This knife is out of production. Go to Benchmade Automatic Knives page for similar knives.
The Benchmade H&K Patrol family of knives have raised the bar in terms of value with quality materials and craftsmanship. The entire H&K line of knives are all manufactured by Benchmade and carry their limited lifetime warranty and are eligible for all Benchmade services. The composite nylon (Grivory) handle scales, coupled with stainless steel liners, are light weight and extremely durable and have an integrated safety switch and lanyard hole located near the base. This model, the 14430, features D2 tool steel with a drop point blade in a satin finish. The pocket clip is designed for tip up carry only and offers a left or right hand carry option. Made in the USA.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Blade Length: 3.4"
- Overall Length: 7.8"
- Blade Material: D2 Tool Steel
- Blade Finish: Satin
- Handle Length: 4.4"
- Handle Material: Grivory
- Weight: 3.4 oz.
In Germany, Heckler & Koch has been a leading producer of small arms and light weapons for more than 60 years. From armies to special forces, law enforcement to the sporting world, Heckler & Koch weapons have seen widespread use in Europe and other parts of the world, including the United States. The U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy Seals, Department of Homeland Security, and other U.S. armed forces have used Heckler & Koch products, which often rely on innovative materials and technologies. The company's motto, "No Compromises," speaks to its commitment to the features, fit and finish, and materials that contribute to superior product quality.
When Heckler & Koch decided to expand its product lines to include knives, it called on a U.S. leader in knife design and manufacture, Oregon's own Benchmade. Benchmade and Heckler & Koch have collaborated on the HK line of knives. Benchmade provides designs and manufacturing consistent not only with Heckler & Koch's traditions but with Benchmade's focus on combining the best of the artisan's attitude and the production knife maker's consistency. Both current and new Benchmade HK knives are manufactured in the U.S., unlike some previous HK products.
The Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol represents a new design for Benchmade and for Heckler & Koch. Its features align with outstanding knife quality, durability, and performance. If you're a fan of other Benchmade HK knives, and of Benchmade products in general, you'll recognize some of the materials chosen for this new product for their contributions to other products in the Benchmade and HK lineups. At the same time, the Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol stands alone among HK knives in its specific combination of features, blade steel, handle materials, and design.
Blade Profile
The new Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol features a dropped-point (or drop-point) blade. In a knife with a this blade profile, the point lies below the level of the spine of the blade, which curves downward, producing a convex shape that strengthens the knife. Drop-point designs use a single edge. Unlike spear-point blades, drop-points aren't symmetrical. Drop-points include a curve, or belly, on their cutting edge, which increases the amount of cutting surface available. The shape of a drop-point blade yields a thicker point that promotes sharpness and strength, but doesn't lend itself well to piercing. Because a drop-point shape excels at cutting and carving tasks, this blade profile often appears on chef's knives, as well as on knives designed for general-purpose use, hunting, survival, and tactical use.
To make the new Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol even more versatile and useful, this new knife comes in two versions. Choose model 14430 for a flat ground plain blade, or model 14430S to add the convenience of a set of serrations, or rip teeth, to the left side of the blade near the handle. Positioned in this location, serrations yield greater cutting performance because you can exert more leverage on the blade. A serrated blade can help you power through tasks that involve slicing rope, paracord, or other fibrous materials, including wood.
Blade Finish
Benchmade builds the Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol in two different blade finishes. The letters "BK" at the end of the model number designate a black Cerakote finish on the entire blade surface. Model 14430BK includes a flat ground plain blade with black finish, whereas model 14430SBK includes serrations on the blade edge. Where the "BK" designation doesn't appear, the knife includes a satin finish. Model 14430 includes a plain satin-finished blade, and model 14430S includes a satin-finished blade with serrations.
To express your personality on your knife, or simply incorporate your name to help identify your property, Benchmade's optional lasermarking service can add text and graphics to the blade for an additional charge. If you select the Cerakoted version of the Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol, the laser burns away part of the blade coating to create your personalization.
