For knife owners looking for a good quick action automatic knife with some great extra touches the Benchmade 4400 Casbah is a nice choice. Benchmade decided to make this model with ease of use in mind, while not skimping on the quality of the materials.
The knife itself is larger than most automatics but still light enough for everyday carry. Always check local laws before choosing to carry an automatic knife. For the design quality, ease of use and utility, we give this knife 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Pros
- Quick Action
- Blades is extremely sharp
- Textured handle for improved grip
Cons
- Blade length may restrict carry in places
- Pocket clip is tip up only
Benchmade Casbah Features
Blade – The blade of the Casbah is an impressive 3.4 inches long, which is quite long for an automatic knife. It is made from S30V steel which is usually reserved for premium kitchen knives. It comes out of the box extremely sharp and has a good hardness rating.
The blade length makes it a great EDC tool for most household and utility cutting, breaking down boxes, cutting materials and even food prep. It sports a satin finish as well as the trademark Benchmade logo on the side of the blade.
Handle – The handle is made from textured grivory and is a great choice for all purpose and all weather use. The material offers a good balance of flexibility and strength without adding a ton of weight. At 4.4 inches long it offers plenty of space to fit the hand and provide a comfortable grip when working with the knife.
The push button for the automatic opener is located on the front end of the handle and is centered perfectly for a thumb press. The back side of the handle features a reversible tip up, deep carry pocket clip for easy carry. It also includes a lanyard hole for hanging carry.
Deployment and Lockup – For deployment the knife uses a quick firing spring loaded push button system that allows the blade to pop out with just the press of the button found on the front end of the handle. The button is designed to be easily used without endangering the user. Safety locks hold the blade open when in use to prevent the blade from falling back into the
The button lock is also used to lock up the blade when not in use and it features a manual slide safety for secure lockdown. This ensures the blade won’t slip out while in your pocket.
Blade Form, Make, and Use
The blade on the Casbah is one of the longer ones found on an automatic knife. It features a standard drop point that is great for everyday carry and functions well in most general cutting tasks.
You can easily handle cutting clothing, prepping food, and cutting netting and other materials. The hardness is 60+ meaning the knife won’t dull easily and it comes out of the box razor sharp.
The blade also has great natural rust resistance and being stainless steel can easily be cleaned up if rust does appear. Due to the wear resistance on the blade it does take a fair amount of work to sharpen once it becomes dull, but the edge retention should balance this out over long term use.
Handle Design, Ergonomics, and Materials
The handle of the Casbah is where it differentiates itself from other similar knives. It uses textured grivory for the entire handle. While similar knives use G-10 or FRN handles, grivory has a number of properties that make it useful in an EDC knife.
Grivory is a polymer that is naturally water and wear resistant meaning that the entire knife, from blade to tip is relatively maintenance free and useful in all weather conditions.
The polymer makeup of the handle also allows it some flex while staying stable during difficult cuts and heavy use. The handle is contoured slightly for easier holding and the textured grivory improves grip.
Total length on the handle is 4.40 inches giving plenty of room for a full handed hold. The rubber-like polymer holds up well under stress and will not crack as is the case with similar knives that use different materials.
It is also a naturally slip resistant material. The handle features the push button for the deployment mechanism as well as a lanyard hole and a deep carry pocket clip. The pocket clip is reversible for left or right side tip up carry.
Two minor complaints with the handle are that the pocket clip is tip up only, which on an automatic knife may be an issue if the safety were to fail. Additionally, users note that the texturing on the backside of the handle could use improvement.
Deployment and Lockup
The knife uses a spring loaded automatic opening system via a push button on the handle. It has both a manual sliding safety and automatic safety locks that hold the blade in place when deployed.
It is made for quick action, one handed use, though some users argue that some assisted flippers actually deploy faster. Users also note that the force of deployment is underwhelming at best.
The push button also locks up the blade safely back into the handle and the sliding safety ensures it does not slip out when closed.
Benchmade Casbah Review – Final Thoughts
For knife owners looking for an automatic knife that is useful for more than just quick and easy tasks, the Benchmade Casbah is a solid choice.
The low maintenance, extremely sharp S30V steel is great for a variety of cutting tasks. The grivory handle provides excellent grip in all weather conditions. The natural wear resistance and flexibility make it extremely durable and maintenance free in a variety of situations.
The push button lockup and deployment system is easy to use and makes the knife able to be used quickly in a pinch. As always check with state and local laws before carrying an automatic knife.
