Discontinued by BM, the Ambush is/was a high value knife. AUS8 steel with an attractive finish, excellent blade shape, strong diecast aluminum handle, good ergos, good deployment speed, and an acceptable clip round out this Benchmade Redline (Imported) folding tactical/utility knife. The 4″ blade is impressive and would provide devastating slashing capability. The rolling lock with in-draft works well and seems to give you a little assist on the deployment. The only real downside on the …

It’s no picnic finding high quality blades that impress me for around . Yes the variety and quality of all blades has expanded exponentially in the last few years. But I still don’t like making compromises on the big things: steel, deployment speed, lockup, ergonomics, and looks. Few make the cut at this restrictive price point. I also, just like you, I have my preferences. But here’s two that make the list: the Benchmade H&K (BM) Ascender Mdl 14352BT and its smaller brother the H&K Mini …

Offering near-perfect balance, speed, and quality, the Benchmade Mini-Griptilian 556 is an excellent utility or every day carry (EDC) knife choice. Various steels are used in the Mini-Grips, like that the 440C and limited edition D2 Cabelas models shown, but current versions are offered in the very useful 154CM steel. Blades have various finishes and grinds as well but my favorite is the bright finished plain edge clip versions. Mini-Grips are good looking and functional blades with …