Best Benchmade Knife

550-1 or 551-1
I'm really loving 20cv right now. It gets sharp as hell and stays there for quite a while.
I got a great 551 and it just keeps getting better.
#2 choice is a ritter grip from KW in m390
 
Get a 940. Great knife. Will probably hog your pocket for a while.

Don’t sweat the critics of BM. I listened to that stuff for a few years before I finally got one and immediately resented the overblown negativity. If centering is your main concern, ask the vendor to double check for centering. My first Sebenza arrived well off center even after I asked the distributor to check it out. That sucked but I centered it and I lived.

Benchmade is a great company with a very dependable and robust warranty. No need for stress.
 
JD Bear said:
I've been reading this thread hoping for a mention of the north fork with wood scales. I really want one of those....
Click to expand...

A North Fork was my first Benchmade. I bought it a couple of years ago, after walking the whole Blade Show. Still have it. Three more Benchmades later, it's still one of my favorites. But it's not my favorite EDC. It's a little thick in the pocket (but comfortable in the hand.) The thumb studs protrude just enough to catch on the pocket coming out and going back in.

My HK Mini Axis is almost a perfect pocket knife IMO. Great blade shape, Feels like it cost more than it did. But, out of production and tough to find now.
Ritter Mini-Grip; great in pocket, great in hand. Awesome steel and very usable blade. It could easily be an only knife from a practical standpoint. Action and lockup is flawless. But the plastic handles don't make it feel like a $100+ knife.

If I was buying a Benchmade this week, it'd probably be a 707 Sequel. (Another discontinued one, I think. Better act fast.)
 
The only problem I have with the quality of BM's is centering, partly 'cos they are expensive here in NZ and I have to buy without handling. Being off center mars what to me are BM's otherwise excellent, well thought out and highly usable folders.

Of my 8 BM's, 3 are are nicely centered - the Crooked River, 790 Subrosa and 950 Rift, the 950 still is after a fair bit of use. The 790 is the only BM I've disassembled, and it went back together just right.

The 484-1 is a bit off center. I asked the dealer, whom I believe to be an honorable man, to pick me out a nicely centered example and I trust that he did. So, none of the 484-1's he had in stock at the time was dead center?

The 581, 586, and 707 are all off center, not to the point of rubbing, but noticeable. The 581 once went back to BM (I messed it up -read voided warranty - and BM's top notch customer support fixed it for free, bless them). It came back excellent in every way, except still off center.

My 940-1 is well off center, almost touching the side. Thing is, it's flawless otherwise. The action, smoothness, lock up, fit and finish, it's just mint - but way off center.
It's like a beautiful petite lady, with the nose of a 50 year old 250lb alcoholic brawler. Still completely functional but, darn, it just ain't right.
I haven't tried to adjust it as I don't want to find I'm trading off centering for something else. Was hoping the pivot screws would loosen with use like my original 940 and then I could try adjusting it, but nope, it's still like it was out of the box, but smoother.

I'm wary of buying BM's now particularly due to my location, 'cos of the centering issue only. I still will on occasion, pretty keen on a smaller CR, and an upgraded 943, and can just hope I get a good one.

Benchmade, you obviously invest seriously into your customer support. Please consider investing more into checking centering of folders before they get to us. Like a pro-active customer support initiative.
 
Five pages and no one has it right yet. ;)

The best Benchmade under $200 is the 162 Bushcrafter. A beast.

Grip or mini grip in 20cv for the folder IMO.
 
Or, you can do what I seem to be doing. Keep buying until you find the perfect Benchmade. Then you can start on Spyderco......
 
Its going to be the full size griptilian or 940 for me. The mini grip is a little small to me so I would chose 940 over that any day. More specifically I would recommend the 940-1501 which comes in right at your budget. For the griptilian I would recommend the 20cv g10 and whatever blade shape/color you like. I would also highly recommend either handling in person or having the dealer select you one because lets face it Benchmade's qc is very lacking.
 
I think the best BM model currently for the money is the Ritter Griptilian with a great blade grind and m390 steel with a good hrc.
It is such a bsrgain relatve to current prices of other BM models, that it was discontinued!! When the current supply is sold, they ll be gone for the foreseeable future.
 
JD Bear said:
I've been reading this thread hoping for a mention of the north fork with wood scales. I really want one of those....
Click to expand...

Here's some North Fork love for ya... It's a great knife indeed, and gets a lot of pocket time. But my favorite BM would still be the 940 ;)

wpy0UsJ.jpg
 
whp said:
I think the best BM model currently for the money is the Ritter Griptilian with a great blade grind and m390 steel with a good hrc.
It is such a bsrgain relatve to current prices of other BM models, that it was discontinued!! When the current supply is sold, they ll be gone for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
I don't think the Ritter Grip will ever return, and that's a shame. To me it kinda looks like Benchmade discontinued their relationship with Doug Ritter and then replaced the Ritter blade style with the new Freek. So, once existing inventory is gone, you can't get a Ritter blade on a Grip, but you can come darn close to one on the Freek. To me, that's a little uncool, but I have no idea of the business arrangements of all parties involved.
 
silvaticus said:
Here's some North Fork love for ya... It's a great knife indeed, and gets a lot of pocket time. But my favorite BM would still be the 940 ;)

wpy0UsJ.jpg
Click to expand...

Dang that thing is good lookin'. I'm more of a traditional guy and that is the best of both worlds. I love my mini grip but I think that would be an instant favorite. Thanks for the picture man :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
BUGOUT! After upgrading the scales and comparing to my 940-1, I'm not sure my 940/943 knives will see my pocket again. The blade shape, size, everything is just perfect. This might now be the most practical EDC I own (along side the Chaparral), and definitely one of my favorite BMs.

Vs8Mxfv.jpg
 
I have many Benchmade knives.
All bought, on line, site unseen.
I have had next to no QC issues at all.
In addition, many of my customers buy their BM knives from online dealers and have them shipped directly to me for customization.
Again, all of these knives that have been shipped to me have had zero QC issues.
I am not saying that others have not had issues, I can not speak for them.
I, however, can only go by my own experiences.
Believe me when I say , a lot of BM knives go through my hands on a regular basis and I have not seen any flood of QC issues, in fact I've seen little to none.

My pick for best BM?
The Loco (for sure).
Crooked River
710
Full size Ritter
Ares
Mini Loco
The 940 and the 530 series do have a following.
However, they are not hardy enough for my tastes.
 
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