H&K 14715
Here is my Out Of the Box report on HK 14715
Top view:
As you notice, there is jimping on spine. Also you will find liner jimping on right above AXIS lock area. Surprisingly, blade thickness are retained like that of Osborne Tanto. I am glad to see .146" blade in D2 retains thickness to near .25" from the tip. It would make very confident thrust cutter.
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Please note it is barrel spacer configuration. As you can see, unlike Rift 950, lines are cross drilled to save weight.
Here is respective Specs of 950 vs. 14715
HK14715 (D2)
Blade Length: 3.69"
Blade Thickness: 0.146"
Handle Thickness: 0.510"
Overall length 8.34"
Closed 4.64"
Weight: 4.96oz.
Rift 950 (154cm)
Blade Length: 3.67"
Blade Thickness: 0.114"
Handle Thickness: 0.560"
Overall Length: 8.27"
Closed 4.60"
Weight: 4.80oz.
Size of the blade is very close to Rift 950
Initial impression of H&K AXIS 14715:
It is that handle is Spartan shape, flat and square and not as ergonomic as Rift. G10 is rough enough so that it would not slip and slide. Unfortunately, it is a bit of lint magnet. May be I would use 600~800 mesh grit sand paper to smooth it out.
Just like Rift, it comes with standard clip. (It says "HK" instead of Benchmade.) I think I am going to use 810 style deep carry clip.
I will post further field report as I will use it as WEC.
MFL
Top view:
As you notice, there is jimping on spine. Also you will find liner jimping on right above AXIS lock area. Surprisingly, blade thickness are retained like that of Osborne Tanto. I am glad to see .146" blade in D2 retains thickness to near .25" from the tip. It would make very confident thrust cutter.
.
Please note it is barrel spacer configuration. As you can see, unlike Rift 950, lines are cross drilled to save weight.
Here is respective Specs of 950 vs. 14715
HK14715 (D2)
Blade Length: 3.69"
Blade Thickness: 0.146"
Handle Thickness: 0.510"
Overall length 8.34"
Closed 4.64"
Weight: 4.96oz.
Rift 950 (154cm)
Blade Length: 3.67"
Blade Thickness: 0.114"
Handle Thickness: 0.560"
Overall Length: 8.27"
Closed 4.60"
Weight: 4.80oz.
Size of the blade is very close to Rift 950
Initial impression of H&K AXIS 14715:
It is that handle is Spartan shape, flat and square and not as ergonomic as Rift. G10 is rough enough so that it would not slip and slide. Unfortunately, it is a bit of lint magnet. May be I would use 600~800 mesh grit sand paper to smooth it out.
Just like Rift, it comes with standard clip. (It says "HK" instead of Benchmade.) I think I am going to use 810 style deep carry clip.
I will post further field report as I will use it as WEC.
MFL
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Thanks for this! It helps to see one compared to a knife I know. I'm going to have to find one of these. I know more than a few people who really swear by Benchmade's D2 especially that on the Bone Collector. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Carson:
Thanks for this! It helps to see one compared to a knife I know. I'm going to have to find one of these. I know more than a few people who really swear by Benchmade's D2 especially that on the Bone Collector.
Yes. Since Bone Collector has discontinued, I was looking for medium sized D2 blade as well.
I think HK AXIS 14715 would fill the gap too.
MFL0 -
Usage report week one.
It is placed in middle sized as medium-hard use Everyday Carry or Week End Carry blade. Since I have been using Rift 950 for this role, I would start with that knife to see if it fulfills the need.
Ergonomic of the handle:
Shape:
Unlike many other Benchmade, H&K 14715 has opted to use coffin style handle.
915
Where Rift and Griptilian has rounded contour, HK 14715 has minimum index finger groove and gently curved 3 finger recurve. I found it a bit odd with tail end of the jimping grip on both under side as well as top side. I can see top side helps when one holds this knife in reverse grip, but underside jimping can only feels useful when I grip the handle when I place pinky finger.
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Surface:
The surface treatment of G-10 is very tactile. Its honeycomb like surface creates quite a bit of traction and so much to the point that it makes a bit hesitant for me to draw out from my pocket. It is similar to that of Triage 915/916 series, but much more “bite”. I feel that this extra traction would eventually thread my jeans pocket.
Lanyard hole:
May be it is only me, but I am surprised that it is missing. Most of 3~4 range folders to have this feature (Rift, Griptilian, 710, Presidio, Stryker, Triage, Barrage, 530, etc) Certainly there is a place I can make a 1/8 “ drill hole, but I would have expected BKC to provide it. I feel lanyard for the knife is just like many other details in life, it is better to have one and not used than needed and not have it.
