Benchmade’s New Folding Knife Raises a Controversial Question

To fold or not to fold? In the outdoor knife world, answering that question can to some extent define the type of knife at hand, or at least its general category.

If it folds, it can probably pass as an EDC pocket knife — with gonzo exceptions such as the Gerber Double Down. If the blade is fixed, with additional exceptions in the desk/utility knife space — it’s more likely to fall into the bushcraft or survival knife camps. 

But every once in a while, a folding knife comes along that dares to lay claim to the title of “only one you need when your back’s against the wall.” That appears to be what Oregon-based Benchmade is going for with its latest high-end release, the $400 PSK (“personal survival knife”).

The case for a backcountry folder

Like precious few before it, the PSK makes the case that one need not sheath some over-the-top, full-tang 18-inch Rambo III knife to spend a week in the woods, battling the elements with all the shelter-crafting, game-dressing, fire-building skills in your arsenal — that an ultra-robust folder will do.

We’ve conceded that point ourselves with our best bushcraft and best survival knife guides, both of which include a token folding knife. But we also include a critical caveat in the latter guide: “Folding knives typically don’t make great survival knives — any instance of design complexity is an opportunity for failure. In a folding knife, that’s the pivot. So if you must use a folder for survival, be sure it’s burly.”