How do you rate Benchmade on a scale 1-10?

Solid 9 from me.

I was a huge BM fan back in the day, switched over to toting CRK stuff for 10 years, and went back to BM about 6 months ago. I now EDC a small Bone Collector. I always wanted a Spydie-hole opener in the mini BC's size range, and with the Axis, flat-ground D2 blade steel, coated liners, etc., and have been very, very pleased with it over the last 6 months. What sold me was the re-vamp on the Axis lock on the mini BC. Not sure if others have the same re-vamp. The Axis module interfaces with a specific and gradually-arched divot on the blade tang which forces the blade against the pivot and stop pin. When snapped opened, the three-point contact eliminates the vertical blade play that exists in my other Axis folders that do not have the divot, and where the Axis module simply enages the flat back of the blade tang.

I love the speed of the knife too. I can open it, make a cut, and close it so fast that folks hardly know what happened.

Just my .02.

Prof.
 
I'll give them either a 9 or 10 as a production knife company. I have owned many Benchmades and they've always been perfect straight out of the box and have never failed me. I used to call BM and Spyderco equals, but after 3 P'Kals with edge chipping after only minimal use (opening packages), I have to give the nod to BM. It's a shame because I've been carrying a P'Kal for most of 5 years.
 
I am overthinking this, but in my opinion, if you really think about what they offer us as consumers, they have to be at least a 9. I originally wanted to say that BM and Spyderco both deserve 10s, and are the best knife companies in existence, but I've tempered my enthusiasm a bit. I still think they are the best KNIFE COMPANIES. Realize that I did NOT say they make the best knives, have the best fit and finish, etc, etc, etc. However, they are the best knife companies, and here's why:

Benchmade:
-100% made in USA: I know they did their Red Class a while back, but I believe they are now 100% made in USA again. That doesn't make their knives better, but as an American, I appreciate it.
-Selection: They make hundreds of different styles, from flippers to folders to fixed blades, of all sizes. They use good steels, premium steels, super steels, basically they have something that will appeal to almost anyone.
-Customer Service: Their customer service is generally regarded as one of the best in the business, if not THE best.
-Fit and Finish: These are not custom or mid-tech knives, but for production knives, they are up there with some of the best in this category. I work for a company that sells BM (but receive no commission or anything), so I see a lot come in and out. We get very few lemons.
-Availability: This is huge. I can walk out my door, drive three miles down the street, and buy ANY knife that BM makes. Right now. I can have it in 10 minutes.
-Collaborations: Unlike smaller companies, where you only get knives from one designer, or maybe a single collaboration per year, BM does numerous collaborations every year. More designers, more variety, more cool stuff for us.
-Price: Given what you get, the prices are pretty good. This really depends on what you value (F&F, materials, design, etc), but generally, to get a knife with, say, carbon fiber handles and S90V steel, you're going to pay less for such a BM than something else.

I'll stop there. I guess my point is that while I assume most people would choose a custom or mid-tech brand as the best knife company out there, I think the above factors make BM one of the top companies in the game. Again, I'm NOT saying they make the best knives. Yes, you can find a knife with way better F&F, but you'll likely spend way more. When you think of it as a whole company and all they offer, I think they are hard to beat. I also think the same applies to Spyderco. I may even give Spyderco the edge because of all the knife nut oriented sprint runs, Sal's involvement with the community, etc, but you didn't ask about Spyderco.
 
Before I was looking for higher end knives I woulda said 9 based on my original Stryker. Now it's a 6. Their selection has a lot to be desired. If they had a medium griptillian around 3.25 inch blade or so then they'd probably get a rating of 7.5 from md


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I give them a 6-7 at best. They are not the company they used to be and their quality has been declining as of late. They are also quite overpriced for what they offer and when compared to their competition.
 
Benchmade - 8.5
HK/Benchmade - 5.5

It comes down to model too. I still think people are crazy for liking the Griptilian so much. Then you have offerings like the Loco. If I couldn't sell them, I'd take one Loco over a crate of Griptilians.
 
I'd give them a 6. Pretty boring designs, fit and finish issues, almost never properly sharpened out of the box (super obtuse edge bevels).
 
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I quite like the axis lock and the quality of their but IMO a lot of their knives are too similar.
 
solid 9. i'm not seeing the decline that is being mentioned. if anything, my newer models are among the very best 761, Loco, Crooked River.
 
6. 7/8 if they dropped their prices.

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^^ I totally get your point, my friend. I started buying BM knives back in 1999/2000-ish. I was very enthusiastic about the brand for several years, but my enthusiasm started to wane probably around 2008-2009, and that was mainly due to the ever increasing prices. I haven't purchased a BM product since that time.
 
link2derek said:
^^ I totally get your point, my friend. I started buying BM knives back in 1999/2000-ish. I was very enthusiastic about the brand for several years, but my enthusiasm started to wane probably around 2008-2009, and that was mainly due to the ever increasing prices. I haven't purchased a BM product since that time.
Click to expand...

It is also because the thread is from 4 years ago ;)

But I know what you are saying. I have an Original 710 with ATS-34. The thing is around 20 years old. Amazing knife. However, most of the BMs I bought make little sense after their MAP fiasco. Just not worth the money. Some of the new BM products have surprised me, bringing the expectations closer to the new prices. The 665 APB and G-10 crip I have are on par with their price IMO.
 
Four years ago, I gave Benchmade a 9. I had forgotten that post, but it's the same rating I'd give the company today. As a production company, Benchmade offers an incredible range of high-quality knives -- right up through gold class knives. My EDC for many years is a first-production-run Rukus 610, which is solid, smooth and built to high standards of quality. It has taken years of hard use, the S30V has never chipped (even at 15 dps) and it is as tight and solid today as when it first came off the production line. Plus, the company's customer service is top notch.

Spyderco and Zero Tolerance are probably in the same range, but if I could buy knives from only one maker, it would be Benchmade.
 
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^^ Oh, haha! I didn't notice that.. My sentiment is still true, though - as their prices go up, I get less and less enthused. I just hope Spyderco doesn't price me out, too. But they might - it's really hard for me to spend $200, $250, or more on a knife made in Thailand - no matter how great their quality control happens to be. But that's just me. Maybe I'll change my mind someday...
 
Why did we wake up a thread from 2012? Why?

Seven and a half, maybe eight, for me. I am very fond of their Axis lock.
 
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