Length and size:
Comparatively speaking, it dwarfs 940, but it is same category with Rift and Barrage. Yes, it is shorter than Contego , but I don’t EDC/WEC 810 either.
I am excited to compare with AXIS Stryker:
909 AXIS Stryker
Blade Length: 3.57"
Blade Thickness: 0.124"
Handle Thickness: 0.470"
Overall Length: 8.29"
Closed Length: 4.72"
Weight: 4.38oz.
HK AXIS 14715 (D2)
Blade Length: 3.69"
Blade Thickness: 0.146"
Handle Thickness: 0.510"
Overall length 8.34"
Closed length 4.64"
Weight: 4.96oz.
MFL0 -
Nice review - thanks MF! 0 -
Usage report Week 1.1:
Carry clip & Surface:
I have changed BKC standard clip (with HK logo) to 810 style deep carry clip. At least in my preference, I wanted the knife to be less visible and minimally protruding. The result is the following picture. I have also done this with 950 Rift and both knifes are nearly invisible (minus BKC logoed clip, which leaves a little hint to fellow BKC enthusiasts.)
Concern in prolonged pocket carry:
Granted that we all are aware EDC any knife with clip in our jeans pocket will eventually damage the fabric. Unfortunately, the tactile surface of HK 14715 are rough, it grinds the fabric much faster.
Rift 950 on the other hand, the handle surface under where clip touches the G-10, it is smooth. I would like it better if HK 14715's handle was like that of Rift except where in red oval to have tactile surface rather than scalloped grooves on Rift.
Ease of thumb stud swing open:
This issue has been bothering me for few days. HK 14715 is definitely heavier to open than Rift 950 or even bigger Contego 810. Although the blade of HK14715 is thicker and wider than 950, but not heavier than 810.
I have noticed slight awkward feel I have in opening the knife with HK14715 when I compare with Contego810 side by side. (Yeah, double fisted..) Here is the radius distance from pivot pin to the thumb stud.
HK AXIS 14715: 0.82"
Rift 950: 0.99"
Contego 810: 0.94"
So, diameter difference between 14715 vs. 950 is 0.36" Given that HK14715 is heavier blade, I think it would be easier if the thumb stud is placed a little bit more toward the tip. of cause your mileage may vary for some of you who enjoy opening Adamas 375.
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MFL0 -
Good photos, MFL...you've solved it for me. I want a 14715 with a 581 blade in it. 
The 581 blade would be a big improvement in shape, grind and materials. The 14715 has the advantages of not being A/O and not having the aluminum bolsters.
I guess its like girlfriends...if you could mix and match parts, features, brains and personalities you could come up with the perfect girl every time.0 -
quote:Originally posted by fastjan:
Good photos, MFL...you've solved it for me. I want a 14715 with a 581 blade in it.
The 581 blade would be a big improvement in shape, grind and materials. The 14715 has the advantages of not being A/O and not having the aluminum bolsters.
I guess its like girlfriends...if you could mix and match parts, features, brains and personalities you could come up with the perfect girl every time.
Hi FJ,
lol I agree with you about having M390 shape of Osborne 581 modified drop point, and mix match good aspects of your "girlfriend"
One drawback I feel on 581 is this.
Please note bottom picture comparing 581 vs. 14715.
Benefit of keeping Blade thickness:
The HK AXIS 14715 shape is a bit odd shaped modified drop point. I think it is because it meant to keeps blade thickness more to the tip.
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Here is the measurement of blade thickness.
HK AXIS 14815 0.146" (D2)
Barrage 581 0.121" (M390)
Contego 810 0.156" (CPM-M4)
Here is side view of 581, 14715 and 810 (950 is very similar)
Barrage 581, HK AXIS 14715, and Contego 810:
The length of redline is how long each blade keeps same thickness.
Barrage 581 2.34"
HK AXIS 14715 3.79"
Contego 810 3.87"
I must say that both Osborne Tanto (Modified reverse American Tanto) design keeps thickness of the blade toward very tip with .25" of triangular tip.
I feel that a knife intended to have steady thrust cut, this would allow more rigidness of the blade. For the shape of 14715, it may be BKC 's fusion of Modified drop point without sacrificing blade rigidity.
