Benchmade Contego Folding Knife

Product Description

The Contego folder is a tactical knife through and through. Our hardest blade steel in a big knife with aggressive handle texture and a glass breaker on the pommel. A Warren Osborne tactical masterpiece. Intended for Tactical use, our Contego family has a carbide glass breaker and a reversible tip-up deep-carry pocket clip.
Specifications:
Designer: Osborne | Mechanism: AXIS | Action's: Manual-opening | Blade Steel: CPM-M4 (62-64 HRC) | Blade Length: 3.98" (10.11cm) | Blade Thickness: 0.156" (3.96mm) | Open Length: 9.28" (23.57cm) | Closed Length: 5.30" (13.46cm) | Handle Thickness: 0.55" (13.97mm) | Weight: 5.92oz. (167.83g).

Features

• HIGH-QUALITY: The CPM-M4 stainless steel blade has excellent wear resistance and toughness. The G10 handle is durable, impervious to moisture, and stable under extreme temperatures.
• WELL-DESIGNED: Benchmade's AXIS lock is exceptionally strong and fully ambidextrous. The 810 is a manual knife that can be opened and closed with one hand.
• ALWAYS READY: The 810 is large yet comfortable and easy to hold and use. With a carbide glass breaker on the pommel, the Contego 810 is ready for anything.
• FOR TACTICAL USE: The reverse tanto blade style allows for maximum force to be applied to the tip, making it easy to cut. It's designed for tactical applications.

Top Reviews

Almost Perfect
by RooTheDestroyer (4 out of 5 stars)
April 15, 2018

Almost perfect.

Before buying this knife I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews, both good and bad. After carrying this knife every day for 9 months I feel like I have enough insight to pass a solid judgment, and all in all it is one hell of a knife. It's aesthetically pleasing, well built, and perfect for what I use it for.(lets face it, this is a tactical blade. It isn't intended to be used as an EDC utility knife)

Most of the complaints that others have about the 810 either don't apply to my particular knife, or I don't find them to be an issue. I don't think the jimping or scales are too sharp or aggressive, the handle is comfortable in my hand, blade centering is near perfect, and the action is flawless. The blade did have a tiny bit of lateral play in it out of the box, but the lock up was perfect and I tend to tune or modify my knives to my own liking. Spending 3 minutes adjusting the play out of the blade and sweet spotting the tension was no big deal for me. The clip has good retention without being too tight. The blade being CPM-M4 Tooling Steel, did take a little work to sharpen, but holy hell did it take and hold an edge. You really have to try to dull this thing.

My only real complaint is the finish on both the blade and the clip leave a bit to be desired. I have pretty much carried this knife every day for about nine months now, but I really don't use it for much. It's kind of big and not really designed for daily utility use. I tend to carry two knives at all times. I have a Griptilion Mini that catches nearly all of the day to day and utility work. My Contego is more of a defensive weapon that I carry as an last resort. Now with that being said, the blade finish is a little more worn than I would expect from a Bemchmade that spends a lot of time in a pocket and never actually sees any real use. The finish on the pocket clip is also nearly gone, but I do carry it n my back pocket so I cant get to upset about that.

The 810 is a great knife that I would recommend to anyone, and bet my life on. I just wish that the finish was of higher quality.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Good knife
by BenBru (5 out of 5 stars)
November 3, 2016

I really like this knife. I have edc'd it only a few times, as the large blade can look silly when you whip it out at Longhorn to open a peppermint wrapper.
No vertical blade play, extremely slight to no horizontal blade play (confident enough to not have any doubt if I ever need to use it in a defensive situation).
The grip isn't nearly as bad as many people complain it is. It is extremely secure and shaped to not come out of your hands. However, if you do use it for over an hour a day for cutting/other tasks, you will probably get one or two callouses on your hand after a couple days. But it is not at all painful or anything when you hold it, unless you have more delicate hands than the average person. And the "jimping" on the metal liners is very unique and effective.
I'm not sure if the glass breaker would last after several very strong hits, I have seen the benchmade video testing it successfully but I haven't tested it myself. I'm sure it would knock out a few people trying to mug you though.
Overall very good, just intimidating to some people if you use it in public, as with most cool things.

EDIT: After owning this knife for several months and carrying it every day to work (Chick fil a), it is still my favorite knife. The action is still perfectly smooth and as is blade centering.

Do not buy this knife unless you also plan to buy and use oil regularly to keep it from rusting. Personally, I coat the blade every night with 3-In-One and put a drop over the axis pin to keep the action smooth.
In the event that the butterfly logo or Osborne logo rusts, use Barkeepers Friend and a toothbrush to scrub it for a couple minutes and it will look brand new again.

The only complaints I have are:
*Intimidation Factor (already mentioned)
*Wearing down pants- After carrying it many times in my Levi's, the top of the pocket has begun to fray which will essentially make me buy new expensive jeans whenever it gets too bad. However, it hasn't worn down my Chick fil a pants despite being clipped there much more often than on my jeans.
*Unwieldiness- this knife is fine for tasks like cutting rope and cardboard, but if you need to awkwardly maneuver your hand into a confined space, you'll have a more difficult time using this knife than a smaller one.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Husband loves it. Built like a tank
by stephanee (5 out of 5 stars)
January 2, 2019

