I was in a Dallas hotel a couple of weeks ago for an industry event. It was a Monday so when I got back to my room after dinner, I flipped on Monday Night Football and sat down at my computer. I was scrolling through my emails when I glanced up at the TV just in time to see the distinctive Benchmade butterfly logo flash on the screen at the beginning of this commercial . . .
That was a surprise, to say the least. You just don’t see a lot of knife companies advertising on national television.
I’m pretty familiar with most of Benchmade’s lineup, but I hadn’t seen the blade that was featured in the western-themed ad. It turns out it’s a relatively new fixed blade knife called the Model 203 Dacian that was introduced a few months back.
The American made Dacian (day-she-un) is a smaller fixed blade knife that’s an ideal size for a wide range of tasks. It’s small enough that it can be your everyday carry knife while still big enough to give you a comfortable four-finger grip to let you handle lots of jobs. And in my humble opinion, it’s an objectively great looking knife.
Steel is everything in a good knife and Benchmade went with one of the very best. The Dacian sports a MagnaCut blade. MagnaCut is a “super steel,” but unlike other powdered metal premium steels like Elmax and M390, the MagnaCut formula eliminates chromium carbides. That makes for a tougher steel that holds an edge longer and is more corrosion resistant.
Benchmade gave the Dacian beautiful contoured micarta scales. The knife has two finish options. There’s a slightly more expensive verion with a blue titanium coating and brown scales, or this stonewashed version with blue micarta.
While I’m more of a drop point fan, the Dacian’s spear point works really well here and the knife is ergonomically unimpeachable. While it’s relatively slim — making it easy to carry all day long on a regular basis — it feels great in the hand. Those contoured micarta scales are a big reason why.
As I said, the Dacian is slim at only .39″ wide. The jimping extends along the spine of the blade almost to the tip to give you a good grip in a wide range of hand holds for various cutting jobs.
Benchmade includes a polymer sheath with a nicely designed belt clip. It holds fast to your jeans or belt, but it’s also thin enough to be carried in your pocket if you choose.
The bottom of the sheath has a small drain hold to let moisture out and a molded loop that lets you carry the Dacian as a neck knife if you’re a neck knife kinda guy. The sheath holds the knife very securely, so you don’t have to worry about it slipping out.
I have one or two other fixed blades that I will actually carry on a daily basis (rather than a folder) because of their size and sheath design. The Dacian is now a member of that elite group. This is an absolutely wonderful knife that’s been really thoughtfully designed and is made of top-flight materials. It may not be inexpensive, but it’s very much worth the price.
Specifications: Benchmade 203 Dacian Fixed Blade Knife
Overall Length: 7.6″
Blade Length: 3.5″
Blade Material: CPM MagnaCut
Blade Thickness: .12″
Hardness: 60-62 HRC
Handle Length: 4.0″
Handle Thickness: .39″
Handle Material: Micarta
Weight: 3.4 oz.
Sheath: Polymer
Made In: USA
MSRP: $300 (about $270 retail)
I’m not buying anything named ‘dacian’. It will spam you to death with BS. 😂
(ok, that’s a joke for you folks that remember the delusional ‘dacian’ idiot from ‘Capitalvania’ over at TTAG)
Yep. Ruined by the name.
That was my first thought when I saw the title
Do they also have a “Vlad” knife?
The name dacian and the $300 price tag did it for me.
Thanks butt no thanks.
Same here, read the comments prior to the article, expecting to see a few like this.
Then I scrolled back up to read the article. That is a handsome knife, Dan. If I hadn’t already blown my knife budget on a sack full of those Padawan knives, I’d give it a closer look. Mayhap next year…
I wish more knives had sheaths with ambi clips.
I want a knife available for left handed draw so while fending or fighting I can still go for my pistol.
You can put the Dacian into its sheath in either direction so it’s effectively ambi.
No knife is worth more money than I can buy a firearm for.