Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 Fixed Blade Knife
The Rant was Mel Pardue's no-nonsense fixed blade for Benchmade's Black Class, and it shipped in four blade shapes: bowie, clip-point, drop-point and tanto. The Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 is the bowie of the family, a 4.48" stonewashed 440C blade in 0.175" stock on a contoured, textured black Santoprene handle.
Santoprene is a soft thermoplastic rubber, so the grip stays tacky in wet hands and soaks up shock on hard cuts. At 7.16 oz and 9.11" overall this is a serious tactical bowie knife rather than a light camp blade, and it rides in a MOLLE-compatible nylon sheath.
Specifications
- Model: Rant Bowie 510
- Designer: Mel Pardue
- Blade Length: 4.48"
- Blade Thickness: 0.175"
- Overall Length: 9.11"
- Blade Material: 440C Stainless Steel
- Blade Hardness: 58-60 HRC
- Blade Style: Bowie, plain edge, stonewashed finish
- Handle: Contoured, textured black Santoprene, 0.890" thick
- Weight: 7.16 oz
- Lock Mechanism: Fixed blade
- Sheath: Multifunction MOLLE-compatible nylon sheath
- Class: Benchmade Black Class
- Status: Discontinued
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bowie knife used for?
A bowie is a large clip-point fixed blade meant for heavy general work: splitting kindling, clearing brush, rough field dressing, and camp tasks that would overwhelm a folder. The Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 fits that brief with a 4.48" blade in 0.175" stock, enough mass to chop and enough belly to slice.
Is a bowie knife legal to carry?
Large fixed blades are the most restricted knife category in the US, and a number of states and cities name the bowie pattern directly or cap fixed-blade length well under 4 inches. The Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 measures 4.48" at the blade and 9.11" overall, which puts it over the limit in many jurisdictions. Read your state and local knife law before carrying it in public and treat it as a camp, shop and property tool.
What is Santoprene and why use it on a knife handle?
Santoprene is a thermoplastic vulcanizate, essentially a moulded rubber that behaves like a plastic in manufacturing. It grips well when wet, dampens the shock of hard chopping, and does not get slick with sweat or oil the way smooth G10 can. On the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 it is contoured and textured, so the handle fills the hand rather than sitting flat against it.
Is 440C good knife steel?
440C is a genuinely stainless high-carbon steel and a proven production choice for big fixed blades. Run at 58-60 HRC on the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510, it resists rust with no oiling, sharpens easily on a common stone, and holds a good working edge. It gives up some edge retention to modern powder steels, which is a reasonable trade on a knife you expect to touch up in the field.
Is the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 covered by LifeSharp?
LifeSharp is Benchmade's free lifetime sharpening and adjustment service, run out of the factory in Oregon City, Oregon, and the Rant was listed as a US-made Black Class model in Benchmade's own catalog. That said, the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 has been discontinued for years, so parts availability and service coverage on a long-out-of-production model are not guaranteed. Contact Benchmade directly to confirm before shipping it in.
Where can I buy the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510?
Going Gear is an authorized Benchmade dealer and lists the Benchmade Rant Bowie 510 at goinggear.com. The Rant line is discontinued, so availability is limited to remaining stock. Buying from an authorized dealer is the only reliable way to know a Benchmade is a genuine factory knife.
