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485 Valet Review
- Thread starter G.I. Jon
- Start date
BMCGear
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We're heading that way.
The answer to that is two fold:
1. I am not a fanboi, ready to fight to the death over the reputation of any company.
2. I believe it should be right out of the box. Especially for companies that brag about having the best quality stuff. I don't like the promise of there being pudding only to find out there is no pudding.
This thread has provided me with great pleasure. I actually sent two spyderco's back today for bad grinds and dull blades. Thankfully, they have pretty good customer service it seems. We'll see how well they do on the rebound, but I think they will make them right. I wanted to keep both of those models for sure.
It should serve to note that obviously if you do not submit to group think you cannot even post an honest review on here without people coming unglued. Some of you should only have pool noodles at your disposable so you can't hurt anyone. I think foam helmets too. And knee-pads.
I think it is humorous that some people find it ok to have to sit there for hours and hours after buying a new $400 wizzbang pocket cleaver just to get an acceptable edge on it. I lol @ you very hard. Maybe if xmolley300Zxtype1 steel was sharpened correctly at the factory in the first place...but hey, I get it. They want to crank product out on an ever-changing market to try and get theirs. Sometimes, you have to send one or two back to get them corrected. Not nearly as thermonuclear as some people would demonstrate. If you like sharpening your knife that much, I more than get it. Get down with your bad sharpening self. Me, not so much on a new knife....
Don't let my opinion offend your very expert being just because it happens to be different.
Someone commented that they wanted to read about the design and issues before spending their money. Brother, I'm right there with you. That's why I post honest reviews, even if I have to fend off legions of angry knob goblins.
And yes, I do think there is a problem with Benchmades QC as of late. Whoa! Better get in the bunker before the missiles strike! I'd still buy another one if I liked the design and guess what? If it's messed up I'll either send it back or get a refund! And I will still write an honest and unbiased review, no matter how many girly pants get bound up tight.
Just wait till I get this weeks shipment. I am hesitant to even do another review as the wolves make become legion and eat me.
Danger! Nothing in this post was meant to offend, degrade, neuter or otherwise harm your feelings! Men don't have feelings.
Thank you. I have been considering sending my ball flipper back to have them re-sharpen it. I am sure their customer service will take care of me.
It would seem that the only thing here useless is negativity. Thanks for commenting and try to smile.
Hey man,
I just want to let you know that I keep manpons in my individual first aid kid. Just in case a battle buddy needs emergency buddy aid.
The Techno is a neat knife. I am glad to hear that you got a good example. I sometimes cant help myself but to polish an edge on a new knife if it still seems really rough.
Thanks for your positive comment! You need yin to balance out the yang.
Besides, I love watching people come unglued just because they read a little honesty for once.
It's like they expected me to lie, found out it was not that and got really upset I did not tell a lie.
I know it is expected that a member post a picture when complaining about a knife, and normally I don't disagree with that practice, but IMHO, there have been enough threads recently pertaining to QC issues, that it really doesn't seem mandatory in this case.
I have been a BM fan and user for about 18 years, and have owned quite a few different versions. I still have some, and carry one every day, and will buy more in the future because I like them... I have been very fortunate with all of my BM's, and have never had issues with any of them. Who knows, perhaps that will change with my next purchases. I hope not.
That said, it is no big surprise that a member would post about a QC issue. We have all seen a trend lately, and the issues don't seem to be getting addressed.
There has been no comments from BM regarding the QC issues, so maybe they are working on it, maybe they aren't. None of us here know.
Yes he did return it, when the problem could have probably been easily remedied, but a person shouldn't have to fix issues with a new knife.
Not everyone wants to fix or return a new knife they just got. Rightfully so... We all have different ways of dealing with things, and deciding what we consider acceptable as far as QC issues.
Personally I don't see anything wrong with his post. Actually the picture was very funny
Sadly, I think you are right about the Benchmade QC issue. I have room in the bunker if you want to hide from the fallout. The easy remedy is to get a refund, exchange or send it back to be fixed at the factory.
I think its a trending issue in America right now in many other industries, not just cutlery. Produce max volume capable with double shifts with a slip in QC and demand a higher price. Also, do all this while paying your workers a lower wage with less and less benefits.
I concur that new items should not have to be fixed or have finishing steps applied to them. Imagine if you bought a new pistol and knew that it needed a part tweaked to work right.
What you allow to go on you encourage to continue.
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No need for the bunker, but thanks for offer
I have been a fan for years, and actually bought another new one today 
That said, I have no problem bringing up an issue if there is one, and there has been for awhile now...
If people don't acknowledge and talk about issues, things will never get fixed. Reading the good and bad is how we learn here.
Sadly, it isn't only BM that is having QC issues.
No need for the bunker, but thanks for offer
That said, I have no problem bringing up an issue if there is one, and there has been for awhile now...
If people don't acknowledge and talk about issues, things will never get fixed. Reading the good and bad is how we learn here.
