Long-time RideApart readers will know that if there's one tool to rule them all in my house, it's the pocket knife. Yes, multi-tools are great, and having a full garage stacked with every tool imaginable is the best, but for me, and how I live, the one tool that's nearly always with me is my pocket knife.
I say this, as I tend to go by the saying, "The tool you keep with you always is better than a tool you have to remember to grab." And a pocket knife, although it's designed for cutting, sawing, and other needs, can be used in such a multitude of ways when you dispense of mechanical sympathy—and understand you can always sharpen the blade—you'd be hard-pressed to find a better, more steadfast tool.
And one of my favorites, the one that's literally on my hip as I write this article, is Benchmade's PSK (Personal Survival Knife), as it's rugged, sharp as hell, is tough, and can be put through a multitude of situations without fail. It does have an issue, though, and that's the knife's price. It's a premium pocket knife, so it commands a premium knife's $400 price tag (and $450 for the carbon handled version).
Benchmade, however, wants more folks to snag a PSK, as the company believes it's one of the best in the bunch (I'd still like to see a glass break on it, personally), and has noodled a bit and figured out how to make a less expensive version. In a world of only increasing prices, how's a $75 price cut sound?
First off, it's still called the PSK, and I kinda wish Benchmade would've given it some other moniker—maybe PSK Lite or what have you. Because, well, all three models (the new, less expensive PSK, the standard PSK, and the carbon PSK) are all just called the PSK. So there isn't a lot of demarcation between the three and their names, and that seems like an "Oh no, I've gone cross-eyed" moment for me.
"Ah, yes, I'll have the PSK!" Which one, Benchmade, which one?!
Either way, Benchmade was able to drop that $75 from the PSK (see what I mean?) to the new one by swapping out the standard knife's Magnacut blade material for Elmax steel, and making it slightly smaller in overall size and weight, the latter of which is good for those who demand lighter pocket knives. The material swap is likely to cause some consternation among knife enthusiasts like myself, as Magnacut has become the standard, as it retains an edge brilliantly, can be fixed with relative ease, won't rust, and is strong like bull when you need it to be. It's also relatively lightweight.
Elmax is good, but it's not Magnacut. That said, for someone like myself, someone without mechanical sympathy and who tends to use their knives to do all manner of things a knife was never intended to do, i.e. hammer a dirt bike panel back into place, unscrew and fix something within my Can-Am, or gut a trout for dinner, I like Magnacut. However, for the average pocket knife enthusiast, one who isn't going to beat their knife like an old rug and put it away caked in fish blood, you'll absolutely be fine with the Elmax blade.
Likewise, while the original PSKs had a G10 handle—plus carbon—the new PSK sheds that, too, along with some weight, and uses grivory. The blades, however, get the same cerakote finish as the other PSK models, which enhances their corrosion resistance. But all this adds up to something better than just a lower price, and that's shaving a full ounce off the PSK's original weight.
Now, I know that doesn't sound like a lot when you say it's going from about 5.5 ounces to 4.5 ounces, but as someone who maintains a pocket knife at all times, you tend to feel it after a while. So every little bit helps.
Pricing for the new PSK (Lite) is $325 at present, though you'll have to sign up to receive a notification for when Benchmade drops the blade later this month. After that, it should receive a full run, which could make it one of the brand's best sellers pretty quickly. But what say you? I know that price is still up there, but based on my history with this brand and its knives, they've always measured up to those MSRPS. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
