Benchmade Station Knife Review

Ever since Benchmade released the Station Knife, I have been intrigued. As someone who cooks quite a bit, I enjoy a good kitchen knife. Over the years, I have mainly used the traditional chef’s knife and the Santoku knife, so the shape of the Benchmade Station Knife stood out. With its sharp point and shorter length, this would be a great knife not only for around the house but also for use while camping. I wanted to put this knife to work, so I have been using it for the past year or so almost daily. 

When you first land on the Station Knife page, you notice that you can customize this knife with different materials for the blade and handle and even get custom laser etching. Being able to personalize this knife is fun and makes it all that much more special for you. 

Facts/Stat Sheet

Price: $280+

Blade Material: 440C or CPM-154

Blade Length: 5.97″ | 15.16cm

Blade Thickness: 0.114″ | 2.896mm

Open Length: 10.88″ | 27.64cm

Handle Material: G10, Richlite, or Carbon Fiber

Handle Thickness: 0.61″ | 15.44mm

Weight: 6.92oz | 196.18g

Sheath Weight: 1.27oz | 36.00g

The knife that I used for this was the 440C with a carbon fiber handle with a Blue Sapphire PVD pivot ring. When you first receive this knife, the packaging and presentation are top-notch. The knife feels great in your hand as it is balanced well and not heavy at all. If I were back working in kitchens, I would still choose a chef’s knife over this, but for cooking at home and while out camping, this knife has all but replaced my other knives. 

The shape of the Station Knife caught my eye, especially for a knife to have while camping where space is tight, and you don’t want to carry a ton of stuff. From the handle, the first ⅔ of the blade is thick, like a chef’s knife; able to chop meats and vegetables well. But then the knife tapers quickly to a very fine point. This shape makes for a very versatile knife, with the point allowing you to have the qualities of a filet/boning and paring knife. The Station Knife is a bit shorter than an average chef’s knife, so some tasks that need more precision are a little easier to tackle. 

I have used this knife to do everything, from thin-slicing garlic and onions to fileting trout and salmon; from paring vegetables to breaking down a whole bird. The fact that it is versatile enough to handle each of these tasks is pretty amazing. The ergonomics of this knife are impressive as well. If you have worked in a kitchen for any amount of time, or just use a knife a lot, you know that your hand will build certain calluses at the base of your index finger from holding the knife up by the edge of the handle. This is another spot where the Station Knife shines. The top is tapered so you don’t have a harsh edge rubbing into your finger. While I don’t use this knife for hours at a time, it is something that you notice when dicing vegetables for more than a few minutes. 

Let’s get to the blade’s edge, as this is what everyone cares about. Most knife blades available in the United States for cooking fall in the area of having a 17-22 degree angle on their blades. This provides an angle that is sharp enough to get your precision cuts while also providing durability for the blade’s edge for chopping. Benchmade chose a more Eastern-style blade angle for the Station Knife and used their SelectEdge™ technology. At 14° per side, this blade is built for precision while maintaining a shape for chopping. So why this angle? According to Benchmade: 

“Through extensive lab testing and field research, SelectEdge™ has proven to be the optimal balance of edge sharpness and durability…

…Benchmade’s primary indicator of cutting performance has been edge retention. While edge retention is critical for many heavy-use applications, the style of cuts a user will make can vary from task to task. Of these cuts, the two most common are pull cuts, and push cuts. SelectEdge™ is optimized for fine, push cuts that are required when making the final preparations of meat.”

So yes, they put a lot of thought and research into the angle of the blade edge. This research also wasn’t just some dudes in lab coats, but an actual chef, Chef Kyle Mendenhall. I do have to say that in the past year that I have been using this knife, I have not had to sharpen the blade at all. 

So who is this knife for? Well, if you are looking for a quality, versatile knife that you can use at home for fine cuts, by the grill cutting meat, or out in the field camping, this is a great option. If you are a full-time chef, man, this could be a fun knife to have in your arsenal, but it probably won’t be your workhorse. As for the steel, I can tell you from experience with this knife that the 440C with the SelectEdge™ is a damn good blade. So good that I will probably end up picking up a three-piece set from Benchmade as well.