Though it’s now best known for its world-class EDC folders and tactical and hunting fixed blades, the Benchmade knife brand got its start churning out balisong knives back in 1979. For the 2024 year, the Oregon City outfit returned to its roots with the debut of multiple new butterfly knife models with the Necron and the Laro. Now, to honor its origins, Benchmade has opted to bestow its ultra-premium Gold Class treatment onto the Necron, giving way to the most high-end pair of balisongs in the brand’s four-and-a-half-decade-long history.
Spanning 9.68” overall — or 10.27” overall with its handle extensions attached — the Benchmade Necron is a premium approximately $500 butterfly knife that’s meticulously crafted in America. For Benchmade’s latest Gold Class release, it’s taken the Necron balisong and delivered two new versions that see every material upgraded to some of the most high-end constructions that money can buy — making for the epitome of a true spare-no-expense butterfly knife.
The Necron’s 4.59-inch-long scimitar-shaped blade is normally composed of already-premium CPM S30V, though for the Gold Class-specs the Crucible metal has been stepped up to a blade forged in Monarch-pattern Damasteel — a proprietary powder metallurgy Damascus steel made exclusively for Benchmade. Mounted on washer pivots, the blades all come marked with their limited edition production number.
Utilizing a flip-focused latch-less design, the Gold Class Necron knives jettison the regular balisong’s G-10 handles in favor of either Jungle Wear or Lava Flow FatCarbon. Set over titanium liners, the FatCarbon handles come contrasted via gold-anodized hardware.The handles also get removable tungsten weights and titanium handle extensions.
Both Gold Class Necron knives also ship with custom black alligator leather sheaths that, like the knives themselves, are 100% made in America. And, in typical Benchmade fashion, both knives come backed by a lifetime warranty and include the brand’s LifeSharp services which will clean, tune, and sharpen the knives for free, for life.
Because Benchmade’s “regular” knives are already objectively premium, there’s always something really fun about seeing the brand give its design team an open check book in order to create an over-the-top ultra-premium version of an existing knife. And in a lot of ways, the new ultra-premium Necron knives represent some of the most unique Gold Class knives Benchmade has ever delivered.
The things are just as much works of art as they are functional flippers. It is admittedly a little disappointing to see a balisong at this price point that runs washers rather than bushings, as most top-shelf balis feature hand-tuned bushings. With that said, there’s still absolutely no denying that the Gold Class Necrons are simply stunning butterfly knives, and I’m confident they still flip pretty good, even with just washers.
Type: Limited Edition Balisong
Class: Gold Class
Brand: Benchmade
Model: Necron 99-242 & Necron 99-241
Overall Length: 9.68”
Blade Length: 4.59”
Blade Thickness: 0.124”
Blade Steel: Monarch Damasteel
Liner: Titanium
Weight: 4.69oz
Handle Material: Jungle Wear or Lava Flow FatCarbon
Sheath: Black Alligator Leather
Price: $1,300
The Benchmade Gold Class Necron 99-242 and Necron 99-241 are both available now in extremely limited numbers, with pricing set at $1,300.
Benchmade unveils a limited edition run of ultra-top-shelf Gold Class Necron balisong knives that gain FatCarbon scales over titanium liners and a Monarch-pattern powder metallurgy Damascus steel that’s made by Damasteel exclusively for Benchmade.
