Benchmade 710FE-24 Seven Ten

The Benchmade 710FE-24 Seven Ten is a large folding knife for hard everyday use, the workshop and outdoors, where you want a long blade with real cutting power in your pocket. The blade measures 101.6 mm and the overall length is 227 mm, and at 137.5 g with a 12.9 mm thick handle it is a knife you notice – but in return it handles tasks where a small EDC knife falls short.

The 710 was the first knife with the AXIS lock, developed by knifemakers Bill McHenry and Jason Williams and launched by Benchmade in 1999. The 710FE-24 is an anniversary edition marking 25 years of the AXIS lock. The frame and recurve blade are the original design, but the materials have been updated: CPM-S90V steel in the blade, a handle in grey anodised 6061-T6 aluminium and FDE-coated (Flat Dark Earth) PVD details on the spacers, clip and pivot ring.

Anniversary edition with S90V and AXIS lock

This is what sets the 710FE-24 apart from the standard version:

• CPM-S90V steel: Stainless powder steel with a high vanadium content, hardened to 59-61 HRC. The vanadium carbides give an edge that lasts considerably longer than S30V on abrasive materials such as cardboard, rope and tape – the trade-off is that the steel takes longer to sharpen.
• Recurve drop-point: The slightly curved edge draws material into the cut, so the knife cuts effectively through rope, straps and thick material. The blade is 2.9 mm thick and PVD-coated in FDE.
• AXIS lock: The original lock from 1999. A spring-loaded bar locks the blade, and the lock works the same from both sides, so the knife is Ambidextrous and your fingers stay out of the blade's closing path.
• 6061-T6 aluminium: Machined handle in aluminium alloy with grey anodising. It gives a stiff, relatively light handle for a knife of this size, and the anodising protects the surface against corrosion.
• Deep Carry clip: Satin-finish clip that lets the knife ride deep in the pocket, so the large knife does not stick out.

Maintenance and safety

• Clean and dry the knife after use, and lightly lubricate the pivot and AXIS lock with knife oil.
• S90V is hard to sharpen. Use diamond or ceramic stones and hold a steady angle – especially on the recurve section, where a round rod or narrow stone makes the job easier.
• Do not use the knife as a pry bar; even wear-resistant steel can chip at the edge when twisted.
• Rules on carrying one-hand-opening folding knives with a locking blade differ across the EU. Check the regulations in your country, carry the knife in public only where you have a legitimate reason, and otherwise transport it safely packed away.