Benchmade vs. Other Name Brands

C

Catalyst Edge

Joined
Jul 4, 2013
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I've already got myself 2 Benchmades, I mean they seem like great knives. What other brands do you guys feel stack up to Benchmade and can offer something truly BETTER? The axis lock on Benchmades are truly the best locking mechanisms i've ever used.
 
If you're that much into BM's(they do make a good knife), should anybody even try to answer you with serious recommendations?
 
If your happy with your Benchmades then stick with 'em, they're fine knives. Otherwise Kershaw/ZT and Spyderco have a lot to offer
 
"Better"? For what?

I'll try not to be so abrasive with my strongly-held opinions in here, as though I know this thread is going to turn into a feces-flinging fest, I'd rather not contribute to that.

Different knives do different things better, and different companies specialize in different kinds of knives. You want survival? ESEE. Tactical/martial arts? Cold Steel. Innovation? Spyderco or CRKT. History? Buck or Case. I think Benchmade specializes in making attractive pocket knives that happens to function well, although there are a lot of their designs I don't dig because my preferences are function over fashion. I know that one of the big attractions to Benchmade is that everything is made in America, and as a non-American, that's not really something that matters to me, because the patriotism isn't there. I'm sure that I would feel differently if I were an American.

That said, if I were to buy one Benchmade, it would be the Adamas folder. I would prefer a tougher steel on it, but overall I do like the design, and I respect the strength of the Axis lock.

Has anyone here had their Omega spring wear out/fail on them ever?
 
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I like Benchmades with Axis locks but I have other Benchmades with liner locks and frame locks that I like equally well. Spyderco is generally recognized to be similar in price, quality and features to Benchmade. Kershaw makes good knives but the average Kershaw is priced a little below the average Benchmade. Kershaw also makes the ZT brand of knives and those on average are probably priced a little higher than the average Benchmade.

I have knives from all of these brands and I like them all. Whether the other brands offer something better or not they are still worthy of consideration. I find that each brand offers something unique in terms of styling, materials, construction, lock type, blade steel, etc.

I have a few Cold Steel knives that I like but they were priced considerably below Benchmade prices so it isn't fair to compare them directly. I have bought SOG knives long ago and they were reasonable quality. I haven't bought any recently and none of their recent styles appeal to me. I have no information on recent production by Buck, Gerber, AlMar, Boker.
 
Benchmade certainly makes good knives and like you mentioned the Axis lock is great. Sounds like you are happy and in that price range you will find many BM has many well earned fans on this forum. If, however, you want to try something else you might consider Syderco. If you have more funds look at Chris's Reeve or if you have still more funds William Henry.
 
Try a good spyderco or kershaw.

BM is great, just wished their knives new were about 20% cheaper. Love the Axis locks.
 
Variety is the spice of life. Spyderco, Kershaw/ZT, and BM are just about the smallest part of the knife iceberg, if you will.

Wait until you try a CRK, Microtech, Busse, or any number of Customs like Sniper Bladeworks, Begg, or Mayo.

I have quite a few BM's and have owned many more, but they don't run circles around any other quality manufacturer. Plus BM has a hard time keeping their greatest models in the Catalog, cough AFCK, Skirmish, CF Onslaught cough.
 
All opinions and/or statements are welcome folks. Just curious what everyone else was rocking. I just love the Benchmade. A little expensive at times, but wow! They really are great.
 
Catalyst Edge said:
All opinions and/or statements are welcome folks. Just curious what everyone else was rocking. I just love the Benchmade. A little expensive at times, but wow! They really are great.
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Ah, that's a breath of fresh air. A few threads on the forum have been derailed by closed minds. :D

In that case, I recommend looking at a spyderco or a kershaw too.
 
Catalyst Edge said:
All opinions and/or statements are welcome folks. Just curious what everyone else was rocking. I just love the Benchmade. A little expensive at times, but wow! They really are great.
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Most of the knives I carry are from Cold Steel because I feel their knives are everything they say they are, as well as a great value for my money. If I have a problem with their (quite frankly great) QC or something, I can send it back to Cold Steel, and their great customer service will hook me up.

