The Lowden has had a strange first year. We tested the original when it landed last August, back when a Benchmade flipper still felt like a novelty. And somewhere, less than 12 months later we watched the brand stretch that same design into an $1,800 Damasteel Gold Class flagship.
Now the pendulum swings the other way. Meet the Lowden 491BK-02, a blacked-out, S90V-equipped version that’s somehow the cheapest one yet.
Copper Against the Blackout
Gone is the Crater Blue aluminum of the original, swapped for milled black G10 scales with a long fuller machined down each side. Cerakote covers the spear-point blade, so the only things breaking up all that black are the burnt copper AXIS bar and pivot hardware.
It’s a killer look. But the G10 isn’t just there for the tactical crowd, as it also drops the weight from 2.99 ounces to a scant 2.55.
That’s lighter than a tennis ball on a full-size American-made folder. Hell, it’s within a hundredth of an ounce of the skeletonized titanium Gold Class, which weighs 2.56 ounces and costs six times as much.
The S90V Question
The steel swap is the other headline. The original’s M390 gives way to Crucible’s CPM S90V, a vanadium-rich super steel with a reputation as one of the longest-wearing stainless blades money can buy.
Hardened to 59 to 61 HRC, it’ll shrug off weeks of boxes and zip ties before the edge starts asking for attention. The catch is that S90V is famously miserable to sharpen at home.
Benchmade’s answer is the same as always. LifeSharp means you can ship it back to Oregon City and the factory will restore the edge for free, forever, so the steel’s one real weakness never actually becomes your problem.
Same Flick, New Quirk
The part that made the original such a pocket menace carries over untouched. The AXIS flipper still rides on bearings, and the blade still fires with that ultra satisfying action.
One curveball before you buy, though. The reversible clip is now configured for tip-down carry, a throwback move that’ll delight the old-school crowd and perhaps annoy everyone else.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Benchmade
Model: Lowden 491BK-02
Overall Length: 6.81″
Closed Length: 4.05″
Blade Length: 2.79″
Blade Thickness: 0.09″
Blade Steel: CPM S90V (59-61 HRC)
Blade Finish: Black Cerakote
Handle Material: Milled Black G10
Locking Mechanism: AXIS Lock (Flipper Deployment)
Pivot: Bearings
Weight: 2.55 oz
Pocket Clip: Ambidextrous, Tip-Down (Standard Carry)
Manufacturing Origin: USA
MSRP: $300
Pricing & Availability
The Lowden 491BK-02 dropped today and is available now for $300. Head over to Benchmade’s website to grab one directly.
Recap
Benchmade Lowden 491BK-02
Benchmade sends its cult-favorite Lowden flipper to the dark side with black G10, burnt copper hardware, and S90V super steel, all for less than the original cost at launch.