MFL0 -
Great review! Brand new this thing is less than a used Rift. I will definitely have to wait until I see one on the secondary market and snatch one up. It would end up as a tinkering knife, as I would probably do what Po has done to the spine, and then strip the coating off completely since I don't care for coated blades. I nice acid etch and stonewash will help with the corrosion resistance after that. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Mobile Firelord:quote:Originally posted by fastjan:
Good photos, MFL...you've solved it for me. I want a 14715 with a 581 blade in it.
The 581 blade would be a big improvement in shape, grind and materials. The 14715 has the advantages of not being A/O and not having the aluminum bolsters.
I guess its like girlfriends...if you could mix and match parts, features, brains and personalities you could come up with the perfect girl every time.
Hi FJ,
lol I agree with you about having M390 shape of Osborne 581 modified drop point, and mix match good aspects of your "girlfriend"
One drawback I feel on 581 is this.
Please note bottom picture comparing 581 vs. 14715.
Benefit of keeping Blade thickness:
The HK AXIS 14715 shape is a bit odd shaped modified drop point. I think it is because it meant to keeps blade thickness more to the tip.
.
.
.
.
Here is the measurement of blade thickness.
HK AXIS 14815 0.146" (D2)
Barrage 581 0.121" (M390)
Contego 810 0.156" (CPM-M4)
Here is side view of 581, 14715 and 810 (950 is very similar)
Barrage 581, HK AXIS 14715, and Contego 810:
The length of redline is how long each blade keeps same thickness.
Barrage 581 2.34"
HK AXIS 14715 3.79"
Contego 810 3.87"
I must say that both Osborne Tanto (Modified reverse American Tanto) design keeps thickness of the blade toward very tip with .25" of triangular tip.
I feel that a knife intended to have steady thrust cut, this would allow more rigidness of the blade. For the shape of 14715, it may be BKC 's fusion of Modified drop point without sacrificing blade rigidity.
MFL
This is a great thread. I actually just got this knife last week and I love it. Reminds me of the Snody H&K's quite a bit.... not blade shape, but general size, thickness, etc.... although yours may be different, I just measured the blade thickness with my digital calipers and found that the tip where you have your red line drawn (at the point of the grind line) is actually 1/32" thinner than the thickness at the tang. My knife measures 9/64" at the tang and 7/64" at the point where the horizontal grind line ends near the tip. It's still pretty robust, but figured I would mention it.0 -
Forgot to put this in the original thread..... the thinning is what is known as distal taper. I do not own the Contego, however, I do have the 950 Rift and the 581 Barrage. Both of those measure 7/64" at the tang and at the end of their horizontal grind lines. Regardless, the 14715 is still a very robust knife. I just figured I'd clarify for all those reading this thread. I'm curious to see what the Contego thickness is. I need to add it to the stable. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Draggat:quote:Originally posted by Mobile Firelord:
The length of redline is how long each blade keeps same thickness.
Barrage 581 2.34"
HK AXIS 14715 3.79"
Contego 810 3.87"
I must say that both Osborne Tanto (Modified reverse American Tanto) design keeps thickness of the blade toward very tip with .25" of triangular tip.
I feel that a knife intended to have steady thrust cut, this would allow more rigidness of the blade. For the shape of 14715, it may be BKC 's fusion of Modified drop point without sacrificing blade rigidity.
MFL
This is a great thread. I actually just got this knife last week and I love it. Reminds me of the Snody H&K's quite a bit.... not blade shape, but general size, thickness, etc.... although yours may be different, I just measured the blade thickness with my digital calipers and found that the tip where you have your red line drawn (at the point of the grind line) is actually 1/32" thinner than the thickness at the tang. My knife measures 9/64" at the tang and 7/64" at the point where the horizontal grind line ends near the tip. It's still pretty robust, but figured I would mention it.
Thanks, you are right. Although not as drastic as clip (581) / spear pointed blade Osborn Tanto has very gradual distal taper.
I still like 940/950 with this grind as the blade is stronger.
MFL0 -
This is a great knife for a great price. One of the best sleepers in the 2014 line up. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Mark G.:
This is a great knife for a great price. One of the best sleepers in the 2014 line up.
If I hadn't found an almost-new Rift for $80, I might have gotten one if I'd found one on one of the exchanges.
And of course, I'd modify it like Po did to make it look more like the Rift...0 -
Great job!!!
Thank you.0 -
I walked into my local knife shop and it was my lucky day. I was at the right place at the right time and scored a 14715 for $62!!!
