BENCHMADE FLYAWAY KNIFE
Cutlery for the uplands, woods, and marsh
Named after a flight path used by large numbers of birds, The Flyway is Benchmade’s answer for a wingshooter’s carry-all field knife. Thus, it made sense for me to get my hands on one to help me clean the number of birds I was going to be hunting and shooting throughout the country. I chose the dark-olive colored handled knife to ride in my upland bird vest. At an overall length of 6.96-inches, the perfectly sized and super lightweight knife, which weighs in at a mere 2.10 oz, means that The Flyway can be easily carried or packed away. It sports a thin and flexible, specialized 2.70-inch fixed-blade, it is perfectly sized to make quick work of processing various sized upland gamebirds and waterfowl. The Flyway’s narrow, drop point blade made of CPM-154 stainless steel with a plain edge, features a 14-degree factory-sharpening technology called SelectEdge, which simply means it comes out-of-the-box, sharp!
This process also makes keeping the blade honed longer, thus allowing for faster, safer, more efficient sharpening and use. A dull knife requires more pressure to cut, which can cause the blade to slip and lead to injury. I used The Flyway extensively throughout the season on various gamebirds and only sharpened it minimally because it still glided through gamebird meat easily, providing me with clean cuts. It even made quick work of filleting my first turkey after seeing heavy use several months prior to without being sharpened. To maintain a sharp, workable edge, sharpen knives regularly using a quality sharpener and stropping the blade on leather a couple times to keep it well-serviced.
An added benefit to the type of steel used in The Flyway is the metal’s high resistance to corrosion. This was evident as the knife saw use, deep in Alaska’s moisture-ridden backcountry carving out ptarmigan and spruce grouse breasts and legs, along with doing double-duty cutting open freeze-dried meal packages in a mountain mist. The blade remained razor-sharp throughout a week of exposure to bouts of on-and-off-again humidity and wetness. There were times the knife was left saturated and dirty, without suffering any adverse effects on the metal. Back home in Kansas, I took The Flyway with me on numerous waterfowl hunts, exposing the blade to water, rain showers, and snowfall. It remained sharp-edged, dressing out ducks, including a few marsh birds such as snipe and rails.
The knife’s comfortable 4.26-inch handle is made of high-pressure fiberglass laminate, giving the user complete control. The handle sports additional jimping, textured notches built into the rear of the knife’s blade, which help provide a secure grip for the thumb. It improves handling, optimizing for clean, precise cuts, which translates the ability to perform fine work with scalpel-like precision. The sharp, fine tapered point, and durable edge was specifically designed for use on gamebirds and small game. The Flyway’s nimbleness, with its thin forged blade handled smaller preparations and easily performed delicate work of breasting and deboning small birds such as doves, quail, Huns, and woodcock.
The Flyway’s strong, ergonomic handle coupled with its scalpel-like precision blade is a fine balance of durability and sharpness. As stated previously, the knife worked flawlessly on smaller-bodied wildfowl, and even better on larger gamebirds such as various types of grouse and ringneck pheasants. I was able to easily work the sharp blade around portions of meat, cutting choice pieces.
And now, we come to the sheath. Though it came in easy to find blaze-orange (the bright color contrasts very well against natural outdoor environments), I was bound to find something negative about The Flyway. The durable and rigid holder was its major flaw. From the moment I picked the knife up in its holder, I knew that there was going to be a problem. It was loose. Very loose. The sheath lacks a snug fit even though it is molded to the knife blade. There is no “foamlike” or leather material inside the sheath where the blade slides into to apply friction and pressure. It simply cannot retain the knife. One positive note about the sheath is that it has six grommets that can be used as mounting and lashing points. The Flyway was carried in a secure pouch in my bird vest for quick access, though there were many times the knife fell out of the sheath with little or no force.
I have contacted Benchmade to request a replacement but have not received any notification or solution.
Overall, The Flyway knife made for a good, solid edged tool that performed wonderfully, cutting, and segmenting various sized gamebirds. It felt good and secure in my bare and gloved hands when cleaning birds. The blade moved about with fluidity, penetrating skin, and meat with ease, making food preparation uncomplicated and safe. The Flyway even sliced vegetables, fruits, and other meats at bird camp, making it versatile.
SPECS:
• Overall Length: 6.96”
• Blade Handle Length: 4.26”
• Blade Length: 2.70”
• Blade Steel: CPM-154
• Blade Hardness: 58-61 HRC
• Blade Thickness: 0.09”
• Blade Style: Drop Point
• Blade Edge: Benchmade SelectEdge / Fine / Plain
• Blade Finish: Satin
• Weight: 2.10 oz.
• Handle Colors: Blaze Orange and Dark Olive
• Made in USA
• Limited Lifetime Warranty
CONS:
• Loose Sheath
• $200
About the Author : Edgar Castillo
Visit authors website | View more articlesEdgar Castillo is a recently retired law enforcement officer for a large Kansas City metropolitan agency. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.
Born in Guatemala, hunting was a new concept when Edgar came to the U.S. His passion lies in the uplands as he travels across public lands throughout Kansas or wherever the dirt road takes him…to hunt open fields, walk treelines, & bust through plum thickets in search of wild birds in wild places.
This fervid emotion for the uplands has since blossomed into a SIGNIFICANT social media presence. It has allowed Edgar to share his experiences and connect with other bird hunters through writing.
Follow Edgar’s upland escapades on Instagram at @hunt_birdz
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