How do you rate Benchmade?

Hands down the best knives I have ever owned. I have several and haven't found anything comparable for the same money. The axis locks, the blade steels, and the fit and finish are all excellent. I've used them daily for about 4 years without any problems.
 
I used a 710 for years...then I got an Emerson SOCFK and the Bechmade went into the drawer.:D
 
I went on a BM spree the past month and found the quality to be very good. Most of the blades were centered. The prices are fair especially if you shop around. I doubt, though, if I'll ever recoup the $188 spent on a 710 (w/ the original "balisong" logo). I ended up buying another 710 in D2 to use. Great knife.
 
walleyeguy7 said:
about an 8. spyderco being a 9.5 lol.
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Just curious, but do you rank Spyderco higher because you just like their designs more? Or do you actually feel Spyderco builds their knives better? I have about equal numbers of both brands and just curious what someone else thinks. And if you have experience with Kershaw where would you rank them?
 
I'd rate the quality as very, very high but the designs themselves not so great. Aesthetically they are all very pleasing and it is unfortunate that they choose to spend their time on better aesthetics than better function.

I have been consistently disappointed with the way Benchmades perform, whether it's poor ergos, a lack of attention to detail (blade hits backspacer), the choice of aesthetics over utility (chamfered thumb hole, what are they thinking???), or horrible out-of-box edge geometry.

I have tried over and over again to like Benchmades but I think I have given up for good. There are three Benchmades I haven't tried yet that still appeal to me and they are Benchmade's last chance to redeem themselves in my eyes. One is the 940, and the other is the Morpho. The last one is the Nimravus.
 
zignal_zero said:
really? i don't view them like that. i mean, the way i look at it is: they started out as nothing more than a balisong company, that's it. then they started making OHO folders, then auto's, then a fixed. now they sell push daggers, tomahawks, and other oddities. i think they've expanded and diversified nicely. now, YES, most of their folders do seem like they're pretty much the same.
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They may make many differant types of products but its still the same old. Black G-10/FRN, 154CM, S30V, same locks, etc. Diversifying their products isnt the same thing as trying to improve and modernizing them, its just purely a business choice and making as much money as possible. Kudos to them, nothing wrong with that. I'll take the company that puts in the time, effort, money in developing newer and better things any day (Spyderco). Add in the ridiculous prices of BM and you end up with a score of about an 8, tops. Just my 2 cents, YMMV.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
Just curious, but do you rank Spyderco higher because you just like their designs more? Or do you actually feel Spyderco builds their knives better? I have about equal numbers of both brands and just curious what someone else thinks. And if you have experience with Kershaw where would you rank them?
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I'll chime in on this because I'm in the same boat, but rank them a little closer.
Spyderco makes an effort to improve on their products, be it ergonomics, clip styles, lock designes etc, and also brings new steels to the market at affordable prices.
Benchmade makes great stuff, Axis lock is smooth as butter, and they have some great oldschool makers on board (and some newer of course) but they tend to be a little slower in the new offerings, and put out mid-line products in the same steels like D2 or 154CM....while nothing worng with them, it does get kind of boring after a while. Both are my favorite higher quality mid-line production makers.
Now on to Kershaw. They are often overlooked, but I have had nothing but great experiences with them. They come out with neat new designs at budget prices, but seem to always use their go to Sandvik steel (which recieved a recent upgrade, time will tell if it's worth it or not). The absolute best buy (IMHO) in a hard use folder is their Lahar in VG10, steel liners, G10, flipper, great blade shape, great ergo's, great mid size solid knife and not much else on the market for the price. I've got almost as many Kershaw's as Benchmades (Lots of Spydies) and dollar for dollar I have never been dissapointed with either. Zero Tolerance on another level of course.
 
Benchmade often emphasizes design before function, using materials and assembly at a level of quality that ranges from about an 8.5/10 to a 10/10, the grade of which is usually proportional to their price structure. They continue to innovate, and through the decades have struck that balance of form, function, and quality which makes a knife last. The 551-101, 950, 940, 710, 630, 3100 are the ones I've owned, and they all pretty much kick ass though I never used the 630 because it's so purty. Overall I'd say they're a 9.25/10. Yes, they are often expensive but you tend to get what you pay for--part of which is at this point the cost of not outsourcing to Asia.
 
