My knife collection needed a full-size folding knife that could handle anything, so I picked up the Benchmade Freek. Often called the Super Freek, its style, size, and performance make it stand out. The knife basically disappears in your pocket despite its size. Something about its proportions distributes the weight so well that it’s become the knife I carry most. I find its design striking, the materials exceptional, and its cutting ability confidence-inspiring. I’m only a knife enthusiast, not a hardcore collector or knife nerd. I hope my experience helps you if you’re thinking about picking one up.
Before diving into the “review” and if you’re new to the knife world, it’s worth knowing that Benchmade is widely regarded as one of the best knife manufacturers out there. The brand is known for its top-tier quality, innovative designs, and strong presence among military, law enforcement, and outdoor enthusiasts. If you’re a car guy, think of Benchmade as the Mercedes-Benz of the knife world. In addition their excellent knives, its headquarters are located in Oregon City, part of the greater Portland area, where I live.
As mentioned before, I bought this knife because I was looking for a full-size folder. From the start, its aesthetics caught my eye. Viewed from the side, its smooth, streamlined shape in black monochrome tones blends perfectly. The look is topped off with red inner hardware, visible through the knife’s spine.
Design
The Benchmade Freek impresses with its bold, contemporary design and streamlined silhouette that merges utility with style. Its dark, textured handle ensures a secure grip while adding a refined tactical edge. A vivid pop of red from the internal hardware along the spine creates a striking contrast, enhancing its visual appeal. Finished with a dark-coated drop-point blade, the Freek delivers a rugged yet polished look, making it a versatile choice for everyday.
Materials
In addition to wanting a full-size folder, I was looking for a knife made with premium materials, and the Benchmade Freek doesn’t disappoint. The blade steel is CPM-M4, the handle is made of G10, and the hardware components are in anodized aluminum.
– Blade Steel: The Benchmade Freek benefits from CPM-M4 steel, known for its outstanding edge retention and wear resistance. Its hardness allows the blade to stay sharp much longer, even when cutting abrasive materials. It also offers notable toughness, meaning it can withstand impact without chipping or breaking easily. However, these premium attributes come at a cost, not just economically, but also in maintenance. CPM-M4 is not stainless, so it requires extra care to prevent corrosion, and due to its hardness, sharpening can be challenging. It’s definitely a steel best suited for experienced users.
– G10 Handle: It is a fiber-glass laminate known for its toughness, impact resistance, and low maintenance, offering a great balance of durability and grip. The handle is textured improving its grip / traction, even in wet conditions and despite its ruggedness, it remains lightweight, helping keep the knife comfortable for everyday carry. However, the aggressive texture can be abrasive on pockets and and while G-10 is highly functional, it may lack the premium feel of materials like carbon fiber or titanium.
– AXIS Lock & hardware: the Axis lock is a patented locking mechanism developed by Benchmade, commonly know as a Crossbar Lock. It’s fully ambidextrous, allowing smooth one-handed opening and closing from either side. It is known for its strength, reliability, ease of use and hand safety. Anodized aluminum is for the barrel spacers.
Practicality and Function
During my time carrying the Benchmade Freek, I found that its full-size profile doesn’t play well with every pair of pants. In shallow pockets, the knife tends to sit diagonally rather than parallel to the pocket seams. Despite its large size, its thickness and weight, is not particularly noticeable when carrying it. Once you pull it out of your pocket, functionality is the name of the game , opening the knife feels natural, and holding it inspires confidence.
Opening the Knife? If you’re not familiar, the AXIS lock lets you deploy the knife in several ways—using the thumb stud, flicking your wrist while pulling the AXIS lock ‘button,’ or even flipping the knife while it’s inverted. I have large hands with long, skinny fingers, so I need a substantial handle. Thankfully, the thumb stud is well-positioned, and the scales don’t get in the way when opening the knife. My thumb never slips, and the blade always opens smoothly. Using the second method—pulling the AXIS lock and flicking the wrist—not only makes the knife practical but also fun to use. And when you flip it inverted, the blade deploys effortlessly thanks to its weight and gravity. The Axis lock makes deployment and closing of the knife ambidextrous, so think on an AXIS lock (or crossbar lock) knife if you’re left handed.
Carrying the Knife – The Benchmade Freek comes with the classic split-arrow clip, designed for secure, discreet, and comfortable tip-up carry. The knife sits slightly above the pocket, which actually makes it easier to retrieve. That extra bit of exposed handle makes it easy to grab, so pulling the knife out of your pocket is very easy. To be honest I don’t know if I would want to have a deep-carry pocket clip on a knife of this size.
Cutting with the Freek
The knife features 3.6 inches of cutting edge made from M4 steel, an awesome steel that can cut through just about anything. I especially love having a blade big enough to cut an apple clean in half. Just keep in mind that M4 isn’t stainless, so be sure to clean and dry the blade after it gets wet to prevent rust