Blade Steel
The new Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol comes with a blade fabricated from D2 tool steel with a hardness of 60 to 62 HRC, a measurement made on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. This designation represents the outcome of a laboratory test in which an implement called an indenter is driven into the material under examination with a specified force to determine how well the material resists the striking force of the test instrument. The HRC scale uses an indenter made from industrial-grade diamond.
Like all tool steels, D2 is an alloy that includes other elements besides the basic iron. Specifically, Benchmade's D2 formula consists of 1.5% carbon, which qualifies it as a high-carbon alloy, along with 12% chromium, 0.3% nitrogen, 0.6% manganese, 1.0% molybdenum, 0.3% nickel, 0.6% silicon, and 1.0% vanadium. Manganese boosts hardness and tensile strength, along with wear resistance. Molybdenum increases edge retention and adds to high-temperature strength. Vanadium increases toughness, wear resistance, and edge retention. Nitrogen, nickel, and silicon play minor roles in the alloy formula.
The key to tool steel blade longevity lies in proper care and maintenance. Unlike true stainless steels, D2 doesn't contain enough chromium to qualify as stainless. Chromium increases hardness at the same time that it promotes corrosion resistance. To be accurate, call D2 "stain resistant" rather than stainless. Nonetheless, it still shows a good amount of resistance to oxidation. Exposure to water won't cause a problem with the blade of the Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol, provided that you dry the knife promptly and store it properly when it's not in use. Some substances, including salty or acid solutions such as sea water, blood, or citrus juice, can cause a D2 knife blade to darken if they linger on the steel without thorough and timely cleaning. This darkening represents the first signs of corrosion.
D2 offers superior resistance to two forms of wear: Abrasive, which involves contact with rough-surfaced material, and adhesive, in which material transfers from one surface to another. D2's excellence as a blade steel, and its popularity among knife makers, stems from its combination of wear resistance and edge retention. The high carbon content in this alloy reduces its measurable toughness, which represents the alloy's ability to resist chipping, cracking, and breaking under heavy use, and to bend rather than break. However, proper heat treatment during manufacturing can make D2 exhibit the right mix of toughness and hardness.
Handle Materials
At 26 production sites in 16 countries, Switzerland's EMS Group produces high performance polymers and specialty chemicals. Within EMS-Chemie Holding AG's High Performance Polymers group, EMS-Grivory consists of three geographically separate business units in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. EMS-Grivory produces polyamides and polyamide materials. The polyamide family, more familiarly known as nylon, includes a subset of thermoplastic synthetic resins that can replace some metals, especially die-cast alloys, and can function in high-temperature applications such as automotive subassemblies and electrical connectors.
EMS-Grivory produces a suite of polyamides under the registered trademark Grivory. These materials offer superior performance characterized by high strength and stiffness, outstanding resistance to the influence and absorption of humidity and moisture, good ability to withstand exposure to many chemicals, and the ability to keep their shape, resist warping, and produce a good surface appearance. The various forms and formulations of Grivory represent diverse combinations of basic semi-crystalline and partially aromatic polyamides, along with reinforcing materials such as glass fiber and minerals. Grivory also includes stabilizers and processing aids.
Among the many formulations of Grivory, Grivory GV makes a great substitute for metal, with mechanical and thermal properties that match up well with the alloys it replaces. As a lightweight material, Grivory GV also helps minimize the heft of a product in which it appears. In the case of the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol, Grivory GV replaces such handle fabrication alternatives as machined aluminum alloy or stainless steel. Grivory GV reduces cost over comparable die-cast materials without diminishing the performance of the part it produces.
Benchmade identifies its Grivory as containing at least 50% glass fiber. Among the Grivory GV formulas, Grivory GV-5H is a heat stabilized amorphous polythalamide that incorporates 50% glass fiber reinforcement and can be manufactured through injection moulding or extrusion. It's fully recyclable, resists weathering, and produces dimensionally precise parts with integrated screw threading and without the need for the deflashing that die-cast alloys require.
For the handle of the new HK 14430 Patrol, Benchmade combines Grivory with stainless steel liners that support the knife's automatic deployment mechanism and safety features. Grivory gives the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol a lightweight, rugged handle that's easy to grip and maintain, with incredible resistance to wear and to environmental exposure.
