Are you a Benchmade or a Spyderco type of person?

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Interesting read so far. :)

My Mini-Grip was my first BM and my latest is the 943. It's one of the few better brands available locally and that's the main reason I bought them. I like the Axis lock and aside from dull edges, I have no issue with any of my BMs. I feel most BMs are a bit over priced for what they are but they do make 'em sexy.

My first Spydie was the Tenacious and my latest is a pair of pink Manix 2's. I also feel that some models are a little over priced, mostly the Japan made ones. I first thought Spydies were ugly until I held a few in my hands and only then did I understand why they're shaped the way they are.

Sal seems to have a real passion for his work and the company he owns. I think he's a knife nut first and a businessman second. To me, Benchmade is a corporate entity and they're running a successful business. The passion may be there but it's veiled and it doesn't speak to me.

I own 10x as many Spydies as BMs. :rolleyes: So I guess that makes me a Spyderco person.

I'm married with one child. I've worked in the internet industry for the last 15 years. My hobbies were cars and racing while single and guns and knives now. But none of these matter when it comes to my knife choices. I also own knives from other brands but in small numbers.
 
Im 29 and work in the personal security field(aka bodyguard). I carry spyderco knives for functionality. I own several benchmades, but the only two* I ever find myself carrying is my mini-grip or 960red osbourne.
 
Spyderco by far.

I replaced an old Delica3 with a 550 Griptillian and never could warm up to it. The handle seemed to thick for EDC, The axis lock seemed overly complicated with the spring and gets full of grit. As I look at available BM models there's really nothing that interests me except the Lum collaboration.
I don't like every Spyderco model either but there's at least a dozen I'd love to have. Currently have the Meerkat, Sage1 and 2, Caly3 CF, and Lum Chinese. They're all keepers.
 
I'm 26, work in the trades, do a lot of camping and such.

I have a number of both spyderco and benchmade knives, but 9 times out of 10, you'll find a spyderco in my pocket. In my experience, spyderco has edged out benchmade in terms of ergonomics and fit and finish. I really like the designs and concepts that benchmade plays with, but the execution doesn't impress me as much as the idea. Be it in the woods or in the shop, I feel a spyderco would serve my purposes better most of the time
 
Slowstarter said:
cool design over functionallity
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I think that describes Benchmade perfectly.

Spyderco is famous for designing in the dark. What a knife looks like is almost irrelevant when designing one. It's kind of flattering that you think Spyderco knives are fancy looking compared to Benchmade.
I'm starting to think this whole thread is a joke, Bechmade puts lines, swirls and rainbow dots on their knives. I don't think there's a single Benchmade out there without some form of decorative milling on the handle.
The staple of Spyderco G-10 is the blank slab with incredibly grippy texturing. Most people tend to describe them as bland, which is just fine given that a knife is made for the single purpose of cutting things. Spyderco does not (usually) make jewelry, I bet Benchmade would tell you that their gold class knives border on that description.

Now go buy a Military and see what you're missing.
 
I'll let the numbers speak for themselves...

38 year old, married
8 Benchmades
120+ Spydercos
 
I've sold off all of my Benchmades except the 710, (2) 940 Osbornes and a Nagara.

My Spydercos aren't going anywhere. I can't bring myself to sell them, even though I'll never use some of them. They feel that good "in hand" and everyone came like a scalpel out of the box. :)
 
Benchmades are my choice because they're made in usa. I am a 40yr old machinist and I see enough products made overseas in some sweat shop for pennies. And these companies are making huge profits on our dollars.Spyderco's that are made in usa are good knives,but something about made in japan annoys me.
 
I'm a 39-year-old attorney. I prefer Spyderco, which I consider a top-flight company with stellar products. Functionally I just haven't found Benchmade to be on par with Spyderco, nor do they seem as interested as Spyderco in supporting the knife community or exploring new steels. If it means anything, my other favorite companies from a brand-loyalty standpoint are Apple and BMW.
 
dstewart said:
Benchmades are my choice because they're made in usa. I am a 40yr old machinist and I see enough products made overseas in some sweat shop for pennies. And these companies are making huge profits on our dollars.Spyderco's that are made in usa are good knives,but something about made in japan annoys me.
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Ignorance, that's what annoys me...
I guess if you were born in Japan, you'd love Japanese made Spydies...
 
