Benchmade 806 AFCK m4 is out...but no luck

harkamus

harkamus

Joined
Apr 23, 2007
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The knives hit dealers this week, but were basically sold out before anyone got a chance. There's a whole fiasco on benchmadeforum about Benchmade notifying the public (well only their forum to be specific) well after they were almost all accounted for. They really didn't do a great job of letting people have a chance to obtain them. They were 225 MSRP. 250 combos and 250 plains. Frankly, I'm annoyed that they didn't make it more public so that people were at least aware that they would be released this month. Heck, even a lot of the benchmade premium dealers hadn't a clue about the knife even being planned. There's a pic of the knife on that forum towards the end somewhere if you care to see it.
 
The BM forum was the birthplace of the 806M4 and that is why it was the only place notified. Also it's a L.E. run, you aren't going to see it advertised anywhere. As with just about every L.E. Benchmade, it just happens. They were sold out by the time the dealers got them because most forum members had called ahead.
 
The markups are whats getting to me.

I've been calling and emailing everywhere trying to get a plain edge model since they dropped.

I can't though, because others have purchased 4 or more, and are reselling them for $350+

Talk about unfair...taking advantage of my misfortune for your personal gain. Poor taste if you ask me...and selfish.


Edit: photo just for good measure

bm806_main.jpg
 
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Definitely poor taste regarding the highway robbery prices for people that lucked out and snagged more than one. Guess I'll have to wait until they re-release the 806 (which probably will never happen).

TJ, did you luck out and snag one?

EDIT: Also, why even bother releasing a combo edge when the majority of the buyers want plain edges? That was another bad move.
 
I figured the mark-ups would be too much - and they are.

The 806 is a decent design, but it isn't that good of a design that I'll spend that kind of play-money.

Besides, I've got my 800hss knives, my 710hs knives, my M4 Gaoucho, 710 and Mule knives. Not to mention my 806D2 knives. I can live without the price gouging.
 
harkamus said:
Definitely poor taste regarding the highway robbery prices for people that lucked out and snagged more than one. Guess I'll have to wait until they re-release the 806 (which probably will never happen).

TJ, did you luck out and snag one?

EDIT: Also, why even bother releasing a combo edge when the majority of the buyers want plain edges? That was another bad move.
Click to expand...

I would be very surprised if you ever saw another 806 come out. I'm on several dealer lists but they haven't had their knives come in yet, you have to remember that UPS has most of the knives right now. BM only started mailing them out late last week.

And yes that is the only complaint I have. I know there are some people out there that like combo edge but this knife has a niche market and most would prefer the plain edge. Who knows maybe it is just sticking to tradition, there has always been a production of combo edge AFCKs.
 
I was informed that dealers bought out BM's 806s within an hour, and end users reserved multiples weeks/months in advance. The largest knife store in Houston told me he got a total of 8, 4 PE 4 CE. Knifeworks requested BM make them an additional exclusive run, but the contractor making the steel liners could not accommodate BM.

I got one each from a shop in Canada, others on the BM forum have noted that one or two at/below MSRP have popped up at a few dealers, but I spent a couple hours calling premium dealers across the country, and most were clueless to the existence of the model. A few tried to be helpful, but when they called me back, I found all they had done was check the website. Very kind of them to look into it for a customer, but very telling of how things are handled between BM and their retailers. Interesting, since they have now cut out the distributor network.

oh, and just ask Spark about this fiasco, he was not a happy camper.
 
I'm sol on the 806 also,they are selling for $300 and $350 with the pe selling fast i do not think it will be worth any more in 5 years,perhaps,anyway i am on a strider binge so my money is gone,good luck................
 
Those rascals at Benchmade.

They do like to PO their customer base lately.

A couple years ago they offered a limited edition Sequel with CF inserts and an S30V blade: the 707-701.

This was originally offered for sale only outside the USA.

People paid big bucks to import one, (or 2 or 3).

They apparently didn’t sell too well abroad because they ended up selling the remainder in the USA.

I just happened to be surfing the web and saw several for sale at a dealer in the states. I snatched one up right away. The price was very reasonable.

I posted the grail find on BM forums. Boy did the spit hit the fan!

Interestingly, that 707-701, (not for the U.S. market), turned out to be the smoothest, best built Benchmade I have ever owned. There is a definite difference in quality. It makes me wonder what the rest of the world gets that we don’t.

I think I got #364 out of 500.
I use it all the time.

I have no safe queens.
 
What is it that makes this knife is such demand? It doesn't see to be anything special.. is it a collectors thing?
 
I managed to get on the waiting list at Knifeworks several months ago. Roger was selling them for $199, so I got one plain edge. There is gouging going on, but there are also solid dealers out there who are not gouging, even though they could.

But it is an insider's game.
 
What I find so interesting is that Benchmade doesn't see the demand and put the 806 back into less-limited production. Benchmade makes me scratch my head quite a bit lately.
 
moonwilson said:
What I find so interesting is that Benchmade doesn't see the demand and put the 806 back into less-limited production. Benchmade makes me scratch my head quite a bit lately.
Click to expand...

They are limited by materials not demand. Also the 806 was never that great of a seller.
 
IIRC, they made 500 total M4 ACFK because they only had enough parts to make 500. Don't quote me on that, I don't remember where I read it. Right now, I am jumping through hoops to get a PE.
 
That thing about not having enough materials is such a poor excuse. Perhaps for the m4 blade steel there might be a limited amount, but then why not crank production back up with readily available steel like d2, s30v, 154cm or even vg-10? Surely by now Benchmade sees the demand of this particular model. It might not have sold well in the past, but if they even at the slightest pay attention to their fanbase, they'd know that no other model has polarized their fans as much as the 806.
 
it's reportedly the liners, BM doesn't make them in-house, and the sub-contractor couldn't make more.
 
hardheart said:
it's reportedly the liners, BM doesn't make them in-house, and the sub-contractor couldn't make more.
Click to expand...

Two things come to mind:

1) They only have one subcontractor which means production of their other product lines that utilize liners (all of them except the fixed blades) would be halted.

2) They have more than one subcontractor.
 
they prob only have one that has the stamp for the 806 liners, and they might have some scheduling conflict
 
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