Comparison Console
Benchmade CLA vs Spyderco Karahawk
EDC Knives comparison. Compare price, weight, specifications, materials, and real-world use case.
Command Brief
Recommended read
Benchmade CLA stands out as the lightest option for weight, with about a 9% gap from the closest alternative. Spyderco Karahawk stands out as the cheapest option for retail price, with about a 21% gap from the closest alternative.
Decision Signals
What stands out
Spyderco Karahawk stands out as the cheapest option for retail price, with about a 21% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade CLA stands out as the most expensive option for retail price, with about a 27% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade CLA stands out as the lightest option for weight, with about a 9% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Karahawk stands out as the heaviest option for weight, with about a 10% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade CLA stands out as the shortest option for closed length, with about a 1% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Karahawk stands out as the longest option for closed length, with about a 1% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Karahawk stands out as the shortest option for blade length, with about a 31% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade CLA stands out as the longest option for blade length, with about a 44% gap from the closest alternative.
Specification Profile
Relative dimensions at a glance
Each axis is normalized against the largest raw value among the products in this comparison. Farther outward means a larger value, not necessarily a better result. Axes with an unverified value are omitted.
Price & carry
Retail price
US$400Most expensive
US$315Cheapest
Weight
98.44 g (3.47 oz)Lightest
108 g (3.81 oz)Heaviest
Dimensions
Blade length
86.36 mm (3.40 in)Longest
60 mm (2.36 in)Shortest
Overall length
199.39 mm (7.85 in)Longest
165 mm (6.50 in)Shortest
Closed length
113.03 mm (4.45 in)Shortest
114 mm (4.49 in)Longest
Blade thickness
Unknown
2.5 mm (0.10 in)
Materials & mechanism
Blade steel
MagnaCut
VG-10 Stainless Steel
Handle material
G-10 Laminate
G10 with skeletonized stainless steel liners
Finish
DLC Battlewash
Black titanium carbonitride (TiCN) coating / DLC coating
Lock type
Button lock
Back Lock
Opening method
Automatic push-button
Emerson Opener (Emerson Wave Opener)
Clip type
Deep Carry
Reversible tip-up pocket clip
Use case profile
Best for
Everyday carryTactical useWorkhorse EDC
Tactical and self-defense carryMartial artistsLaw enforcementEDC users valuing speed, control, and reliability
Not best for
Unknown
Unknown
Common praise
Excellent balance between size and weightHigh-quality MagnaCut steel bladeDurable G10 handle scalesReliable automatic push-button opening mechanism
Reliable deploymentComfortable to holdStrong lock mechanism
Common complaints
Button lock can be initially stickyLack of blade lock indicator
Relatively high price