Benchmade Prices

DMG said:
Want to really get upset?


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A lot of their increase is due to the last controllable expense- labor. As the required minimum wage increases so does the restaurant’s costs. Nope, can’t really control the food costs, but they do continue downsizing portions. Now, they have to overcome much higher operating expenses. It would be great if the voters voting for minimum wage increases understood economics!

It all reminds me of living in the 1970’s. Prices were going up day by day. Then, Reagan was elected.
 
XJ-linux said:
Inflation happens. It's good. Unfortunately, wages have been far outpaced by it which isn't how capitalism is supposed to work when it runs properly. There's no balance, hence credit, and the hilairity the ensues.
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Actually that is not true and 5 minutes on Google will confirm that it isn't. In August 2024, inflation amounted to 2.5 percent, while wages grew by 4.6 percent. Average hourly wage growth has exceeded inflation for 12 straight months.
 
Sibyrnes said:
Actually that is not true and 5 minutes on Google will confirm that it isn't. In August 2024, inflation amounted to 2.5 percent, while wages grew by 4.6 percent. Average hourly wage growth has exceeded inflation for 12 straight months.
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Go back to the 1970’s and run up to today. 12 months… 12 years… is 10’s and 100’s of dollars, not 10s and 100’s of thousands of dollars over a lifetime of work for many people.
 
Daniel said:
A lot of their increase is due to the last controllable expense- labor. As the required minimum wage increases so does the restaurant’s costs. Nope, can’t really control the food costs, but they do continue downsizing portions. Now, they have to overcome much higher operating expenses. It would be great if the voters voting for minimum wage increases understood economics!

It all reminds me of living in the 1970’s. Prices were going up day by day. Then, Reagan was elected.
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That’s certainly true here in kommiefornia. Minimum wage for fast food restaurants is $20. Guess what that did to menu prices and portion sizes.
 
Texaspoff said:
Yeah, I get pissed off everytime I go to Taco Bell now. Not too many years ago you could stuff yourself for 5 bucks. I'm still waiting on the franchise wars from Demolition Man, so Taco Bell can win. Maybe that will help their pricing. 😂






TXPO
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Taco Bell has a few options to fill up for not much money, even here in expensive kommiefornia. When my wife and I go there, we get the lux cravings box for $7. Chalupa, burrito, taco, nacho chips, and drink. It’s enough for both of us. And with senior discount I pay $6.84 including tax.
 
Benchmade has some pretty amazing knives that perform well beyond most critics.
My 560 for example has a partial steel liner and a whole lot of unsupported g10.
The 560 has not ever failed me with daily use at work. (although I have read in forums that a hard use knife needs a full liner)
The amount of R&D that goes into some of these products, along with paying employees a livable wage is not cheap.
If one is using the knife for what it is designed for, like I do with the Freek, the cost does not seem unreasonable.
Not sure that Benchmade has marketed their stuff as box cutters and are not priced as such.
T6 pivot screw on my Arcane though.... unacceptable :)
 
As long as the consumers keep buying them, it's hard to blame BM too much for raking in the profits. If they were not selling, they couldn't ask the prices they do.

That said, while I like BM's designs, and some of my oldest knives are BM's (910/975 etc.) and I love the Rift and 940, I simply don't see the value in them these days and I've bought very very few the last few years compared to other brands. Value is a very personal thing, and everyone values different things about knives, some value them as more of a fashion statement such say a Rolex, some value pure cutting performance, some want Ti handles, some have to have USA made etc.

Some of their prices are simply too hard to swallow, not because I can't afford it, but the value isn't there at the price for me.

$1100 for 3 kitchen knives out of 154CM
$560 for an M390 sub 3" Narrows folder
$420 for a 4" crwear drop point fixed blade, $300 for an s30 version
$370 for a 154CM 6" meatcrafter fixed blade
$320 for an s90v bugout with AL handles
$300 for an s30v mini crooked folder
$300 for a 2.5" M4 Immunity with AL handles
$300 for a 3.4" magnacut 940 with AL handles
$300 for an s30v barage with Richlite handles
$210 for a tagout with 154CM and grivory......
$200 for a D2 and grivory Redoubt

