Benchmade’s Most Exclusive EDC Knife Just Became More Attainable, But Probably Not for Long

Now available online, the brand’s “SHOT Show Special” features its first-ever use of Ultem, a somewhat controversial handle material.

benchmade mini freek limited edition macro

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published March 11, 2025

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Updated March 11, 2025

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As much as we prioritize quality, there’s no denying the appeal of exclusivity. It played a huge role in making the MoonSwatch such a sensation a few years back, after all.

You may recall, the watch cost less than $300, could only be purchased in person at a Swatch store and stirred no small amount of controversy thanks in part to the general hysteria it caused.

benchmade mini freek hero — The SHOT Show Special Mini Freek in all its ~~purple and yellow~~ Amethyst and Amber glory.

Flash forward to 2025 and you may get flashbacks with Benchmade’s new Mini Freek. Priced at $300, it could only be purchased in person at January’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas … until now.

That’s right, you can now order this truly unique pocket knife online. Will it also stoke a bit of controversy? Based on the scales alone, we’d imagine so.

Hard to handle

On paper, the new Mini Freek does not give off “controversial” or “divisive” and instead leans toward “intriguing” and “unique.”

It starts with the not-inconsiderable blade, a 3.01-inch drop point made of CPM-M4 steel, with a custom Cerakote Amethyst finish that not only imparts durability but a purplish hue you do not see every day.

The knife also carries ambidextrous thumb studs for easy deployment, the blade held in place by the brand’s reliable Axis lock.

benchmade mini freek pivot detail — The Cerakote treatment on the blade not only gives it a distinctive hue but ups its longevity.

Rounding out the features is a reversible deep carry pocket clip. The knife’s overall length is 7.05 inches and it weighs 2.5 ounces.

Where the controversy creeps in, then, is with the handle material. See, this Mini Freek marks Benchmade’s first use of Ultem, in a shade the brand calls Amber.

Long associated with the aerospace industry, it’s a semi-transparent thermoplastic resin known for its strength and resistance to heat, steam and hot water.

To a lot of folks, however, its distinct look bears a strong resemblance to, how do we put this politely? “Dehydrated piss.”

benchmade mini freek folded — Butterscotch or urine? The actual color is really in the eye (and mood) of the beholder.

No, really. On one Reddit knife thread or another, you’ll find passionate debates over the use of this material in knife handles, with many comments focused on aesthetics.

While it technically can take a number of colors, Ultem most commonly seems to appear with a sort of cloudy dark yellow shade that is not everyone’s cup of tea.

In the interest of fairness, we have culled our favorite cons and pros from the aforementioned threads.

Feel free to take a look, then decide for yourself whether Ultem is your jam. It’s still a free country, after all.

benchmade mini freek handle — One upside of Ultem, for some, is seeing a folding knife’s inner workings, which is not possible with traditional scales.

7 Ultem cons

“As far as knife handle properties go Ultem is pretty shit. It’s too hard and brittle. Ultem is great for high heat uses and is chemically resistant, both of which are useless for knife scales.”
“Explain how it’s more functional than G10 or CF other than being able to see through it or how it holds up in extremely high temps where you would have other issues if you were trying to use your knife at 300c.”
“Ultem reminds me way too much of old plastic in a smoker’s house. Too ugly to even consider.”
“That shit is ugly, give me titanium, brass, copper, carbon fiber, but not that dehydrated piss.”
“I think someone wanted to play a joke on knife collectors and it got out of hand, sort of like L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology.”
“It makes fantastic guitar picks. I don’t see the attraction for knife handles, though.”
“The sun dried urine gelatin is strong with this one.”

benchmade mini freek off side full — We lean more toward the “cool as hell” view, as opposed to the “ugly as shite” perspective.

7 Ultem pros

“Why weiner and donut knives? Who first thought of using micarta and G10 for knife handles? Knives are as much a medium of artistic expression as a tool. That’s really all there is to it.”
“Reminds me of my dad’s old tools from the ’90s in a good way. I really like the look to see how stuff works. Definitely want something ultem next.”
“The lighter ultems remind me of a butterscotch or something like that but the darker ones are a lot like honey or bourbon.”
“One of the things they don’t talk about in [the data sheet] is how well the product ages. Even under oxidative environments, the material is incredibly robust against chemical degradation. There’s a reason it’s used in both aerospace applications as well as the stockpile.”
“It’s just different, and looks cool to some of us. It’s a little ugly but the right kind of ugly, if that makes sense.”
“New materials are just fun. Not everything has to be so darn practical.”
“It can survive stuff that would make a human a pile of goo.”

We’ll close with one of our favorite comments, and perhaps the only one about which there can be no debate.

“PSA: If your piss is the color of this knife, ya really need to drink a lot more water.”

Availability and pricing

The Mini Freek is now available for purchase from a number of online retailers — including KnivesShipFree and KnifeCenter — for $300. Don’t snooze if you’re interested, as it probably won’t stay in stock for too long.