It was in the used knife case; someone brought it in and sold it for credit and the store put it up for sale. It was a tremendous bargain as the blade shows absolutely no wear or use and really the only thing that wasn't just about perfect on it was the clip which had some carry scuffs and there was some pocket lint in the liners, etc. 5 seconds with a can of compressed air solved the lint problem. The clip wear doesn't really bother me because it is very minor. I really scored big with this one... What a solid great design!0 -
Wow..nice snag Knife Boy!. Thanks MFL..great review. 0 -
Nice snag. This model is the only one left on my "to buy" list. The problem is other used models jump it's place in line every time. It will happen. Maybe I'll wait until someone sells a used one like you. quote:Originally posted by Knife Boy:
I walked into my local knife shop and it was my lucky day. I was at the right place at the right time and scored a 14715 for $62!!!
It was in the used knife case; someone brought it in and sold it for credit and the store put it up for sale. It was a tremendous bargain as the blade shows absolutely no wear or use and really the only thing that wasn't just about perfect on it was the clip which had some carry scuffs and there was some pocket lint in the liners, etc. 5 seconds with a can of compressed air solved the lint problem. The clip wear doesn't really bother me because it is very minor. I really scored big with this one... What a solid great design!0 -
I have bopught a Lansky sharpener set. Anyone know the correct angle for the HK 14715? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Shuutr:
Nice snag. This model is the only one left on my "to buy" list. The problem is other used models jump it's place in line every time. It will happen.
Just be aware the D2 blade makes it heavier than it need be. Frankly, I am not a fan of D2.
Having said that it has practical improvements. The scales are de-horned unlike my RIFT which has sharp and uncomfortable corners.0 -
I'll toss my .02 in here since I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. I picked up a "pre-owned, but not used" 14715 in sand G10 a few weeks ago for $80. The last time I was this surprised by a knife was when I got my first digi-cam Para years ago.
The H&K seems perfect for me just the way it is. I love BM's D2, I like thicker blades that still have a good slicing ability, the handle is a good fit for my hands, and I really like the fact that the omega springs seem to be thicker on this model than on my other BMs that I've taken apart.
So far, I haven't found any down side to the 14715. The 14716 seems a bit on the "wee" side but the 14715 is plenty of everyday, general purpose knife at a great price point.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dalefuller:
I'll toss my .02 in here since I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. I picked up a "pre-owned, but not used" 14715 in sand G10 a few weeks ago for $80. The last time I was this surprised by a knife was when I got my first digi-cam Para years ago.
The H&K seems perfect for me just the way it is. I love BM's D2, I like thicker blades that still have a good slicing ability, the handle is a good fit for my hands, and I really like the fact that the omega springs seem to be thicker on this model than on my other BMs that I've taken apart.
So far, I haven't found any down side to the 14715. The 14716 seems a bit on the "wee" side but the 14715 is plenty of everyday, general purpose knife at a great price point.
Wow. Quite a deal. H&K AXIS 14715 is almost like Mini-Adamas to me. It's resilient D2 is tough enough for all those choirs. I'm still buffled that there are no lanyard hole.
MFL0 -
After reading this thread a few times over, I just picked one up a sand G10. Feels nice, very textured and pretty much more knife than I'll ever need. Tape, boxes, and envelopes don't stand a chance. 0 -
They are nice! I agree.quote:Originally posted by Ekwan:
After reading this thread a few times over, I just picked one up a sand G10. Feels nice, very textured and pretty much more knife than I'll ever need. Tape, boxes, and envelopes don't stand a chance.0 -
Picked one up recently. Nice knife, D2, Axis Lock, and G10 scales, what's not to like?
If it had BM on the blade instead of HK it would be marked $75 higher. Granted it's not as smooth as my other Axis Lock's, but for the price point I don't care.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Fox184:
Picked one up recently. Nice knife, D2, Axis Lock, and G10 scales, what's not to like?
If it had BM on the blade instead of HK it would be marked $75 higher. Granted it's not as smooth as my other Axis Lock's, but for the price point I don't care.
A little polishing of the washers and pivot area solves that (at least it did on mine).0 -
Picked one up on another forum nice knife 0 -
quote:Originally posted by holo07:
Picked one up on another forum nice knife
A bit heavy with D2. I love mine but would prefer it in old fashioned 154CM.0 -
Great pics and comparison factors, really enjoyed looking at the differences--thanks for the great info Firelord. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by knives for shoes:
Great pics and comparison factors, really enjoyed looking at the differences--thanks for the great info Firelord.
Glad you enjoyed it. I think this is definetly a "sleeper" or Super Black class / Onix class?0 -
Thinking about picking one up but was not sure D2 is all the great.As I had a 710BK,the blade was barely sharp after a sharpening and definitely not as sharp as BM's 154-CM. 0
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