For the past few years I have been a heavy advocate of replaceable blade knives. The idea of not having to deal with sharpening a blade out in the field was very appealing to me. They have worked great for me, but they do have their drawbacks. One being that the blades can tend to break, depending on which model knife you are using. This can be a pain in the butt when you are in the middle of taking care of an animal and your knife is gunked up with fat and meat. It’s also quite dangerous, so this year I decided to change things up a bit and try out a fixed blade knife. I have always heard great things about Benchmade and the quality/longevity of their knives. After witnessing a friend take care of a bear without sharpening the blade once, I was sold. The Hidden Canyon Hunter, by Benchmade, had my attention.
So, with tons of other options out there for knives, why did I choose to give Benchmade a shot? Like I said, after seeing it work in the field, they had my attention. When I got home from that hunt, I started doing some research on the company and the knives they make. I was surprised to hear that they offer a “LifeSharp” warranty. This means that at the end of the season, you can send your knife into Benchmade and they will clean it and sharpen to factory settings. As I understand it, you will not be without your knife for months on end either. They get this handled with a very quick turn around. Benchmade also offers a great warranty service. If anything is wrong, they will replace or fix your blade at no charge to you. Confidence. I like that.
As I said above, one of the reasons I strayed away from fixed blades in the past was, I liked the idea of not having to do this with the replaceable blade models. This fear was put to rest after seeing the knife in action. I couldn’t believe that after all of the skinning and prying through joints, the blade was still sharp. This had to be for a reason. Surely, these were no ordinary knives. On top of the first rate craftsmanship, Benchmade uses high quality steel to meet the demands of us hunters. S30V steel is a fantastic choice for outdoorsmen and women. This is premium powdered steel that is designed specifically for knives. It holds an edge great and is corrosion resistant. Peace of mind is something I am big on in the field. This lends to that.
The knife feels more like a tool and less like a gadget
When I first picked up the Hidden Canyon Hunter, I was surprised at how lightweight it was. That was another concern of mine with going to a fixed blade. The replaceable models are known for being so ultralight. As an avid backpack hunter, weight is definitely on my radar when it comes to gear choices. I was glad when I found out the Hidden Canyon Hunter was actually more lightweight than the replaceable blade knife that I was using. Score for me!
Another thing that jumped out at me was just how good the knife felt in my hand. I went with the wooden handle version of this knife. The rustic look was appealing to me, as was the slick leather sheath it came in. The knives I have used in the past worked fine, but there was just something nice about a good fixed blade knife in my hand. It felt sturdy and ready for the task at hand. The knife feels more like a tool and less like a gadget.
I was fortunate enough to test this knife out fairly quickly on a recent spring bear hunt here in Arizona. On it, I was able to harvest a bear and get the knife dirty. Right off of the bat, when I first punctured the hide of the bear, I said, “man, this thing is sharp.” There were no issues working through the bear and the knife held its edge fantastic. With that being said, it was not as sharp as some of the surgical blades on the market. That was find by me though and actually preferred. In preparation for my hunts, I actually picked up the small field sharpener to bring with. It weighs nothing and gave me more confidence in having the fixed blade. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t have to use it throughout the whole time skinning and quartering my bear. Even after working through the thick joints of the bruin, it was still ready for more action. Not once did the wooden handle of the knife feel slippery. It was quite the opposite. The rivets on the back of the main blade felt great to rest my pointer finger on as I processed the bear.
My happiness didn’t end there. Every year I spend in the field is met with me standing at the sink and meticulously cleaning my replaceable blade knives. There are so many little creases for gunk to build up and is oftentimes a lengthy process. When I got home with my new found friend, the hidden canyon hunter, cleaning was a breeze. No breaking out the toothpicks to pry fat out of areas on the knife. I just hit it with a sponge, water, and soap. Scrub a dub dub followed by a done deal.
In the end, I am gonna be sticking with this little guy for now. I’ve still got all of my old knives, but as of late, they have been staying home when I go in the field. Working through that bear really gave me the confidence to trust this knife and what it is capable of. No more was a worried about my blade getting dull on me while taking care of an animal. If it did, I can just swipe it through the little field sharpener and be on my way. After the fact, I can send the knife into Benchmade and they will restore it. I love knowing that. Something that you might notice is the drastic price difference between a replaceable blade knife and one of these high quality fixed blades. There is a reason for that and it’s called craftsmanship. I am a firm believer in getting what you pay for and Benchmade is no exception. If you want to get one of these in your hands for your upcoming hunting season, you can do so at the link below!
Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter
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