Benchmade or spyderco?

If I want:

-A folding knife that is absolutely corrosion/rust-proof: Spyderco Salt series

-A folding (or fixed blade) knife designed by and intended for those in the Martial Arts fields: Spyderco "MBC" line- Lil Temperance, Gunting, Chinook, Yojimbo, Temperance, Ronin, Perrin Bowie, and who could forget the Civillian/Matriarch

-A small (legally acceptable) bladed knife with a bigger handle: Spyderco "Little Big Knives"- Salsa, Dodo, Poliwog

-A better selection of varrying lock styles: Spyderco Compression lock, Front lock, Ball bearing lock, Liner lock, Frame lock, Phantom lock, Slipjoint (non-locking)

-A better blade steel selection throughout the years: Spyderco MBS-26, H-1, VG10, AUS-8, AUS-6, ATS-34, ATS-55, S30V, S60V (CPM 440V), ZDP-189, Gin-1 (G2), CPM-125 (soon to come)

-A selection of fully flat-ground blades: Spyderco Lil Temperance, Manix, Dragonfly, Military, Para-Military, Salsa, Calypso

-A company that will sharpen my knife even if it is serrated: Spyderco Check it out, BM won't do it

-A knife w/ a hawkbill blade: Spyderco Harpy, Merlin, Spyderfly, Tasman Salt (coming soon)

-To talk with the President/Founder of the company on a regular basis on a public forum: Spyderco When's the last time Les logged in on any knife forum, his company's forum included?

-A line of sharpening equipment to keep my knives sharp: Spyderco They make arguably the best sharpening system available (the Tri-angle Sharpmaker)


Shall I continue? Don't even get me going on choils.

I like Benchmade knives, too (and own quite a few- 635, 722, 710, 910, 814, 970, 975, & 806D2), but they can't touch Spyderco!

Best wishes,
3Guardsmen
 
In my rather useless opinion, Benchmade tend to look better, feel better, and generally exhibit better fit and finish. Spyderco tend to be a bit challenged in the aesthetics department, but are generally better working tools, come with better edges, and I'm less concerned about beating on them and possible losing them. I own both brands. Generally, when I'm at work its a Spyderco Police or Millitary in my trouser pocket and a Civilian in my vest. When I'm off duty I usually have the Benchmade gravitator spearpoint or Spyderco Persian (one of the few classy looking spydies). Really, you can't go wrong with either brand, they just seem targetted at slightly different customer bases.
 
Spyderco tend to be a bit challenged in the aesthetics department, but are generally better working tools, come with better edges, and I'm less concerned about beating on them and possible losing them.

Help me out here. Is there an aesthetic value that trumps function? Seems to me that there is no higher aesthetic than function. Would you gild a lily?
 
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