Best Benchmade Knife

The 42 is the best knife they have made. My second pic would be the bugout. It's not as nice as a 940 but gets more pocket time
 
Large: Contego, Crooked River, 710

Med: 940 (best in class for blade length and slimness), Bugout

Small: 707 Sequel, Mini Barrage, Mini Griptilian
 
The only one I have, the 42. Talk about a flipper. It just sits in the closet as I have no need for it.
 
I have "several" Benchmades & I think it's hard to beat the old plain jane regular & mini Grips. Nothin fancy. They're just good every day working knives.
 
Bluntly: Benchmade hatred is an inflated internet meme and their knives can be bought with confidence.

That was the impression I had gotten from reading things here on BF and from the vast majority of folks who have contributed to this thread.

Of course, the opinions of Mo2 Mo2 , Lapedog Lapedog , and @Aquaholicc should be given the consideration they deserve.
 
That was the impression I had gotten from reading things here on BF and from the vast majority of folks who have contributed to this thread.

Of course, the opinions of Mo2 Mo2 , Lapedog Lapedog , and @Aquaholicc should be given the consideration they deserve.
I think this opinion is largely spread from Nick Shabazz reviews. I love Nick and really respect what he's brought to the knife industry, but if you watch his last few reviews of Benchmade knives (I know two were the Anthem and the Bugout...can't remember the other ones) there have been no major QC issues with the knives, yet "Benchmade bad QC" continues to be his "Ugly" for the knives. I think it's time for QC issues to stop occupying the "Ugly" category when there are no specific QC issues with the knives he's looking at. You shouldn't punish a current knife for the failings of a previous knife, at least not to the extent of it being tangibly "Ugly".

Nick is very influential and I think we're seeing the breadth of that influence when folks who aren't actively looking at a new Benchmade knives are quick to join the chorus of "Benchmade QC sucks". I'll be the first to agree that, in general, Benchmade QC lags behind their competitors but not at the epidemic level that the internet would lead you to believe. I'm not downplaying the opinions of Benchmade critics, only questioning the current relevance of what shaped those opinions.

Also, I think it's only fair if one calls out Benchmade QC to contrast it with their (arguably) class leading service and support. Those two elements of knifedom tend to go hand in hand.

The internet is the home of "Absolute Truth" while, ironically, possessing little.:)
 
I've been reading this thread hoping for a mention of the north fork with wood scales. I really want one of those....
 
A lot comes to mind but recommendation would be based on your preference. What blade size, weight, materials, price, etc?

My preference:

LIGHTWEIGHT- 940 or Bugout

BIG MAMA JAMMA- 710 or 810

MEDIUM- Griptilian
 
I don't think that most people are commenting on Benchmade's qc are doing it to diss the company. Rather they just want to warn potential customers. If BM has a problem with qc to the point it becomes an internet meme then that means the meme speaks true enough to be widely accepted across the internet.

I am an Emerson fan and hear all the time about their qc issues. I understand that they must be having qc issues if enough people are mentioning them. It's not the case that those people complaining about qc issues have a hate on for the company. Rather often they want to love the company. They often bought a knife from said company that had qc issues, and they wish it didn't because they want to love the knife.

I know BM can do better. I don't want them to be a company people are scared to buy from sight unseen. I don't want to send my knife in the day I get it.
Thank you. When they don't burn the steel from sharpening it's an amazing heat treatment and they last forever when I work with them. But won't buy more and support the poor qc that hasn't got better until I see better. When you keep hearing people have issues with the anthem even after benchmade said they were going to improve its sad. All my benchmades have had qc issues. Every one. My buddy has gotten several decent examples but not all.
I think this opinion is largely spread from Nick Shabazz reviews. I love Nick and really respect what he's brought to the knife industry, but if you watch his last few reviews of Benchmade knives (I know two were the Anthem and the Bugout...can't remember the other ones) there have been no major QC issues with the knives, yet "Benchmade bad QC" continues to be his "Ugly" for the knives. I think it's time for QC issues to stop occupying the "Ugly" category when there are no specific QC issues with the knives he's looking at. You shouldn't punish a current knife for the failings of a previous knife, at least not to the extent of it being tangibly "Ugly".

Nick is very influential and I think we're seeing the breadth of that influence when folks who aren't actively looking at a new Benchmade knives are quick to join the chorus of "Benchmade QC sucks". I'll be the first to agree that, in general, Benchmade QC lags behind their competitors but not at the epidemic level that the internet would lead you to believe. I'm not downplaying the opinions of Benchmade critics, only questioning the current relevance of what shaped those opinions.

Also, I think it's only fair if one calls out Benchmade QC to contrast it with their (arguably) class leading service and support. Those two elements of knifedom tend to go hand in hand.

