
In January of 2020, Benchmade released its Tengu Flipper knife, a Japanese-inspired EDC folder designed by Jared Oeser. In June of the same year, the Oregon City outfit released an ultra-compact accompanying version of the flipper known as the Tengu Tool, before debuting an ultra-top-shelf Gold Class variant of the Tengu Flipper in early 2021. Now, just in time for the holiday season, Benchmade has announced that it will be bestowing the Tengu Tool with a spare-no-expense redux, resulting in the Benchmade 602-211 Gold Class Tengu Tool.
Benefitting from the same premium material upgrades as the Gold Class Tengu Flipper, the ultra-premium take on the Tengu Tool maintains the regular variant’s dimensions — spanning 3.27″ when open — though its G-10 handles have been swapped out for forged Arctic Storm Fat Carbon scales while its 1.14″ tanto blade’s CPM 20CV steel construction has been jettisoned in favor of a Bi Frost pattern Damasteel item. The Damascus construction also applies to the Gold Class friction folder’s non-blade end, which consists of a pry bar, bottle opener, and driver bit combo. What’s more, Oeser’s signature shield inlays have been recreated in blue G-10, to match the model’s sapphire blue-PVD-coated hardware and the blue accent stitching that adorns the sharkskin carrying pouch the knife is sold with.
Available now, the Benchmade 602-211 Gold Class Tengu Tool is priced at $350. And, while some Gold Class models are only available to the public for a single calendar year, this super-premium version of the Tengu Tool will be limited to just 300 units worldwide.