Benchmade Prices

I own three vintage Benchmade knives, a 100 River & Rescue First Production Run (GIN-1 steel, G10 scales, Kydex sheath), a 190 Drop Point Hunter Pre-Production (440C steel, rosewood scales, leather sheath), and a 192 Bird & Trout (440C steel, rosewood scales, leather sheath). I bought them all over 20 years ago, back when Benchmade's prices were not cheap, but not outrageous, either. My memory says I paid about $100 for each of the three knives.

Benchmade today makes only two knives that truly interest me, the 15017 Hidden Canyon Hunter, and the 15032 North Fork folder. To buy the two of those knives in 2026 would cost me $475 USD.
 
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Recently at the local Benchmade dealer’s shop, I was quite shocked to see that the current price for the Bugout 535gry-1 that I bought around 2021 for around $140 is now $200!

However, I have to say that if one looks around a bit, reasonably priced Benchmades can still be found. For example, the same shop had an old stock 391BK SOCP Folder with a 2020 price tag of $160. I’m not usually much into the “blackout” looks, but after checking out the fit & finish (particularly the very smooth action) I couldn’t resist buying it 😊
 
Had some Benchmade knives years ago and sold them all. Don't like the Axis lock and dislike their anti-2A even more. Also, pricing is too high. I do like some of their OTS knives and dont mind buying them used at a fair price. They are good at sending out clips and I like that they're manufacted in the US.

Overall, probably better than buying Chinese knives if your a US citizen. If you care about such things and understand why.
 
TiHawk60 said:
I usually just walk past the Benchmade case at the store these days. Tired of getting dizzy from shaking my head at the prices. I don't even want to know what I used to spend, but probably a knife a month? Maybe every other month? That's since dropped to $0, essentially.

Oh, wait, I did buy the new 940BK-03 in August and that was only because I had $150 in gift cards for the store and I got 10% off for taking the display model. It was the best of the 4 examples of that model they had in stock... All 4 were flat out dull, but two had a recurve ground into them and off center. This one was centered and smooth action at least and I could fix it on my wicked edge.

There are definitely still some Benchmades I'd like to have and are within my knife budget, but I will not be buying because they are no longer worth it, in my opinion. Unless I get them secondhand or rack up more gift cards or somehow BKC checks themselves back into reality, I'm done buying their knives.
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One of our local hardware chains carries BM. I get the same feeling as you when I look at the retail price they are asking. I often wonder if anyone ever buys them at that price.
 
The last Benchmade I bought was a freek in s90 and carbon fiber. I wanted it for a while and was very happy to spend the $300 on it. Perfectly centered, no play, great action, super sharp. Perfect. But I hadn't bought one for a long time before that, and probably won't buy another for a while simply because of the prices. I have plenty as well but, when I bought the m4 super freek it was $180. A crooked river was around the same, mini slightly less. My customs were more but that's acceptable. I mean s90/cf grip was $300, and I happily paid it for being my custom!

But now the price of a crooked river is what, $300 for s30v? No thanks. What's an Adamas now? I don't even know (I paid around $200, love the cruwear!)

To me the price to value isn't there. Some spyderco knives are the same to me. Near $300 for an s30/G10 bodacious? Nah. I paid $200 I think for my first Shaman. Now they're up there too. I have 4 shamans, I'm good for life I think.

I mean, I understand profits and paying bills and staying open. It's just more than I want to pay. Hell, I just bought a new vehicle, for more than I wanted to pay (but not bad for the market especially at 0% interest) but it is what it is. I have plenty of knives. I'll be good for a long time. Even trying to off load some but even that's tough in these times so I'll just hold onto them I guess.
 
SharpBits said:
The secondary market is the best place to get Benchmade knives and a few other brands. Little to no use often, and much better price.
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True that.

I have purchased a number of excellent BM's on the Exchange here, at very acceptable prices.
 
Tritium said:
Had some Benchmade knives years ago and sold them all. Don't like the Axis lock and dislike their anti-2A even more. Also, pricing is too high. I do like some of their OTS knives and dont mind buying them used at a fair price. They are good at sending out clips and I like that they're manufacted in the US.

