EDC Knife: Benchmade Mini-Barrage vs Cold Steel Code 4

I’ll just come right out and state it: An Everyday Carry (EDC) knife is a more useful tool than a sidearm.  If I had the choice to ONLY carry one or the other I concede it would definitely be the sidearm, I don’t see myself fairing too well against a bad guy (or two) at 15 feet with a knife.  Yet the reality of the situation is that in the next 5 to 10 years I’ll use my EDC knife almost every day while my sidearm will (hopefully) stay holstered.  In order to emphasize the importance I place on a good EDC knife I thought to do a comparison of two knives I own: the Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585S and the Cold Steel Code 4 Clip Point.  I have previously written about some of the struggles and disappointments I experienced with the Cold Steel Code 4 while out in the woods, so now that I’ve picked up a new Benchmade knife I thought to do a quick tabletop comparison.  No cardboard cutting or whittling of wood here, just some observations on two moderately priced knives which seem to be popular for EDC.

Benchmade EDC Knife Cold Steel EDC Knife Comparison

Benchmade Mini Barrage and the Cold Steel Code 4

Size Matters…or DOES IT?

From the picture above you will quickly notice that the Cold Steel Code 4 is larger than the Benchmade Mini-Barrage, which definitely explains the 4.3 oz vs 3.4 oz weight difference.  When viewed on the table the difference might not seem that significant but in one’s pocket space where space is a premium it may or may not matter depending on the end user. The Cold Steel knife has a longer overall length (8.5 inches) vs the 6 .91 inches of the Benchmade and is still longer once the blade is closed.  The one size advantage the Cold Steel has over the Benchmade is width, it is definitely thinner than the Benchmade which could be thought of as a pseudo trade off for the length challenges.

Benchmade Mini Barrage Thickness vs Cold Steel Code 4 Thickness

Benchmade Mini Barrage Thickness vs Cold Steel Code 4 Thickness

I guess it comes down to personal preference.  Since we are talking EDC knives here I can honestly state that I’ve never been confronted with a situation where the length of my pocket knife had me wishing for a few more inches.  “Damn…if I only had a 5 inch blade instead of a 3 inch blade I’d be able to open that MRE!”  That stated I think both knives are fine size wise, but given the choice I’d take the Benchmade over the Code 4 and sacrifice the extra width and shorter blade for a tad more space at the bottom of my pocket.

Safety First!  Well in this case it’s second on the list but you get the idea.

Nobody wants to stab or cut themselves with their own blade, especially during the opening or closing process.  As such it’s nice when knives have a few features in place to assist with that process, thus making it easier and safer all around for the user.

Benchmade Mini Barrage vs Cold Steel Code 4

Benchmade Mini Barrage vs Cold Steel Code 4

Both knives have an ambidextrous thumb stud, although being right handed I tend to only use the one on the left side.  I don’t have huge hands but wear an XL winter glove (for reference) and I still have trouble “thumbing” the Cold Steel knife open in one swift motion.  I usually can get it halfway open and then pop it the rest of the way out with a quick flick of the wrist.  In contrast the Benchmade has a built in assisted opening system, enough pressure on the thumb stud and the blade pops open in what seems like nanoseconds.

I have had the Cold Steel open halfway while attempting to pull it out of my pocket two times, this due the thumb stud getting hung up on something (piece of string, bit of cloth etc).  Had I not been paying attention and moved my hand around a bit in an attempt to free the knife I could have seriously cut myself on the blade.  The good news is that while it has an assisted opening system, the Benchmade also has a safety located on the back of the handle.  While it does present an extra step for the user to navigate in the opening sequence it is not hard to get used to.  You thumb the switch (see pic below) down and toward you in order to release the safety and the opposite direction to lock it.

Benchmade vs Cold Steel

Benchmade Safety Release and Cold Steel Release

The Benchmade and Cold Steel knives have a completely different release mechanism which must be actuated in order to close the blade.  Personally I like Benchmade’s version as it is (for me) much easier to close the blade with one hand than the Cold Steel knife.  Simply pull the release down with a thumb and forefinger and fold the knife closed on your leg or torso.  The Cold Steel requires depressing the release on the back of the handle which, in my experience, can easily get clogged with dirt or sand causing it to become very difficult to close.  I must caveat that statement and admit that under normal operations with a clean / lubed knife the Cold Steel release mechanism has operated flawlessly.

