Benchmade Full Immunity Review | Built Strong, But Missing Everyday Comfort

I grabbed the Benchmade Full Immunity during a Black Friday special at Ace Hardware. The deal was too good to pass up, and I wanted to see if this little knife would live up to the hype. Benchmade positioned it as a compact, tough EDC with premium steel and classic build quality.

On paper, it looked like the perfect small companion. In hand, it turned out to be more complicated than that. I’ll be honest right from the start: it’s a solid knife, but for me it’s about a seven out of ten.

There are things I really like, but also some compromises that keep it from becoming a knife I carry daily.

First Impressions

Out of the box, the Full Immunity looks and feels like a premium Benchmade. The anodized aluminum handles are cleanly machined with a diamond-textured pattern that gives just enough grip without being too aggressive.

The blade is CPM M4 steel, hardened in the low sixties, with a protective coating to ward off rust since M4 is not stainless. The grind is a thin flat wharncliffe that promises precision cutting, and the whole knife weighs just 2.5 ounces. The fit and finish are excellent, with a perfectly centered blade and Benchmade’s familiar crossbar lock keeping things tight.

From the specs alone, it’s an impressive package. But specs don’t always tell the story.

In the Hand

This is where the Full Immunity started to lose me. It’s simply a three-finger knife. There’s no forward choil, no hidden real estate, and no way to get a full grip unless you choke up or rely on the included lanyard bead.

My pinky is left hanging, which might not bother everyone, but I never felt as locked in as I wanted.

Compare it to something like the Spyderco Dragonfly, which is actually smaller, yet manages to give you a full, confident grip thanks to its choil. The Immunity, despite being slightly larger, feels less secure.

It’s comfortable enough for light use. The chamfered edges of the aluminum handle keep it from being harsh in the palm, and the thumb ramp with jimping does help control the blade.

But once I tried to push the knife harder — cutting rope, slicing tubing, bearing down through tougher material — the lack of handle length showed. You can make it work, but it feels like you are fighting leverage.

Cutting Performance

M4 steel is the highlight of this knife. I love this steel. It sharpens up beautifully and holds its edge through real use. In testing, it cut through cardboard, tape, and clamshell packaging with ease. It sliced labels cleanly and stabbed into boxes with no hesitation. For those kinds of utility tasks, the Full Immunity is fantastic.

Where it stumbles is on tasks that benefit from a blade with belly. Cutting rope, cord, and inner tubes turned into a chore. With a flat edge, you lose the natural slicing action that a curved blade provides.

Instead, you end up forcing the cut, pressing harder than you should have to. The wharncliffe profile is a scalpel, no doubt, but it limits versatility. It makes sense as a precision cutter or even as a utility-style work knife, but as a do-it-all EDC blade, it comes up short.

Action and Lock

Benchmade stuck with washers on this model, and it works. After a short break-in, the action feels smooth and controlled, almost hydraulic. The crossbar lock is ambidextrous, reliable, and strong.

The knife flicks open easily, closes with one hand, and never wavers in lockup. This is one of the areas where Benchmade shines. Even though the Immunity is small, the lock inspires confidence and the tolerances are tight. No blade play, no wiggle, just a secure lock every time.

Carry

Here is where the Full Immunity delivers. At 2.5 ounces, you barely know it’s in your pocket. The deep carry clip is discreet, reversible, and keeps the knife tucked away without printing. The slim aluminum profile slides in and out smoothly and never feels bulky.

As a lightweight pocket companion, it excels. If all you want is something that disappears in your jeans until you need to cut open a box or slice tape, the Immunity does that perfectly.

Comparisons

This knife has a lot of competition in the compact EDC category. The Dragonfly 2 is smaller yet gives you better ergonomics and more cutting belly. The Benchmade Mini Bugout is about the same weight and price but handles a wider variety of tasks better.

Even the Civivi Elementum II, which costs much less, offers more comfortable ergonomics for general use. The Immunity’s premium steel and solid build are undeniable, but in everyday use, I found myself reaching for those other knives more often.

Verdict

The Benchmade Full Immunity is a specialized tool disguised as an everyday carry knife. It’s tough, sharp, and built with premium steel in a small, legal-to-carry package. It’s perfect for utility cuts, precise slicing, and anyone who lives in an area where blade length restrictions matter.

The action is smooth, the lock is strong, and the overall construction feels bombproof.

But as a daily cutter, it falls a little short. The three-finger grip, flat blade profile, and high price tag hold it back from being the first knife I grab.

For me, it earns a solid seven out of ten. I respect what Benchmade built here, and I appreciate its strengths, but it’s not a knife I’ll carry every day when other small folders simply do more.

If you love Benchmade, want premium steel in a compact package, and don’t mind the grip limitations, you’ll enjoy the Full Immunity. If you’re looking for the most versatile small EDC knife, there are better options.