Best bang for your buck knife company?

Literally my 3 favorite companies. I would say in general Spyderco, but for different applications the answer may vary
 
Personally I'd rather get one of the Blade Smiths on this site to build me a knife. Anyone of them could take a piece of AEB-L and make you a blade that will get left to a grandkid in your will. Get a custom build. Just my 2 cents.

Spyderco, ZT, Bench-made, Yada, yada, I Think their good productions knives, but they aren't going to go hungry if you buy from a small blade smith. Whereas the Blade Smith is usually fighting to keep food on his table.
 
If we are going to say spyderco has the best value base on there older models then kershaw should be right there with them . Blur , leek , Camber , knockout , skyline ect . All under $70 . beside the GB2 Spyderco IMHO does not have a value knife out . Please correct if I'm wrong .
 
Cold Steel got pretty nice sh** and giggles knives for their price. (The Spike series is just like Nutella to me).

I think MCUSTA is a little bit insane quality/fit and finish for the price, in gentleman's folder category.

It's difficult to beat Benchmade with the Griptilians and Spyderco with PM2/Police/Endura considering their price point. Lot of good knife design for the money.
 
miltmaldo said:
If we are going to say spyderco has the best value base on there older models then kershaw should be right there with them . Blur , leek , Camber , knockout , skyline ect . All under $70 . beside the GB2 Spyderco IMHO does not have a value knife out . Please correct if I'm wrong .
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Thanks for the input. Many on this forum seem to have a bent against Kershaw, unsure why. The USA made stuff is awesome for the $ amount... can't beat a Blur, especially when you can get an S30V model for $50. And the Camber and Links are also great pieces. Definitely a diverse company with a vast array of availability to anyone looking for a knife.


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Mo2 said:
spyderco and zt. benchmades cannot be in this party, they are overpriced and have horrible fit and finish. heck even the materials they are offering in comparison to other brands are more expensive.
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Benchmades QC can be bad sometimes but not worse than Spyderco. Best part about Benchmade is the warranty! Considering how they will fix your knife up for years to come I would consider that as very strong value. :thumbup:
 
BizzarroBladeWorks said:
Personally I'd rather get one of the Blade Smiths on this site to build me a knife. Anyone of them could take a piece of AEB-L and make you a blade that will get left to a grandkid in your will. Get a custom build. Just my 2 cents.

Spyderco, ZT, Bench-made, Yada, yada, I Think their good productions knives, but they aren't going to go hungry if you buy from a small blade smith. Whereas the Blade Smith is usually fighting to keep food on his table.
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So I have to disagree with you on this point. By all means understand I am not against the small time, custom bladesmith. I just wouldn't call that category of blade a "bang for your buck" knife...

For one thing, a bang for your buck blade shouldn't be something that causes any hesitancy for use...Part of the appeal of a cheaper blade is you can put it through hell with no guilt. I have only 1 "custom(ish)" blade, and even though I know it is well built and could take a beating, I love it so much that something inside of me cringes at the though of tarnishing it. Right now my dream blade is something from Dark Timber in the chopper/bowie/camp knife category, but even when I do attain that beauty, I will probably end up using my Ontario SP10 marine raider 10X as much, even though it cost me 1/10th of the price.

The other part of my disagreement has to do with the level of competition...Flat out, high end production knives can guarantee a level of quality more reliably than your average small time bladesmith. That is not to say that independent craftsmen cannot match or exceed this level of quality, but there is value in knowing what you are going to get...if I am buying from a custom knifemaker with a well known reputation, odds are I'm paying ultra premium prices(at least 4-5 hundo) for something that production companies are doing at half the price. Even if the production companies don't match the level of quality from an expert bladesmith, they are at least competing with it, and there is definitely a point of diminishing returns with knives.

Again, I am not saying people shouldn't buy from small time custom bladesmiths...I am just saying that I would never categorize these knives as "Bang for your buck" knives. For the price of one custom knife, I can usually pick up 3-4 premium quality BFYB knives.
 
