Benchmade 4050-02 Meatcrafter Cutlery

The Benchmade 4050-02 Meatcrafter is a fixed-blade boning knife for the kitchen and game processing, here in the version with a Maple Valley Richlite handle. The 156 mm trailing point blade is CPM-154 with a Stonewash Polish finish and only 2.29 mm thick, giving the blade a controlled flex. The knife measures 283 mm overall and weighs 145 g.

The Meatcrafter series is designed to cover boning, trimming and filleting with a single blade: the upswept profile gives a long edge for drawing cuts, while the flex gives feel along bones and joints. The 4050-02 differs from its sister version, the 4050BK-01, with its bright stonewashed blade and Richlite handle, which according to Benchmade develops a natural patina over time. The handle has a black G10 bolster with a gold-coloured accent, and the knife comes with a grey Boltaron sheath.

CPM-154, SelectEdge and Richlite handle

Five features that make the knife well suited to precise work in meat and fish:

• CPM-154 powder steel (58–61 HRC): The powder-metallurgy version of the classic 154CM. The finer carbide structure makes the steel easier to sharpen and polish than many super steels, and it has good corrosion resistance – a real advantage in a kitchen with moisture, acid and salt.
• SelectEdge grind: Benchmade's own sharpening method gives a very sharp edge optimised for clean push cuts. You notice it when trimming sinew and membrane, where a coarser edge tears instead of cutting.
• 156 mm trailing point blade: The upswept tip gives a long, continuous edge for long cuts in large joints of meat, and the blade length is also enough for filleting larger fish.
• Controlled blade flex: At 2.29 mm the blade is thinner than a traditional stiff boning knife, so it can follow bones and joints closely.
• Full-tang Richlite handle: Richlite is a composite of paper fibre and resin that is dimensionally stable and does not soak up water like wood. The handle is 14.83 mm thick, and the full tang gives stability and balance.

Maintenance and safety

• Wash the knife by hand and dry it immediately – never in the dishwasher.
• Use a wooden or plastic chopping board, and avoid chopping through bone or frozen food with the thin, flexible blade.
• Store the knife in the supplied Boltaron sheath so the edge is protected and nobody grabs it by accident in a drawer.
• Fixed-blade knives are subject to stricter rules than folding knives – check the regulations in your country before transporting or carrying one in public.