edge nonsense. The last round of increases in my opinion every single product they have lost what little "value" they had left. Also the select edge isn't very good IMO. I have bought 5 knives from Benchmade since they started the select edge sharpening process and they all have sucked. The edge that came on this latest freek was basically a giant burr and I resharpened it immediately. I have a love hate relationship with Benchmade which dates back to the late 90's and many blades. So great knives but they have issues and are $$$. The end!

I bought this knife 4 years ago and it has been my edc ever since then. I use it multiple times a day and it has never failed me. I've probably opened and closed it thousands of times and the lock and springs are still working fine. I run an ebay business and cut boxes with it all the time. The edge retention is so good that I don't even use a box cutter anymore, I just use the Freek. A light stropping a few times a week keeps it sharp enough for boxes and I sharpen it on a buffing wheel about one per month. The knife is a beast and super thick for hard use. I go hiking and carve sticks, cut small tree branches, etc. As a knife nut I never have an edc more than 6 months before I buy another. I just like getting new knives and trying "the new best thing". Every time I get that itch now I look at this knife and can't find any reason to buy another. I like it so much that I bought 3 more and they're sitting here new in the box so I'll always have one in case Benchmade ever discontinues the model.