Benchmade Prototypes

[Flashpoint]

What's the deal with them?

Are they collectors item?
Are they users?
Are they just first run of the non-protype knives?
Are they worth more because they are prototypes?

Please fill me in.

 

[SIFU1A]

lotsa different BM protos around, imho most are worth about what a std model would be, especially if the are similar to or the same as the std model, like the 806 AFCK11 protos, exactly the same as the production stuff and worth imho exactly the same price, on the other hand some are quite different (ie the 710 protos with aluminum ano'd handles, different thumbstuds) and they are worth, imho, a small premium over the std ones. imho there are a dozen prototypes that are exactly the same as the production ones for every one thats like the 710 and is different FWIW, i know the 710 one is the only one i have seen which varied a lot from the std one.

so, imho, some are collector items, some are users, prototypes are just that, prototypes to gauge interest and practicality, and are the 1st run before std production runs, usually, then ya have pre-productions, 1st production runs, etc, some of those are serial numbered/some arent, they too usually are worth no more than a small premium, maybe. prototypes are usually not serial numbered but are instead dated ie "june 1998" or the like. as far as numbers made i have heard that BM makes in the vicinity of 300 or so, and ships/sells them to dealers and sales reps/magazine writers and the like.

prototypes, pre-pro's, and 1st pro runs are usually only worth something to collectors.

i used to collect prototypes and at one time had a dozen or so, still have a AFCK & a 710 but have swapped all the others off thru the yrs.

so, imho, the great majority have value only as users.

 

[Tiny86]

The prototypes are the very first of a production run of knives. They make about 50 of a brand new design and mark them proto. They pass those out to different people so they can get a feel for the knife and decide how like like it, and work out some dezine kinks. After that, if they decide the proto design is worthy to be a production run, BM will make a "first production run" and after that they just do standard runs.

Yes.
Some people decide to use them, but most make them safe queens.
No, the first "run" is called the *first production run* I would not say their are enough to call them a "run"
Yes, depending on the knife, ALOT more.

 

[SIFU1A]

they make more than 50, and i'm 100% sure of that.

for example, the 710 i posted of, they made either 300 or 400 of those, and thats from BM, i wrote and asked several yrs ago which is why i dont remeber the exact #, but it was either 300 or 400.

i would like to see an example of a prototype going for " alot more" than a std model, that certainly hasnt been my experience with them and like i said i have had a dozen or so prototypes of different models, imho thatsd simply not the case most are worth maybe a small premium (by small i mean $20 or $30 tops) over the std model.

of course ya could put one up for sale for whatever price ya wanna, but it might not ever sell lol, like i said i used to collect them, and like them and think they are cool, but they arent worth a big premium over a std model.

perhaps ya are thinking of spyderco, there prototypes are fairly small in number of production and ya rarely see them for sale, i have seen one spydie proto in 10 yrs FWIW, a gunting, wheich IIRC went for ~ $500, while i have seen literally dozens of BM protos.