Benchmade has brought their recently released manual folder the Lowden into the Gold Class for the first time. This highly limited version of the Lowden ramps up the detail work and turns the design into something worth of being put on the display shelf.
The Lowden made its first appearance in Benchmade’s 2025 catalog at the beginning of 2025 – but at that time it had no name, and no actual physical prototype. Needless to say, the unusual circumstances really heightened interest in the piece, so that by the time it actually dropped last August, the knife community was ready. The knife took visual cues from traditional switchblade design, but implemented them in a fully modern, EDC-friendly package, which allowed it to occupy its own little niche within the Benchmade catalog.
A little less than a year later and the Lowden is being inaugurated into the Gold Class. The most striking element here is the handle, which, unlike the one on the standard Lowden, is skeletonized, with two fuller-like cutouts on each handle scale. Furthermore, it’s made not from aluminum, but titanium with carbon fiber inlays and a brass accent piece behind the pivot. While the limited numbers and eye-watering price make this Lowden one for collectors only, it is actually also the lightest version of the knife yet at 2.56 oz.
The blade steel is that perennial favorite of limited production knives, Damasteel, this time in a 72-layer Drakkar pattern, with very clean concentric lines that are meant to evoke sound waves. We don’t think the Gold Class Lowden’s manual flipper deployment will actually break the sound barrier, but hey, if Benchmade wants to send us one to test out the theory we’d be more than happy to investigate further.
The Gold Class Lowden is available now – but not online. You can only get one of this 250-piece run in-store from select dealers.
Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade 491BK-261 Gold Class Lowden
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