Benchmade Altitude reviews?

[mcseal2]

Just curious if anyone has used this knife and how you like it if so. Also often did it need re-sharpened and how difficult was it to re-sharpen one.

I'm thinking of one as a second knife for my moose hunt to back up my Benchmade Saddle Mountain. They are darn expensive, but if I get one it will probably live in my pack for a lot of years. I think I could use it that way and not lose it! It would be a light back-up to whatever else I carry. I can't bring myself to love the Havalons for anything but caping personally although they work great used right.

 

[FlyGuy]

Can't help you. I've only held one in store but it felt NICE. In the end I couldn't deal with the Price Point. Ended up going with the Tyto Izula. Found one on here for $60 new in box and couldn't pass it up.

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[PennDude]

Ok, so I don't have an Altitude, but I do have a Spyderco South fork, which is also S90v. Reason I'm commenting is to say that S90v blade steel is like no other blade steel I've ever owned. It stays sharp 10x longer than my S30v blades. It's absolutely amazing. It's also VERY time consuming to sharpen. I'm using a Spyderco Sharpmaker with diamond rods, then ceramic up to ultra fine.

If you're moose hunting, I think you'd appreciate the S90v, because it could probably take apart an entire moose without needing a touch-up.

All that said, a certain retailer gives me a discount on the Altitude, which would make it $161. I'm tempted to buy one myself.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks for the reply. I have that same Spyderco sharpener with all those rods. I re-sharpen my Benchmade S30V stuff with it fine but I might take advantage of Benchmade's lifesharp program after season if it's that time consuming to do.

 

[camelcluch]

I'm not talking bad about Benchmade but Kestrel has pretty much the same knife for $100. The altitude is nice but the price is steep.

 

[ellsworb]

really impressed with how long it stays sharp. It's been my knife since early spring turkey.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

Trades offs with S90V is that the extra hardness from the vanadium carbides, but like everything in life, there's sacrifice and that's toughness for hardness. S90V is harder and has longer edge retention than S30V, but more prone to chipping, and as mentioned above, much harder to sharpen when it dulls.

I can't comment on the Altitude itself, but I've avoided buying it due to price, as there's cheaper S30V options.

 

[rgrmike]

I thought it was a cool knife...maybe if it was half the price. Simple as that for me.

 

[Trial153]

You can get a charles may necker in d2 or s30v for about 150...

 

[camelcluch]

Mountain Caper — Kestrel Knives

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone I'll check out the other options too.

 

[camelcluch]

Esee fire ant is about $50 and a mora is around $15. Both are good options as well. So many knives....

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Personally I wouldn't want to take a moose apart with a 2 3/4 knife such as the kestrel, but I never have to maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

For a moose you'll want to make sure its comfortable in your hand as you'll be using it for a while.

As mentioned, the carbides in the steel are what make the long lasting edge. If you carry a rod and give it a very light touch up on occasion it won't be terrible to re-sharpen. If you use it till its totally dull it will be more difficult for sure. Make sure you have proper diamonds that will cut the carbides as opposed to just tearing them out.

 

[mcseal2]

I would be carrying this knife as a back up to the Benchmade S30V Saddle Mountain Skinner with a 4.2" S30V blade. I just don't only want to have one knife and then end up losing it cutting up a moose in the water or something. I have a weight limit on the plane so I was thinking of one as a light back-up for this hunt and as a primary or back-up on future hunts.

After more thinking and reading on it I am leaning toward taking the Saddle Mountain Skinner, my Harvey King Personal, and my Tyto knife that takes the Havalon blades.

The Saddle Mountain is a tougher blade I wouldn't feel bad about being rough on for camp chores and my buddy doesn't have a good fixed blade so we'd consider it a group item and part of camp weight. If I have to baton it through something to feed the stove in the swamp I'd do it.

My King knife is a custom with D2 steel that's really light in the hand and comfortable. If I'm going to spend 6-8 hours using a knife (assuming we get 2 moose) this is the most comfortable one I've ever tried. It's only 3.5oz heavier than the Altitude, much more comfortable in the hand, and I can spare the weight. That gives me 2 good fixed blade knives if one gets lost or broke doing camp work.

The Tyto takes the Havalon 60XT blades. We were going to throw a scapel in the med kit but this is less than 2oz with 6 blades. If we are successful and we are cleaning the skulls the thin razor blade is pretty useful. We will throw it in the med kit until it's needed and consider it a group item also and part of camp weight.

My buddy will just bring his old Kabar 2 bladed folder his Grandpa carried. It has sentimental value to him which I respect. It sharpens up quick with the carbon steel blades but won't hold an edge forever. He might use my Benchmade for a lot of the moose processing while I use my King but he wants to have it along.

I have a ceramic steel that weighs a couple ounces to use while we butcher and and a Benchmade field sharpener I'll throw in too. We will have a pound and a half of knives and sharpening stuff between us but we can make that work. I wouldn't pack it all on a backpack hunt, but this is a drop camp and moose are big critters so I'll feel better having extra on our first trip. I have a Wyoming saw we are taking too on the recommendation of other hunters who have been in this unit. It's a bone-in unit so the quarters have to be taken whole and the outfitter wants the rib slabs taken whole too. It's a lot of stuff and probably more than we need but moose are BIG and it will be a little different than quartering up a muley or even elk.

Guess I don't have an excuse to buy the cool looking new knife this time, what I have will do just fine.

 

[camelcluch]

There is always an excuse for a new knife. You are not trying hard enough...

 

[Tim in Wa.]

what am I missing ? How is the Altitude worth 3 times more $ than ESEE IZULA II, ORANGE KIT

 

[JacobStuck]

Check out land of the free on YouTube by born and raised outdoors. They use altitudes through the whole series. Multiple elk per knife. Seems like it holds up!


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[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

what am I missing ? How is the Altitude worth 3 times more $ than ESEE IZULA II, ORANGE KIT

Its S90v. Its a way more expensive steel and much more difficult to work with. The end result is worth it if you need a knife to stay sharp for a long time.

The Izula II is about $3 worth of steel. The altitude is probably closer to $15.

 

[Trial153]

S90v is bitch to get an edge back on. Once you get it holds it. 1095 with it's high carbon is breeze to put an edge in the field. Just something to consider.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I d rather be able to touch up quickly in the field