For me, the custom route is dependant upon the maker.
There are a few makers on this forum that have a strong following and regularly sell (fixed blade) knives for under $150-200 that beg to be used...
 
Mo2 said:
my zt0804cf is the only ZT i have that the lockbar goes all the way to the scales. i would NOT say the majority do this, only a few. there is no failure with this problem, its just annoying.

ZT's quality is above average in comparison to most other brands, especially for the materials you are getting. the one and only issue with ZT is there heat treatment is softer than most, its not optimal, and being that its a mass production knife company, thats better for warranty. if you want an optimal heat treat go with a custom knife specialized in heat treatment.
but the fact is you are getting your moneys worth especially for those looking for quality and materials.

spyderco is by far the best heat treatment on production knives i know of. not only that but they offer almost every single super steel available and at affordable prices for them. the super steel's are often between 165$ (manix2 LW in maxamet) to $300... and that is very affordable.
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I took a look at my 0566 last night. I could probably force the lock bar to move. The top of the lock bar and bottom of the blade where it makes contact are flat (or almost flat) so there is nothing there to prevent it from coming over. I wouldn't say it's out of whack as another member posted, even if the lock bar managed to fall in far enough to touch the other side of the handle, it is still thick enough to secure the blade.
 
knives_in_nature said:
Benchmades QC can be bad sometimes but not worse than Spyderco. Best part about Benchmade is the warranty! Considering how they will fix your knife up for years to come I would consider that as very strong value. :thumbup:
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Benchmade does have a decent warranty, but anymore, you can almost count on having to send in for a repair or adjustment. Out of the 5 new Benchmades I had, 4 of them needed some type of repair or adjustment. I had to send one in for repair twice. When I had my knife shipped the first time, not only did it have the same issue I wanted repaired but whoever sharpened it, messed my blade angle up. One side was still close to a 20 degree angle, and the other side was waaaay off, this gives me the impression that Benchmade runs one side of your knife across the sharpener just to put an edge on it instead of sharpening both sides and doing it right. The receipt they sent back said my knife was cleaned, oiled, springs replaced, adjusted, etc. I could tell, it wasn't adjusted or repaired in addition to a fouled up blade grind. Although the second trip back went better, they still lost my confidence and business.
The main reason I shipped it was vertical blade play. When it came back after the second trip it seemed as if the issue was resolved. I even posted positive comments on here and another forum in regards to Benchmades cs dept. The blade still had some vertical play, but I could maneuver the lock and secure the blade in place. I figured it may need some time to break in since they claimed to have pretty much replaced the whole knife other than the G10 handles. Eventually, the blade got to where I couldn't get it to lock open securely at all. They told me slight blade play is within spec, that doesn't say much about their tolerance specs especially when most of their competition can get it right.
 
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TheEdge01 said:
Benchmade does have a decent warranty, but anymore, you can almost count on having to send in for a repair or adjustment. Out of the 5 new Benchmades I had, 4 of them needed some type of repair or adjustment. I had to send one in for repair twice. When I had my knife shipped the first time, not only did it have the same issue I wanted repaired but whoever sharpened it, messed my blade angle up. One side was still close to a 20 degree angle, and the other side was waaaay off, this gives me the impression that Benchmade runs one side of your knife across the sharpener just to put an edge on it instead of sharpening both sides and doing it right. The receipt they sent back said my knife was cleaned, oiled, springs replaced, adjusted, etc. I could tell, it wasn't adjusted or repaired in addition to a fouled up blade grind. Although the second trip back went better, they still lost my confidence and business.
The main reason I shipped it was vertical blade play. When it came back after the second trip it seemed as if the issue was resolved. I even posted positive comments on here and another forum in regards to Benchmades cs dept. The blade still had some vertical play, but I could maneuver the lock and secure the blade in place. I figured it may need some time to break in since they claimed to have pretty much replaced the whole knife other than the G10 handles. Eventually, the blade got to where I couldn't get it to lock open securely at all. They told me slight blade play is within spec, that doesn't say much about their tolerance specs especially when most of their competition can get it right.
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This kind of story is continuously repeated by benchmade customers.
 
