By: Advanced Knife Bro
The Benchmade Proper 318 is a contemporary take on a classic slip joint knife. It has a decent placement in Benchmade's line-up with its s30V blade being a standard amongst most Benchmade and Spyderco knives. The 318 sports a clip point that is friendlier to piercing. Its aesthetics are pleasing and the handle, particularly the micarta, is smooth and comfortable. However, the knife falls short when it comes to the backspring which feels mushy and lacks the snappiness expected of a good slipjoint. The liners and backspring when opened don't display the smooth surface found in other knives like the GEC's.
In comparison to other modern slip joints, the Proper 318 is lacking in quality, especially in its backspring and handle flushness. Other knives like the Serge slip joint display smooth handle tops, showing excellent fit and finish. Moreover, other modern interpretations like the Falcon or the Madison Barlow are superior in their snappiness and aesthetics respectively. While it is not a terrible knife, Benchmade could, without a doubt, improve on the Proper 318 by focusing on the walk and talk, and the fit of the backspring to the liners.
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