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I. gess I'm somewhat simpler then most wen it comes to knives "but I have just started collecting" and will not comment on outright quality because I don't have enough experience. But will say that I like the benchmade class system. And that they don't make twenty different versions of the same knife. "But this one has different screws" "Or handle scales". But this is coming from a NEW knife collector. I've used knives fore a long time and just just like the simplicity of a company making twenty "good" . "Not saying that benchmade is doing this" models and keeping them around. For more then a couple of months. But maybe this will change wen I get more involved. Idk theirs my 0.¢ if it makes any
 
Solid 9. Hit or miss on out of the box sharpness, but I love their designs and their customer service is amazing for such a large company.....I would put their CS up there with CRKs and that is saying a lot.
 
Every benchmade knife I've ever purchased has been spectacular. Quality control is excellent, the designs really work, and they have so many designs that there's something for everyone.

I just wish they'd get some better sharpeners.
 
I give BM a 7-10, they get high marks for looks and detail of work. They loose points for steel heat treatment and tolerances. And everything carrot said.

They give custom looks at a lower budget but I think they tend too get cheap in the areas that count the most.
 
I would give them an 8 or 9 for quality, but a 7 overall.
There's no doubt that benchmade makes some solid knives, and the axis lock is hard to beat. But for the price I wish they had better materials and edges. In that price range I expect their blades to come out the box shaving sharp without having to reprofile the bevel myself. Like others have said, I'd love to see them experiment and do sprint runs. Something like a G10 grip would be nice. Anyways, they're a great company and with great products, just not the highest value out there IMHO.
 
I've bought them since the middle 90's. I'm down to around 15 now. The last couple of years the out of the box finish has been pretty bad . The Pika and monochromes are actually finished better than the expensive american made ones.

Lousy blade alignment, lock troubles, lousy ( way too obtuse) sharpening are to be expected for me now. Add in the high prices and they have pretty much lost me as a customer.

That, and their usual habit of running the steel a couple of points lower than advertised hardness. That gets annoying with the higher performing, expensive steels where lower hardness directly affects performance.

Used to be 9/10.

Now 6/10 with the finish on the imports 8/10
 
12/08 I had two BM's, a 551 in 440C and a 201 in D2. Both needed heat added to cut butter when new. It would take a Spyderco 'Sharpmaker' to change that... and I have nineteen BM's now. Oddly, every one of the seventeen new BM's I since added would pop arm hairs when new - some far better than others, one or two just barely. All of my BM's, otherwise, were as near perfect as delivered as one would expect for new production knives. One was missing two small screws under a clip, while another had slightly longer clip screws than needed. Minor inconveniences. A call to BM secured the proper screws quite rapidly. I've never seen a BM whose blade could strike a stop pin - or dull itself in any way. I've never seen another knife as perfectly made as my 630 Skirmish, including the CRK's & WH's of a local sporting goods store - and my recent new ZT-0301 purchase (A new standard!). I'd rate BM as 9.8, not quite a 10 - the variable of the out of the box sharpness detracting a bit from 'perfection'.

Stainz
 
Only problem my BM 940 is that its pivot gets loose after time. I'll fix that when I get blue loc-tite. However quality is very high for production folder. Around 9,5 / 10 as I only have one BM and I have to strop it to get sharp for my liking and pivot getting loose by it self is quite annoying. For this price category I think pivot should not get loose. Still great quality.
 
I don't like many of their designs, but the ones that I do I really like. Benchmade was the company that started me on the path of buying quality production knives back in the early 90's. I still maintain there has never been a better production knife than the 806D2, and the 710 is a true modern classic. One of my all-time favorite knives is my well worn 750 Pinnacle, and I frequently carry a 940 at work.

The reason I don't own more of their designs is simply because I prefer a thumbhole opener over a thumb stud. That's the reason you'll most often find a Spyderco in my pocket on any given day.
 
When the axis lock came out, I bought a few, then got hooked on the Griptian knives, bought some more, I have enough for a long while, probably won't buying anymore cause of the price going up. Can't seem to afford it any more, times are alittle rough, but they are excellent knives & company. I also like the Endura4 from Spyderco, the price seems more resonable. Both are great knives. Gary
 
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