Best Benchmade Knife

Depends on what you like:
Check knifeworks.com

Larger, I'd say the Hunt, Contego in m390 or m4, or the m390 - 710

Smaller I'd say a 20cv mini griptilian or a Nakamura or Valet in m390

In the middle I'd say a regular griptilian in 20cv or m390, 20cv Foray, 20cv 940, or an s30v presidio

Assisted, try an m390 barrage
A completely overbuilt tank, the d2 Adamas
Sub 3" and non clip, the 482 Megumi is a handsome little fella.

All awesome knives in their own right, all completely different in their own right... pick one that best suits YOUR tastes and you won't be disappointed.

*fwiw I love My 810 in m390 and my lightweight 531 is my go to knife when wearing basketball shorts in the summer.
 
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I think the 940 series is a great choice. One of the best knives ever made, Benchmade or otherwise IMHO. Only issue is blade play, but that is in alot of BMs and doesn't hurt the axis lock.

The 710 and smaller 707 are just absolutely wonderful knives. I would say that most of Osbourn's (940, Contigo) and Mchenry Williams (710, 707) designs are absolute winners. Infact Benchmade makes so many good knives it is hard to say which is objectively the best. I like the Proxy but you probably want a mnife with an axis lock.

Just be sure to inspect the knife first in person or atleast ask the online store to look over it for you because too many BMs have quality control issues.
 
For me, right now, my M4-CF Stryker exclusive from KnivesShipFree.
 
marcinek said:
Yes. You updated it to the same thing.

You claim "Benchmade has very poor quality control" ? o_O

Well, Lapedog Lapedog agrees with you.
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Very poor might be an overstatement, and Benchmade claims they are working to fix those problems. They might have fixed it by now but up until very recently they were having enough knives with issues leaving their factory.
 
They have extremely bad qc. It's a well known fact. You can read threads here about it. More issues than most companies have.

They haven't fixed a thing. They made some minor changes. That really don't help much.
 
I am not sure if i would call benchmade qc very poor or bad. compared to other premium brands they are just "par". i would personally call their qc minimum acceptable control at the worst. i have had minor issues such as uneven edge, or an edge that was just sharp enough but still very useable. I have never purchased a benchmade that had any major issues though and have never had to send one in right out of the box. Also, i would not hesistate to buy one site unseen. i think maybe their engineering standards are very high but their assembly standards just par.
 
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I'm not saying they are bad knives. I'm saying there quality control is terrible and it's true. More often then not you will get one of the man many quality issues they have. So many to list too. It's far more than any manufacturer at the prices they are charging.

Hence why I gave suggestions to avoid the problem.
 
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Weird, just got a Bugout and the quality of it was outstanding...
Blanket statement and you've made your point.

Back on topic, "Best" is a subjective word and would need further clarification on what you are looking for in a knife. As for most popular Benchmade I would have to say either the Griptillian series or the 940 series, with the 710 series close behind.

Personally I like the 531 and the new 535 Bugout. If you can find the discontinued Axis Locks folders Benchmade made for H&K they're a great deal.
 
710 would be a good call, though I don't have one myself.
Whatever you pick, make it an un-assisted Axis lock.

How about the Crooked River?
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Or a 950 Rift?
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That crooked river is really quite beautiful. I handled on in the store and it was impeccable. the blade swung open with authority, was perfectly centered and locked up like a bank vault
 
The 940 series is a benchmark in my opinion. Not only for Benchmade, but also for every other EDC knife. If the shape doesn't appeal to you, try to get ahold of a 710.
 
I'll throw in a vote for a deassisted G10 Barrage. The handle is wonderful and the blade shape is one of my favorites that Benchmade makes.
 
Mo2 said:
I'm not saying they are bad knives. I'm saying there quality control is terrible and it's true. More often then not you will get one of the man many quality issues they have. So many to list too. It's far more than any manufacturer at the prices they are charging.

Hence why I gave suggestions to avoid the problem.
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I agree on this and I love my BM knives. I just purchased a Anthem and the blade centering isn’t perfect like you think it should be on a knife at this price point. Their QC is piss poor at best. It’s a very sad thing.
 
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In my opinion the criticism of Benchmade's quality control is greatly overstated. As with any critique, a very vocal minority can shout their negative opinion far loudly that the satisfied contentment of the majority. I'm a little baffled about the Benchmade hate because the QC critics seem to almost take it personal or have an agenda. That could certainly be a matter of perception on my part. One thing is for certain: if anyone ever makes an absolute statement ( X always has terrible Y ), you can be certain that statement is always wrong some of the time. ;)

The fact of the matter is Benchmade's "out the door QC" probably lags behind their peer rivals: Spyderco and KAI. I'd rate them, from best to worse as Spyderco, KAI and Benchmade.

In the matter of service and support the ranking flips. I see it as Benchmade, KAI and Spyderco.

Mind you, none of these brands are deserving of condemnation as the differences are mild and well within the realm of expectations. Each wins in some areas and loses out in others. It's normal. They're all great brands.

Bluntly: Benchmade hatred is an inflated internet meme and their knives can be bought with confidence.

In terms of my suggestion for "best" Benchmade under $200, I'd have to go with the G10/20CV Grip. Choose either full-sized or mini, hole or thumbstuds and you'll have a terrific knife. If for some reason the Grip just doesn't do it for you, look at the 940/943 series.
 
Hackenslash said:
In my opinion the criticism of Benchmade's quality control is greatly overstated. As with any critique, a very vocal minority can shout their negative opinion far loudly that the satisfied contentment of the majority. I'm a little baffled about the Benchmade hate because the QC critics seem to almost take it personal or have an agenda. That could certainly be a matter of perception on my part. One thing is for certain: if anyone ever makes an absolute statement ( X always has terrible Y ), you can be certain that statement is always wrong some of the time. ;)

The fact of the matter is Benchmade's "out the door QC" probably lags behind their peer rivals: Spyderco and KAI. I'd rate them, from best to worse as Spyderco, KAI and Benchmade.

In the matter of service and support the ranking flips. I see it as Benchmade, KAI and Spyderco.

Mind you, none of these brands are deserving of condemnation as the differences are mild and well within the realm of expectations. Each wins in some areas and loses out in others. It's normal. They're all great brands.

Bluntly: Benchmade hatred is an inflated internet meme and their knives can be bought with confidence.

In terms of my suggestion for "best" Benchmade under $200, I'd have to go with the G10/20CV Grip. Choose either full-sized or mini, hole or thumbstuds and you'll have a terrific knife. If for some reason the Grip just doesn't do it for you, look at the 940/943 series.
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Don't get me wrong I wasn't trying to sway the OP away form buying a BM just giving a fair warning as its always hit or miss with BM and their QC. To me its just annoying. Now as you stated their "customer support" is the best I have ever dealt with, except CRK of course but thats a whole different realm of knife/company.

To OP: I highly recommend the 940 as well, good all around EDC blade that will make you wonder if your actually carrying a knife in pocket or not, plus it can double has a "gentleman's" knife. Good luck! Keep us posted on what you end up getting.
 
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In my honest opinion, the best Benchmade is the Griptilian. It's the knife that I've owned many versions of, over the past 20 years, and all have been rock solid in their lockup, up/down wise. Every other axis lock I've had from Benchmade developed up/down play, some really bad, so I got rid of them. Actually, the Griptilian is the only Benchmade knife I own.
 
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