Is Benchmade worth it?

Is Benchmade worth it?

  • Yes, most models are a good buy.

    Votes: 37 25.0%

  • No. Most models are overpriced.

    Votes: 79 53.4%

  • No, but I will still buy them.

    Votes: 24 16.2%

  • Yes. But I won't buy them.

    Votes: 8 5.4%
  • Total voters
    148
  • Poll closed .
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norcalAF said:
Last one I handled had lock rock. The previous gen in D2 was rock solid I'll admit.
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This is Gen 1. No play in any direction.

Not seeing how an axis would have ā€œlock rockā€ but Iā€™ll take your word for it.
 
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AntDog said:
This is Gen 1. No play in any direction.

Not seeing how an axis would have ā€œlock rockā€ but Iā€™ll take your word for it.
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I suppose there could have been some foreign material that got into somewhere, but it happened with a cruwear grey/black combo that I got secondhand in like new condition. It wasn't noticable in use, only if you tried to manipulate the blade in hand. My gen 1 was solid. I traded my Adamas' for a SHF and haven't looked back for political reasons.
 
DDDYLN said:
Why would I know what model this is? The only thing I appreciate about these knives, is the assisted opening. I assume they're assisted opening. That's something you don't get with Cold Steel's Tri-Ad lock. However, I just hand flick open my Voyager XL. It fits in my pocket easily, but I'm a larger guy. There are other companies that make these types of knives for less money than Benchmade. Like I said, if their prices were in line with their quality, I'd buy one. Until that happens, it's only going to be folding knife aficionados who buy them, and there aren't that many of those. Someone posted a knife on here that costs $850, because he likes the craftsmanship and attention to detail. That's kind of the definition of an aficionado, someone who will pay ridiculous prices for a niche product. You can buy an AR-15, plus some ammo for $850. You could also buy more than one of the best fixed blades on the market.
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You didnā€™t ask for the model. You said ā€œShow me a Benchmade folder that can rival the CS Recon 1, AD-10, AD-15, etc.ā€ I showed you.

Itā€™s a Benchmade Adamas, and itā€™s every bit as good as the CS knives you listed. In fact, itā€™s much better in nearly every respect I can think of. It isnā€™t assisted opening. They regularly go for $150 and thatā€™s comparable in price to your Cold Steels.

I paid $90 for that one on the exchange. Iā€™d take it over any cold steel folder, especially post GSM buyout. Theyā€™ve really hit the skids. Benchmades that are worth the price are out there.
 
I remember many years ago I bought a griptillian from my local REI, at the time it was 90 dollars. After a couple of days of carrying it I thought it was odd that it made a bunch of rattling sounds, so I put my hand in the pocket and start pulling out the knife one part at a time --- the darn thing literally came apart in my pocket, felt like that set the stage for benchmade for me. Fast forward to story number 2, I bought a benchmade AFO auto, after falling for all the videos and reviews, when it finally showed up it had so much blade play, wobble, that it appeared downright dangerous, so I tweaked the pivot screw ever so slightly, so slight you could barely see it move and it was so tight it would fire and get stuck half way. Blown away I was. The only good knife I got from benchmade was an adamas fixed in D2 when they were around. Great knife, don't know what happened to it. I Apologize to all who sat through my painful story, there's other instances like the benchmade 162 sheath being completely incompatible with the knife and the barrage mini developing troublesome play after 3 firings but I'm gonna cut it off here. Good bye
 
mitchnola said:
Because you love cold steel doesnā€™t take anything away from benchmade.

And youā€™re making quite the assumption and speculation on knife junkies life savings. And I can assure you, the ones that are spending their life savings arenā€™t buying benchmades or spydecos at that point. Theyā€™ve probably moved on to the midtech/custom world.
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Of production knives, I do own more Spyderco than anything else. However, that doesn't make me a fan boi. The last several I've bought of their newer models (Ikuchi and Smock in particular) have had QC issues. The difference however, is they listen and make changes to fix things. I handled a Smock Saturday and the button no longer sticks out a mile so it's no longer a hot spot.

I have moved on from production knives for the most part. My last three purchases were an Alan Davis, a Seamus, and a Biryukov.

