There I was, on the last day of SHOT Show 2025. It was Friday, the lightest and most tranquil of the trade show’s busy week. I was checking out the Galils and Tavors at IWI’s booth and just trying to recuperate after a long, busy week without proper sleep and even poorer nutrition. And maybe too much whisky. What better condition to go check out sharp pointy things like the Benchmade Mini Bedlam?
The Benchmade Mini Bedlam
After checking out a Zion-15 SPR and putting it back down, I turned around and approached the booth directly across the way from IWI–because it looked like a bar. It even had the brass-colored foot-rests. Not that I needed a cocktail at 10 AM on the Friday morning before breakfast. But that booth looked like one of the most creative installations I saw on the show floor this year.
I rewarded my curiosity by heading over to see which company was responsible for putting together such a neat booth. It was Benchmade, one of Oregon’s best-known knife companies.
It wasn’t long before I was talking to one of Benchmade’s “bartenders.” Let’s call him Nate (and he really works for Benchmade). Nate kindly took the time to show me the latest releases from the famed American knifemaker for 2025. He and I chatted awhile at the “bar” while playing with a cocktail platter full of assorted new Benchmade knives.
Looking over the blades he presented, much had changed since the heyday of the Griptilian as one of the company’s go-to general-purpose knives. (A Griptilian 553 SBK-SN was my first “nice” knife.) I was still glad to see the Osborne 940 still going strong.
But there was one folding knife that locked me in, in particular—The Mini Bedlam.
The Mini Bedlam’s Inspiration
The Mini Bedlam is a folding knife featuring a wonderfully exquisite, Arabesque trailing-point blade crafted from S90V stainless steel. It is a Benchmade “Black Series” model that also employs the signature AXIS Lock, which I’m rather fond of.
The Mini Bedlam is based on Benchmade’s previous full-size Bedlam models: the Bedlam 8600 (automatic) and 860 (standard AXIS Lock). Dating back to the late 2000s and early 2010s, these discontinued Benchmade knives are now considered collectible.
Both original Bedlam knives featured the same S-shaped pattern, comprising a curving handle and a “scimitar”- shaped trailing point blade. And being of a more tactical persuasion, both models had combo blades with a serrated section.
Like my old Griptilian 553 SBK-SN, the steel used in the original Bedlam blades was 154 CM. Those blades measured nearly four inches and had an overall length of 9.7 inches, which is a decent length for a modern folding knife.
The original Bedlam exists as a result of Benchmade accepting a commission from King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2010. He was looking for a “locally-inspired” tactical knife for his bodyguard and special forces personnel.
The present-day Mini Bedlam is not only shorter than the Bedlam 8600 or 860, but also features a 3.45-inch CPM-S90V stainless steel blade, replacing the 154 CM steel blade.
Mini Bedlams can be had in the three different flavors: 865SBK (all-black with G-10 handle and blade serrations that best takes after the original Benchmade Bedlam 8600/860), the 865SBK-01 (black blade with olive drab and coyote colored G10 handle), and the 865-02 (stonewashed blade with black carbon fiber 3K Twill handle and bronze colored accents).
Handling The Folding Scimitar
The knife in front of me is the 865-02, and I can’t get over how visually stunning it is. That’s why it caught my attention among the knives at SHOT Show.
I also don’t think the Mini Bedlam is the most practical folding knife design.
Regarding pure utility and practicality for a general-purpose knife, it’s hard to beat a blade with a straighter profile and a clip point, drop point, or even a reverse tanto at its end.
Likewise, the Mini Bedlam’s entire S-shaped profile can make it ride strangely in the front pocket. Especially depending on the shape of the pocket’s line. The grip’s taper towards the butt can also make it a little awkward to hold while deploying the blade. It takes some getting used to.
The quality, fit, and finish one would expect from Benchmade’s Black Series knife are clearly present on my Mini Bedlam. However, it also comes with a hefty price tag.
