Benchmade or Spyderco if you had a store??

He would sell more M Tech than Spyderco anyday of the week.
We're in a Depression. People don't spend like us forum Knife-Junkies.
 
Sounds like some folks asked because you were the "knife" guy they knew and they already have a retail store in operation. If this is the case what else do they sell and what kind of a location is the store in and who are their customers?

If they are already ok with the policies and minimums and payment terms from both Benchmade and Spyderco which of the two will fit better with the merch they already sell?
 
Harry Callahan said:
BM treats dealers like crap. Minimum advertised prices, etc. Spyderco treats dealers like royalty. The choice, from that standpoint alone, is clear. You need to tell these folks to call a storefront that deals with both brands. One or two phone calls is gonna tell the story.
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And how do you know this?

Benchmade requiring internet dealers to abide by a minimum pricing was for the brick and mortar stores so they can compete with the internet. So where are you getting your info?

Many non knife people find Spyderco ugly. Even knife people that haven't been exposed to Spyderco think they are ugly. Heck even I think some of the models are ugly. I know they work great and I have a bunch of them but some people buy based on looks.

But as has been said Spyderco has some lower priced models which is probably going to be one of the biggest selling factors.

I have no idea which would sell best and the only way to know is to try out the different brands. However, I don't think you could go wrong with Benchmade, Spyderco, or Kershaw. Spyderco and Kershaw can be bought by distributors and as few or many models and knives can be carried as they want. I think Benchmade requires a minimum amount of models to be carried and so much product be purchased at a time. This might be a decision factor as well.
 
I'm getting my info FROM A BRICK AND MORTAR DEALER THAT STOCKS BOTH BRANDS. Straight poop from the folks who deal with this every day.
 
Truthfully, I see more Buck displays than anything else, then Kershaw, followed by SPCO and BM.

I think your best bet is SPCO with at least a few BMs in stock.

A lot of this depends on how strong your local market is, whether or not there are other stores in your area that carry either brand.
 
Spyderco has a lot to offer. From Value Tenacious and Persistence to Sage 2 Titanium. So I say Spyderco but I agree with to have have few BM's too. Who know's when there comes someone who knows about knives and looks some money to burn.
 
I would go with spyderco. They take care of their dealers better along with the customer. And no MAP prices
 
What kind of store, BM has H&K, Harley, a full line of autos, classic balis, combo-edge black blades, and several blades with NSNs. They seem to go over better with the tactical crowd when they want to spend more money than S&W.
 
Why wouldn't they be able to do the popular models from both brands like Enduras, griptilians Etc?
 
Harry Callahan said:
BM treats dealers like crap. Minimum advertised prices, etc. Spyderco treats dealers like royalty. The choice, from that standpoint alone, is clear. You need to tell these folks to call a storefront that deals with both brands. One or two phone calls is gonna tell the story.
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This man knows of what he speaks. Do your friend a favor and recommend Spyderco.
 
I've owned a knife store for two years and I'm slowly working towards building a wholesale distribution bussines in my country (Argentina).

In my experience, Spyderco sells better than Benchmade. Their Byrd line is excellent for people on a budget, non-knife knut users or somebody that wants to try out a certain style without spending a lot of money. The Spyderco line itself has a LOT of options.

Plus, as somebody mentioned before, BM is not very nice to their dealers, and you can't get their knives through a wholesale distributor (which is a great way to get a few models that sell well and not be stuck with a whole line, I do that with a few brands).
 
REI sells only a few Benchmade models. 3 total I believe. Grip, Mini Grip, and something bigger and better then a Grip that cost more. Buying a Grip or Benchmade knife from them doesn't cost that much more then buying online.
 
Working in a knife store I noticed Benchmade seems to sell better. Most people tend to get two things in their mind when they look for good knives, USA made and good looks and Benchmade has a slight advantage in those areas.
 
Personally I would carry a variety of different brands and price levels and change the inventory according to what sells more in that store.

Remember it doesn't matter what you like, what matters is what moves off the shelves.
 
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Ankerson said:
Personally I would carry a variety of different brands and price levels and change the inventory according to what sells more in that store.

Remember it doesn't matter what you like, what matters is what moves off the shelves.
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That, IMO, is the correct answer.
 
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