Benchmade knives?

Benchmade offers some great options in almost all types. Just a few examples include the BM 710 and 950 that pack a lot of cutting edge in a very compact tough package. There's the 610 for those wanting a quality monster knife. The Griptilian for the lower cost, high value. Then there are the red class knives if you just want a quality working knife that you don't have to worry about losing or damaging.
 
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710, Benchmade is a great Company and makes fine production knives. Some of the best around. Good luck.
 
wow, thanks so much for all the replies. I will look at those knives mentioned. I was a little overwhelmed with choice like other manufactures offerings so this does narrow it down somewhat.

cheers,
Sean
 
I'm going to go with the 710 as well. It is very well designed and very well executed design. Looks great, cuts great, carries great, handles great, opens great, locks up great. It was one of my first knives I got when I started buying "real" knives and I will keep it my whole life, I have no fear of it wearing out before I do.

Benchmade is a company that has found what works and stuck with it. A lot of people say that their knives are too similar, I disagree and think that they know what a good knife is and it happens to be a pretty strait forward design without the frills that a lot of other knife designers tack on to their knives.. IMO, you can't go wrong with a Benchmade.
 
michaelmcgo said:
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Benchmade is a company that has found what works and stuck with it. A lot of people say that their knives are too similar, I disagree and think that they know what a good knife is and it happens to be a pretty strait forward design without the frills that a lot of other knife designers tack on to their knives.. IMO, you can't go wrong with a Benchmade.
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Couldn;t have been said better. Kudos to Benchmade.
 
I'd recommend against the griptillian for a first Benchmade. It's a fine knife, but the handle feels like cheap plastic and will give you the wrong idea about Benchmade knives. I have a griptillian and I barely use it because it feels kind of cheap purely because of the handle material. I much prefer my 960 and my 3550 - both of which I carry a lot.
 
Benchmade makes many awesome knives. My faves are the Axis TSEK (unfortunately, DQ'd); 710, 556, and the old AFCK. There are others I can't think of right now. I haven't had the chance to buy any BM's for some years now, but these knives still find their way into my carry/use rotation.

I also had occasion to use their customer service once for the AFCK, and was treated very, very well. So I would definitely recommend BM and their knives.
Jim
 
My only BM folder is the 710. I've considered getting other BM's but none of them have the same appeal as this McHenry Williams design. BTW, BM's are rare as chicken teeth around these parts so we can't handle before buying
 
brewthunda said:
I'd recommend against the griptillian for a first Benchmade. It's a fine knife, but the handle feels like cheap plastic and will give you the wrong idea about Benchmade knives. I have a griptillian and I barely use it because it feels kind of cheap purely because of the handle material. I much prefer my 960 and my 3550 - both of which I carry a lot.
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Why Benchmade doesn;t do something about that is beyond me. Surely they've heard the complaints about the "cheap feeling" of the Zytel, or whatever fancy plastic it is. And, alot of it has to do, I think, with the fact that the plastic isn;t completely glued to the knife, leaving a little looseness to "click" against the frame when handling.

Some nice G10 would go a long way to making the Griptilian one of the best folders around.
 
a Question...

Is the axis lock of the same function as on the cold steel ak series? Lets say if you pull the lock back will the blade "fall" down into the closed position with just gravity? Thanks.
 
Seanski said:
a Question...

Is the axis lock of the same function as on the cold steel ak series? Lets say if you pull the lock back will the blade "fall" down into the closed position with just gravity? Thanks.
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It does on my Sequel but not on my Mini-Griptillian. The Sequel is about 3 years old and I can't remember what it would do when new. Perhaps the mini will loosen up over time.

Dan

edit to add: the "tightness" is adjustable.
 
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My first (and currently only) BenchMade is the 710. It has a D2 blade in a saber grind that appears to be quite strong. With just under a 4" edge, the BM 710 is a "size-efficient" large folder (it has what may be the longest blade in proportion to the length of the handle of any mass-produced large folder) and fits nicely into a pocket (though YMMV depending on your pockets). It has G10 scales with full metal liners (though some complain that the G10 on this model feels less "grippy" than on others, which is true). The forward ends of the handle flare out, which will help keep the hand from slipping forward onto the blade.

It has an Axis lock. (The pivot screw on the Axis locks can be adjusted from allowing the knife to work as a quasi-gravity knife to one where the blade won't move at all under its own weight when you pull back on the stud for the lock. The screw can be fixed in place with Loc-Tite or, I have been told, teflon tape so that whatever tightness you like will be maintained.)

The looks are fine with me, but the beauty of a knife is truly in the eye of the one who purchases it. So that's entirely up to you.

To borrow some of the words of another poster:

It is very well designed and very well executed. Cuts great, carries great, and opens and locks up great. The 710 most definitely represents the company well.
 
My first two BMs, a 440C Grip and D2 Activator+ fb - were delivered dull right out of the box - not awe-inspiring. But they are so nicely made! I relented - and tried more - first the 630 Skirmish & 635 mini-Skirmish. WOW! Then, I had to have that 610 Rukus WOW again. skip ahead a few days - my wife and I are at Gulf Shoes, AL - the 'Redneck Riviera' - for the last week. My birthday was Thursday - and my wife shocked me with another new knife - a 710.

I love all of my BM knives - but that 710 is definitely a 'keeper'. It is a pocket tool - like the others, it's clip is in it's box. The current D2 edge is super - finely ground and sharp. The heft is 'right' - the balance is quite good, with just 'enough' of a handle for my medium+ hands to feel good holding. The rising thumb jimping on the handle liners is properly placed for good directional control - but too soft-edged for a firesteel (The blade's spine works fine!). I have to say - it's a user's knife. My local pusher had them at $115 -$118 before I left for our vacation - and they like my wife, so she most likely got an even better deal... shop around!

Good luck!

Stainz
 
I know we are talking about BM folders, but the knife that truly holds the spirit of the company is the BM42 Bali-Song.

Actually benchmade logo is a butterfly because of the butterfly knife.

But the 42 is a bit expensive. For a folder I also recommend the griptillian. The handle looks cheap but performs well.
 
+200 for the 710, 520, 615 and 14205. I own or have owned most of the other's listings of faves, and these are my top pics. A 710HS a friend owned got me started with this madness...I'd owned Bucks, CRKT's, and SAK's before that but the difference in quality between them and the 710 was obvious. For smaller models, the HK 14210, HK 907D2, 707 and 530 are great in the 3" or more category.

Once you have a few and discover the quality of BM's customer service it will be hard to go back to other brands.

As far as sharp out of box goes, it depends on who did the final grind work that day, but something like a SharpMaker 204 will work wonders for that.

Good luck with your search!

Joe
 
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