Is my LGS full of it?

TechDoc

TechDoc

Joined
Feb 26, 2014
Messages
474
There are a few places local to me which sell Benchmade knives and one of them is a fairly large gun store/range which specializes in "tactical" merchandise. They carry a decent number of BM knives in both the blue and black classes. What they carry is about 95% serrated combo edges. I was asking them about this the other day and their explanation is that combo edges are overwhelmingly more popular than plain edges.

Perhaps they meant for their customers but the guy went on to say that over the past couple of years BM has been increasing the number of combo edges and decreasing the number of plain edges and is now producing 3x as many combo as plain. This didn't seem right to me given that recent LE knives are only available in plain edge (2014 Shot Show 586-1401) or more plain edge are made than combo edge (2013 Shot Show Griptillian -- 750 plain vs. 250 combo).

I know that on this forum the plain edge is favored but does anyone know which is more popular in general and which blade edge is manufactured more by BM (or does it depend on the model). Just curious.
 
Sounds like we have the same gun shop. They told me the exact same thing a couple of months back when I questioned a new shipment of 30 knives that was all serrated blades except for 2 51's and 3 62's. Sucks too because they actually price most of their knives a little below MAP (shhhh, don't tell Benchmade).
 
I have wondered about this in the past... I cruise the bay almost daily looking at BM's, and it seems like a bigger portion are combo edge knives.
Don't really know why.
 
jhawk66901 said:
Sounds like we have the same gun shop. They told me the exact same thing a couple of months back when I questioned a new shipment of 30 knives that was all serrated blades except for 2 51's and 3 62's. Sucks too because they actually price most of their knives a little below MAP (shhhh, don't tell Benchmade).
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This is the fairly new large gun shop / range in Nashville right off of I-65 / Harding Rd / 100 Oaks. It is also near the TN National Guard Armory. :)
 
Knife people like us prefer plain edges, but in my experience compo edge is much more popular with the commoners.
 
I'm out of town and won't be home until Sunday. When I return I'll post a statement made by a Benchmade representative in their forum that showed the "top Ten" selling models for the first-half of 2013. By FAR it was the plain edge models. I do remember the plain edge Mini-Griptillian was the best seller.
 
Most of my non-knife friends always choose combo edge knives.

This is not about Benchmade but I have been to the Spyderco Factory Seconds sales a few times. The majority of the knives they have at the sale were combo edges. The last sale I went to had tons of Tenacious's with combo edges, same for Delicas and Enduras.

If you aren't great at sharpening serrations can compensate for that
 
TechDoc said:
There are a few places local to me which sell Benchmade knives and one of them is a fairly large gun store/range which specializes in "tactical" merchandise. They carry a decent number of BM knives in both the blue and black classes. What they carry is about 95% serrated combo edges. I was asking them about this the other day and their explanation is that combo edges are overwhelmingly more popular than plain edges.

Perhaps they meant for their customers but the guy went on to say that over the past couple of years BM has been increasing the number of combo edges and decreasing the number of plain edges and is now producing 3x as many combo as plain. This didn't seem right to me given that recent LE knives are only available in plain edge (2014 Shot Show 586-1401) or more plain edge are made than combo edge (2013 Shot Show Griptillian -- 750 plain vs. 250 combo).

I know that on this forum the plain edge is favored but does anyone know which is more popular in general and which blade edge is manufactured more by BM (or does it depend on the model). Just curious.
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Hi TechDoc,

I would say that the statement of Benchmade "decreasing the number of plain edges" is inaccurate. Every knife we make is offered in a plain edge as a combo edge isn't even available in some models. In regards to what you local Benchmade dealer carries it's typically up to them on what to order and carry.
 
Benchmade said:
Hi TechDoc,

I would say that the statement of Benchmade "decreasing the number of plain edges" is inaccurate. Every knife we make is offered in a plain edge as a combo edge isn't even available in some models. In regards to what you local Benchmade dealer carries it's typically up to them on what to order and carry.
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So what is the bigger seller? plain edge or combo?
 
The vast majority of gun shops that carry Benchmade or any other manufacturer that I have been to, I quickly see that they they usually have very limited knowledge of knives in general. I've heard that too (combo edges are far more popular and sell so much better) than plain edges, no reasons are given. Just because I guess.
 
338375 said:
I have wondered about this in the past... I cruise the bay almost daily looking at BM's, and it seems like a bigger portion are combo edge knives.
Don't really know why.
Click to expand...

This could be because people who buy plain edge knives aren't knife people...more turnover with knives when people don't know what they're getting. Not as many knife guys are going to sell their knives, and since most knife guys like plain edges, we see more combo edges for sale. Just speculation!
 
I'm not going to fault them for selling what they want to sell, I was just curious if their comment about more combo edges being made and sold was true. It just means less of my business for them because I'm more interested in plain edges. A shame too because they have good prices.
 
TechDoc said:
I was just curious if their comment about more combo edges being made and sold was true
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They might or might not know that. Spyderco knows, and maybe they would tell a dealer or maybe not.

As for which is most popular- that might be hard to know too. If a store stocked all models in both variations, and the store didn't influence the customers to buy one vs. the other, then the store could determine from their sales which was more popular. But there are things that could influence the outcome- for instance Henry Ford could say that the Model T was most popular with customers in black because that is all that the customers bought. But it was only available in black so they had no other choices. Likewise if a store buys mostly combo-edge knives then customers would influenced to buy mostly combo-edge knives, similar to the "self fulfilling prophesy".

But I wouldn't be surprised if the average customer did prefer combo-edges. When I switched to buying "modern design" knives over 20 years ago, I thought a combo-edge blade had the best of both worlds. But over many years of carrying them I realized that I never used the serrated part of the edge to cut anything. If I wasn't going to use it then I should get a blade with more of the plain edge part that I did use, so I started buying only plain edge knives.
 
My LGS tends to have combo edges for people to handle in the case, but stocks and sells a lot more plain edges they keep in the back. I personally like a full serrated or full plain edge, and would rather carry both if I intend to do a lot of sawing through tough material, or have both in a multitool. There isn't enough blade on a folder to get the most out of either section, the belly tends to be plain edge, so it doesn't bite in when slicing like a serrated edge would(especially with zip-ties or rope), and the serrated section nearest the handle leaves a jagged finish when shaving wood or cutting material where you have the most control and leverage.
 
Saying somebody that likes comboedges isn't a knife person is like saying a helicopter pilot isn't a pilot. I don't see how you could make a credible argument for this at all. It's all personal preference and style.
 
^I think we all agree on that CEyes. Heck, back in the day, combo-edged was all I carried. To me, a blade simply wasn't as efficient without some bigger teeth -- that rear third of the blade seemed like wasted space to me without them. As I progressed through the hobby (addiction), I personally found that sharpening was far less complicated with plain edges. If I could sharpen and hone a combo-edge in the same amount of time I can a plain edge, I'd still be carrying combo's, no doubt about it. Preference is what it's all about, and it's wonderful to have the options that we do.
 
Professor said:
^I think we all agree on that CEyes. Heck, back in the day, combo-edged was all I carried. To me, a blade simply wasn't as efficient without some bigger teeth -- that rear third of the blade seemed like wasted space to me without them. As I progressed through the hobby (addiction), I personally found that sharpening was far less complicated with plain edges. If I could sharpen and hone a combo-edge in the same amount of time I can a plain edge, I'd still be carrying combo's, no doubt about it. Preference is what it's all about, and it's wonderful to have the options that we do.
Click to expand...

True they are a pain to sharpen. I use a vice and chainsaw files myself. But when you get those teeth sharp it's a thing of beauty.
 
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