Every year, Benchmade makes a handful of special edition knives under the Gold Class lineup. No, these are not unique designs that we’re seeing for the first time. Instead, the releases are usually a fresh iteration on some of the knifemaker’s staple models that integrate high-end materials for their construction. Such is definitely the case with the Benchmade Gold Class Mini Crooked River.
To the unfamiliar, the knife model is a smaller version of the outfit’s Crooked River hunting knife, a versatile field blade that’s proven its worth for various hunting, fishing, and survival tasks. That smaller size makes it ideal as an EDC folder, allowing folks to get same curved handle and clip-point blade combo in a pocket knife they can carry for everyday use.
The Benchmade Gold Class Mini Crooked River is a premium version of the original knife – one that’s more ornate while being built from higher-quality materials. It retains the same upward-curving clip-point blade as other versions of the knife, albeit instead of mere stainless steel, it uses a Vinland-pattern Damascus steel blade from Damasteel, making the blade infinitely fancier-looking than you’ll find in any of the design’s previous iterations. They pair that blade with marbled carbon fiber handles and Raffir Alume inlays, turning out a knife that’s so fancy, there’s no way you’ll want to bring it out to the backcountry where it can be subjected to serious stress. As an EDC knife for daily romps around the city, though, this will be perfect.
It comes with a 3.4-inch blade and measures 7.9 inches when fully deployed. When closed, the whole thing collapses to 4.5 inches, which makes it suitable for slipping into your pants pocket. Other details include a reversible clip, a deep-carry mount, and a plain edge.
The Benchmade Gold Class Mini Crooked River is available now, priced at $800.