Agreed FD and M2,

The Nitrous assist is very clean and doesn't need a whole lot of maintenance/adjusting to work well.

Between the AO Axis models and these Nitrouses' Benchmade's got a good thing going.

I had the pleasure of playing around with the 890 and really enjoyed it.I really liked the handle, especially the shaped cut out for the thumb-stud and the pommel/lanyard hole. I can imagine that would come in handy for self defense, plus, it just looks.. cool. The pocket clip I have mixed feelings on, I like the feel of it in my hand, and it allows me to have a better grip, but the end of it does stick out a little, and I can imagine scratching, catching, and bumping into things with it. The only reason that kept me from buying it was the size, and the clip. Being a girl, our pants pockets just aren't very knife friendly, and the torrent was just too big, making it not very practical for an EDC. However, the knife really left a good impression on me, I really wouldn't mind owning one.

Welcome Kama, girls are welcome here, we need your opines on things.

For a smaller Nitrous-based knife I'd suggest a 907D2 Mini Stryker. It's an excellent smaller knife and makes for a very good EDC choice.

...Joe

quote:

The second gen Nitrous mechanics are among the smoothest in the lineup

I’ve handled the 890 a few times but didn’t get a chance to inspect the Nitrous system on it. What makes it smoother than the Nitrous Stryker?

Welcome kama.

Thanks for the welcome!
A little background on my recent discovery of knives:
I really only have one knife, the 707 SBK. I wasn't really a knife person, I'd just use a box cutter or x-acto knife if I needed anything, but at a local gun shop my interest was a little peaked, I was automatically drawn to the Benchmade brand, which they had a large selection. After getting a feel of all the different knives, the 3 I liked best were the 707 sequel, the 890 torrent, and the 556 Mini-grip. The 707, I decided would be the best fit for me, especially for an EDC.
After my first purchase, my interest in knives (especially benchmades) has spiked! And now here I am!
The 890 S is definitely on my knife wish list, It's maybe too big for me as an EDC, but still something I think would come in handy for other uses.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr Forthington Pringles:

quote:

The second gen Nitrous mechanics are among the smoothest in the lineup

I’ve handled the 890 a few times but didn’t get a chance to inspect the Nitrous system on it. What makes it smoother than the Nitrous Stryker?

Good question Doc, I didn't know there was a second gen version of the Nitrous system.

And Kama, if you're interested in an assisted opener like the 890 and find that's too big to handle as an EDC, check out the 907D2 Mini Stryker which is a great smaller knife.

You know for the money, I think the best and cheapest nitrous opener out there is the HK Blitz. It was the first "good" knife I ever bought and I carry it to this day going on about 2 and a half years. You can usually pick one up used for about 70$ which is a steal as it's got titanium liners, is incredibly thin (much moreso than the 890, and about half the weight) and has 154CM steel. The blade shape is quite good for EDC and it's incredibly fast if you put a little oil into the mechanism.

The Nitrous System has a sort of funky liner in the way it engages the tang. There is nothing wrong with it, but if you look at it, it is different from a conventional liner lock.

In practice, it takes little or no pressure to release the liner from the tang. Now not an issue on, say the AO Stryker, however the big old cut out gave way too much access to the liner when gripped on the 890. Because of this, I got rid of the example I had.

Simple fix is to get rid of the cut out.

From a safety standpoint no liner lock should have a cut out in the handle. Sure it makes it look good, and allows easy disengagement of the liner to unlock. But that is the problem... It allows to easy disengagement of of the liner.

I think the 890 is a great knife! It is functional and has great EDC features! I carry one almost everyday!

Mark G, I know what you mean man. I've got a 790 on loan and it pops out in my pocket all the time, I'm glad I didn't buy it. It's still a good knife it's just not that safe to have a knife come open in your pocket. I've never had an issue with my HK tho, it's got a strong detent to keep it from coming open, it's just perfectly made.