Benchmade Pricing - update

Adamar said:
I would also pay an extra $20 to buy at local store, but the problem is the brick and mortar's charge much more than that.

My Mini-Grip cost $60 with shipping. The locals charge $90 plus tax.
My 940 cost about $125 with shipping. The locals charge $195 plux tax.

If it was only $40 more for these 2 knives, I would have gotten them at the local stores, but over $100 difference in price just does not cut it for me.
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Big fat +1
 
Thanks for the update, 2brothers.

Not going to hold my breath, but considering most places are offering 30-40% off their current MSRPs, I'll try to cross my fingers every now and then for some reductions to what I would consider an already high MSRP.
 
LX_Emergency said:
Big fat +1
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I have to agree here. I bought a BM at a local store, felt good about supporting my local business, after all, I walked out with a great product. Then I saw some online prices and felt like a chump. I expected a markup, but not by $60 dollars!
 
This policy is making me really glad I got my 610 Rukus from NGK a couple of years ago.
 
Leftoverdj said:
Amazes me that anyone buys into "It's for your own good." crap. Plain and simple BM is trying to gouge us. Buy something else for a while.

This is nothing new. Winchester was trying to control the price Sears set on Winchester rifles a hundred years ago. Didn't work them and there's no reason to let it work now.
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+1

Personally I already felt Benchmade's are overpriced. Look at the competition from Spyderco and Kershaw where you can get nice American made knives for what BM is wanting for China made. I notice even then BM still goes even cheaper on their $50 China knives and often uses a lower quality blade steel to boot. Guess saving money on the labor wasn't enough - go cheap on the parts too. Maybe BM just doesn't know how to compete. Weren't they busted using illegal labor on their "USA Made" knives or is that an urban legend? Then you got them stealing a long recognized trademark like the round spydie hole..... Ughhh - not thinking a Benchmade is in my future. Being in the medical field though I am thinking BM are appropriate initials for them.
 
pinhead said:
+1

Personally I already felt Benchmade's are overpriced. Look at the competition from Spyderco and Kershaw where you can get nice American made knives for what BM is wanting for China made. I notice even then BM still goes even cheaper on their $50 China knives and often uses a lower quality blade steel to boot. Guess saving money on the labor wasn't enough - go cheap on the parts too. Maybe BM just doesn't know how to compete. Weren't they busted using illegal labor on their "USA Made" knives or is that an urban legend? Then you got them stealing a long recognized trademark like the round spydie hole..... Ughhh - not thinking a Benchmade is in my future. Being in the medical field though I am thinking BM are appropriate initials for them.
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You're soooo clueless it's funny :D
Thanks for a good laugh!
 
RxEnergy said:
You're soooo clueless it's funny :D
Thanks for a good laugh!
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+1
Good to see that Pinhead is actually,.......well,...... a Pinhead!
That is not even worth replying to him as to where or when his information failed.
 
We consumers are the judge of what's a good value. We will pay for quality, but smart buyers won't pay for a name alone with spotty quality.

Benchmade does have some decent values out there, but nothing that blows the competition out of the water. I have a couple BMs but after the Vex, I'm not rushing out to buy another.

IMHO there are several US headquartered co.s that are providing MUCH better steels and F&F for less money, regardless of country of origin.

I don't think MOST buyers really care where a knife is made, they want the best quality, price and value.

If BM doesn't get that equation right, they're going to go down the drain. We'll see what happens in the next couple years.
 
Looks like Benchmade made good on their promise to require all certified Benchmade dealers to fix their prices to within 15% of full retail price (full retail price, of course, being those insanely inflated prices you see on Benchmade's website).

Someone on Youtube posted a video about the impending policy change a few weeks ago showing that the 710 knife was being sold for $102.95 as of 12/5/09 on KnifeWorks (Youtube video link). Out of curiosity, I checked that very same product page on KnifeWorks and it is now priced at $144.50 (product page link). That's a 40% increase in one fell swoop!

In fact, the cheapest any dealer is permitted to sell this knife for is now $140.25 given that the full retail price on Benchmade's website is $165 (BM's 710 page). If we say that most competitive online retailers also had been selling that same knife for about $102.95 prior to 1/1/10, that amounts to a 37.3% price increase that Benchmade requires that they pass on to consumers.

By the way, I'm not picking on Knife Works; I realize that Benchmade is forcing all dealers to do this.

I've always been a really big Benchmade fan but this price increase is just way too much. The argument of "well, some other manufacturers do this, too" isn't a valid defense. Yes, some manufacturers dictate pricing but they don't gouge consumers with what amounts to a forced 37% price increase over night.

Update: Another user on Benchmade's forum shows a 61% increase. See his thread (no account needed).
 
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Yep. I don't foresee buying any BMs this year other than the Ritter Grips I ordered last year. There are too many other excellent knives that are much better values. If I need some other BM, I'll buy used.
 
austinguy23 said:
Looks like Benchmade made good on their promise to require all certified Benchmade dealers to fix their prices to within 15% of full retail price (full retail price, of course, being those insanely inflated prices you see on Benchmade's website).

Someone on Youtube posted a video about the impending policy change a few weeks ago showing that the 710 knife was being sold for $102.95 as of 12/5/09 on KnifeWorks (Youtube video link). Out of curiosity, I checked that very same product page on KnifeWorks and it is now priced at $144.50 (product page link). That's a 40% increase in one fell swoop!

