Benchmade threatens Rogue Bladeworks to stop making Bailout scales

[DMG]

They may have a case…a wishy-washy one, if you ask me.
Long gone are the days where knife makers and companies helped each other out. It was a community of like minded people, loving what they do.

Good thing Chris Reeve didn’t patent the RIL…we would all be missing out on some pretty awesome knives.

Reeve didn’t invent the lock they used, merely improved it. I think Reeve did initially trademark their lock. Then it lapsed or expired. Of course a minor change to design gets around a patent or trademark anyway.

I hope Benchmade lets it go but a company has to defend IP vigorously these days. I don’t fault them for sending a letter. I will be annoyed if they spend the $ (and make Rogue spend the $) to litigate.

I don’t love Rogue, btw. Ever time I have bought something from them it has been overpriced and fit poorly. When it was actually in stock.

 

[DMG]

Yea Benchmade ...You gonna sue Yo Mama?


Sorry, I couldn't resist

Someone was going to make the joke…

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Reeve didn’t invent the lock they used, merely improved it. I think Reeve did initially trademark their lock. Then it lapsed or expired. Of course a minor change to design gets around a patent or trademark anyway.

I hope Benchmade lets it go but a company has to defend IP vigorously these days. I don’t fault them for sending a letter. I will be annoyed if they spend the $ (and make Rogue spend the $) to litigate.

I don’t love Rogue, btw. Ever time I have bought something from them it has been overpriced and fit poorly. When it was actually in stock.

I guess my concern would be that if all these big companies defend ridiculous IP “rights” that they have been given, then all we will get to buy is what they want us to.

I do believe in IP rights, but I think this one is a long stretch.

I also have looked over the patent, and it is for the “design of a new knife” not individual parts.

I also have zero experience with Rogue, and if what you say is true (which I don’t doubt), maybe BM wants to stop a company who makes poorly fitting aftermarket parts?

 

[DMG]

I politely disagree.

It is greed that drives this.

One mult-million dollar company sending a cease and desist to another multi-million dollar company is not ”the rich keeping the poor down”.

 

[DMG]

I guess my concern would be that if all these big companies defend ridiculous IP “rights” that they have been given, then all we will get to buy is what they want us to.

I do believe in IP rights, but I think this one is a long stretch.

I also have looked over the patent, and it is for the “design of a new knife” not individual parts.

I also have zero experience with Rogue, and if what you say is true (which I don’t doubt), maybe BM wants to stop a company who makes poorly fitting aftermarket parts?

I think it is just the game big companies play with each other regarding patents, trademarks, IP, etc. One crowds the plate. The pitcher brushes him back a bit. No one wins except for lawyers.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

One mult-million dollar company sending a cease and desist to another multi-million dollar company is not ”the rich keeping the poor down”.

Rogue is a multi-million dollar company with an etsy page? Are you 100% confident in your statement?

You know what they say…curiosity killed the cat.

 

[DMG]

Rogue is a multi-million dollar company with an etsy page? Are you 100% confident in your statement?

You know what they say…curiosity killed the cat.

Yes. They certainly aren’t as big as Benchmade but they do millions in sales.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Sounds like a complete nothingburger. Looks like Rogue, probably unintentionally, stepped on one of Benchmade's patents rather than straight up producing an aftermarket part and Benchmade fired off a C&D.

 

[bax229]

Sounds like a complete nothingburger. Looks like Rogue, probably unintentionally, stepped on one of Benchmade's patents rather than straight up producing an aftermarket part and Benchmade fired off a C&D.

My thoughts too. Are these Rogue scales an exact copy of the Benchmade scales?

 

[DMG]

Sounds like a complete nothingburger. Looks like Rogue, probably unintentionally, stepped on one of Benchmade's patents rather than straight up producing an aftermarket part and Benchmade fired off a C&D.

My take as well. A very minor change to the design should satisfy Benchmade.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

My thoughts too. Are these Rogue scales and exact copy of the Benchmade scales?

Not sure, but I definitely think the patented bit is the issue, which a lot of folks seem to be missing. There are tons of aftermarket Benchmade scales out there and they've never made a move like this and even now it seems to be about a single model, which is a pretty strong indicator that it's about something more than just making some aftermarket scales.

I think people also don't really understand that a C&D is a very minor move that doesn't necessarily indicate that any kind of litigation is imminent.

