New Benchmade Meatcrafter- 4" blade

[mtwarden]

I always thought the Meatcrafter would make a great boning knife in the field if it came w/ a shorter blade (6" blade was the original), now they make it w/ a 4" blade.

https://www.benchmade.com/products/15505

The blade profile and thickness is almost exactly what I would spec a field knife for boning game- thin (0.09") and 4" is plenty long (but not too short) for big game.

Not familiar w/ CPM 154, but appears to be pretty good steel.

Not sure of the ergonomics of the handle, but looks comfy and is full length.

Come in at svelte 2.7 oz.

Needs to be an orange handle (the sheath is orange) before I'd be tempted (lost one too many knifes), but wouldn't be surprised if that's offered up sometime in the future.

 

[Beendare]

I love those Handles/ scales. Grippy, soft easy to clean.
I have a Mini Grip with CM154 as my EDC for 10 years…its in my pocket right now.
Its good steel, easy to sharpen, holds a decent edge…but its low on the totem pole in edge holding compared to some others like CPM S90v

 

[mtwarden]

^ good to hear on the handle

I've read a couple of reviews comparing CPM 154 pretty favorably w/ S30V—I've found SV30 to be a very good steel

 

[TSAMP]

If I was going to drop 200 bucks on a knife, I'd like it to at least look like a 200 dollar knife..
I'm clearly not the target audience here but it just looks like any other cheap 20 dollar amazon knife to me. Can't imagine cutting with it would knock my socks off.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Looks nice. I'm surprised the grip isn't offered in orange. I have the 6" version and really like it but it has the orange grip. Looking at their product page, the 6" grip is now green as well with no orange option. Strange.

 

[BigNate]

It would be a decent blade but for that much? Nope

 

[Mike D Texas]

I have a 6” custom meatcrafter and it’s a superb cutting instrument.

Was it worth what my wife paid for it? Not sure but that’s up to each individual to decide. But it does what it was designed to do very well.

And for me these are just even more reasons to like it:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[mtwarden]

^ I've had a custom Meatcrafter in my cart at least a half dozen times- gorgeous knife that I'm sure slices like the dickens

 

[sndmn11]

I like that blade shape! I think @Wilderness Spirit has some similar profiles he makes.

The catcherman from Spyderco just became available as well and sort of caught my eye.

Catcherman™ Salt Green LC200N Sprint Run™ - Spyderco, Inc.

Originally introduced in 1992, the Catcherman was a folding fillet knife specifically designed to meet the needs of discriminating fishermen. One of our last models to feature an integral molded pocket clip, it also became a cult classic among serious Spyd...

www.spyderco.com

 

[rideold]

Yea, I just couldn't do it. My Fibrox 6" boning knife weighs 3.4 oz and costs $25. They make a 4" too that weighs....wait for it....2.4 oz.... I don't have anything against Benchmade. I carry one of their hunting knives and like it quite a bit but for butchering all my knives are Fibrox/Vitronox.

 

[Beendare]

^ good to hear on the handle

I've read a couple of reviews comparing CPM 154 pretty favorably w/ S30V—I've found SV30 to be a very good steel

Thats probably accurate, I have both but don’t have an accurate side by side comparison.

 

[NickyD]

Yea, I just couldn't do it. My Fibrox 6" boning knife weighs 3.4 oz and costs $25. They make a 4" too that weighs....wait for it....2.4 oz.... I don't have anything against Benchmade. I carry one of their hunting knives and like it quite a bit but for butchering all my knives are Fibrox/Vitronox.

Do you mean field dressing with the Fibrox or just butchering at home? I’m looking for a good knife for field dressing and deboning but I have a hard time following through with spending the money on a benchmade

 

[BigCountry49]

Check out the victorinox rabbit skinnner for $25. Very similar knife with less notable steel quality. Can get through an entire elk with one and are super easy to resharpen if needed. Also easy to find cheap leather sheath on Amazon.

 

[crich]

I like that blade shape! I think @Wilderness Spirit has some similar profiles he makes.

The catcherman from Spyderco just became available as well and sort of caught my eye.

Catcherman™ Salt Green LC200N Sprint Run™ - Spyderco, Inc.

Originally introduced in 1992, the Catcherman was a folding fillet knife specifically designed to meet the needs of discriminating fishermen. One of our last models to feature an integral molded pocket clip, it also became a cult classic among serious Spyd...

www.spyderco.com

Wish they made that in a smooth edge

 

[sndmn11]

Wish they made that in a smooth edge

I haven't been over to look at it; I've got a $50 off coupon and can't decide what I want. We use the havalon fillet blade a lot, but I think this small meat crafter is a better all around shape.

 

[Beendare]

Its the age old question;

Get a cheap knife and touch it up a couple times while doing an animal……or get a more expensive high quality steel knife that holds an edge all the way through doing an animal.

Ive done a single elk complete without touch up with the benchmade S30v.

I’ve done 2 elk with Benchmade S90v- my current go to, holds an edge like crazy- hard to dull the dang thing. Note- this steel is very hard and requires diamond stones.....and it can get very tiny micro chips in the edge if you dig into bone and twist-neither is a problem and worth the edge holding ability to me.

I have buddies with the Mora or Victorinox knives and they accept that they will need to touch them up at least a couple times for an elk.

Lastly, My guide buddy likes the Havalons- he has no inclination or time to sharpen knives with hunters in camp. He goes through between 4 and 6 blades per elk [which I would hate] and he has cut himself changing blades

Different strokes…no right or wrong answer.

 

[mtwarden]

If Benchmade adds the 4” Meatcrafter to its custom shop, I’ll probably bite. Some two tone orange and something will be too much for me to resist

 

[BigNate]

This won't change.

Its the age old question;

Get a cheap knife and touch it up a couple times while doing an animal……or get a more expensive high quality steel knife that holds an edge all the way through doing an animal.

Ive done a single elk complete without touch up with the benchmade S30v.
I’ve done 2 elk with Benchmade S90v- my current go to. Note- this steel can get very tiny micro chips in the edge if you dig into bone and twist)

I have buddies with the Mora or Victorinox knives and they accept that they will need to touch them up at least a couple times for an elk.

My guide buddy likes the Havalons- no inclination or time to sharpen knives with hunters in camp. He goes through between 4 and 6 blades per elk.

Different strokes…no right or wrong answer.

I have a couple customs that I usually use, and one Bark River. I don't like sharpening a knife during the job.
That said, I think my personal preference would be another custom with a similar blade shape, different geometry handle, and choose the steel.

 

[Bcleck90]

I like the original a lot so I’ll probably pick one up. I saw a Fishcrafter version somewhere online too. Not sure when it’ll be available.

 

[rideold]

Do you mean field dressing with the Fibrox or just butchering at home? I’m looking for a good knife for field dressing and deboning but I have a hard time following through with spending the money on a benchmade

I carry a Benchmade Steep Country (first generation) and a Fibrox 6" boning knife in the field. I use the Benchmade for the evisceration and heavy work and the boning knife boning and other finer work. I like the boning knife for finding tendons inside the joints (excepting the hip because the hunting knife works fine for that) because of the fine tip and I find it works better for removing back strap and any other de-boning like work.

Once I'm out of the field and back in the kitchen I use an 8" Fibrox curved breaking knife and a 6" Fibrox boning knife to do the full butchering.