When I saw $340 for that CF Taggedout, I almost choked. Sure, it's Magnacut, but to honest, for $40+ more dollars steps me up into Biryukov with vastly superior f&f and CPM-S125V.

Benchmade is definitely a fan boy company, and they know that people will keep buying because of the name. Therefore, there is no reason to step up QC or keep prices in check.

I have other beefs with the company but that belongs in the political forum.
 
K.O.D. said:
Benchmade is definitely a fan boy company, and they know that people will keep buying because of the name. Therefore, there is no reason to step up QC or keep prices in check.
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Maybe eventually people will take noticeable benchmade will have difficulty staying afloat
 
K.O.D. said:
Of production knives, I do own more Spyderco than anything else. However, that doesn't make me a fan boi. The last several I've bought of their newer models (Ikuchi and Smock in particular) have had QC issues. The difference however, is they listen and make changes to fix things. I handled a Smock Saturday and the button no longer sticks out a mile so it's no longer a hot spot.

I have moved on from production knives for the most part. My last three purchases were an Alan Davis, a Seamus, and a Biryukov.

When I saw $340 for that CF Taggedout, I almost choked. Sure, it's Magnacut, but to honest, for $40+ more dollars steps me up into Biryukov with vastly superior f&f and CPM-S125V.

Benchmade is definitely a fan boy company, and they know that people will keep buying because of the name. Therefore, there is no reason to step up QC or keep prices in check.

I have other beefs with the company but that belongs in the political forum.
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Benchmade is a fanboi company? What companies donā€™t have fanboiā€™s. Even cold steel has fanbois.

Iā€™m no benchmade fanboi. I have all the benchmades I need or want and have no plans of buying anymore. I too actually like spyderco better.

I have maybe 7 or 8 benchmades and havenā€™t had any problems with any although I have no doubt problems happen but I would bet their customer service would take care of any of them.

To write them off as some terrible company seems a little harsh but thatā€™s only based on my experiences.

I must admit I know nothing of their politics and if I did Iā€™d probably no longer support them but like I said I donā€™t plan on buying any in the foreseeable future anyway.
 
DDDYLN said:
Okay. Show me a Benchmade folder that can rival the CS Recon 1, AD-10, AD-15, etc. They have premium steels and craftsmanship, premium QC, and the strongest lock in the folding knife world, with the exception of Andrew Demko's new personal line of folders. I'm sorry, but there's no comparison. Cold Steel isn't the only company that makes better folders, with premium materials, for a fraction of the price.
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Stop talking about ā€œpremium steelsā€

I have never seen a CS with Magnacut or M4. BM and the Spyder have made a ton of knives with those steels now. They blow away the steel CS is using. As does M390, etc. CS runs their steels soft for less warranty returns which hurts performance.

Most of the CS line is made in China. Not known for craftsmanship. I have returned multiple CS knives due to lock failures over the years. It was very common on some models. The Swift, especially.

CS is a lower tier knife maker, BM and Spyderco are a big step up. People that consider CS better are either cheap or like to chop up pig carcasses bones and all in their spare time.

I still own several CS knives.
 
DMG said:
Stop talking about ā€œpremium steelsā€

I have never seen a CS with Magnacut or M4. BM and the Spyder have made a ton of knives with those steels now. They blow away the steel CS is using. As does M390, etc. CS runs their steels soft for less warranty returns which hurts performance.

Most of the CS line is made in China. Not known for craftsmanship. I have returned multiple CS knives due to lock failures over the years. It was very common on some models. The Swift, especially.

CS is a lower tier knife maker, BM and Spyderco are a big step up. People that consider CS better are either cheap or like to chop up pig carcasses bones and all in their spare time.

I still own several CS knives.
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All the testing Iā€™ve seen reported shows that CS runs their steel in pretty optimal hardness ranges. Their CTS XHP was great, their S35VN and CPM 3V is great as well. Those are all pretty premium steels, IMO. Where have you seen that they run their steels soft for warranty returns?

Most of CS knives are made in Taiwan, not China. What CS models commonly had lock failures? I am aware the early assisted opening Swift models had issues.
 
