I received my second 2009 Benchmade release today: a 585 Mini-Barrage. This knife is what you get when you cross a 780 (the scale pattern and shape); a 556 Mini Griptilian (scale material and size); a 723 (blade shape); and a modified 5500 Auto Mini Presidio (assisted opener instead of auto opener).
The result is a 2.9 inch long 154cm blade with thumb studs, Valox (plastic) scaled handles, assisted opening AXIS lock knife.

Let me tell you about about the assisted AXIS. With a regular AXIS you pull the lock back and nothing happens. Pulling it back on an Auto AXIS deploys the blade. On this knife nothing happens. However, opening the blade with the thumb stud, once you get it about 20 degrees open, it springs open like an auto. Also like an auto, there's a safety on the spine you can engage with the knife open or closed, locking the blade in its current position. Unlike a regular AXIS knife (and most folders), you cannot use gravity to flick the blade open, UNLESS you pull the AXIS back first. This makes it easy to flick open regular AXIS knives also. Closing the blade is like closing an auto knife, with resistance on the blade from the fully open position.

This knife has a full frame, so it's begging to be pimped, but I expect cutouts would need to be made to the inside of the new scales for the AXIS springs and movement. I expect to see Benchmade offer alternate scales next year, if not sooner.

This was the knife (or its larger brother the 580 that I was most excited about of the new 2009 knives. Benchmade showed an assisted opening AXIS at BLADE last year, but the knife they released is MUCH better than what they had there. This knife is slimmer, shorter, better looking.

From top to Bottom: 527 Mini Presidio Ultra, 555 Mini Griptilian, 585 Mini Barrage

You had me at:

quote:

Valox (plastic) scaled handles

Will wait and see............

Thanks for the review. You actually answered some questions I had about the assisted axis mechanism. Thanks!

Thanks for the review, Ed, and the cool pics.

Man, lotta haters with the plastic stuff. Wonder about that sometimes, with all of the Glock lovers out there .

Can the A/O be disabled to make it a regular Axis knife?

quote:

Originally posted by GMArthur:
Can the A/O be disabled to make it a regular Axis knife?

No it cant!

Nice pics, thanks. So what do you think so far of not having an adjustable pivot? Is this going to be an issue? Thoughts?

I didn't even notice the lack of adjustable pivot until you mentioned it. We won't know if it's an issue until it is, I guess. Blade lockup is solid, with no wobble of the blade, and there's no play even with the AXIS unlocked. The only time I've ever adjusted a pivot is if I was shipping to Canada and the guy didn't want it to be able to be flipped open.

that's actually a turn off for me, adjustable pivot and axis locks make the world go 'round.

I wonder if the pivot can be adjusted with a scale removed?