TaTaToothy said:
I'm a 39-year-old attorney. I prefer Spyderco, which I consider a top-flight company with stellar products. Functionally I just haven't found Benchmade to be on par with Spyderco, nor do they seem as interested as Spyderco in supporting the knife community or exploring new steels. If it means anything, my other favorite companies from a brand-loyalty standpoint are Apple and BMW.
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Do you mind elaborating about Benchmade not being on par with Spyderco functionally? Are you saying they don't cut as well? Or they don't lock open or stay closed as well? Not trying to pick on you just wondering what you mean?

Like I mentioned previously I like both companies and it comes down to the design of the knife and not the name on the knife when I buy them. I have about a dozen of both brands sitting new in their boxes and just took them out to look over them. There have been quite a few people who have said that Benchmade are not built as well as Spyderco. I don't think I read a claim the other way but I just don't believe one is better than the other based on quality. From the knives I have seen/owned in the past and the ones I currently own and just looked over, I just can not see any validity to this type of statement. It makes me think that a person is either a fanboy or just has not owned enough to know what they are talking about. Both brands make mass produced knives that work great and are put together well. Both brands can have tiny cosmetic imperfections that have nothing to do with the performance of the knife. Both brands can have a bad knife slip through the cracks occasionally. And overall, both brands make some awesome knives.

Looking over the knives I currently own, I think there are actually more flaws on the Spyderco knives. Quite a few have a small gap between the G10 and liners that you can see light through when held to the light. I didn't find the first Benchmade like that. You can see what I guess you would call grind marks on the liners of most of the Spyderco knives and the Benchmade all seem to have a more smooth finish. All of them the scales and liners line up on both brands. There were a couple off center blades on the Spydercos and only 1 off center Benchmade. All the blade grinds seem to be centered. Overall, they are all great knives and they all will cut stuff which is what they were made to do. Neither company got to where they are by putting out bad products. Benchmade actually employs about 3 times as many people as Spyderco and they didn't get to be one of the bigger companies by turning out junk. I have had quite a few knives pass through my hands whether looking at them at stores or what other people own or what I have owned and for anyone to say that one company as a whole has better fit and finish than the other is not being honest or has not looked at enough knives.

Benchmade has quite a few limited edition knives that are numbered as well as Gold class knives which is very similar to the Sprint runs that Spyderco puts out. Benchmade has used M4 and the new M390 as well as lots of S30V, D2, and 154CM and I believe was the first to use H1. The H1 has since been replaced by other steels but they use good materials that work. No they don't have the mule teams but they are a bigger company that does things differently. If ever company did the exact same things we would probably all get bored and complain there is not enough variety.

Anyways, each company has their own style and way of doing things and you are going to get a great knife from either one. The prices of Benchmade have not changed if you are willing to take the few minutes to call and a $150 knife from Spyderco is going to get you the same fit and finish and high quality materials that you will get from a $150 knife from Benchmade. You should buy what you like and enjoy and not buy because of the brand name on the side of the blade.
 
Please educate me on how Spydercos are more funtional than benchmades. Please don't make me laugh by saying they slice fruit better. -Which is about the only thing that they actually can do better.
On average Benchmade makes a stronger knife. They almost always have stronger lock too.
So, to me, unless you're looking for a knife to do fine cutting (and if so go by an exacto knife, by the way), then Benchmade is far more "functional".
"Most" Spydercos cannot hold up to the roughter use that "most" Benchmades can. But, most Spyderco can cut tomatos thinner.
If you need folding knife to do fine cutting, the average Spyderco might be for you, but if you use your knife like a knife (not a scalple), get a benchmade.
 
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