In fact, the cheapest any dealer is permitted to sell this knife for is now $140.25 given that the full retail price on Benchmade's website is $165 (BM's 710 page). If we say that most competitive online retailers also had been selling that same knife for about $102.95 prior to 1/1/10, that amounts to a 37.3% price increase that Benchmade requires that they pass on to consumers.

By the way, I'm not picking on Knife Works; I realize that Benchmade is forcing all dealers to do this.

I've always been a really big Benchmade fan but this price increase is just way too much. The argument of "well, some other manufacturers do this, too" isn't a valid defense. Yes, some manufacturers dictate pricing but they don't gouge consumers with what amounts to a forced 37% price increase over night.

Update: Another user on Benchmade's forum shows a 61% increase. See his thread (no account needed).
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I guess you missed the part where KnifeWorks is offering a coupon code on all of their BM knives for an additional 25% off. This brings the cost of the 710 you were talking about to $108.37.

The only thing this pricing thing has changed is dealers can no longer hide their prices behind the whole Add to Cart to see price feature. Roger at KnifeWorks has already spoken to Benchmade and they are fine with him offering discounts on his knives via the coupon code. Yes the coupon code is permanent. Don't be surprised if other dealers start using the same feature to competitively price their BMs.
 
It seems an empty gesture to force the price changes and allow permanent coupons. I wonder why they did this, it seems to me that the diehard knife buyers are pretty keen on competition among brands and sites. Noticing that the BMs are priced ~25% higher than similar grade Spydies and Kershaws, then noticing that the BMs all have identical 25% off coupons, wouldn't seem to have much impact on elevating the brand image or making B&M stores more appealing.
 
last few knifes I got from Benchmade were disappointing, blade steel was soft and didn't hold the edge (newer model) , (every knife)i had to take it apart and put damn threadlock on EVERY screw . before raising prices they should learn to use threadlock. :mad:
 
Too bad for Benchmade. I only have one Benchmade knife and that is enough for me. I like Spyderco better anyways and I have always thought that Spyderco had better priced knives and now that is a fact.
 
I've been a fan of Benchmade knives for a decade and have always kept a few in my rotation. Having said that, I've never been an exclusive Benchmade guy...most of their knives are too thick for my carrying preferences.

I used to frequent a B&M shop that really pushed Benchmade knives and Benchmade started playing games with smaller dealers, pricing and availability several years back...I see this as just an extension of that and doubt that real world prices will be affected as much as many people seem to think. Benchmade may be overestimating their position in the market place and as has been said, people will only pay for what they perceive as a good value. FWIW, I also believe that some of the Benchmade line up already exceeds what is a good value when compared to the competition. Take away their Axis Lock and a couple of other knives I'm fond of and I can just buy all Spyderco and Kershaw knives when I'm in the mood for a modern knife (I'm mainly a slipjoint guy).
 
I thought part of the idea is that BM is running at capacity so they might as well raise prices and sell fewer knives. Also by controlling distribution by selling direct to retailers they can better control pricing and brand image.
So even if retailers are selling at the same prices as before, BM is selling direct to them at presumably the price that distributors used to charge them. So BM would improve their profit margin. With smaller distribution, volume could decline.
This is just me guessing and I'd love to hear more from an industry insider.
 
Benchmade should spend some more time in new product development than worrying about pricing strategies right now.

Subjectively speaking, the number of new and desirable models has gone way, way down over the the last two years. They've spent far too much time concentrating on the private label boutique brands (NRA, Bradley, HK, HD, etc.) and have IMHO completely lost their direction.

Remember the late 90's through say, 2006 or so? A golden age for Benchmade. Wide, diverse and premium product offering. Frequent releases and collaborations with custom makers. It's this period in their history that made me a huge fan.

Now, we're supposed to get excited over a ~$800 Gold Class offering every now and again, or super-limited editions that almost no one hears about or can get a hold of, or some new assisted opening model that is positioned as Blue Class yet wears plastic handles?

Benchmade may feel that everything is fine, but as a customer and observer, I'm telling you, all is not fine. I think they are getting their lunch eaten by, well let's just say it, Spyderco and the KAI brands.

Look at how many new models these other companies have released this past year. Sure, one could argue that more does not equal better, and taste is subjective anyway. True, but the reality is other companies are offering way more product that's far more diverse more frequently. Whatever you think of the product, these other companies are at the very least, succeeding in ensuring their names remain out front.

I'm still amazed the Rift model is being discussed in many places as a "new" model.

I'll be watching, and cheering them on, but I just don't see how any of these new pricing arrangements will solve some very core issues they seem to be having on the product side.

Ask a little more money for your knives Benchmade, I'm fine with that, so long as they're products I actually want to buy.
 
They (BM) have been trying to do this for some time. I wonder what in the world they are thinking. If they think that a higher price will make their knives "appear" to be of higher quality, they have it a bit backwards. Higher quality and innovative design are what justify higher prices. Trying to make your product "appear" of higher value by charging more is a losing strategy.

The persons who will lose are 1) BM 2) the customers (probably first time buyers) who pay the higher price and then realize they could have had something equal or better for less money. And those customer will probably make their next purchase from another company.

I have serveral BMs, and I really want to love the company, but their quality control of late and now this rather dubious marketing bs make it hard to do so.

The only ones I can see being happy about this are Spyderco, SOG, and all the other quality production manufacturers.
 
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