 

[King of the Cheese]

I think this is a poor decision by Benchmade. Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. I personally have purchased bugout knives because of the availability of aftermarket options. I don’t want a grivory Bugout and I don’t want to wait two months and pay out the @$$ for a custom. They should’ve left this one alone.

 

[DMG]

I think this is a poor decision by Benchmade. Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. I personally have purchased bugout knives because of the availability of aftermarket options. I don’t want a grivory Bugout and I don’t want to wait two months and pay out the @$$ for a custom. They should’ve left this one alone.

If the future of aftermarket scales was the issue here, Benchmade would have sent out hundreds of Cease and Desist letters. They sent one that only mentions one of Rogues dozens of Benchmade scales. Which tells me that Rogue stepped over the line a bit with this particular design.

 

[King of the Cheese]

If the future of aftermarket scales was the issue here, Benchmade would have sent out hundreds of Cease and Desist letters. They sent one that only mentions one of Rogues dozens of Benchmade scales. Which tells me that Rogue stepped over the line a bit with this particular design.

Without the clarity it’s just an assumption on both ends. Perhaps this is just the beginning.. or perhaps everyone else that gets the letters throws them in the garbage?

 

[DMG]

Without the clarity it’s just an assumption on both ends. Perhaps this is just the beginning.. or perhaps everyone else that gets the letters throws them in the garbage?

Wouldn’t Benchmade have mentioned more than one scale design in this letter? How many Benchmade scales does Rogue make?

 

[Delta-v]

It's a gross exaggeration to say BM is going after Rogue for making aftermarket scales. They said nothing about all the other scales Rogue makes for BM knives. The specifically cited a patented ornamental design around the bolster of the Bailout, so I suspect if Rogue just changes the shape up a bit, Benchmade will be satisfied. BM has to defend its patent. Well they need to change the way they're using BM's model names and numbers on their websites too, from what the complaint says.

Benchmade is involved so I expect nothing but the fairest, most balanced and least biased viewpoints in this discussion.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

If the future of aftermarket scales was the issue here, Benchmade would have sent out hundreds of Cease and Desist letters. They sent one that only mentions one of Rogues dozens of Benchmade scales. Which tells me that Rogue stepped over the line a bit with this particular design.

It looks like since 2020 Benchmade has started patenting “ornamental design” of their knives…so I wouldn’t say that scalemakers are out of the woods yet.

A ridiculous patent if you ask me.

 

[King of the Cheese]

Wouldn’t Benchmade have mentioned more than one scale design in this letter? How many Benchmade scales does Rogue make?

Why go after them at all? Benchmade doesn’t make titanium or carbon fiber bailout scales, shouldn’t that be enough?

My opinion is it should have been left alone. The bailout isn’t benchmade’s most popular design and the aftermarket sales has to be minimal compared to the Bugout or Griptilian. This letter sends a message and Benchmade has to know how this is going to be interpreted.

I wouldn’t be expecting anyone from Benchmade to be chiming in here given an ongoing legal dispute, if they like keeping their job.

 

[Greggy]

Overpriced knives and overpriced scales. In the long run, BM cannot escape the practical effects of increased competition, from domestic to abroad. I understand the incentive to defend a patent and to issue the cease and desist letter. And IP law is often vague and poorly defined with respect to boundaries. Hence, the assert rights or lose them mentality. But competition will rule the long run and companies like BM will modernize its pricing strategies or die. Reminds me of the US auto industry in the 1970s and 80s.

 

[NG VI]

Tell me if I’m out of line here…

BM has profited off the Axis lock for a long time…it was relevant and wanted for years. They had to know that the patent was going to run out…where was the innovation during these last few decades?

BM was a relevant company who made top tier knives back when there was little competition. Since that time, very few upgrades in materials other than blade steels. No upgrades to QC, and now you have to pay for replacement pocket clips.

Unfortunately, BM is no longer relevant. They are at best, overpriced budget knives IMO. They don’t really have “midtechs” (other than limited “Gold Class?”), and are not keeping up with emerging knife competition.

While other companies are moving forward, BM is standing still. It is unfortunate to see. BM used to be one of my favorite knife companies, but are now not even a blip on my radar.

The only thing that this C&D letter says to me…is that they are trying to kill the “American Dream.”

Rich stay rich, poor stay poor…no matter what it takes.

This is actually one of the main reasons I settled on Kizer as my go-to, because they're possibly the highest effort knife company out there and I love them for it.