These aren't MSRP prices either, these are current Knifecenter prices

Meanwhile........all USA made....
$180 for Manix 2 salt magnacut with G10
$240 for a Siren in s90v with CF
$210 for PM2 salt magnacut with G10
$160 for Hogue magnacut Deka's with G10, or Mysto with AL handles
$150 for Kershaw 3.1" Bel Air in magnacut with AL handles
$170 for Kersahw 3.5" Launch Iridium in magnacut with AL handles
$257 for microtech MSI M390 with G10
$190 ZT 0357 3.25" with G10
$256 ZT 0450 magnacut with CF and Ti handles
$225 ZT 0707 20cv with CR and Ti handles
$270 White river 4.5" magnacut Ursus
$300 for a Bark River magnacut fin and bone
 
Stumbled upon this comment on YouTube from 10 years ago. Made me chuckle

Screenshot 2025-08-17 at 9.08.54 AM.png
 
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Wasty said:
I just checked the BM and the Spyderco website for MSRPs:

The BM Griptillian, a perfectly fine knife with for everyday use is priced at $160 with S30V steel
The Spyderco Endura, imo the equivalent in VG10 costs $136.50
These knives are/were the "standard high quality" knives with a decent steel and will work amazingly well without any issues. Non knife people buy one of these and are happy for many years.

With the proliferation of better & way more steels, more exotic scale materials and the overall cost that went into this richness of variety, you will have knives that are more expensive.
Companies that are not trying to ride this surge in demand of high quality & variety knives, will just stagnate.
The cost to accomodate the variety in process and production is initially high, but with the prices so high, you as a company can calculate the ROI and see that you're not out of your depth.

This is also true for other industries, but with every "hobby" there's just no limit of what people are willing to pay.

Personally, I won't buy a BM, as I don't like the axis lock. (too many parts, weak omega spring)
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Older post, but, I always compare the griptilian with either the endura or endela (closer in size) as well, but one thing to keep in mind when comparing those, is that the griptilian $160 msrp is the same as what they sell for at retail price. Meanwhile, the $136 msrp for the endura comes down to $102 and $98 for the endela when comparing actual retail. There has been a far higher percentage increase on the griptilian over time. About 10 years ago I paid $89 for a griptilian, and $75 for an endura. So a 36% increase in price for the endura, and a 80% increase for the griptilian.
 
The prices are insane. But to me, they’re that much more enjoyable to use compared to the competition I’ve tried that the extra cost is (so far) worth it to me.

Ive got 8 benchmade folders that ive purchased over the past 1-1.5 years. I doubt it won’t go higher than that before I’m done.
 
Don't buy em if you don't think they are worth the asking price. T ToddM compiled a great list of alternatives.

Brands change and sometimes they choose chase the big money, support the brands that operate in a manner you can palate.
wesessiah said:
Older post, but, I always compare the griptilian with either the endura or endela (closer in size) as well, but one thing to keep in mind when comparing those, is that the griptilian $160 msrp is the same as what they sell for at retail price. Meanwhile, the $136 msrp for the endura comes down to $102 and $98 for the endela when comparing actual retail. There has been a far higher percentage increase on the griptilian over time. About 10 years ago I paid $89 for a griptilian, and $75 for an endura. So a 36% increase in price for the endura, and a 80% increase for the griptilian.
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Grip is GOAT.
 
Grip said:
Don't buy em if you don't think they are worth the asking price. T ToddM compiled a great list of alternatives.

Brands change and sometimes they choose chase the big money, support the brands that operate in a manner you can palate.


Grip is GOAT.
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I didn't say they're not worth it to me, just that they have increased noticeably more than other brands. I have more benchmades than any other brand (probably any two other brands) and I'll probably always be that way. If ontario made more versions of the rat knives, that would possibly change though. If they made a rat 1.5 in m390, k390, cruwear, s45vn, or cpm154, I would buy them. Or if they made something like a button lock, or crossbar lock on the rat 1 or rat 2, i would buy some of those as well. I don't think they look as good as any of my benchmades, but the rat folders are great for the price, and I actually do like the look of them.

My d2 rats are comparable to my griptilians, but I love griptilians, much more as an entry level knife than a bugout, and I wouldn't take a rat 1 over a griptilian. If they still made different steel and scale versions of griptilians, I would have more. However, I can buy 3 rats for the price 1 griptilian with no real advantage to the griptilian outside of I think they look better. The rats don't have lazy/old mold gate marks on the scales like griptilians do.
 
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