Overall, probably better than buying Chinese knives if your a US citizen. If you care about such things and understand why.
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Not the place for this, but they arent anti 2A. Thats a silly, overstated accusation. The price is just too damn high, by a lot.
 
DrRollinstein said:
Not the place for this, but they arent anti 2A. Thats a silly, overstated accusation. The price is just too damn high, by a lot.
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Not an accusation, it's an observation of facts. You must not be aware of their past. Not sure what they've done to show otherwise since then. Doesn't matter because I'm not paying the prices for them.
 
Tritium said:
Not an accusation, it's an observation of facts. You must not be aware of their past. Not sure what they've done to show otherwise since then. Doesn't matter because I'm not paying the prices for them.
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Ok quick run down and only post on this topic so a mod doesnt ding us here:

Helping cops, not anti 2A.
Donating to the least harmful politician in the area of very liberal Oregon, not anti 2A.

That is all.
 
BladeFreek said:
I think that their customer service and lifetime warranty is what drives the cost…
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Most decent knife companies offer great customer service and warranties. The Benchmade Narrows is the same price as a sebenza and i doubt you'll find a single soul willing to argue that they are comparable. You can very easily find a full titanium knife with a better blade steel than the Bugout for way less money.

The cost is purely benchmade thinking that they're unstoppable, and deciding to raise the prices for fun.
 
Just learned that my coworker picked up a crooked river recently, so naturally I congratulated him, and while he’s very pleased, he was like yeah but I couldn’t believe it was $375. I said, “what are you talking about? Is it a special edition or something?” [I paid $180 retail for a crooked river exactly 8 years ago]. I had to google it to verify the price, I literally couldn’t believe it. I own many Benchmade knives and really like their designs, but I haven’t bought one in years. I’ve defended them for a while because they do make truly great American made knives, and they were my gateway into the knife world, but I think I need to move on
 
stevejams said:
Just learned that my coworker picked up a crooked river recently, so naturally I congratulated him, and while he’s very pleased, he was like yeah but I couldn’t believe it was $375. I said, “what are you talking about? Is it a special edition or something?” [I paid $180 retail for a crooked river exactly 8 years ago]. I had to google it to verify the price, I literally couldn’t believe it. I own many Benchmade knives and really like their designs, but I haven’t bought one in years. I’ve defended them for a while because they do make truly great American made knives, and they were my gateway into the knife world, but I think I need to move on
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Just sold my CR for like $180. $375 is basically a scam.
 
I am in the same boat. I have been buying Benchmade and Spyderco since about 2005. The prices these days are absolutely outrageous and I refuse to buy more than one knife a year. I used to buy 5 to 10 knives a year. Not with these prices.

Either everybody else got rich and I’m the guy that’s behind or this stuff is bananas.

$200 for a knife with a plastic handle? Get bent.
 
I have to admit I am addicted to these kind of threads. It's like a guilty pleasure seeing people bitch about the price of something they don't even need. Well, since I enjoy it so much I might as well pitch in.

CRK is often used as the standard when people here talk about expensive knives. You know the old "Wow, that Benchmade is as expensive as a CRK!" Well I currently have four Chris Reeves Smith Knives and I love them! I appreciate them for what they are, but my EDC for over a year now has been a Benchmade Adira, at halve the price of any CRK and superior in every way that I can detect.

So, there's that.
 
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Sibyrnes said:
I have to admit I am addicted to these kind of threads. It's like a guilty pleasure seeing people bitch about the price of something they don't even need. Well, since I enjoy it so much I might as well pitch in.

CRK is often used as the standard when people here talk about expensive knives. You know the old "Wow, that Benchmade is as expensive as a CRK!" Well I currently have four Chris Reeves Smith Knives and I love them! I appreciate them for what they are, but my EDC for over a year now has been a Benchmade Adira, at halve the price of any CRK and superior in every way that I can detect.

So, there's that.
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A $250 knife with grivory handles might be subjectively better to you, but come on, a sebenza is objectively a better built and better finished knife with better materials lol. Compare it to its proper rival from BM, the narrows. Also a worse knife than anything from CRK.


Any knife with grivory handles shouldn't cost more than like $150 max. How have they not moved on from the griptillian yet?
 
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