Hello fellow bloggers,

After great anticipation my 755 finally arrived. A couple of tense weeks as it seemed customs was not letting this one go. Alas, Ozzy customs are somewhat twitchy when it comes to knives and even more when trying to import one. Of course my stress levels rocketed when I read one of the posts on this site which suggested Ozzy customs were holding 12 755's for destruction! Thankfully, at least in my case, I was spared. A warning to other Ozzy's reading this, customs have banned all Benchmade's with the axis lock so beware if buying over the net. You can submit an application to import but better if you do this before importing!! Saves the heart palpitations but will delay your purchase by weeks!
Anyway, I digress. I've read all of the posts on this site relating to this knife and I think you've really done this knife credit! For this reason I will not be talking technical, more highlighting some observations which might help those of you struggling to make a decision on this knife.
Down here in Oz we have a saying......long and thin, too far in, short and fat.....is where it's at"! I'll let you all interpret that to you're hearts content, but, when it comes to the 755, short and fat is definitely where it's at! This is not a small knife but compact it is and great for an EDC. Styling will not be for everyone, in fact if it wasn't so damn sharp it could be described as somewhat of a blunt instrument......generous slabs of rough G10 and more angles than the pyramids......not pretty but wow, super cool!!! Who wants to be like everyone else? The knife has a positive, albeit hollow feel to the grip given it's width and the shear volume of G10 used but the overall balance is nice. A slight lean towards the blade but then no wonder given its thickness!! Opening the blade is smooth right out the box however I found a couple of drops of "white Lightening" was the icing on the cake.....very fluid! I've also read many posts from southpaws concerned about this knife. Don't be! I'm ambidextrous and often switch between hands when required. For whatever reason this knife is actually easier to open with my left.....go figure?? The infamous clip has posed no problem although the knife does ride very high in the pocket which can be problematic if you require a discrete carry. Down here in Oz it is illegal to carry any sized knife so one has to be careful.
At the end of the day, choosing to purchase this knife will depend on your needs. If it's to hang on a wall then it will simply be down to personal taste. If it's for defense then I'd probably say no but if you need a real work horse, an everyday tool for all manner of jobs and lets face it (cover your eyes Benchmade), sometimes you need to use your knife for jobs other than cutting, then this is definitely the knife for you. It really is built like a brick dunny (that's an outside toilet in Australia used to describe something that's tough and built to last)......ok, it's a tank!!! What are you waiting for.......get out there and do yourself a favor......I'm sure you'll be happy. I tip my hat to Benchmade......this knife is an absolute ripper (it's really good). Congtrats on a great knife!!

Welcome DNA, good post. Sorry you guys have such problems getting your hands on our favorite Benchmades and other mfr's products. Not only does it seem unfair, but also costly if you choose to fight by going with legal routes.

Aside from the direct outside import deal, I understand there are Benchmade dealers in-country...are these guys expensive, and does it make getting what you want any easier?

Thanks for the welcome Joe. Unfortunately Australian customs are very strict on importation of knives. Anything which can be potentially construed as a "flick" knife, such as the Axis lock, is somewhat frowned upon. They don't even like blades with black coating. Blade serration is another one too, daggers etc etc. I appreciate what they are trying to do but not everyone has criminal intent. Very restrictive. As I said in my first post, you can submit official paper work, both to the police department and customs but this can take weeks with no guarantee they will allow you to import. There are various Australian web sites and retail stores which sell Benchmade but their selection is often limited and very expensive. Of course you don't have to go through the red tape to purchase from these sites but it is very restrictive. I cannot believe the price differences between here and the US. Very frustrating but what can you do?