Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter

This knife can make a grown man cry (and it has). Since im all about to be connected to the feminin side of you... I bought it for all 5 of my very close, mature, macho, "i never cry" male friends who found themselves in tears (and they all swear to it) that they didnt cry it was just a sand storm that passed by and made them tear (ill let them stick to the story). This little darling is perfect size and definitely not little in performances. The stubby shaped handle will fit any manly hand (Yes, even as big as yours sir) and the fine made blade is super sharp, stay sharp and can skin a whole hog like butter off bread in 1/4 of the time. This is where the "sand storm" comes from and begins to take effect on the user. Id like to concider this knife as a perfect representation of me, short and stubby yet firm beautiful and dangerous. Id like to say Thank you for making it being inspired by me, very nice indeed and it helps to spread the good out to the world. Crying grown man is a wonderful sight, our new goal is to create a world when beauty meets practical and produce 0% disappointment. Cheers for more happy tearful men out there. Lets make the world a better place shall we?. Two More things to say about this amazing little knife the price is so good it would make you almost feel guilty and just like a real beauty it looks fantastic in its little leather case and keep the owner happy and safe.... And bring out the best hunter in him. The end.

I received this knife a year ago. I wanted a dedicated skinner, and the shape of this Benchmade product appealed to me. When I got it, it was amazingly sharp. Sharpening it requires forever and a day on my DMT diamond stone, but a some extra time with a Naniwa 3000 stone and a bit of stropping (0.3 micron diamond paste on a handled wooden strop) restores that amazing edge.The ergonomics are near-perfect. The knife feels right in my hands, and it gets pressed into service whenever I want a handy edge tool. I've made one change- the crescent finger rest was a bit rough on my example. A bit of time gently Dremeling it and then hand-polishing with ascending grits of SiC paper, and now the finger groove feels silky perfect.I would personally like the blade to be thinner at the edge bevel. Even so, I am tickled pink with this knife.The sheath is not ideal for belt carry, but this isn't an issue for me. It is a perfectly serviceable protector of (and from!) the blade for my uses.This is not my everyday carry knife. That duty belongs to a Benchmade folder I acquired 23 years ago. Love the product; love the firm.

I EDC fixed blades and I was in the market for a new knife. I was originally going to get an Esee Izula until I remembered this knife existed. I've always wanted a Benchmade, so I opted for this instead. I'm glad I did.The first thing to note though, is the sheath. The 'dymondwood' model comes with a leather sheath. It is not suitable for regular use. It is made of pressed leather, which means that they take a bunch of scrap leather shavings which would normally be thrown out, and they press it into a seat and laminate a top to make it look like a solid piece of leather. It's like the chicken nugget of leather. It's poor quality, looses its shape, and falls apart easily. It is pretty though. The G10 model comes with a kydex sheath, but it has its own problems and isn't very good either.For that reason, I had an aftermarket sheath made by Armatus Carry. It is very high quality and a very secure retention. I ordered a small attachment as well, which carries a Streamlight Microstream. It has been a great solution for keeping things out of my pockets, but still making sure they are secure.The dymondwood handle is a similar story to the sheath in that it is fibrous veneers pressed together and impregnated with epoxy. However, it is a high quality and durable handle material. It is virtually waterproof and stain-proof. I have one small gripe about it and that's the grip. The shape is nice and comfortable, but the handle can get a little slick in wet conditions. There is a little bit of texture to help with that, but it still doesn't have the same sure grip as G10 or micarta. So if you expect to be using it in wet conditions, G10 would be the better option. But the dymondwood is so much better looking.The S30V steel is great. Easily the best blade steel I've owned. It has a great balance of durability, edge retention, and ease of sharpening. It's a relatively hard steel, so it's tougher to sharpen than something like 1095 or 440, but it's not so tough as some of the really hard super steels. Its hardness gives it a tendency to chip rather than roll, so that is something to consider. But with Benchmade's great warranty, it can be sent back to have the edge repaired for only the cost of shipping. It doesn't take a super fine, super sharp edge as well as some other steels, but it retains a working edge for a long time. For that reason, it's a great steel for an EDC knife. One thing to note is that it's not totally rust-proof. If you put it away wet, it may come out next time with a few light spots, but they're very easy to clean off.The blade shape looks a little strange at first with the big, swooping belly, but it is quite functional for everyday tasks. I'm not a hunter, so I can't comment on its skinning abilities, but I have used it for food prep, yard work, opening various packages, as an ice pick, some light whittling, etc., and it has performed great. One thing to note is that the blade stock is pretty thick and the bevel is steep, so it's not as much of a slicer as some other knives. It tends to wedge things apart, but it does so quite efficiently and cleanly.Since fixed blade knives can be intimidating to some people, I always like to carry concealed inside the waistband. It took some experimentation to find the most comfortable way to carry it, especially with the flashlight attached to the sheath. I'm carrying in waistband at around 4 o'clock in a reverse grip position. I have found this to be super comfortable. I regularly forget it's there, and with the small footprint of the IWB overhook, it's easy to tuck a shirt around it without it being noticeable.So overall, it's a great blade, very comfortable in the hand, really durable and holds a great edge. If you're working wet, go with G10, if not, the dymondwood is beautiful. Either way, go for an aftermarket kydex sheath, because neither stock sheath is great.

I have to say, I love this knife. It is my second Benchmade, the first being an Adamas fixed blade. The Adamas is a pretty hardcore knife, great for backpacking or hunting or what-have-you. But for me, it's a bit too much to carry around strapped to my belt in town. Too big and intimidating to be an edc. The Hidden Canyon Hunter however, is just the perfect size. Just like the video reviews on youtube, I also thought "wow it's small" as I unboxed it. But taking it out of the sheath and holding this knife is great. It feels great in the hand. The shape, with the forefinger groove and the jimping fit the hand perfect. It's light but substantial. The blade is razor sharp right out of the box. I chose the diamondwood handle and love it. It adds a touch of class to a perfect little utility tool. Perfect for an edc. Other reviews didn't care for the sheath, and I didn't at first either. I didn't like how it hung a little bit, the handle end weighing it down, but now I like that too. Gives it a very casual look. This has quickly become my favorite knife.