The internet is the home of "Absolute Truth" while, ironically, possessing little.:)
I don't think he's the only one. And let's see what his take is on your comment NickShabazz NickShabazz
 
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I think this opinion is largely spread from Nick Shabazz reviews. I love Nick and really respect what he's brought to the knife industry, but if you watch his last few reviews of Benchmade knives (I know two were the Anthem and the Bugout...can't remember the other ones) there have been no major QC issues with the knives, yet "Benchmade bad QC" continues to be his "Ugly" for the knives. I think it's time for QC issues to stop occupying the "Ugly" category when there are no specific QC issues with the knives he's looking at. You shouldn't punish a current knife for the failings of a previous knife, at least not to the extent of it being tangibly "Ugly".

Nick is very influential and I think we're seeing the breadth of that influence when folks who aren't actively looking at a new Benchmade knives are quick to join the chorus of "Benchmade QC sucks". I'll be the first to agree that, in general, Benchmade QC lags behind their competitors but not at the epidemic level that the internet would lead you to believe. I'm not downplaying the opinions of Benchmade critics, only questioning the current relevance of what shaped those opinions.

Also, I think it's only fair if one calls out Benchmade QC to contrast it with their (arguably) class leading service and support. Those two elements of knifedom tend to go hand in hand.

The internet is the home of "Absolute Truth" while, ironically, possessing little.:)

I think that it is probably that Benchmade has for a long time been percieved as a company that produces high quality knives with high fit and finish. Many people criticizing Benchmade are not new customers unaware of the history of the company. We all want to go back to a time where buying a Benchmade was considered a safe bet.

Also you have to remember for many customers who are outside the USA it is not possible or practical to use Benchmade's customer service. For example knives being shipped back from Benchmade to me in Canada may be confiscated at the border if the pivot is too loose and allows for inertial opening.
 
I think this opinion is largely spread from Nick Shabazz reviews. ....

The internet is the home of "Absolute Truth" while, ironically, possessing little.:)

I suspected something like that. It seems that Benchmade is held in quite high esteem by the majority of the members here, so I was taken aback by the "undeniable, definitive, proven by science" claims of their poor QC by several members.

YouTube reviews would explain it.

I try to not take too much stock in them.

But, to the point, .... really the BM Grip is a general purpose, time-proven "can't miss" ala the Spyderco Delica. I would recommend either to anyone....especially someone who cannot come up with specific details about what they like in a knife, or what they want to use their knife for.

Great place to start.
 
It may not be the "best" by any account, but I carry my M390 Ritter mini grip more than all of my other knives. I love that little orange bastard so much I was debating on putting him out of commission and buying a 20CV/G10 mini to take its place. Then I realized how terrible that plan was, haha.
 
I think this opinion is largely spread from Nick Shabazz reviews. I love Nick and really respect what he's brought to the knife industry, but if you watch his last few reviews of Benchmade knives (I know two were the Anthem and the Bugout...can't remember the other ones) there have been no major QC issues with the knives, yet "Benchmade bad QC" continues to be his "Ugly" for the knives. I think it's time for QC issues to stop occupying the "Ugly" category when there are no specific QC issues with the knives he's looking at. You shouldn't punish a current knife for the failings of a previous knife, at least not to the extent of it being tangibly "Ugly".

Thanks for the kind words. I get what you're saying, but given the breadth of pretty negative experiences I've had in recent years, it'll take a while before I'm willing to take that off the list. Weird analogy, but if you had a coworker who, regularly and without warning, kicked you in the nuts during handshakes for many years, you might be understandably shy and guarded of certain regions when the meeting's started up. And even once he stopped for a week or two, I rather suspect it'd be a while before you're willing to go in for a front-facing handshake. They can earn the trust back by starting to make them as well as they used to again, but it's not immediate.

Also, let's imagine that they 'turned over a new leaf' in the last months. Even so, there will be a while where poorly QCed knives are still in circulation at dealers, and buying any given Benchmade off the shelf is still a dangerous game. So, my normal advice of "buy it in person, where you can make sure they're not selling you junk" still stands. If they up their game, nothing is harmed. People verify that they're getting a good one, but instead of needing to check four, the first one is good. Great. But if they haven't upped their game, people do what it takes to get a good one, and all is well.

Finally, just to note, a buddy of mine recently picked me up a Benchmade *at their factory store* and still had to try a few to get one which is centered and without play, and I got an Anthem with a crappy edge bevel (and Michael Emler has had two). This is not good. All I have is my experiences, and the experiences shared with me by my viewers, commenters, etc. And those, right now, make me think that even if they're trying, they're not trying hard enough.

Nick is very influential and I think we're seeing the breadth of that influence when folks who aren't actively looking at a new Benchmade knives are quick to join the chorus of "Benchmade QC sucks". I'll be the first to agree that, in general, Benchmade QC lags behind their competitors but not at the epidemic level that the internet would lead you to believe. I'm not downplaying the opinions of Benchmade critics, only questioning the current relevance of what shaped those opinions.

