(December 19, 2023) ­­– Benchmade Knife Company (Benchmade), has been building dependable, American-made knives for over 30 years. As an industry leader, Benchmade continually pioneers new technologies, crafts award-winning designs, and utilizes precision manufacturing to create the best tools. Now, Benchmade will take to a new frontier as the knife astronauts carry aboard NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon.

“We at Benchmade have always believed in building premium tools that perform no matter the situation,” says Vice President of Marketing Joe Prebich. “It’s amazing to know the men and women of Artemis II will have a tool they can rely on as they venture into a pivotal next chapter of space exploration.”

The knife astronauts will carry for upcoming NASA missions is the Benchmade 916SBK-ORG Triage®. The Triage® will make its first appearance on Artemis II, the first crewed mission around the Moon, in a series of missions focused on exploring the Moon. A four-person crew of astronauts will man the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day flight into space. Each crew member will have a Benchmade Triage® stowed in the Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) Spacesuit.

“We designed the Benchmade Triage® for first responders who needed a tough, reliable, and versatile tool,” says Director of Product Line Management Vance Collver. “The Triage® had to combine the reliability of our tactical folders, the strength and ease of the Axis ® Lock, the speed and cutting efficiency of our rescue hooks, the effectiveness of a carbide glass breaker, and the convenience of carrying an EDC knife with a reversible pocket clip.”

Artemis II is slated to launch in late 2024 and would be the first space mission use of the Benchmade Triage®.  The Triage® aims to provide additional capabilities to the Artemis crew in the Orion spacesuit. The combination of the large grip, blunt tip, and belt cutter was designed for safe and reliable operation by workers with gloved hands.  The Triage® knife is certified for use in the OCSS Spacesuit as NASA continues to explore more of the Moon. 

The space-ready Triage® is a versatile tool for emergency situations where hard-use failure is not an option. The corrosion resistant N680 blade steel has an opposing bevel blade style that creates a flat, blunt tip for prying and scraping, increases the blade's toughness, and helps prevent accidental punctures. It’s paired with the ambidextrous AXIS®️ lock, a strong and reliable mechanism for safe one-handed opening and closing of the blade. The Triage® has a partially serrated edge engineered for cutting fibrous and other tough materials, temperature and chemical-resistant G10 scales for textured grip and a 440C stainless steel folding hook to efficiently cut through straps, cords, fabrics, or clothing without damaging the blade or injuring the user. 

Benchmade has been carried and trusted on explorations all over the globe. Now, Benchmade will go to space on adventures with NASA to explore more of the Moon than ever before. For more information, please direct media inquiries to Benchmade at Max Inchausti, [email protected].