Everyday Carry

Benchmade Mini Crooked River

Authored by:
Bernard Capulong
Benchmade Mini Crooked River

Related Gear:
  Benchmade Bugout Review
  Build Your Ultimate Bugout for National Knife Day 2023
  Foursevens Mini and Turbo MKIII Ti

All too often, when you look for a pocket knife with the right modern features and performance to be your daily driver, you’ll find your EDC knife options skew towards the tactical side of things. But what’s left if you look at a tactical knife and don’t love it because it doesn’t suit your needs or style? Hunting knives offer a more traditional style, but they’re usually too big for EDC and lack standard features from modern folding knives. Leave it to Benchmade, with decades of experience in American manufacturing of both tactical and hunting knives, to fill the void with the Mini Crooked River. It’s a scaled-down and more EDC-friendly version of their original full-sized Crooked River hunting knife, which paired classic styling with premium materials and modern features.

Although it might look like it at first glance, The Mini Crooked River isn’t your grandfather’s hunting knife. You’ll find modern premium materials throughout the knife: aluminum bolsters, contour-stabilized “Dymondwood” handles, and high-vis hunter orange details in the G10 backspacer and pivot accent. It still features a classic clip-point shape on its 3.40” blade but comes in a premium CPM S30V steel.

Materials aside, the made-in-the-USA Mini Crooked River operates and performs like a modern folding knife thanks to its ambidextrous thumb stud manual deployment and AXIS lock mechanism. Slight jumping near the blade’s spine offers more control, but its otherwise smooth stabilized wood handles and sweeping lines result in an elegant overall aesthetic. Its tip-up pocket deep carry clip makes it easy to carry and retrieve, while its 4.5” closed length, 0.5” handle thickness, and 3.3 oz weight keep bulk to a minimum. For an EDC experience from Benchmade that’s less tactical and every bit as practical, check out the Mini Crooked River at the link below.

View on Amazon


Benchmade Crooked River Mini Review

Blade

The blade is made from CPM S30V stainless steel that’s been hardened to a 58-60 HRC. Its blade steel features excellent edge retention. The blade style is a clip point, making it suitable for outdoor skinning and survival tasks.

Pocket carry

This EDC folding knife has a deep carry clip for discreet carry in any environment. Its perfect size makes it okay to carry loose in your pocket too.

Use

The Mini Crooked River is a great all-around EDC folding knife from its smart looks and blade style. Stabilized wood handles make it easy to pick up and are very comfortable even during extended use.

Overall

The stabilized wood handles give this knife a unique look when set against the sea of stainless steel and G10-handled folding knives you typically find.


Benchmade Mini Crooked River: Features

AXIS lock mechanism

The AXIS lock is Benchmade’s hallmark folding knife feature. Its ambidextrous design allows you to pick up and use this EDC knife with either hand. It also eliminates blade play even during hard use.

CPM S30V stainless steel clip point blade (58-60HRC)

CPM S30V stainless steel features excellent edge retention and a high hardness at 58-60 HRC. It has enough blade length at 3.4” to be considered full size, but it’s not so huge that you’ll find it too unwieldy as an EDC folding knife.

Anodized aluminum bolsters with contoured Dymondwood scales and stainless steel liners

The stabilized wood handles are made out of Benchmade’s “Dymondwood,” and they provide a handle material that stands out from the pack. They look great but also offer a lot of utility because of their grippy surface. The aluminum bolsters help keep this great knife lightweight overall as well.

Orange G10 backspacer and anodized aluminum pivot ring

Contrast is the name of the game when it comes to the orange G10 backspacer and the anodized aluminum pivot ring. Overall this is an EDC folding knife that realizes it’s important to look good and cut well. It will be a handsome addition to your everyday carry.

Reversible tip-up pocket clip

Just as the AXIS lock mechanism is ambidextrous, the reversible tip-up pocket clip allows for discreet everyday carry of this EDC knife in either your left or right front pocket. You can also choose to remove it if you prefer.


Benchmade Mini Crooked FAQ

Is the Mini Crooked River a good EDC?

Yes, the Mini Crooked River is a good EDC folding blade. Its beautiful looks and excellent materials come together in a practical folding knife.

What steel is the Mini Crooked River made out of?

The Benchmade Mini Crooked River is made of CPM S30V stainless steel. This stainless steel features excellent edge retention and maximum sharpness.

Is the Mini Crooked River a folding or fixed blade knife?

The Benchmade Mini Crooked River is a folding knife. It features an AXIS lock that holds the full-size blade open during use like a fixed blade knife, but it’s easy to pocket when you’re done with it.

What is the best place to buy a Benchmade knife?

The best place to buy a Benchmade knife is at the link below. You can also find it in specialized outdoors and tactical retail stores if you prefer the brick-and-mortar route.


What is Everyday Carry?

Everyday Carry is both the concept of what people carry in their pockets and the process of picking out gear that thoughtfully considers what one wants or needs in their daily lives. It encompasses everything from style to preparedness to utility, meaning an entire industry full of valuable tools and essentials to choose from.

Why you should trust us

Our team has decades of combined experience in all aspects of everyday men’s essentials, from wallets to pens to bags and everything in between, and we know where to find great gear ideas that you may not come across at your local stores or when shopping online. Our expertise with the industry and familiarity in design, materials, and usability help you make more informed choices when it comes to picking up your next piece of gear.

Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Author
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (0 total)

There are no messages here. Be the first to share a comment or feedback.