AllOutdoor Review – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

By Eugene L. •

Last year I received the Benchmade Dacian for review, a premium fixed blade EDC knife that was made to hold up to whatever it had thrown at it while outdoors or in town. Made from durable Magnacut and Micarta, I put the knife to the test as my EDC knife, taking it everywhere from the North Georgia woods to over 100 miles into the Atlantic. It was used to cut anything from run-of-the-mill cardboard at home to baitfish on the sand while surf fishing. So let’s see how this elegant little EDC knife held up.

Knife Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specifications – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

  • Overall Length – 7.57 inches (19.23 cm)
  • Blade Length – 3.54 inches (8.99 cm)
  • Blade Thickness – 0.12 inches (3.05 mm)
  • Handle Thickness – 0.39 inches (9.91 mm)
  • Blade Material – MagnaCut Stainless Steel (60-62 HRC)
  • Blade Style – Spear-Point
  • Mechanism – Fixed Blade
  • Blade Finish – Stonewash
  • Blade Color – Stonewash
  • Handle Material – Canvas Micarta
  • Handle Color – Denim Blue
  • Weight – 3.37 oz | 95.54 g
  • Sheath – Brown Leather / Kydex
  • Sheath Weight – 0.94 oz | 26.65 g
  • Country of Origin – USA
  • Warranty & Support – Lifetime warranty; free LifeSharp sharpening
  • MSRP: $300

The Dacian features a 3.5-inch spear-point design, making it a versatile EDC option. Made from CPM MagnaCut stainless steel, giving the knife excellent corrosion resistance while still being a very hard and durable steel that sharpens very well. It handles general cutting tasks with plenty of belly for a larger cutting edge, but still has a fine point for precision tasks. The blade itself has plenty of meat to it, so you don’t have to worry about the blade being fragile, while the jimping on the back lets you choke up on the back of the blade to do finer work.

Handle and Ergonomics – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

The handle is made from durable blue denim micarta, with a thinner & flatter scale profile so it lays closer to the body. While you would think it wouldn’t be comfortable, it surprisingly is. The contouring fits nicely into the hand. While I wouldn’t want to baton with this little knife, for daily tasks it’s perfectly fine.

Sheath and Carry – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

So Benchmade ships the Dacians out with a scout-style leather-Kydex hybrid sheath. The belt loop is made of leather that is stitched onto the sheath, capable of both left of right handed draw. While in theory this is a good sheath, I found issues with it as time went on. The Kydex makes for very positive retention of the blade, with it snapping into place very securely. But there were issues that occurred as time went on. As you can see, there are two sheaths in the photo above. I had issues with the leather of the belt loop stretching and warping over time. The stretching of the leather meant the Dacian would also droop handle-side down on your belt and make it more likely to get caught on things like the truck door frame if you had the knife on your right side. Additionally, the stitching started to give out where the leather loop connected to the sheath body. 

Durability and Toughness – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

The CPM Magnacut really did hold up after almost a year of use, with the edge holding incredibly well. With a thicker blade overall, I found no issues for daily tasks. The steel itself was hard enough not to roll or chip, even when used roughly, like using the steel dog bowl above as a cutting board for a quick treat for Maple. For a general EDC blade, it is plenty tough; just don’t go off using it as a prybar or something.

 

Edge Performance and Maintenance – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

The edge has done exceptionally well for the past year, razor sharp right out of the box. A very nice factory edge that is still plenty sharp for an EDC blade.  If the edge does finally start dulling out, I’ll just ship it off to Benchmade through LifeSharp. There is a Benchmade Dealer in town, so I can get a factory edge again for free. There has been no need for any maintenance besides just washing the blade before and after cutting food or fish/game. The micarta scale and Magnacut make for a very low-maintenance knife.

Value – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

Value is a tough one for the Dacian. While it is made from premium Magnacut steel, $300 for a knife is a tough sell for a lot of people. Throw in the fact that the sheath needs some work, and it becomes a tough proposition to justify spending $300. Though, besides the sheath, everything else about the blade is top-notch, and add to that the Benchmade warranty, you have a blade for life as long as you don’t leave it somewhere or drop it in the water.

Final Thoughts – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife

I really do enjoy my Benchmade Dacian. While I’m not one generally for carrying around a fixed blade, this knife has changed my mind on that. It’s a great little compact knife that you can comfortably carry in the woods, on the water, or in town. I have no issues at all with rust and corrosion, even with plenty of saltwater exposure, and the edge is still as sharp as can be. The only negative comment I have right now, besides the price point, which is subjective to the use, is the sheath that is shipped with it. Even the newer brown leather sheath that I received is starting to have the belt loop stretch and warp. Also, I wear a thicker gun belt; it should be plenty of belt to fill out the belt loop. But even with that, the loop is too large and causes the Dacian to droop while on my belt, causing me to catch my truck door frame regularly when I get in. I really love this little knife but will be looking at other sheath options, either custom ones onlie or modifying the old black Benchmade sheath.

The post AllOutdoor Review – Benchmade Dacian Fixed Blade Knife appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.

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