Even though the Benchmade Mini Bedlam is 100% US-made, its single biggest “downside” is its hefty price point. The 865SBK and the 865SBK-01 retail for $350, while the 865-02 retails for $450. The prices are on the steeper side, but Benchmade does have its dedicated fans. Not to mention, quality materials and construction don’t come cheap, but are very worth it.
A Smooth Operator
Pointing out some of the less practical aspects doesn’t mean I’m knocking the Mini Bedlam. With regards to its unique shape and how it carries in the pocket, it is what it is. However, this still hasn’t stopped me from carrying it in my front pocket for the last three weeks.
Here are some of Mini Bedlam’s strong points:
For starters, it’s a very sharp knife with a useful 3.45-inch cutting blade. The Mini Bedlam’s AXIS Lock is already ball-bearing smooth out of the box. My experience with Benchmade products suggests that it will only get smoother over time. Likewise, there is no real lateral play between the blade and the mechanism.
Although its open length measures 8.3 inches overall, its 5.2-inch handle offers plenty of real estate for larger hands. The Mini Bedlam’s foremost finger-groove also doubles as a sturdy choil, keeping the index finger away from its keen edge. Its thumb studs are compact enough but easy to reach with either thumb.
The blade’s spine tapers symmetrically by virtue of its design. However, there’s still a small ramp on the spine, behind the dual thumb studs, with jimping to support the thumb. The pocket clip is reversible and supports tip-up carry, which is almost universally preferred.
One upside of the Mini Bedlam’s trailing point profile is that it provides a longer and curved cutting surface. This comes in handy with certain tasks, like filleting, slicing, and skinning. The Mini Bedlam would make for a classy hunting knife for skinning game.
The Benchmade Mini Bedlam: A Work of Art
With regards to what I said about the Mini Bedlam’s “overall practicality,” honestly, I couldn’t care less. The Benchmade Mini Bedlam is a beautiful knife. Life is too short to worry about practicality 100% of the time.
Art wouldn’t exist otherwise.
Why else do we still care about obsolete century-old 8-round .45-caliber single-stack pistols? You know the one I’m talking about. I mean, the fifth-generation Glock 19 exists and beats that gun in almost every metric.
More importantly, I’d also argue that the Mini Bedlam is a work of art. Its combination of Arabesque trailing point blade and S-shaped handle reminds me of several things at once. It evokes sensations of both old and new.
At SHOT, I saw and handled both the 865SBK-01 (coyote/ODG G10 grip) and the carbon fiber 865-02. The 01’s aggressive handle texture and coloration reminded me of the desert-dwelling sidewinder viper. Combined with its black Cerakoted blade, the -01 has a fierce and menacing appearance.
Artistically, there’s a lot going on with the Benchmade Mini Bedlam. The carbon fiber 02’s grip texture and the way light reflected off it immediately evoked thoughts of Umberto Boccioni’s famous 1913 sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space.
I love how it combines both elements of old, like its Arabesque scimitar blade and its southern Spanish Navaja handle, with elements of the future, like modern S90V steel, carbon fiber, and futurist lines.
It’s a stunning-looking knife that’s both curvy and jagged, old world and modern.
Benchmade Mini Bedlam Specs
| Open Length | 8.63” | 21.92cm |
| Blade Length | 3.45” | 8.76cm |
| Blade Thickness | 0.114” | 2.9mm |
| Closed Length | 5.2” | 13.21cm |
| Handle Thickness | 0.587” | 14.91mm |
| Mechanism | AXIS® Lock |
| Blade Style | Scimitar |
| Handle | G10 |
| Pocket Clip | Yes |
| Blade Finish | Cerakote |
| Blade Color | Black |
| Clip Color | Black |
| Clip Finish | Black Oxide |
| Clip Position | Ambidextrous Tip-Up |
| Clip Type | Split-Arrow |
| Ambidextrous | Yes |
| Handle Material | G10 |
| Handle Color | Black |
| Lanyard Hole | Yes |
| Blade Steel | CPM-S90V Stainless Steel (59-61HRC) |
| Weight | 4.91oz | 139.2g |
| MSRP | $350 |