Both blades are good, but just how good are they?

The Cold Steel Code 4 has a blade made of Aus 8A Stainless Steel while the Benchmade utilizes 154CM.  According to people much smarter than me, here are the differences in the two blades.

Also designated 4A, 6A, 8A, 10A – are Japanese stainless steels, roughly comparable to 440A (AUS-6, .65% carbon) and 440B (AUS-8, .75% carbon) and 440C (AUS-10, 1.1% carbon).  AUS-6 is used by Al Mar. Cold Steel’s use of AUS-8 has made it pretty popular, as heat treated by CS it won’t hold an edge like ATS-34, but is a bit softer and may be a bit tougher.

154 CM was developed by Crucible Metals as a high temperature alloy for use in fan-jet engines. 700 degrees F would not soften it and has enough Chromium to make it stainless in normal use.  Normally hardened to around 60 Rc, it holds an edge very well and is tough enough even at that high hardness. Not quite as rust resistant as the 400 series stainless.  Used by many custom makers, Spyderco (in their high-end knives) and Benchmade.

Both blades are relatively easy to sharpen although the Cold Steel takes less time as it does not have any serrations.  I utilize the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker to accomplish this task, expect a review on that device in the next few weeks or so.

Let’s talk pocket clips.

This is one of my biggest complaints with respect to the Cold Steel Code 4:  the pocket clip sucks and there is just no way around it.  In my jeans it manages to slide in just fine but in most of my other pants getting it to do so is difficult if not a distinct pain in the ass.

Benchmade Mini Barrage Clip vs Cold Steel Code 4 Clip

Benchmade Mini Barrage Clip vs Cold Steel Code 4 Clip

While it might appear in the picture that both clips are somewhat similar the Benchmade’s clip is far superior in that it is more user friendly.  This allows it to slide into and pull out of a pocket much easier than its Code 4 counterpart.  While you might think this really isn’t that big of a deal, if you pull your knife out more than once a day you know exactly what I’m describing.  Try using both hands to get the Code 4 to slide into the side leg pocket of a pair of Carhartt’s 25 times a day and you’ll quickly develop very little tolerance for this exercise.

Benchmade Mini Barrage vs Code Steel Code 4

Benchmade Mini Barrage vs Code Steel Code 4 in pocket

They both ride at about the same height above the cut of the pocket so no big difference there.  In case you are wondering those are my favorite pair of jeans, a pair of Lee’s I paid $15 for at some big box department store.

And the Winner is!

Both knives are great, both are better than the cheap-o variety one might find at the checkout aisle of a department store and both have no doubt served thousands of users well over the past few years.  For my money though I’d rather carry the Benchmade Mini-Barrage vs the Cold Steel Code 4 and beyond what I’ve written above I’ll give you another reason why: customer service.  I attempted to contact Cold Steel after experiencing difficulties with my knife (jammed up) and got no response whatsoever.  Talk about a turn off.

There are a ton of great EDC knives out there and everyone has their own personal preferences.  While Cold Steel does produce some great products one would be hard pressed to beat the combination of features and quality that Benchmade offers.  My Mini-Barrage will be riding shotgun indefinitely and the Code 4 will be relegated to my backpack as a secondary device.  Have more thoughts on EDC knives?  Make sure to share them below in the comment section!

 

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12 comments

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    • J on December 26, 2014 at 10:56 AM
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    Thanks for taking time to do the review. I am a knife person myself and am always on the lookout for a good one.

      • PJ on December 26, 2014 at 11:14 AM
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      Thanks J!

      My wife’s Christmas tablecloth actually provided a great back drop for the knives when I took pictures. I was very impressed with my choice in that matter. 🙂 That aside you can’t go wrong with Benchmade. I have had a larger model (not of the EDC variety) for a few years and it is the best knife I owned…that is until the little guy came along.

    • Canadian Vet on December 26, 2014 at 10:38 PM
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    I’ve been through a number of knives in recent years. That is until I came across the Spyderco Delica. I have smaller hands yet it fits me as if it was made for me. Also, I like the plain steel scales both for their simplicity and the very positive weight and feel in the hand.

