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How do you rate Benchmade?
- Thread starter swamp
- Start date
I do like their designs more than most knife companies, so I'd rate their designs a 9.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2009
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- 2,237
I'd rate Spyderco and Benchmade about equal. In my experience Benchmade knives are designed more for aesthetics rather than function. Spyderco usually designs for function over aesthetics. Put a BM 943 next to, say, a Sage and most non-knife people will like the BM better.
I really like the way that the wide, FFG Spyderco blades cut. However, I also really like how the slimmer BM's carry in the pocket. I can fit about 1.7 94x's in the volume of my Sage 2.
On the other hand (literally) I can't justify buying knives that don't have a left-handed carry option. There are only a few BM's that are right-hand only. The majority of Kershaw's knives are right-handed. Until recently, I would never have bought a Paramilitary.
So that's why I give the nod to BM, they have a slight edge over Spyderco for me. Spyderco has the edge in function, but if I can't carry one of their knives, it won't matter how functional it is. That's the reason I don't have any Kershaws.
I really like the way that the wide, FFG Spyderco blades cut. However, I also really like how the slimmer BM's carry in the pocket. I can fit about 1.7 94x's in the volume of my Sage 2.
On the other hand (literally) I can't justify buying knives that don't have a left-handed carry option. There are only a few BM's that are right-hand only. The majority of Kershaw's knives are right-handed. Until recently, I would never have bought a Paramilitary.
So that's why I give the nod to BM, they have a slight edge over Spyderco for me. Spyderco has the edge in function, but if I can't carry one of their knives, it won't matter how functional it is. That's the reason I don't have any Kershaws.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2003
- Messages
- 542
Cynic, we agree here so please help me understand this statement:
I've read this online. I've owned one spyderco knife (it was nice) and I have a buddy who totally drinks the Spyderco Koolaid.
What I'd like to know is what is this superior functionality that you and my buddy and a load of internet posters speak of?
Does a Spyderco folder open, close and lock better than BM or Kershaw? Do they hold in the hand better? Does their properly sharpened stainless cut better than anyone elses?
I ask this not to be a wise ass but because I just don't see it. I've been carrying knives for a long time. I've owned and used all of the makers mentioned in this thread. BM is my favorite and the Seb is included when I say that.
It just sounds to me like this is the line that fans of Spyderco say. I pressed my buddy on this once and he could not elaborate.
I've owned Benchmade folding knives since the late 90s. I've never had a serrious problem with any single one them. For the little things, thier customer service has been the best I've used.
I've never had an omega spring break no matter what I did to the knife. (I'm sure few others have).
I've never been using a Benchmade and thought, "Man, if only this blade wasn't so thick I'd be so much better off".
Never had a fit and finish issue beyond the insignificant. I feel thier heat treat is great, perticularly on D2, and 440c.
To me, they offer the best knife for the money in that range.
Thier biggest/only problem in my opinion is that they discontinue great knives sometimes.
I'd rate them somewhere between a 9 and 10.
I've never had an omega spring break no matter what I did to the knife. (I'm sure few others have).
I've never been using a Benchmade and thought, "Man, if only this blade wasn't so thick I'd be so much better off".
Never had a fit and finish issue beyond the insignificant. I feel thier heat treat is great, perticularly on D2, and 440c.
To me, they offer the best knife for the money in that range.
Thier biggest/only problem in my opinion is that they discontinue great knives sometimes.
I'd rate them somewhere between a 9 and 10.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2010
- Messages
- 252
I just feel that Spyderco knives are more practical when I actually use them for stuff like food preparation or cutting branches. Its difficult to explain why. It depends on the knife, but its mostly the shape of the handle and the blade profile.
I just made a fast comparison between an Endura + Delica and a Griptillian and when I cut something on a flat surface the angle of the blade is a lot more natural with the Endura (or even the smaller Delica).
When slicing tomatoes, I use more of the blade with the Endura or the Delica and cutting is just a little bit more easy. The Delia is smaller but also works in a very natural way, the knife is almost an extension of my hand.
Also, most Spydercos have a very flat profile so are an easy fit in the pockets of my jeans. The Endura is larger than the Benchmade, but because of that flat profile, I get the benefit of a larger blade and a larger handle without sacrificing ease of carrying.
Nothing against Benchmade. I own both the Grip and the MiniGrip and think they are great. But Spyderco just suits me better.
- Joined
- May 14, 2010
- Messages
- 461
Don´t know how to rate Benchmade but I put Spyderco before BM.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
- Messages
- 1,054
I have knives made by different makers, but no other brand satisfies my needs as well as Benchmade does.
