Benchmade Hunt – Small Summit Lake

When it comes to choosing a pocket knife, there is no shortage of styles and sizes to pick from.  Benchmade has a wide selection that varies in locking mechanisms, grip materials, blade steel type, etc., but it’s safe to assume that every last knife they produce is top-notch quality.  When it comes to making your selection for your every-day-carry, it’s really just about what suits your needs the best.

For years I carried a Mini Griptilian.  For my daily needs, it was the perfect pocket knife.  The Axis Locking Mechanism was simple to use, it was extremely reliable, and I found that I rarely had to sharpen my knife to keep it working efficiently.  Despite those great qualities, I have always favored more of a traditional style knife, so when the Hunt series of knives were introduced, I was overjoyed to see the Small Summit Lake in the lineup.

Similar to the Mini Griptilian, the Small Summit Lake is small and light. I carry my knife daily, and while working in an office setting, I find a large/heavy knife is less comfortable to carry in suit pants.  The overall size of the Small Summit Lake works right into my advantage.  As we’ve mentioned in previous articles about the Benchmade HUNT Series of knives, the CPM-S30V steel that is used on the Small Summit Lake is a great blade steel option.  I am able to get the same razor-sharp edge I have enjoyed in the past with 154CM steel on my Mini Griptilian, but I find the CPM-S30V holds a working edge much longer and requires re-sharpening much less often.

For those of you who share my love for a traditional lock back style knife, the locking mechanism on both the Small Summit Lake and it’s big brother the Big Summit Lake is sure to please.  I’ve never had a folding knife that felt more solid.  When the lock is fully engaged, there is an audible click and there is no question that your blade will remain locked open until you intend to close it.  Like many other folding knives today, both the Small Summit Lake and the Big Summit Lake feature an integrated belt/pocket clip that will hold your knife in place when it’s not in use.

If you haven’t already checked out the Benchmade Hunt lineup of Knives, you will definitely want to take a look at them before making your next knife purchase.  And if you are in the market for a new traditional lock back folder style knife, you would be doing yourself a major injustice if you didn’t first consider the Small Summit Lake as your first choice!

http://www.benchmade.com/hunt/big-summit-lake.html