Benchmade's new assisted-opening 490 Amicus sticks out among the knife company's new products for 2016.
(Note: if you are only interested in posts about inexpensive knives, then read no further.)
The 490 is a very nice-looking folder. It features a black 7075-T6 Aluminum handle and a 3.20-inch drop point blade fashioned from CPM-S90V steel with a satin finish.
It's designed with Benchmade's Axis-Assist Flipper mechanism for fast opening. The Axis features a spring that helps to fire the blade into the open position once the user pushes it beyond a certain point manually.
The Amicus is 4.52 inches closed and weighs 2.88 ounces. Benchmade is listing it at $250, but dealers are offering it for around $212.