I got this for my husband and he absolutely loves it. It immediately turned into his primary EDC blade. He wanted this model for the size and cpmM4 steel. He typically always sharpens new knives out of the box (benchmade, zt, spyderco, etc.) and he didnt with this one. It was sharp enough straight from the factory. He thinks it's because m4 steel excels with courser edges, like what factory knives come with. The G10 handle scales are very gripppy and aggressive, making it great for hard use. If you're looking for a discreet EDC or gentleman's folder, this is not it. This knife is large and up for the hardest tasks. To say this tank of a pocket knife is over built, is definitely an understatement. Oh, and don't forget about the Benchmade Lifesharp program and their first class customer service/warranty.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Great Knife! High Quality & Very Versatile.
by Zach Fowler (5 out of 5 stars)
August 22, 2018

I'm really enjoying this knife. I own quite a few knives. I have Ka-bars, SOGs, S&Ws, and a couple of Microtechs. This knife probably tops them all in terms of practical uses, build quality, and metal hardness. I'm pretty sure you could run over this thing with a bulldozer and it would only leave some scratches on the handle. The blade is razor sharp and I'm guessing it will stay that way for a long time due to the M4 steel.

Some people were saying that it's too large for a pocket knife, but I disagree. It clips on the inside of my front pocket and I can barely tell it's there. It's also easy to change the orientation of the pocket/belt clip from one side of the handle to the other side for left hand or right hand users.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this knife and feel like I'll get years of usage out of it.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Fantastic Knife, a Definite Buy
by Bangkok Bill (5 out of 5 stars)
August 24, 2014

I'm a big fan of Benchmade knives, I've had many of them over many years and this one maybe the best one yet. It opens with the flick of the wrist and can close one handed, something the automatics can't do (easily). The blade is the hardest steel you'll find on a knife at 62-64, so it holds it's razor sharp edge for a long time as long as you treat it right. The handle fits perfectly in my hand and will never slip with the grip it has on it. It's big and I like that, the bigger it is, the easier it is to use, most of the time, but it's seems light for the size it is. I have several automatics that are fun to hold, look at and play around with, but this knife is the knife I would first pick up to use for just about anything. I'm a big fan of combo edge knives as long as they are long enough and this one is. The glass breaker is almost invisible but will do the job if you need it. I'm never without a knife on me and usually two of them and this one is going with me more than any other knives I own right now and I don't see why that would change anytime soon. Amazon has a pretty good price on it. You get what you pay for with this knife. Worth every penny if you regularly use sharp knives.
↭ 🍁 ↭
I was nervous then I got it
by Jason M Sanders (5 out of 5 stars)
June 14, 2018

Great knife, build quality is excellent, sharp out of the box and feels great in the hand. I was nervous based on reviews saying the handle was super aggressive and some said it was too aggressive. To me, it's very grippy and that is what I want. It's s large knife but seems to fit well inside a short or jeans front pocket to the point where I have forgotten it's there. The knife is pricey, however you get what you pay for. I waited over a year before I finally purchased and wish I had done it sooner.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Great knife, but would not pay the price without the G10 scales.
by Buckeye Guy (4 out of 5 stars)
November 5, 2016

Great knife, but I have yet to find if it is truly worth the premium price. Time will tell. Its reputation precedes it and I believe this does bode well. Opens easily and appears very solid overall. The G10 scales are worth their weight in gold. Some complain that they seem too sharp along some of the edges, but I personally do not find this to be the case. For me, other Benchmades, such as the Barrage, are just too damn slippery and have a VERY, VERY cheap, plastic feel to them, which you should not find in such a knife. Only complaint besides the exorbitant price is that there is no lanyard attachment point. Not a deal breaker really, but I would have certainly appreciated a better site to attach one, other than to the clip.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Worth every penny!
by five97 (5 out of 5 stars)
May 14, 2017

Pros: Really well built as most Benchmade knives are. Sharp as can be. Great easy-flip action.

Cons: pocket clip is already starting to have the black paint chip off. I wish they'd nitride these things.

I don't consider this a "con", but I did end up sanding down a bit of the grip under the pocket clip. The reason being is that I wear dress pants half the time, and it was so textured that it was starting to damage my pants. I don't see this being an issue with jeans or sturdier materials. Otherwise, unlike some other reviewers, I like the grippiness (not a word, but should be) of the handle.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Benchmade quality. Nuff said.
by Steve (5 out of 5 stars)
November 15, 2017

This thing is an absolute beast. Solid, buttery smooth action. Hair popping sharp. M4 steel. Not just any M4 steel, but Benchmade M4 steel. There is a Benchmade test video where they run their knives though various torture tests. During the Contego test, they literally bend the blade in half trying to snap it. The blade bent and went right back to normal. Nuff said.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Big, Rugged, BadAs it Appears
by K.Kahn (5 out of 5 stars)
February 11, 2019

I like carrying a relatively large folder as my EDC. Not really for any other reason than I'm a big guy and a large knife fits my hand more naturally than a "typical" 2-3 inch blade. So I have the larger models of Cold Steel, Emerson, Gerber, and the like. The Benchmark Contego fits excellently in this group. In particular the reverse tanto blade and ambidextrous AXIS feature (I'm left handed but frequently carry right handed) are outstanding. The 810 features a non-SS steel for the blade so I strongly suggest you get it with it's super BK1 high tech coating, but the CPM M4 cutting steel used is fantastic for keeping an edge (not easy to sharpen, though, so try to keep it sharp rather than letting it go). I keep reading about people complaining about the texture of the G-10 grip. I, myself, love it. If you're wearing gloves or working with a slippery liquid (like life-juice), you'll appreciate it. Overall a superb build, design, and look.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

*If this is not the "Benchmade Contego Folding Knife" product you were looking for, you can check the other results by clicking this link.  Details were last updated on Apr 25, 2024 09:35 +08.