The 175BT CBK Backup by Benchmade is flagged by the company as being sold to “approved military & law enforcement only.” This is most likely because, as a push dagger, the utility applications of this blade are very limited. No, this is a weapon, and as its name implies, it could be used as a backup piece by someone who anticipates finding their life threatened.
The Backup is a single piece of 440C steel. The handle is skeletonized and the whole knife is no more than three sixteenths of an inch thick (at the handle — the blade is closer to an eighth of an inch thick, of course tapering to sharp edges). The knife is flat on the obverse; the chisel-ground edges are ground on the other side, tapering from wide grinds. A hole near the small guard mates with a protrusion in the sheath (which is described on Benchmade’s website as both Kydex and thermoplastic).
The knife fits firmly and positively in the sheath, draws with reasonable ease (it requires a firm yank), and doesn’t make too much noise as it pops free. The metal clip on the sheath makes it perfect for IWB (inside the waistband carry). This clip can be removed and reversed, and the sheath itself bears grommets and slots for other mounting equipment (such as Tek-Lok fasteners).
Because the handle is very large compared to the knife itself, and because the neck of the push dagger is nice and long, I found the Backup extremely comfortable in my hands. Often, push daggers and I do not get along because my hands don’t have enough room between the T-handle and the base of the blade or guard. I had no such trouble here.
Despite bearing no padding or texturing of any kind, the handle was comfortable enough, and of course the minimalist approach to the knife’s design makes it very flat and concealable. The sheer size of the handle portion also helps mitigate any discomfort the user might feel when thrusting.
The knife was incredibly sharp out of the box, and I can attest to the needle tip. I managed to stab myself in the palm of my left hand while being careless in juggling the knife and my camera in the process of preparing this article. My hand still hurts; this is one wickedly sharp factory edge.
The legality of this “black label” Benchmade product will vary from place to place. This is an aggressive self-defense tool that cannot and will not be mistaken for a utility knife. It does what it does well, without unnecessary bells and whistles and without trying to be all things to all people.