Benchmade Infidel
Out-the-front fun!
The 8.91" (overall) Benchmade Infidel out-the-front is a brute of an auto.
The special blue anodizing on this limited version adds an extra bit of spice.
Benchmade was making autos when autos weren’t cool. I bought my first, a Phil Boguszewski-designed Spike, back in the early 1990s and it hooked me on these free flying, push-button, spring-fed folders forever. The Benchmade Infidel out-the-front model, introduced in 2006, was an instant hit and today it’s a classic. The attractive bright blue anodized model you see here is available in a limited run for one year ending in June 2021.
If ever a knife fit its name, the Infidel hits the mark. At 4.9 oz., it feels like a tank in the hand and the slide release sends the blade out like a Howitzer round. Simply pull the slide back and the blade retracts back into the handle pretty as you please. Many out-the-fronts feel light and airy but this isn’t one of them. The 3.91″ CPM-S30V stainless steel blade, with an attractive fuller groove up the middle, is double-ground in fine fashion. The 5.0″ handle has the sturdy feel of a fixed-blade in the hand.
Push the Infidel’s slide forward and the double-ground dagger blade slams
into action. Pull the slide back and the blade snicks tidily back into the handle.
Why You’ll Like It
Out-the-front fixed-blades are simpler to use and orient in the hand than those propelling the blade out the side. With the Benchmade Infidel you simply push the slide forward and the hand quickly adjusts to the hammer or forward grip — no twisting and turning the handle to reposition the grip. Of course, Benchmade is known for manufacturing quality knives but there’s an added bonus. The special edition Blue Infidel will run you $525 MSRP but also available are two Black versions, a full-size and Mini version, which go for $495 and $425 respectively. As beastly out-the-front autos go, you’ll be hard pressed to find one with the battle-hardened track record of the Infidel.