    And with young children with sometimes sticky fingers, that weight lets me know if my 5 year old thinks my knife is something she wants and should lift from my pocket (yes, it’s happened twice so far)

    As for the straight, non-serrated blade, it is of a good length and heft for a variety of tasks yet is nimble enough for some finer work if so required.

      • PJ on December 26, 2014 at 10:41 PM
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      CV

      I have owned a Spyderco in the past and was impressed with it, that is until I lost it for some weird reason. I’m on the fence with serrated vs non-serrated, I supposed it really is a point of personal preference.

    • Kire on December 27, 2014 at 2:07 PM
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    Thanks for the great write-up. I’ve carried both brands and I have the same complaint with the Cold Steel clip too. There’s something about recent Cold Steel folders that I just don’t like anymore but their SRK is still my go-to fixed blade.

      • PJ on December 27, 2014 at 10:34 PM
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      Kire

      Thanks for the nice comment. That SRK is a serious blade, I have the Benchmade 140SBK, it is my go to fixed blade knife.

    • NRP on December 28, 2014 at 10:13 AM
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    Good article PJ, and good comments.

    Thinking like a good firearm everyone has their favorite.

    Personally I carry an Ontario Rat. It fits my large hands rather nicely, it’s built with AUS-8 steel, the action is solid and locks well, it’s a good single motion opening knife and holds an edge very well, most of all it’s cheap for a EDC; right at $25 from Amazon. FYI cheap is great for EDC when someone wants to borrow it for opening a steel door or a block of concrete; or if I happen to lose it, it won’t be such a shock to the pocket book. Again at $25 dropping one in all the different “bags” is not such a bad idea.

    NRP

    • Echo5Charlie on January 4, 2015 at 8:35 PM
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    For a pocket knife, I’ve never understood why a Benchmade or something similar. The most expensive pocket knife I ever bought was a Kershaw, and it was junk. Clip came off, the assisted opening spring broke and the blade is soft and dulls quick.

    I’ve got some 15 dollar box store check out knives that have done better than the Kershaw. I like pocket knives like the Ontario rat. Semi disposable. For me it’s a knife that can be used incorrectly because nothing else is available and no big loss when it gets messed up or lost. I’m not skinning a hide with it. Those knives are worth protecting. But not a pocket knife.

    I know a lot of people protect their pocket knife, but I use mine every day. What’s the point of carrying it if you don’t use it? Is it a fashion accessory or talisman or a tool?

      • PJ on January 5, 2015 at 6:04 AM
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      I use my knife almost every day as well, and I can’t think of a scenario where I needed something done which required some other tool and I was faced with the prospect of using my knife (and potentially breaking it) or becoming inconvenienced. I definitely am not keen on lending my knife out to people but I’m not afraid to use it either. I guess if I’m faced with “damn, I need to split this tie rod end, better use this big rock and my knife” I’ll just have to weigh the odds…

      That said if S really did get crazy and I had to use my knife for something which involved high stakes I would MUCH rather have a well crafted, higher end knife in my pocket than a $15 blade. Maybe it’s just a security blanket but I’m good with that.

      It’s really all personal preference of course, that and what you do for a living 🙂

    • Echo5Charlie on January 5, 2015 at 6:43 PM
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    Lol, I guess if I had everything else taken care of I’d spend 200 bucks on a knife to open boxes and abuse. Until then I’ll look for the best I can afford to loose.

      • PJ on January 5, 2015 at 9:28 PM
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      I’m with you, to each his own.

      • PJ on January 15, 2015 at 7:37 PM
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      E5C

      Your comment cursed me! I was on a few job sites today and LOST my new Benchmade! I had it firmly tucked into my Carhartt pant’s pocket BUT…I think the fact that I had to take a harness on and off a few times along with digging into my side pant pocket (where the hammer loop is) to grab some pliers quite a few times contributed to knocking it out of my pocket. I didn’t notice it until lunch when I had to get my keys, I was like NOoOoOoOOOOO!

      I went back to all the job sites and scoured the ground, nothing. I was so frustrated and pissed off I drove to a local REI and bought a new replacement immediately. Definitely one of the downsides of having an “expensive” pocket knife.

      I did pick up a $15 folder for one of my employees since he didn’t have one, I have to tell you the thing feels like it came out of a cracker jack box compared to the Benchmade. I suppose there are pro’s and con’s out there for everything. Needless to say I’m going to keep a good eye on my knife from now on.

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