The thing is, though, so many companies are doing great QC right now, and have been for the last five years, and there's a reason that ZT, Spyderco, CRK, WE, Reate, etc don't have this reputation, even when each have had major, public QC fouls. If this were an inflated internet meme, why just them? One loud jackass doesn't cause this, many years of neglect does. This is an issue with any inconsistency, where the same company can look fine to some people who get good ones ("Every Benchmade I've gotten is great! These guys don't know what they're talking about!"), and "awful" to the people who get bad ones. But community consensus tends to tell the tale.

Also, I think it's only fair if one calls out Benchmade QC to contrast it with their (arguably) class leading service and support. Those two elements of knifedom tend to go hand in hand.

I addressed this one directly in a Knife Gripe (http://knifenews.com/knife-gripes-episode-10-unwarranted/), as it's a common response to QC issues. But this is often not true for international buyers, it's a tax (in terms of shipping and time) on local buyers, and frankly, it's just kind of lazy. You shouldn't get a gold star for repeatedly screwing up in one area and fixing it in another, and the very best warranty service is one that's never needed. It's not an excuse, particularly when the competition often offers both QC and service.

Benchmade has great products, and I want nothing more than to be able to support them and to see their excellent designs produced with excellent quality. But I don't think we as a community are doing anybody a service by downplaying these issues, or proclaiming on the basis of no evidence that "a new era has dawned". My hope is that whoever in the company is resistant to spend the time and money on good QC will read these kinds of threads, and hear these voices, and see these videos, and decide that yeah, it IS important, and that they need to end the 'internet meme' by going to the front of the pack in QC. Heck, I wouldn't even mind seeing this coupled with some public acknowledgement of a focus on QC ("The Benchmade 100% Quality Guarantee" or the like) to signal the change. This will win folks back, and I will gladly trumpet it from the rooftops when they're really ready to make changes.

But at the end of the day, I think this kind of attention and focus on quality control, applied fairly to all brands where it's relevant, benefits the community and my fellow lovers of the brand, because we all want Benchmade to make knives as well as they design them.

Also, pardoning the threadjack, I'd argue that the Anthem is Benchmade's best knife, with the 940 not far behind, and the Valet as a choice for folks who like smaller blades.
 
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I owned 40+ Benchmade knives over the years, and I've never had a QC issue. I've never sent a knife back to Benchmade. Maybe I'm lucky or maybe I just don't notice/nitpick flaws that others do. Either way I view Benchmade as a users brand. So I'm very satisfied with the products they produce. There's nothing said on this thread or any other that would change my mind and I'm sure the company will continue to operate just fine.
Onto the topic of the thread, I like the 940, and frequently carry a bali morpho or 42, which happens to be one of my favorite users.
 
The best Benchmade is pure preference. Right now my preferences are as follows:

Large: Crooked River
Medium: Griptilian (Knifeworks Exclusive)
Small(ish): Bugout

I've bought several Benchmade's in the last couple of months:
551-1702
940-2
535
570 (local)
15080-1

All of my knives have not had issues and I have a local dealer and while they don't have a huge selection the 30 or so knives they have don't have issues either. As a whole, I really like what Benchmade is doing. There's always room for improvement but again, I feel confident in spending my money on them.
 
I’m another with a bunch of new Benchmades that were trouble free out of the box.

Large......710-1401 or Crooked River w/G10 scales.
Med......940-1501
Sm..:..:586 or 705
 
Thanks for the kind words. I get what you're saying, but given the breadth of pretty negative experiences I've had in recent years, it'll take a while before I'm willing to take that off the list. Weird analogy, but if you had a coworker who, regularly and without warning, kicked you in the nuts during handshakes for many years, you might be understandably shy and guarded of certain regions when the meeting's started up. And even once he stopped for a week or two, I rather suspect it'd be a while before you're willing to go in for a front-facing handshake. They can earn the trust back by starting to make them as well as they used to again, but it's not immediate.

Also, let's imagine that they 'turned over a new leaf' in the last months. Even so, there will be a while where poorly QCed knives are still in circulation at dealers, and buying any given Benchmade off the shelf is still a dangerous game. So, my normal advice of "buy it in person, where you can make sure they're not selling you junk" still stands. If they up their game, nothing is harmed. People verify that they're getting a good one, but instead of needing to check four, the first one is good. Great. But if they haven't upped their game, people do what it takes to get a good one, and all is well.

Finally, just to note, a buddy of mine recently picked me up a Benchmade *at their factory store* and still had to try a few to get one which is centered and without play, and I got an Anthem with a crappy edge bevel (and Michael Emler has had two). This is not good. All I have is my experiences, and the experiences shared with me by my viewers, commenters, etc. And those, right now, make me think that even if they're trying, they're not trying hard enough.



