Everyday Carry

Benchmade 602 Tengu Tool

Authored by:
Mikey Bautista
Benchmade 602 Tengu Tool

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One of the early lessons you learn the hard way when using your EDC knife is to never use it as a pry tool. Sure, your blade might be slim enough to slip into tighter quarters, but accidentally breaking or chipping the tip beyond repair isn’t worth the headache. But what if there was an actual blade that could do slicing and pry jobs equally well without compromising either function? The new Benchmade Tengu Tool is a unique, double-ended friction folder that could fill a niche in your EDC toolkit. A compact design keeps it handy for small cutting tasks, while its durable premium steel keeps it prying back for more.

The Tengu Tool was developed as a partnership between Benchmade and designer Jared Oeser who brings his talents to both this and the 601 Tengu Flipper knife. The Tengu Tool carries the design language of its bigger brother, including the tanto blade profile and the stark, dual-colored G10 handles. But the blade is where the Tool sets itself apart: pulling it out of its included leather carry sleeve in its closed position, you’re greeted by a bottle opening tool tipped with a pry/scraper. Pushing on this tang like a front flipper deploys the 1.14“ tanto blade.

Since this is a friction folder there’s no detent to get in the way of opening and closing, so it’s a smooth transition to access either tool. And since this is a premium tool designed for work on either end, Crucible CPM-20CV steel was chosen for its top tier toughness and edge retention. When you’re done with work, the Tengu’s blade folds back into its textured G10 handles, ready to slip back into its sleeve until the next job.

The Benchmade 602 Tengu Tool is a unique, premium piece that isn’t for everyone. But if you’ve been on the lookout for a double- and heavy-duty tool that can get the job done in an EDC-friendly form factor, then it’s worth the price of admission. Pick one up at the link below.

Check It Out

Mikey Bautista

Director of Everyday Carry Operations


About the Author
Mikey Bautista is an everyday carry (EDC) expert who has been working with the EverydayCarry.com team for nearly a decade, starting with an interest in EDC as a hobby and ending up as a writer for the site in 2014. Through the years, he’s led the site in editorial content and writing about products across every category, from knives to bags to flashlights and everything in between, as well as discovering, bringing exposure, and building bridges with many brands in the industry. Today, he is the site's Director of Everyday Carry Operations, leading the editorial team and managing day-to-day operations.

He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.

Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.

Discussion (2 total)

Enrique Moreno ·
Looks really nice; however the idea is not original, I've seen it before (not sure if there's an older predecesor) in Peter Atwood's FrankenSlice.
Mikey Bautista ·
That FrankenSlice looks pretty awesome! Very interesting concepts all around, there hasn't been much in the way of unique friction folders for the longest time.