HELP... Pre-production or First Production?

[Justin Davit]

I'm kinda new to the knife game. I was just wondering what the specialty and worth was of either a pre-production (lets sat benchmades in this case) or a first production knife? Numbered or not?


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Justyn

 

[Mike Turber]

Pre prodcutions are always worth more especially when they are recognized as prototypes and marked as such.

First production runs are worth maybe a bit more depending on how many were made. I have seen several makers make first production runs that lasted for years. In one case they actually made them again well after the first production had ended. Also there is no standard as to what constitutes a first production run although logic would dictate that it would be first buy of material and run until exhausted. But that could be over 10,000 peices for companies like S&W and UC.

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 

[Professor]

Benchmade generally makes a pre-production run of 1000 knives, and recently began acknowledging this (why they didn't before, I have no clue in England) by marking 575/1000, etc. The First Production runs are supposedly 1000 knives as well, but like Mike said, I'm sure the pre-production prototypes will be the most valuable down the road. I have two pre-pro 705S's, one 710, one 880, one 140, one 145, and one 120. There are often subtle differences between the pre-pro's and the regular production pieces; the most obvious to me are the G10 spacers on the pre-pro's as compared to the Delrin spacers on most others. The pre-pro's and first pro's for that matter will likely be worth more five to ten years down the road, and to my thinking, especially when the knife is out of production altogether.

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Professor

Ever notice no other candy tastes quite like Pez? Oh yeah, the BM Mini-Axis and the Rekat Carnivour are the best production folders yet (IMHO, of course)!!

 

[ThomM]

It would seem the above answers are viable, but in my opinion this has become more of a marketing ploy than a true oppurtunity for the wise investor. Models marked as such are vauleable only if the buyer wants something different, but not significantly different. A check in the "for sale" forums will tell you their true worth.