Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 Fixed Blade Knife
The Rant was Mel Pardue's Black Class fixed blade for Benchmade, built in four blade shapes on one platform. The Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 is the drop-point, the workhorse of the family: a 4.48" stonewashed 440C blade in 0.175" stock with a strong tip and a long, useful belly.
The handle is contoured, textured black Santoprene, a moulded rubber that stays grippy in wet hands and dampens shock on hard cuts. It weighs 7.16 oz, runs 9.11" overall, and carries in a MOLLE-compatible nylon sheath.
Specifications
- Model: Rant Drop-Point 515
- 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: Drop-Point, 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 drop-point blade good for?
A drop-point runs the spine in a gentle convex curve down to the tip, which keeps the point strong and well supported. That makes it the safest all-round shape for camp work, food prep and field dressing, where you do not want to puncture what is under the skin. The Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 pairs that geometry with 0.175" stock, so the tip takes prying abuse better than a fine clip-point would.
How is the 515 different from the other Rant models?
Only the blade shape. Benchmade built the Rant in four versions on the same 4.48" platform and Santoprene handle: the 510 bowie, the 512 clip-point, the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515, and the 517 tanto. Thickness, overall length, handle and weight are identical, so the decision is purely about tip geometry.
Is a 4.48" fixed blade legal to carry?
Fixed blades are the most heavily restricted knife category in the US and plenty of states and cities cap carry below 4 inches. At 4.48" of blade and 9.11" overall, the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 exceeds that limit in many jurisdictions. Check your state and local knife statutes before carrying it in public.
What is Santoprene and why use it on a knife handle?
Santoprene is a thermoplastic vulcanizate, a moulded rubber processed like a plastic. It grips well wet, soaks up shock on hard cuts, and does not go slick with sweat or oil. On the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 it is contoured and textured, so the handle fills the hand rather than sitting flat against the palm.
Is the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 covered by LifeSharp?
LifeSharp is Benchmade's free lifetime sharpening and adjustment service run out of the factory in Oregon City, Oregon, and Benchmade's own catalog listed the Rant as a US-made Black Class model. That said, the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 has been discontinued for years, so service coverage and parts on a long-out-of-production knife are not guaranteed. Contact Benchmade directly to confirm before sending it in.
Where can I buy the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515?
Going Gear is an authorized Benchmade dealer and lists the Benchmade Rant Drop-Point 515 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 genuine.
