FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

3 February 2011
By: Sal Palma

Benchmade’s 3800SBK NTK™ an Explosive Auto For Your Kit!

In 2011, Benchmade will add the 3800

I can’t remember ever seeing my father
without his Swiss Army knife as I was
growing up. He always kept it in his pant’s
NTK™, a superb family of automatic folding
knives, to their military products portfolio.
These new autos are expected to be
available sometime during March of 2011.
My T&E sample is a prototype of the
3800SBK NTK™, and features a serrated
blade.
The 3800-family is a William W. Harsey
dual-action liner locking design, and a
Benchmade Black Label product. Its look
and feel reflects the anticipated use – heavy
tactical folder.
It is also a restricted item – made so by
arcane laws. 1 F F

pocket, but on the few occasions when he The 3800SBK NTK™ was designed first and
did misplace it you could hear him foremost to be a fully automatic knife, and
grumbling “dónde carajo' puse mi cuchillo,” firing the blade is accomplished by
A phrase in Spanish, which sums up the life depressing a recess just behind the axis
of a folding knife – where the hell did I put point.
it.
Folding knives have evolved in impressive
ways and today they are ubiquitous in
everyday life; nowhere is this more evident
than in tactical application, whether military
or law enforcement.
A folding knife will never replace a stout
fixed blade knife but they do supplement
them, and quite often end up with the bulk
of the day-to-day work, so they need to be
capable.
Unlike other auto designs, the 3800’s
Benchmade Knife Company, Oregon City,
actuation button is not exposed, instead it
OR is a global leader in the design,
manufacture and sales of high quality
1
cutlery; their military products have won No doubt influenced by visions of Sal Minio
awards and a loyal following in armed flicking his switchblade and sticking someone –
forces and law enforcement circles. Hollywood makes millions by misleading
people.

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
 FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication
is located under the handle’s Kraton® cover.
Although not intuitively obvious, the
reasoning behind the design decision was
operator safety and elimination of a
separate safety mechanism to keep the
blade from firing accidentally. If you’re like
me, I often find myself forgetting that I have
a safety engaged so I have to fumble
around to disengage it – a practice that is in
an by itself hazardous.
In this Harsey design, the blade can only be
deployed with a firm press at the actuation
point; simply touching that area with a
finger or bumping it won’t fire the blade.
Firing the 3800’s blade, as a right-handed
individual, was quite natural. Simply hold
the knife using a saber or palm supported
grip and with your thumb press on the
actuating button found in the recess just
behind the axis.
Lefties may have to develop a technique
that involves firing the blade using the index
finger, so I don’t see the 3800’s being
“truly” ambidextrous – at least when using
automatic opening.
I tried deploying the blade using my left
hand and found myself gritting teeth to
work up enough strength in my index finger
to fire the blade 2 . After several attempts, I
F F
was finally able to do it but quite frankly it
was not worth the effort, so I used the
ambidextrous thumb studs, generously
provided by the designer, to snap the blade
open.
Ambidextrous support is an essential
feature as tactical knives are called upon to
perform many tasks, so it’s fundamental
that the knives you carry allow you to
deploy the blade easily using a single hand.
2
It’s time to work on strengthening my weak
hand…
Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
The significance of that notion is highlighted
by the fact that you may suffer an injury or
have a trapped arm or hand. You may even
have a weapon retention condition where
your strong hand is struggling to maintain
control of your sidearm.
In these probable and reasonably real
scenarios, the operator needs to have a
folder that supports single-handed
ambidextrous opening of the blade, and
Benchmade’s 3800SBK NTK™ does just that
with its dual action design.
Locking the blade securely so that it doesn’t
fold back on you, severing a finger or two, is
every bit as essential as the ability to
quickly deploy it. Here, the Harsey design
incorporates a very solid liner lock made of
420J stainless steel.
It took the beating I gave it without a hint of
failure.
There’s also gimping on the liner lock, which
protrudes slightly beyond the handle. This is
a wonderful thing and I can’t praise that
decision enough.
If you want to win my heart please add
gimping to your designs because it
contributes greatly to control.
The 3800’s blade is a drop point, flat ground
design with a length of 3.90 inches and a
blade thickness of .114 inches, giving this
knife very credible tool strength.
 FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

The 3800SBK NTK™ has a nylon handle with

Our T&E sample is made from S30V but the textured Kraton® 3 . F F

production models will ship in D2 steel (60-

62 HRC); certainly more than enough tool
strength for any job where a folding knife
can reasonably be used.

Harsey’s drop point design performed

extremely well in a number of tests that I
conducted.
In addition to whacking the blade against
some piping to test the locking and axis, I
sliced through upholstery material and
attacked a phonebook. I was extremely
impressed with how this knife performed.
My phonebook attack involved slicing and
puncturing.
With the phonebook resting on a concrete
surface, I achieved a half-inch penetration
using only moderate force.
In my opinion, much of its performance is
attributable to the point’s position relative
to the blade’s centerline; penetrating outer Harsey provides broad and deep finger coils
garments and clothing should not pose for better than half the handle’s length, so
much of a problem for this brute of a folder. gripping the knife is supremely comfortable
A knife’s handle is its operator’s interface and secure.
and an extremely important consideration The Kraton® 4 covering adheres to the naked
F F

when selecting a tactical knife, and Harsey
and Benchmade knocked it right out of the
ballpark.
and gloved hand with the tenacity of Krazy
Glue® and insulates the hand from shocks.
3
The production models will use a similar
material called Unisoft®

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
 FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

I also like to see a tactical design offer some thumb studs are there and ever
sort of a pummel and a lanyard attachment present for stealth or as backup.
point; the former is handy for breaking glass • Liner locking: provides a rock-solid
or redirecting Neolithic behavior. lockup capable of as much abuse as
Here too the 3800 NTK™ is accommodating you could give it.
and the 420J liner extends just beyond the • Blade profile: flat grind, drop point
nylon handle to fill that role. deliver fix-blade strength and
provides an excellent compromise
between slicing and puncturing.
• The handle: a slightly curved, nylon
handle with a Kraton® cover that
adheres to your hand wet / dry or
otherwise.
• Nice touches: gimping at all contact
points to keep your hand from
slipping regardless of grip used.
Awesome!

In this writer’s opinion, it’s a candidate for

the Best Tactical Folder of the Year Award,
Conclusion
0B if such a category exists, and if it doesn’t,
one should be created.
Benchmade Knife Company’s undisputed For additional information visit the
quality is evident throughout the 3800SBK Benchmade Knife Company
H

NTK™. The craftsmanship is superb, as are

the materials and assembly. But, a good
build does not a good knife make. A knife, -SP
unlike any other weapon or tool, has a soul,
and that is the artistic and functional
understanding infused by its designer.
Bill Harsey created something that both he
and you can be proud of; nothing was left
to chance, and certainly nothing was
insufficient.
• Dual-Action mechanism: in auto
mode deploys the hefty blade with
authority and the ambidextrous

4
I tested the Kraton® for cold temperature by placing
the knife in the freezer for a two hour period. I did
observe some stiffing of the material making firing the
blade, with the actuating button, more difficult – it
required slightly greater pressure; however, I don’t see
it as a significant issue.

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.