My Mini Bone Collector (MBC) with Green handles has become my favorite folder. I'm sure you'll really like it. Just some quick thoughts after about 2 months of EDC with it. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts once you've played with it:
PROS:
• Blade thickness - this has the thickest blade I've ever seen on a small folder. It's good and beefy!
• Handles - The micarta handles are fantastic. Lots of texture, they fill the hand very well, and they look so dang cool. Layered with black, they look very deep and 3 dimensional. And the grooves are deep and well placed. The handle has also been rounded and contoured in all the right places. Just a great design and execution.
• Lockup - Hey, it's an Axis lock...what do you expect?
• Blade shape - Modified sheepsfoot, I believe? Anyway, it's unique and looks good. It has good balance and a nice long cutting surface compared to the overall blade length.
SLIGHTLY LESS PRO:
• Axis buttons are pretty deeply recessed inside the channel - my Mini Griptilian Axis buttons stick out pretty sharply and are much easier to manipulate (not to mention they have about half the travel distance of the MBC). The MBC takes a much more concentrated effort to slide the Axis buttons back and forth. Your thumb and forefinger kind of grind along the rough micarta as you manipulate the lock. This is probably mostly due to the thickness of the scales.
• Thumb hole - without gloves, it works ok. With gloves, well, it's a little small for my liking. It is what is is, due to the size and shape of the blade and the handle, but it's not nearly as fast and/or instinctive for me as a pair of good old thumb studs. The MBC is definitely not "flickable" with your thumbnail (unless you have a thumb the size of a pencil).
• Pivot screw - Mine wouldn't stay put. I'd adjust it down until there was no side-to-side blade play whatsoever, then about 5 or 6 quick flicks open and closed, and the blade would wobble. I fixed it with a couple of wraps of teflon tape, and it's been good-to-go ever since.
• Where's the jimp? - I wish there was more pronounced jimping on the thumb ramp. Just personal preference for an "outdoor" knife to be used in all weather conditions.
I've only cut wood, paper, packing tape, and cardboard with it so far. But I have no doubt it would hold up very well to the kind of cutting it was designed for - which I'm assuming is skinning and general field/camp duties.
Congratulations on a great Benchmade, and let us know what you think when it arrives.