From the Omega Speedmaster to Hasselblad cameras, NASA famously thinks long and hard before selecting products to accompany its men and women into space. And with its first return to the Moon in over 50 years this month, the astronauts will be carrying with them the very utilitarian Triage multi-tool from Benchmade. To celebrate, the Oregon-based knifemaker has come out with an orange-and-black variant.
From First Responders to Final Frontier
If you know Benchmade at all, you know the Triage. Designer Greg Foster introduced it back in 2011 as the Model 915, and the multi-tool immediately found its people, from EMTs to firefighters to SAR teams. It won Knife of the Year from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence that same year, and has since grown into a full family of variants, including the 916 blunt-tip version, the more tactically oriented 917, and an auto-open edition for those who need deployment speed above all else. The point is, the Triage has spent over a decade being stress-tested in real-world emergencies. Basically, NASA picked the best tool for the task.
Why This Knife, Specifically
The model headed to space is the 916SBK-ORG, which features the blunt-tip opposing bevel blade profile rather than a conventional point. The flat, blunt tip is engineered for prying and scraping, while also boosting overall toughness and preventing any accidental punctures you’d want to avoid near, say, a pressurized spacesuit. The 3.4-inch blade is N680 Austrian steel finished in Cerakote for corrosion resistance, and carries a partial serration for handling fibrous materials under load.
On the other end, you get a 440C stainless steel folding hook that can cut through straps, cords, and fabric without compromising the main blade, and a carbide glass breaker for emergencies. Add Benchmade’s rock-solid AXIS lock, ambidextrous thumb studs, and the aggressively textured safety-orange G10 scales that work well in gloved hands, and you have a tool that earns its spot in an Orion spacesuit. All four Artemis II crew members will have one stowed in the Orion Crew Survival System.
Notably, the commemorative orange-handled 916SBK-ORG isn’t the only version of this knife. Benchmade’s standard 916 comes with black scales and is otherwise spec-for-spec identical. The orange colorway is just the mission-specific variant.
Spec Sheet
Model: Benchmade 916SBK-ORG Triage
Blade Steel: N680
Blade Style: Opposing Bevel (blunt tip)
Blade Length: 3.4″
Blade Finish: Cerakote (black)
Open Length: 8.25″
Closed Length: 4.85″
Handle Material: Safety orange textured G10 with stainless steel liners
Mechanism: AXIS Lock (ambidextrous)
Extras: 440C folding hook, carbide glass breaker, deep-carry reversible pocket clip
Made in: USA
Limited Edition: Yes
Pricing & Availability
The orange-handled 916SBK-ORG is currently sold out. In the meantime, the functionally identical black-scaled variant is available directly through Benchmade for $325.
Recap
Benchmade Triage NASA Artemis II Moon Mission
Benchmade’s Triage rescue knife is heading to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, with all four crew members carrying the blunt-tipped, multi-tool-equipped folder in their Orion spacesuits. To mark the occasion, Benchmade dropped a commemorative safety-orange variant of the 916.