Sadly, it isn't only BM that is having QC issues.
Sad indeed. I had a few bad blades last year from some very costly makers. I sent a lot of firearms back to starships last year too.
What upsets me is that a little more pride is not taken in quality. A lot of huff and puff and marketing but the room gets quiet when you prove that it's not true. I am just thankful that for the most part reputable companies are willing to stand by their warranties or products.
I had a commander size 1911 from a certain "R" company that never ran right out of the box with ball OR HP. Within the first 220 rounds, it shot the front sight post off in the same day. The gun club I shoot at sent it back, but when I got it back it still did not run ball right. I replaced the recoil spring, tested it and it worked fine so I traded it to a friend and guess what? It made it's way back for shooting the front sight post off again. Both "R" brand 1911's I eventually got rid of because they would just not behave properly.
Maybe I should have just kept it and polished it until it was shiny. That would make me feel a lot better than having it run right. I like shiny's.
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Negativity? You spent half your initial "review" moaning and crying about all your QC issues with Benchmade, and then got your feelings hurt when you were called out on not posting photos. Maybe you need to use one of those manpons you apparently carry around.
I'm fully aware Benchmade has QC issues, I've run into my fair share and posted about it. I've even made cute little drawings as well, which you seemed able enough to make and post but can't figure out how to operate a cell phone camera. I'm not saying someone should have to post pics every time they reply to a thread and mention issues they had in the past, but if you are going to take the time to start a new thread and call out a company at least provide some sort of actual proof.
This goes for all the useless complaint threads with no photos started on blade forums regardless of the maker.
BMCGear
Gold Member
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- Jan 4, 2014
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I'm sorry that you received a knife that you should not have. Benchmade shouldn't have sent the knife out but I also think the business' selling the knives should help ensure customers are receiving a quality product as well.
I'm glad you're here and contributing to the Benchmade Subforum. One thing that we often see here is a new user posting a review with no pictures bashing the quality of a Benchmade knife. They then disappear. This really seemed to surface after the MAP pricing issue.
Your tone comes off as condescending and negative yet you're telling others to not be negative and smile. I don't believe it's out of line for others to question the validity of a thread by a new member who doesn't have a paid subscription who's only started thread is this one.
Again, glad to have you here. None of this was personal; just several members seeing a trend and becoming weary of it.
Good day.
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If one person has a problem with their knife it's one thing. It's yet another when there are multiples involved in real time. If there was a problem with my car, which is still under warranty, I would expect to not only have the issue resolved to my satisfaction, but to know that if the issue continued I would still have recourse. So Yes, many of us have been issued what came out of the box with different types of problems...yet the company (BKC) stands by their product and I have always without fault been taken care of.
Whatever the reason for the issues may have been impacted by the need to satisfy production numbers, and distributing the Black Class models in support of our very active military would, IMO, take priority over those owned by enthusiasts. Like me and many of you, I have not got the urgency that others require. Yet I read many new owners have not had any issues with theirs. Is it the luck of the draw? Man I have no idea, but continue to support the company by trading up for, or buying the occasional new knife...because I can and still love my Benchmades.
I support patience and courtesy on this Forum. Things aren't 'perfect', but is there anything that really is?
Whatever the reason for the issues may have been impacted by the need to satisfy production numbers, and distributing the Black Class models in support of our very active military would, IMO, take priority over those owned by enthusiasts. Like me and many of you, I have not got the urgency that others require. Yet I read many new owners have not had any issues with theirs. Is it the luck of the draw? Man I have no idea, but continue to support the company by trading up for, or buying the occasional new knife...because I can and still love my Benchmades.
I support patience and courtesy on this Forum. Things aren't 'perfect', but is there anything that really is?
All the time on this forum we see people whining about knives and QC. Most of them expect $400 finishing on a $150 knife. When they show pictures, or finally post pictures due to forum pressure, often the problem is just BS. Often the BS comes from a picky bored retired guy with time on his hands. My grandma used to say "idle hands are the devil's workshop."
This man states he has returned 1 benchmade and 2 spydercos for QC problems since last week. Personally, I've only returned 3 knives (1 benchmade and 2 spydercos by coincidence) in 20 years of collecting. My last return was in 2005.
The place for his type of review is "Knife Reviews and Testing" subforum, not here in the vacation home of Benchmade. You don't walk into a man's house and insult his children, even if they are malformed.
The whole point of his post was to say the knife is "poo"... Gee I haven't used that word since elementary school, but it's his word not mine.
IMHO, his pictures are insulting to the other posters, not funny. I lost my taste for satire that is truly mockery sometime in Junior High School.
This man states he has returned 1 benchmade and 2 spydercos for QC problems since last week. Personally, I've only returned 3 knives (1 benchmade and 2 spydercos by coincidence) in 20 years of collecting. My last return was in 2005.
The place for his type of review is "Knife Reviews and Testing" subforum, not here in the vacation home of Benchmade. You don't walk into a man's house and insult his children, even if they are malformed.