TheEdge01 said:
Benchmade does have a decent warranty, but anymore, you can almost count on having to send in for a repair or adjustment. Out of the 5 new Benchmades I had, 4 of them needed some type of repair or adjustment.
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This is the opposite of my experience with 30+ purchases of Benchmade folding knives. I have no horse in this race, as I am not employed by any knife company, but it seems balanced to offer another perspective here.

I sent in a knife to Benchmade once. I had snapped the tip off of a tanto Stryker while using it as a screwdriver on an irrigation line. 10 days and $25 later it was returned to me, re-bladed, centered, new springs, screws, oiled, etc. The reason for warranty service was my fault and I received fast, efficient re-blading and barely noticed the wait, with no misunderstandings or miscommunications.

I cannot say why things were so different for me but it is worth considering 30+/30+ positive purchase experiences vs 4/5 negative.
 
jazub said:
This is the opposite of my experience with 30+ purchases of Benchmade folding knives. I have no horse in this race, as I am not employed by any knife company, but it seems balanced to offer another perspective here.

I sent in a knife to Benchmade once. I had snapped the tip off of a tanto Stryker while using it as a screwdriver on an irrigation line. 10 days and $25 later it was returned to me, re-bladed, centered, new springs, screws, oiled, etc. The reason for warranty service was my fault and I received fast, efficient re-blading and barely noticed the wait, with no misunderstandings or miscommunications.

I cannot say why things were so different for me but it is worth considering 30+/30+ positive purchase experiences vs 4/5 negative.
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It is great that your experience has been different than mine. My experience with qc hasn't been an isolated incident either, several folks on different forums have complained about similar issues. It could just be internet talk too, but I suggest potential Benchmade customers to handle and inspect the knives before spending their money.
 
TheEdge01 said:
It is great that your experience has been different than mine. My experience with qc hasn't been an isolated incident either, several folks on different forums have complained about similar issues. It could just be internet talk too, but I suggest potential Benchmade customers to handle and inspect the knives before spending their money.
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Your experience isn't isolated, my experience isn't isolated. Frankly it will probably remain a mystery why things have worked out so badly for you and so great for me. I just joined in the conversation because I naïvely gave credence to anti-Benchmade internet talk for years before I finally purchased my first Benchmade and they turned out to be one of my favorite makers. The universe works in mysterious ways. Good luck in your pursuit of pocketknife perfection. :thumbup:
 
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JohnnyBlades said:
So I have to disagree with you on this point. By all means understand I am not against the small time, custom bladesmith. I just wouldn't call that category of blade a "bang for your buck" knife...

For one thing, a bang for your buck blade shouldn't be something that causes any hesitancy for use...Part of the appeal of a cheaper blade is you can put it through hell with no guilt. I have only 1 "custom(ish)" blade, and even though I know it is well built and could take a beating, I love it so much that something inside of me cringes at the though of tarnishing it. Right now my dream blade is something from Dark Timber in the chopper/bowie/camp knife category, but even when I do attain that beauty, I will probably end up using my Ontario SP10 marine raider 10X as much, even though it cost me 1/10th of the price.

The other part of my disagreement has to do with the level of competition...Flat out, high end production knives can guarantee a level of quality more reliably than your average small time bladesmith. That is not to say that independent craftsmen cannot match or exceed this level of quality, but there is value in knowing what you are going to get...if I am buying from a custom knifemaker with a well known reputation, odds are I'm paying ultra premium prices(at least 4-5 hundo) for something that production companies are doing at half the price. Even if the production companies don't match the level of quality from an expert bladesmith, they are at least competing with it, and there is definitely a point of diminishing returns with knives.

Again, I am not saying people shouldn't buy from small time custom bladesmiths...I am just saying that I would never categorize these knives as "Bang for your buck" knives. For the price of one custom knife, I can usually pick up 3-4 premium quality BFYB knives.
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I get some of what you are saying.