The thing is, though, so many companies are doing great QC right now, and have been for the last five years, and there's a reason that ZT, Spyderco, CRK, WE, Reate, etc don't have this reputation, even when each have had major, public QC fouls. If this were an inflated internet meme, why just them? One loud jackass doesn't cause this, many years of neglect does. This is an issue with any inconsistency, where the same company can look fine to some people who get good ones ("Every Benchmade I've gotten is great! These guys don't know what they're talking about!"), and "awful" to the people who get bad ones. But community consensus tends to tell the tale.



I addressed this one directly in a Knife Gripe (http://knifenews.com/knife-gripes-episode-10-unwarranted/), as it's a common response to QC issues. But this is often not true for international buyers, it's a tax (in terms of shipping and time) on local buyers, and frankly, it's just kind of lazy. You shouldn't get a gold star for repeatedly screwing up in one area and fixing it in another, and the very best warranty service is one that's never needed. It's not an excuse, particularly when the competition often offers both QC and service.

Benchmade has great products, and I want nothing more than to be able to support them and to see their excellent designs produced with excellent quality. But I don't think we as a community are doing anybody a service by downplaying these issues, or proclaiming on the basis of no evidence that "a new era has dawned". My hope is that whoever in the company is resistant to spend the time and money on good QC will read these kinds of threads, and hear these voices, and see these videos, and decide that yeah, it IS important, and that they need to end the 'internet meme' by going to the front of the pack in QC. Heck, I wouldn't even mind seeing this coupled with some public acknowledgement of a focus on QC ("The Benchmade 100% Quality Guarantee" or the like) to signal the change. This will win folks back, and I will gladly trumpet it from the rooftops when they're really ready to make changes.

But at the end of the day, I think this kind of attention and focus on quality control, applied fairly to all brands where it's relevant, benefits the community and my fellow lovers of the brand, because we all want Benchmade to make knives as well as they design them.

Also, pardoning the threadjack, I'd argue that the Anthem is Benchmade's best knife, with the 940 not far behind, and the Valet as a choice for folks who like smaller blades.
Hiya Nick!
I'm really glad you came in to offer your thoughts. I felt kinda bad after posting what I did because I seemed to me like I was criticizing you behind your back. I can appreciate your point of view and am glad you share your experiences with the rest of us random jackasses!

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on whether Benchmade QC is an "Ugly" for a given knife if that particular specimen has no issues. By my take, you're reviewing a singular model. Your evaluation criteria should be form, function, fit and finish for that particular specimen, not a larger, global assessment of the manufacturer.

If you want to offer a caveat that Benchmades should be selected in person, that's fine, but bad QC on a knife with no issues isn't relevant to the evaluation of that specific model. From my point of view, given your past experience with Benchmade QC, finding a knife with no issues should probably rank as a "Good" ;). A "Hallelujah" moment!

Anyway, I think be both want to see Benchmade do better, we just have different ways of holding their feet to the fire. Thanks for the reviews and thanks for answering my comments in this thread!

Edit: One additional thought I wanted to add after posting...

I still stand by my claim that the chorus of Benchmade hatred is largely an internet sensation/function. While your experiences are genuine, I'm certain that many who join your critique of Benchmade QC haven't bought one in years. It's not a bad thing, it's simply the way news is spread and opinions are shaped in our internet/social media driven world. I don't mean this as a criticism of you or those who echo your views. Really, it's a compliment toward the degree of influence you have over our collective "knife minds".

Heh, "knife minds"...great name for a new knife blog, lol.
 
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Well, I've got 4 Benchmades and all are very nice. My first was the 710, then the Rift and the Crooked River, but the one that always ends up in my pocket is the Bedlam 8600bk. I had a satin manual version for a while, but it was awkward opening it and closing it (even closed it on a finger once) so I got rid of it. The auto version makes a HUGE difference and I'm so glad I tried the style one more time.
 
My favorites are the 520/525 Presidio's------just got another 520 in the mail yesterday at a great price due to the discontinued nature of these beasts.

I have other BM's but nothing else has pushed the 520/525's out of the pocket--I carry a 520 variant most of the time and a Spydie PM2 if I want to go lighter. My old faithful 520 will be going back to the mothership for a refurb sometime soon---mainly for a factory sharpen and to fix the clip that I somehow managed to booger up---I've had that knife going on 12 years and its as smooth as glass.

I actually prefer 154CM to S30V because its much easier for me to get it hair popping sharp---a great everyday steel.

Not many go for the Presidio's but for me its the only one-------have no experience with the new 570 Presidio II's
 
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Benchmade 940 is my favorite. Also liked the 730 Ares and 804 AFCK with oval hole. Looks like the Bugout is nice too but don’t have one of those yet. Kevin
 
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