Benchmade Apparition 670 Knife Kudu Horn Styled, Plain Edge. Spring assisted opening, 154CM, 3.4 inch blade. List $150. Street $90 – $100. Made in USA. Warren Osborne design. There are 4 different models of the Benchmade Apparition, but the 2 more popular are the 670 and 672. The 670 version looks like the one above with the psudo Kudu Horn handle scales, the 672 is the all black G10 plastic handle. The Benchmade Apparition seems to be one of those love it or hate it knives in the “handling” department. I think most would agree that it’s a great looking knife. I personally love it, but some have said it may be hard to open (with the spring assist in place) and that it’s liner lock fails easily, etc. I have found none of these problems with mine. I love this knife, the Wharncliffe Style blade is a great for all around use and I got it in plain edge for easy sharpening in the future. The blade is 154CM which is a good all around steel. The knife is a mix of old school and new school all in one. You have a spring assisted knife in 154CM, and kudu Horn “style” handles. The hunter in me is sad these are not real kudu horn. The pacifist in me is happy they went with plastic for the mass production of these knives. The end result is a beautiful knife. Tip down carry is your only choice with this knife. The knife is 4.5 oz which is not the lightest for a knife this size, though including all the metal, steel liners, etc adds a little bit of weight compared to the G10 version. I like the faux Kudu handle version as a change of pace. The knife comes with what benchmade calls an ” Optimizer ” which can be removed with the included mini hex wrench. What is it ? well it’s a nice and simple spring bar shown above. I also pointed out the set screw location. The spring is easily removed if you do not want a spring assisted opener. I have to say that this knife is one of the fastest of the auto openers I have. I’d have to rank this right up there with the Kershaw Onion series, it opens as quick as you can manually flip open say a Boker Trance (which is an ultra fast manual opener). I like to open knives with a nail behind the stud for a positive flip action. This makes my opening / deployment move the same across all my knives, specially when I’m not using gloves. I like knives with this space available behind the stud. If you are the kind that likes to place the meat of your thumb directly on top of the stud, you may find the blade a tad stiff to open. Again only some may think so, since the spring is stiff, which in my opinion is a good thing for quick opening and a good negative bias to keep the blade closed. The handle on the Benchmade Apparition is cut out slightly larger on the stud side to provide a little extra space for your thumb. The rear spacer / spine has a slightly custom pattern look to it. This is the same on the G10 version as well. The design has a larger cut out on the handle on the one side for the thumb stud (which is only on one side) this also allows easier disengaging of the liner lock with one hand as well. Bottom Line: If you are looking for a modern knife with custom classic flair at a good price, check out the Benchmade Apparition 670. It’s a great looking knife if you are looking for somthing a little less “tacticool” and more laid back. My only issue with it perhaps is the weight, but that is to be expected with the materials used in this model. Product Details: Blade size:     3.40 in Wharncliffe Style Blade material:     154 CM Satin Finish 58-60 HRC Handle:     Black Molded Polymer Scales Liners:     420J Stainless Steel Liners Weight:     4.50 oz Closed:     4.39 in Thumb studs:     Single Filed Thumbstud Bolsters:     Stainless Steel Clip:     Removable Stainless Steel Spacer:     Fileworked Stainless Steel Backbar Case:     Benchmade Nylon Drawstring Pouch