I have more then a few favorites that came from Kershaw, but some of their designs don't do it for me at all. I could never warm up to Spyderco no matter how much I tried, same for CRK. All things considered, Benchmade is a winner in my book.
I guess what I really meant was twice the quality.
Which, to be honest with you doesn't even make sense. Because I would rate Benchmade a solid 7 and a Sebenza a 10. (quailty wise) which is not "twice the knife.":foot:
As others have mentioned, Right now I have a Rukus 610 in my front pocket, and Sebs, in a ballistic nylon pouch.
I really do understand how and why some of us own sebs, but reach for the Benchmades.
For me I think it is mainly speed of deployment.
I am really enjoying everyones opinion and thought on this topic, I really never thought so many regarded BM so highly, and Spyderco is getting some high marks too. :thumbup:
They lay claim to the plunger style auto knife opening mechanism when it's quite clear they did not originate it, but since they hold a patent on it, they've chased other auto knife manufacturers to the point where they can no longer make such knives, or have to go through BM to have them made.
...and what about when they can't lay a legal claim to a design?
Oh, then the rules change. Yeah,. there's a certain manual opening system
involving the removal of material from the top of the blade during production... creating a blade that can be opened with the thumb.
....patent expired, so BM don't have to acknowledge it's origin.
Continuing the theme of opening systems, what was BMs assisted opening mechanism inspired by? I wonder... no they seem to have developed that in a vacuum.
I bet they'd never heard of the Ultratech before the Tumult hit shelves either.
You may disagree, and it's your absolute right to do so, but i cannot stand that sort of hypocrisy. It may not be illegal, but to me it is the epitome of "slimy".
If they want credit, they should give it.
To me they come off as being very different companies.
I don't know how in control Sal or Eric really are, but there's a tangible level of direct interaction with the client base on forums, he picks people's brains, lets little tidbits of info drop, travels out of country for shows to demo new protos, presses the flesh, and seems genuinely interested in pushing the proverbial envelope a little. No knife company is perfect, and there's always going to be some element of Trial and error, although Spyderco have usually seemed pretty quick to pick up on those errors.
BM... i don't know what Les and Roberta do. I don't know how much control or input they have or want. I've seen plenty of pictures of Les posing for the cameras at SHOT, but i honestly don't know if his relationship with BM is such that he's directly involved in research and design, if he puts himself out there on forums.
Spyderco has the 'feel' of a family business, which became something big.
..although as i alluded to earlier, it's quite possible that investors have a great level of control under the surface.
Perhaps it's because they're a much bigger company, but BM feels more 'faceless' somehow a bit more 'corporate' and i really think that 'feel' is underscored by some of their legal activities.
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2003
- Messages
- 3,330
I have always found the issue of "credit" in the knife industry rather peculiar.
Imagine a car advertised with full credit to the originators of rather mundane features:
The new Brand X Traveler comes with an electric starter invented by Charles Kettering for Cadillac. It features three point seat belts created for Volvo by Nils Bohlin. Stopping is assured by disc brakes at all four wheels as envisioned by Frederick William Lanchester in 1902.
On and on and on. It would be ridiculous.
If you hold an enforceable patent that is one thing, if a patent has expired, it's public domain.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2009
- Messages
- 2,237
Function-wise, I give the nod to Spyderco. I just finished moving to a different apartments, and between my new roommates and myself we have amassed a lot of cardboard boxes.
I can tell you for a fact that the FFG Spydercos cut cardboard much easier than the saber-ground BM's. I used several different knives (943, 940, 710, 10700, 140, Izula, Endura 4 G-10, Sage 2, Busse Boss Street etc...) and out of all of them the knife that went through the cardboard the easiest was the FFG Endura.
I sharpen all of my knives myself, and keep them all at the same angle (30 degrees inclusive). The thinness of the FFG displaces the least amount of volume, which makes cutting much easier.
Does a Spyderco open or close easier than a BM? I'd have to say that, for me, no. BM's 94x's, or really any Axis Lock, open and close much nicer. Simply because of the Endura's lock design, it prevents a very smooth and easy opening/closing.
Ergonomics are, of course, extremely subjective. I find the 94x's to be very comfortable. The Endura's/Delica's are very nice also. I hate the ergos on the 710, however.
Do their steels hold a better edge? Well, in my experience the VG-10 on the Endura needed to be touched up after only ~50-75 feet of cardboard. The S30V on the 94x's and the Sage 2 had only slight edge degradation. The D2 on the 710 held up fairly well, but not as well as the S30V. And I didn't cut enough with the Busse or the Izula to test INFI or 1095. So, in my far less than scientific test, I've taken a liking to S30V over VG-10.