I much prefer the Benchmade of yesteryear. The 710 , 707 Sequel , Skirmish , Subrosa and the HK line were fantastic (in my opinion). And they were reasonably priced. Today , very few BMā€™s interest me. And almost all of them are grossly overpriced (again , imo).
 
The Adamas in Cruwear is a helluva knife. I donā€™t use or carry it any more, but my wife claimed it about two months after I got it. In those 2 months it was my everyday work knife. It got very dirty and used hard, but just kept on working. After my wife ā€œliberatedā€ it, I got a S35VN CS AD-10. It was a good EDC for work, but after two months of same paces the Adamas got put through, it refused to open. Couldnā€™t trust it no more, so I ditched it.IMG_2022.jpegIMG_2008.jpeg
 
I have 12 Benchmade. Folders and fixed. What got me started was an Auto Stryker way back when before Texas law was changed. I had to send in a letter with a Department letterhead. Fanatic knife. The best.

Then as time went on. More models. Carrying a 522 as my primary through some heavy duty life times.

Finally got my finances in order to where I could enjoy to splurge. I've experienced a snapped blade during a light cut. Lock stick like never before. And the edge grinds are pathetic. Real trash of a job.

Just had to have the Auto Fact. $440 bucks. Edge grind is horrible. Blade wobble is pronounced and I have to thread lock the pivot because BM didn't. Sticky assist on another, as in gritty. Uncentered blade as in one pivot washer seems thicker then the other side, on a different example.

I understand the debate about the Butterfly tax. They take care of the employees. It's life time sharpen (That takes almost a month turn around).

Benchmade has become sketchy. That's the only way I can put it.
 
DDDYLN said:
Someone posted a knife on here that costs $850, because he likes the craftsmanship and attention to detail. That's kind of the definition of an aficionado, someone who will pay ridiculous prices for a niche product. You can buy an AR-15, plus some ammo for $850. You could also buy more than one of the best fixed blades on the market.
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So what if it costs $850 and someone buys it? What's it to you?
$850 can buy you a cheap AR and a bit of ammo, yes. It can buy you a decent 55" TV. It could buy you automatic lawn mower. It could buy you an Xbox Series X and about 4 games. It could cover the rent of a decent apartment or be a house payment in one of the more affordable areas to live. $850 buy a nice grill or smoker. To me, any one of those things is a perfectly acceptable way to spend $850 by any person because their purchasing habits and the values they put on what they buy don't remotely affect me or get my dander up.

I've got a really nice Stag AR in my gun cabinet that my dad bought me. Haven't shot it in ages because of personal reasons. I have about $15,000 worth of knives I've purchased since the last time that gun was out. Microtechs, Spydercos, Benchmades, and even more than a couple of Cold Steel knives plus others. Some of them flirted with costing $800. All of them I find more enjoyable than a gun I won't shoot and worth what I felt like spending on them.

Our bills are paid. Our daughter's braces are paid for. The Mrs makes about as much as I do, so we're good. I'm doing my job of putting my family first. Therefore with whatever cash I have left over I buy what I like for whatever irrational reason I choose. Having disposable income doesn't make blinder-clad fanboi šŸ™ƒ
 
I deal with poverty mentality in my customers in our small town. You can smell it on people wearing velcro shoes from Walmart, bragging about how cheap they got something, switching price tags at the hardware store. It is unappealing.

These losers complain about stuff that costs too much as they spend most of their money on scratch off tickets, junk food and beer or energy drinks. This thread reminds me of that. If something is too expensive, STFU and donā€™t buy it. Donā€™t complain about it everywhere. And donā€™t expect others to accept that your lack of taste or cheapness is the only answer.
 
DMG said:
I deal with poverty mentality in my customers in our small town. You can smell it on people wearing velcro shoes from Walmart, bragging about how cheap they got something, switching price tags at the hardware store. It is unappealing.

These losers complain about stuff that costs too much as they spend most of their money on scratch off tickets, junk food and beer or energy drinks. This thread reminds me of that. If something is too expensive, STFU and donā€™t buy it. Donā€™t complain about it everywhere. And donā€™t expect others to accept that your lack of taste or cheapness is the only answer.
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As is frequently stated on another forum I hang out on "go be poor somewhere else!" šŸ˜œ
 
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