Today I'm going to review a recent purchase; a "Benchmade" infidel. Some might wonder why I put that word in quotes, and the answer is simple. It's not a real Benchmade. It's a Chinese clone.
Benchmade, as knife fans are likely aware, is the Ferrari of knives (except they don't catch fire nearly as often...). My Auto Stryker has been my first choice for a carry knife for years. And I have long been interested in the Infidel. It has a 3.91" D2 double edged dagger blade with a double action OTF design. The handle is anodized aluminum. New, the Infidel had an MSRP of $300. It is currently out of production, and if you can find one, you can expect to pay more like $500. So when an ad popped up on my feed for a $114 Infidel, I thought I'd check it out.
The retailer, who calls themselves Benchmadeshop, is in China, so delivery took about 3 weeks. The box and package inserts look quite genuine, and I suspect were essentially lifted from Benchmade. Like the original, the knife comes with a velcro-closed belt pouch.
The knife itself is surprisingly good. It arrived with a shaving edge and an excellent point. The grinds are clean and even, and the details match those of the original. There is very, very little wobble in the blade when extended. OTF knives are notorious for wobble, and having a blade this tight is one sign of quality. The blade says D2 on it, but I cannot verify that it really is. I've cut some cardboard and such, and the edge seems completely unaffected so far. The knife is light. I don't have a scale, but the original is 6oz, and this is going to be right about there too. The handles have the sandpaper feel of anodizing, not paint. The action is crisp and solid, and the fitment of all the parts is excellent.
One thing that most clone makers mess up is the lettering. The original has "Infidel" printed on the belt clip. On the original, this is done with an intentionally weather-beaten font. Most clones use a clean font. This one does not. It matches the original in every way, except one.
The blade features the Benchmade name and logo on one side, and the designers name (McHenry) and patent number on the reverse. The patent number is actually correct, but instead of "Patent No. xxxxx" or "Pat. No. xxxxx" it says "PateNo. xxxxx".
Overall, despite the stigma of being a clone, this is an excellent knife. One I wouldn't hesitate to carry. I'd hesitate to carry a $500 original.

Benchmade, as knife fans are likely aware, is the Ferrari of knives (except they don't catch fire nearly as often...). My Auto Stryker has been my first choice for a carry knife for years. And I have long been interested in the Infidel. It has a 3.91" D2 double edged dagger blade with a double action OTF design. The handle is anodized aluminum. New, the Infidel had an MSRP of $300. It is currently out of production, and if you can find one, you can expect to pay more like $500. So when an ad popped up on my feed for a $114 Infidel, I thought I'd check it out.
The retailer, who calls themselves Benchmadeshop, is in China, so delivery took about 3 weeks. The box and package inserts look quite genuine, and I suspect were essentially lifted from Benchmade. Like the original, the knife comes with a velcro-closed belt pouch.
The knife itself is surprisingly good. It arrived with a shaving edge and an excellent point. The grinds are clean and even, and the details match those of the original. There is very, very little wobble in the blade when extended. OTF knives are notorious for wobble, and having a blade this tight is one sign of quality. The blade says D2 on it, but I cannot verify that it really is. I've cut some cardboard and such, and the edge seems completely unaffected so far. The knife is light. I don't have a scale, but the original is 6oz, and this is going to be right about there too. The handles have the sandpaper feel of anodizing, not paint. The action is crisp and solid, and the fitment of all the parts is excellent.
One thing that most clone makers mess up is the lettering. The original has "Infidel" printed on the belt clip. On the original, this is done with an intentionally weather-beaten font. Most clones use a clean font. This one does not. It matches the original in every way, except one.
The blade features the Benchmade name and logo on one side, and the designers name (McHenry) and patent number on the reverse. The patent number is actually correct, but instead of "Patent No. xxxxx" or "Pat. No. xxxxx" it says "PateNo. xxxxx".
Overall, despite the stigma of being a clone, this is an excellent knife. One I wouldn't hesitate to carry. I'd hesitate to carry a $500 original.
