Benchmade makes good, functional knives for the money, but they suffer the ills of many mass-manufactured products: blades not centered in the handles, very uneven edge grinds, questionable heat treatment. I have heard of many broken tips when a Benchmade falls to the ground - a sign of poor heat treatment. The bottom line is that if you like a certain model in Benchmade's extensive line, then I would suggest you look at the particular knife you want to buy before you purchase it and inspect it for defects. Believe me, I speek from experience.
Not that Benchmade won't stand behind their products; I heard that their customer service seems reasonable these days. BUT CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE A CURE FOR POOR QA/INSPECTION!!!!! These are issues you just don't have to worry about when buying a CRK product. Chris Reeve knives are as close to perfection in manufacturing, hand finishing, and quality that you are likely to find anywhere, and you have got to expect to pay for this. In the very, very rare event that there is a problem with the knife, CRK service is second to none.
We on this forum believe in the products of Chris Reeve Knives because we believe that they represent a fair value for the money. They are expensive knives, but they deliver in terms of performance, superb quality and workmanship, and pride of ownership.