That, and I just like the way they design their knives.

Spyderco I am a big fan of and I'm going to buy more than a few of their knives and add them to my rotation. I'm impressed by the innovation, ergonomics, and functionality of many Spydercos, although there are some I just don't dig, as with every knife company (Cold Steel included).

I'm not generally a fan of Benchmade because I feel that for the most part, their knives rank fairly low in the value department, though I won't try to claim that they aren't as great as you feel they are.
 
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Spyderco and Zero Tolerance are excellent. If you have the money, get a used Sebenza from the Exchange here for about $325. You can always sell it again right away and lose very little, if any, money. It is quite possibly the finest folder you can buy...short of custom...and even surpasses many of them in terms of meticulous quality control and manufacture.
sonnydaze
 
A benchmade 940 was the first knife of quality I ever bought and I fell in love with the axis lock. After that I bought around 30 more benchmades with axis locks. Finally I decided... alright, I really need to try something else. It's hard give up the axis lock though. So far I agree with everyone else. ZTs and higher end spydercos are just as good quality, workmanship, materials, you just have to get used to other locks. I also just picked up a Lion Steel SR2a, excellent knife. I think I may have to try something else they make. CRKs are great knives too, but cost twice as much as a Benchmade. There's also the bradley alias and alias 2, which are really just made by benchmade, but they're great TI frame locks. If you like very thin light knives, william henry E6 and E10 are really nice with out getting into the big money of the exotic William Henrys. I also really like the button lock on them. One of few locks to rival the ease and comfort of the axis lock.

Also you might just try a Benchmade with a different lock. Benchmade 53 is an awesome user balisong.
 
Which two benchmade models do you have?

I think Benchmade makes some great knives. I love the Axis lock. If you only have two, there are a lot more models to choose from.

There are also many other manufacturers that make quality knives with interesting designs. You just need to research some of them, and try a few out, and you will soon figure out what works for you.
 
Benchmade makes some great stuff for sure and the axis lock is top notch but after using the compression lock on my PM2 for a couple years now it is by far my favorite lock type especially on an unassisted knife. Makes one handed opening and closing very simple. I also love my Kershaw and ZT knives. They all have their place in my collection. :)
 
Benchmades are great knives. If you're looking for something totally different you could try a more traditional large lockback like a Buck 110. They're comparatively cheap, or if you want better steel you can order a custom (approximating Benchmade prices). Just a thought.

If you like modern maybe try a Spyderco. I've always liked them.
 
Catalyst Edge said:
I've already got myself 2 Benchmades, I mean they seem like great knives. What other brands do you guys feel stack up to Benchmade and can offer something truly BETTER?
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To answer your question bluntly: Emerson.

Now, I like certain Benchmades and own more than a few. I'm lucky enough to own a Rukus and that is one of my all time favorite blades. The 950 Rift is also up there. BUT, for serious work I keep going back to Emerson.

Been carrying a Super Commander for about the last 3 years consistently at work. And I have not taken it easy on this thing....mud, dirt, sand, paint, digging, cutting on metal surfaces, dropped on the ground and thrown in the back of trucks countless times, you name it. Even some (gasp!) light prying. I rarely clean or lube the thing, only blow the crud out of it with an air hose once in a while. And ya know what? This thing continues to kick ass. The axis lock on my Benchmades get gritty and slow just from pocket lint. And if need be, I can completely take apart my Commander and put it back together within minutes with just the tools on my Leatherman. Oh, and you simply cannot beat the wave for speed of deployment.

Again, I like Benchmades and think they're great for EDC. But my real workhorses gotta be Emersons.

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I'm a self-appointed Benchmade shill. I finally branched out and bought a Microtech and a Spyderco PM2. The PM2 has remained in my pocket ever since. It's just a great, solid, innovative knife.
 
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