Handle Design
To help you hang on to the new Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol in heavy duty use or with wet hands, the knife handle incorporates jimping grooves on the its spine, heel, and front quillon. Additionally, the left side of the handle includes jimping perpendicular to the long dimension of the handle and located at both ends of a textured area that fosters grip. One of these two sets of grooves appears near the push-button that deploys the automatic opening mechanism, and the other falls close to the heel of the handle. Between two similarly located sets of jimping grooves on the right side of the handle, the surface features another textured gripping area. The underside of the handle incorporates a jimped forefinger groove that helps stabilize your hand when you hold the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol in a regular grip. At the heel, a small quillon helps keep your hand from sliding off the handle.
The automatic opening mechanism deploys when you press a side-mounted button near the pivot screw that holds the blade in place. Unlike many Benchmade designs, the safety appears on the left side of the HK 14330 Patrol rather than on the top of the knife. The safety is positioned near the spine, behind the auto open button and directly in line with it horizontally.
Near the heel of the knife, you'll find a lanyard hole for use in securing the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol. Alternatively, you can add a dummy cord to the handle to make the knife easier to find and more difficult to misplace.
Knife Dimensions and Weight
The Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol measures 7.80" at full open length, with a closed length of 4.40" and a blade length of 3.40". The 0.114" thick blade fits into a handle that's 0.59" inches thick. The knife weighs in at a mere 3.43 ounces, in part thanks to the lightness of its Grivory handle. Because of the left-side mounted automatic open push-button and safety, the design of the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol favors a right-handed user.
Pocket Clip
The new Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol incorporates a reversible steel tip-up pocket clip with deep-carry length, painted black and secured with two Torx screws. The HK logo appears on the clip as well as on the left side of the knife blade. Unscrew the clip and you can attach to the left side of the knife handle using the two mounting holes supplied for that purpose. The alternate attachment location enables you to carry the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol in a left side pocket without the clip obscuring the automatic blade deployment button or the safety.
Safety Mechanism
If you're familiar with Benchmade knives, you'll notice that the side-mounted safety on the new Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol looks different from the equivalent controls on other products in the company's lineup. Unlike the silver spine-mounted safeties that you'll find on many Benchmade designs, the Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol features a jimped black safety that's thicker near the front of its control button. That change in thickness helps you apply pressure without finger slippage.
Other Observations
The Benchmade HK 14330 Patrol breaks new ground within the Heckler & Koch lineup. Although it's not the first HK knife to feature a Grivory handle, a D2 tool steel blade, or an automatic push-button deployment system, it's the first to combine all three of these features into one product. This exciting new addition to Benchmade's HK lineup offers light weight, an enduring blade with excellent edge retention, and an easy-to-grip handle with an automatic opening mechanism that's easy to operate.
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Benchmade HK 14430 Patrol
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Weight |
3.43 oz. |
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Overall length |
7.80" |
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Closed length |
4.40" |
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Blade length |
3.40" |
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Blade thickness |
0.114" |
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Handle length |
4.40" |
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Handle thickness |
0.59" |
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Handle material |
Grivory® with stainless steel liners |
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Handle color |
Black |
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Blade material |
D2 tool steel |
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Blade hardness |
60-62 HRC |
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Blade style |
Drop-point |
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Blade grind |
Flat |
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Blade finish |
Satin (14430 and 14430S) or Black (14430BK and 14430SBK) |
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Blade edge type |
Plain (14430 and 14430BK) or serrated (14430S and 14430SBK) |
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Pocket clip |
Reversible tip-up deep-carry pocket clip |
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Lock mechanism |
Auto open with safety |
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Opener |
Push button automatic |
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Sheath material |
Sheath sold separately |
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Benchmade product class |
HK |
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User |
Right handed |
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Best use |
EDC, tactical, law enforcement |
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Manufacturer's suggested retail prices |
14430 and 14430S: $160 14430BK and 14430SBK: $175 |