The whole point of his post was to say the knife is "poo"... Gee I haven't used that word since elementary school, but it's his word not mine.IMHO, his pictures are insulting to the other posters, not funny. I lost my taste for satire that is truly mockery sometime in Junior High School.
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All the time on this forum we see people whining about knives and QC. Most of them expect $400 finishing on a $150 knife. When they show pictures, or finally post pictures due to forum pressure, often the problem is just BS. Often the BS comes from a picky bored retired guy with time on his hands. My grandma used to say "idle hands are the devil's workshop."
This man states he has returned 1 benchmade and 2 spydercos for QC problems since last week. Personally, I've only returned 3 knives (1 benchmade and 2 spydercos by coincidence) in 20 years of collecting. My last return was in 2005.
The place for his type of review is "Knife Reviews and Testing" subforum, not here in the vacation home of Benchmade. You don't walk into a man's house and insult his children, even if they are malformed.
IMHO, his pictures are insulting to the other posters, not funny. I lost my taste for satire that is truly mockery sometime in Junior High School.
I need to go back and carefully read his OP, because I didn't see anything the first time that raised a flag on the B.S meter or made me think he is just trying to stir the pot, but usually when I read here, it is after 12-14 hours at work and I should be in bed, not on the interwebz
I don't disagree about posting it in the Reviews subforum, but if that is the case, should we not post positive reviews here ?
Yeah the picture was juvenile, but due to lack of sleep, it was funny at the time. I've been collecting for over 20 years, and have yet to return a knife from any maker in that time, and I've owned a decent number of knives. We all know they won't be perfect, nothing is. That said, I know I have had knives that have small issues that I would prefer weren't there, but have yet to have anything bad enough to warrant returning the knife, or to stop buying knives from that particular maker.
I bought a new BM from one of th elocal stores yesterday, and decided because of all the negative posts lately, I would do it "randomly".
I told the clerk which knife I wanted, and didn't ask to check it out before hand. I wanted to see if my good luck over the years has changed as far as getting a knife with issues.
I will try to post it up in the next few days. Good or bad. I do already know which it is, because I spent about 20 minutes fondling it last night when I got home from work...
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OK billy, I got it! Here is a photo of the knife. The shiny part was messed up.
Is that your knife or one you pulled from the internet?
Very poor form and incredibly disrespectful.
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I work at a knife shop, so I see and handle a *lot* of Benchmades. What I've noticed is that after Christmas and shot show there tend to be a lot of QC mistakes - many of them fairly glaring mistakes. For example, I pulled a fixed contego to check before sale and it was missing 2 screws; there are only 3 per side.... Mostly its completely missing screws and *very* often its screws with no loctite that fall out shortly after purchase. Other than that we've had a barrage that didn't come close to working and a few other part issues (like contegos with no glass breaker). However, a bad grind is something I've never seen yet; and believe me I check every knife I sell. Last year was the same way. It kills me because I love Benchmade (probably a little too much lol), but its typically only during the busiest time of year for the company and then no issues after that. This year I made a list and called to let them know. That's another wonderful quality of Benchmade, they know mistakes happen, and even if it was YOUR fault they will still fix it. And unlike other companies, I've never had to send something back twice. Anyways, that's my 2 cents on QC issues. I've seen it 2 years in a row now, but if we let them know then I have no doubt they will fix the issue.
Explain me then how it's possible that some cheaper knives made for example in Taiwan are better finished for less than $150? Or the same like that $170 knife but for price ~ $40. I've french Douk Douk for ~$20 and it has more symmetrical grind than for example my two ex PM2.
For many knife enthusiasts $170 is still a lot of money and they're expecting something better in knives for that cash than they've in cheap $50 knives. Maybe people get started to be more frustrated, because prices are higher, while quality is the same or worse.
Different grind in BM - I've it in my old BM 913. It was pain in the ass to make it sharp because of that issue until I took it on Apex. The same problem was in PM2, Police, Endura 4 and CS Voyager.
About Valet - I hope they'll make bigger version. Handle in that knife for now is only 2 mm longer than in Victorinox Soldier.
And OP isn't alone with his opinion about knife he had in hands. I've made research about Valet, because I wanted it. Now, after few reviews and video reviews, I'm cured. I'm not happy with that, but that's fact.
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I have 4 Benchmades and all have been done very well. The most expensive is a 707. Imhave no complaints at all. If I spend more than $130 on a knife, I want it to be right. I can live with minor flaws that don't affect functioning on a pocket knife that is less than $100, but once they hit $100, I expect a bit more.
Once I am at $150, I Don't expect a custom, but I want to know that I am getting something for my money. Hey, you can buy a decent quality lens for an SLR for $150, even if just a prime.
Once I am at $150, I Don't expect a custom, but I want to know that I am getting something for my money. Hey, you can buy a decent quality lens for an SLR for $150, even if just a prime.