On the other hand, it only took a few passes on an ultrafine rod to bring the edge back on the VG-10. I haven't needed to re-sharpen the S30V.
Again, the nod I give to BM is due to the Axis-lock, more widespread ambidexterity in their line-up, and aesthetics. Spyderco gets the nod for function.
I can't get past the unethical "We Proudly Steal Other Small-USA Knife Companies' Distinctive Designs" thing; so to me they are worthless regardless of construction or design.
silenthunterstudios
Slipjoint Addict
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 20,039
Over the years, I have had many Benchmades. I would change somethings with certain knives, other knives I should have never sold/traded. Some, I should have never gotten. For example, the Skirmish was a great knife, but too big and heavy for comfortable carry (and I have huge bear paws for hands). Other knives, like the Ritter Griptilian, and the whole line of Grips, IMHO, is probably one of the best knife designs ever. There were some great knives in their red class, most of their blue class and black class are some of the greatest knife designs ever. They've discontinued some knives that should have been kept in production, and brought some knives to the market that should not have made it past R and D. Before I got to Chris Reeve knives, they were my favorite company. My two favorites have been Benchmade and Spyderco, right now I only own a 710 in 154CM and a Ritter Grip, while I own about 5 or 6 Spydies. This doesn't mean BM has fallen out of favor with me. However, after seeing some of their recent knives, I believe that I have gotten picky with my knife purchases. Which is not a bad thing. The Bone Collector folders are a little thicker than I would like, the Subrosa is too lightweight for me, and I don't like Assisted Opening anymore. Nothing bad about the knives themselves, just not what I like. I've had many different Benchmade knives over the past couple years, and will probably get some more. I like the company, and believe that if I hadn't picked up anything from upper echelon companies and custom makers, I would be consider them to be the top tier of production knifemaking.
1) BM has AXIS and that alone gives them an edge - left-handed person doesn't need to wait for a spring run - how long has it took Spyderco to start making lefty Military?
2) Quality and CS - IMHO - one of the best out there (somebody I helped to translate the letter to BM got a brand new blade without sending a broken one to them)
3) Model 710 - IMHO - the best knife .... period.
Verdict - # 1 among others
Just wish they took a lesson from Spyderco - sprint runs are great!
With so many new steels and handle materials...... well... I wish upon a star
I beg to differ with you on the Axis question. I have a BM 930 and the stop pin rattles. I know BM can make it right, and so on, but others have sent theirs in for that and were unhappy with the results. It seems to me it's a design flaw. No more Axis locked BMs for me...
Here's my 930:
I have two BMs, a 930 and the 755 MPR. Both came dull, and really needed reprofiling of the edge. They're fine now, scary sharp, but they sure came with a utilitarian edge at best. Compare that to the three CRKTs I have: a Ripple, a Ripple 2, and the Kommer 30-30. All three came razor sharp... Ditto for every Kershaw I've ever bought: razor sharp out of the box, same with Cold Steel: all of them razor sharp. Why can't BM get their act together on this stuff?
Volk
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2007
- Messages
- 1,896
Just got the large bone collector, quality is top notch. In the past I saw few BM's and they would have an uneven grind. I know it doesn't matter much performance wise, but for over $100 I would expect to be the grind not noticeably uneven. Also the two knives I actually owned (bone collector included) were rather dull, my spyderco, emerson, kershaw/ZT all came shaving sharp. I have few other designs I like but I'm afraid to buy them because they have higher chance of uneven grind. And i can get similar quality knife for the same price without having to wary about it.
All that said, if it is done properly like the Bone collector I just got, its a very good knife, with high fit and finish. I would prefer to go to an actual store and pick one up after handling it and not get one of internet store. They are very good knives.
All that said, if it is done properly like the Bone collector I just got, its a very good knife, with high fit and finish. I would prefer to go to an actual store and pick one up after handling it and not get one of internet store. They are very good knives.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2010
- Messages
- 1,003
I dont understand why lefties say Axis lock alone makes it the best. Last time I checked lockbacks were just as ambidextrous and lockbacks are the most used lock by Spyderco.
The only Benchmades I own are purely for aethetic reasons. Spyderco just functions better in just about every aspect. No doubt axis lock is very cool and no doubt some BMs just look straight up awesome Those two reasons arent anywhere near enough to overtake Spyderco's awesomeness. Add in BMs silly prices and you get a clear winner in my pov.
The only Benchmades I own are purely for aethetic reasons. Spyderco just functions better in just about every aspect. No doubt axis lock is very cool and no doubt some BMs just look straight up awesome Those two reasons arent anywhere near enough to overtake Spyderco's awesomeness. Add in BMs silly prices and you get a clear winner in my pov.