I just sold a 10" Bowie and two sheaths, one leather one Kydex for $420. First thing the man said was, "I think I'll try and chop a tree down with it". Good!! It comes with a lifetime guarantee just try and break it.

You'd need a hydraulic press to break that blade. ;-)

I suppose you do have a point about reliability from knife to knife.

After all a CNC machine will sure make reproductions exact matches.

Too each his own I guess.

Personally I like carrying a knife no one else on the planet has. I'd also put my knife and most other small time Smith's knives up against any production knife, for performance, toughness, edge retention, fit, finish, etc. Of course that's for fixed blades. If you want a flipper then I agree as an EDC a CNC machined knife will definitely beat handmade for tolerances and such.

My eyes are pretty good, but they cant tell if one side is .002 off from the other.


Sooo..... back to "Bang for the Buck Knife"

Interesting thread.
 
jazub said:
Your experience isn't isolated, my experience isn't isolated. Frankly it will probably remain a mystery why things have worked out so badly for you and so great for me. I just joined in the conversation because I naïvely gave credence to anti-Benchmade internet talk for years before I finally purchased my first Benchmade and they turned out to be one of my favorite makers. The universe works in mysterious ways. Good luck in your pursuit of pocketknife perfection. :thumbup:
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My experiences with BM mirror yours JZ. I have at least 25 knives from them and have absolutely no complaints.
I have sent a few in for service that I purchased off the Exchange. Couple of blade swaps and a couple broken springs. Each time the service was fast and done well.
I think for every person that posts negatively there are 100 people that are satisfied and post nothing.
Joe
 
I own 2 BM adamas' a contego, crooked river, saddle mountain skinner, barrage, triage, and a volli! All have been perfect out of the box! I broke a pocket clip and wanted a couple of deep carry chrome clips for a few others, all clips were sent to me in a week, free of charge!


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TheEdge01 said:
Actually, ZDP 189 isn't going to be tougher than s30v due to it's extreme high hardness. S30V is heat treated around 58-60 hrc and ZDP 189 is around 62-64. The higher hardness makes it less tough.
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It is actually a misconception that higher hardness means lower toughness. That lower hardness means higher toughness is wrong too.

Alot of what makes a steel tough is its grain, heat treat and those sort of things. It is possible to have sofr steels that are not tough at all. It is equally possible to have high hardness steel thay is extremely tough.

I don't actually know which is tougher S30v or ZDP-189. I will say that I have chipped the blade on several of my S30v knives, but never chipped my ZDP delica. Of course that is totally anecdotal evidence and means nothing. Anyone want to chime in and say which of the two is actually tougher?
 
jazub said:
Your experience isn't isolated, my experience isn't isolated. Frankly it will probably remain a mystery why things have worked out so badly for you and so great for me. I just joined in the conversation because I naïvely gave credence to anti-Benchmade internet talk for years before I finally purchased my first Benchmade and they turned out to be one of my favorite makers. The universe works in mysterious ways. Good luck in your pursuit of pocketknife perfection. :thumbup:
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Pocket knife perfection? Not hardly, I can accept minor flaws, I found it disappointing because these were items I really wanted to keep and enjoy. Based on MY experience, the quality doesn't justify the price point. I'm not doubting that Benchmade has a strong following, they wouldn't be in business if they didn't. 4 out of 5 knives were flawed, I gave them two chances to correct the issue, and they failed to do so. After all, two of the knives were 200 dollars each and the other two were around170 dollars. Otherwise my expectations may not have been as high.
 
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I'll list them as Spyderco, ZT and finally Benchmade. The first two are very close, but I have purchased MANY more Spydies than anything else. I do own about five ZT's presently, though, and all of them are just fine. The only beef that I've had with ZT is that their knives and blade thicknesses are so heavy, thick and heavy-duty, but since they were first designed for first response folks, that is pretty reasonable. More recently, ZT is making some models with thinner blades which slice better...and that's very imp to me.
 
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