This is the Benchmade 748 Narrows™, it’s a lightweight, full-sized pocket knife that was designed from the outset to be the narrowest folding knife in its class at Benchmade. And as a bonus, each one is 100% made in the USA.
The 748 Narrows™ has an M390 stainless steel drop point blade and a 6Al-4V titanium handle. It uses the Benchmade AXIS® lock for safety, and each comes with free sharpening for life, as well as a lifetime warranty.
This is the Benchmade 748 Narrows™, it’s a lightweight, full-sized pocket knife that was designed from the outset to be the narrowest folding knife in its class built by Benchmade, and it’s offered in both black and natural titanium colorways.
History Speedrun: Benchmade
Benchmade started out back in 1979 in California as Bali-Song, a company that made its bread and butter producing high-quality butterfly knives. These knives, also called “balisongs,” became a huge hit in the 1980s and well into the 1990s. They featured in many films and TV shows, often being skillfully flicked open and closed in the hands of a nefarious character.
The company was founded by Les deAsis who proved highly adept at pivoting the firm to keep it both relevant and successful.
The name was changed to the Pacific Cutlery Corporation in the early 1980s as proposed legislation threatened to outlaw the butterfly knife, the company then changed its name to Benchmade in 1988 – a reference to the fact that each knife is made by hand, on a bench.
In 1996 the company moved over to Oregon City, Oregon, into a 35,000 square foot factory, and they remain in this same facility today. The company logo consists of a butterfly with “Benchmade” across its back, with a small “USA” below to signify where the knives are made.
The Benchmade 748 Narrows™
The Benchmade 748 Narrows™ is a stainless steel knife with a titanium handle that was designed from the outset to be the slimmest and lightest full-sized folding knife built by Benchmade. Each is made in the USA at the Benchmade factory in Oregon City, Oregon – they all come with both free sharpening for life, and a lifetime warranty.
The 748 Narrows™ has a drop point blade made from M390 stainless steel, also known as Böhler M390. This is a steel alloy that contains iron as well as carbon, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, manganese, and silicon.
M390 is a more expensive grade of stainless steel known for its ability to hold an edge far longer than more common grades of stainless. This knife has a 6Al-4V titanium handle, offering both a very low weight and the toughness that titanium is known for. The knife has a width of just .28 inches thick.
The 748 Narrows™ uses the proprietary AXIS® locking system. This means that it stays open no matter what what it’s in use, and you can unlock and refold the blade by toggling the lock slider near the hilt.
The 748 Narrows™ uses the proprietary AXIS® locking system. This means that it stays open no matter what what it’s in use, and you can unlock and refold the blade by toggling the lock slider near the hilt.
The Benchmade 748 Narrows™ is now available to buy direct from the official Benchmade store here for $525 USD, and it’s offered in both black and natural titanium colorways.
Images courtesy of Benchmade
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Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
