Just in.......Benchmade Monochrome

Cosmic Superchunk

Cosmic Superchunk

Joined
Jan 28, 2001
Messages
3,709
I just came home with yet another Benchmade, this time it's the model # 10300 Monochrome designed by Armin Stuetz's Steirer Eisen.

Pic is from American Heritage Sports:
bm10300MONOCHROMEahs.jpg


Pic is from Benchmade:
10300.jpg


The knife is one of Benchmade's new Red Class knives made in Taiwan and the version I got was stamped 1st Production Run 2003. It has a plain edge, bead blasted, drop point blade of N690 steel. According to Benchmade's site: N690 is an Austrian made stainless steel, which is comparable to 440C in performance and value. The handle is also bead blasted stainless steel, but, Benchmade does not list what "kind" of steel it is. This little folder features what Benchmade calls a monolock mechanism which is nothing more than a framelock of the type popularized by Chris Reeve.

Out of the box, the knife came shaving sharp and the action was smooth but a bit tight. Since the knife is imported from Taiwan, it's understandable why Benchmade would not want to have the knives shipped with loose actions after what CRKT went through with U.S. Customs a while back. However, this can be adjusted by using a T-6 torx driver to set the tension to your own liking. Dual thumbstuds are present for left or right hand opening.

The handle fits comfortably in the hand and there is a lanyard hole present for those who like that feature. The pocket clip is bead blasted and fixed for tip down carry. If clips just ain't your bag, you can easily remove it. On the handle, there appears to be a very small stop pin (as illustrated in the pics above), however, the thumbstuds are the actual blade stops. The pin in the handle serves to stop the blade's edge from hitting the steel spacer when closing the folder.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3.04"
Blade Thickness: 0.12"
Blade Material: N690 Stainless Steel
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Style: Drop-Point
Weight: 3.8oz.
Clip: Removable Steel
Lock Mechanism: Monolock (Framelock)
Overall Length: 7.37"
Closed Length: 4.34"
Class: Red

Okay, now for my impressions. This is the second framelock folder Benchmade has produced (so far), the first "monolock" folder being the now discontinued Pinnacle. Tolerances are typical Benchmade and overall construction is very good. I really like drop point blades and find that the blade on this little folder lends itself very useful for a myriad of tasks. Because the handle lacks a curve at the butt end, it makes it feel a bit small, so adding a lanyard would probably help fill the hand a bit more. Unfortunately, I find the lanyard hole a bit small for paracord.

The lockup is solid with no play in any direction and the lock engages the tang just right with plenty of room for wear. Frankly, this little gem has to be THE best bang for the buck folder Benchmade has come up with. In my opinion, this is a folder rivals the Camillus EDC when it comes to fit and finish. There have been some concerns with Benchmade fans about their new Taiwan-made Red Class folders, but after having bought the Benchmade Ambush and the Benchmade Monochrome, I can say with complete assurance that these knives will not disappoint. They are well made and worth it.

What can I say, I really like this little folder. If I could modify or change a few things on this knife, I would make it a bit larger, add a larger lanyard hole and satin finish the blade. Other than that, the Benchmade Monochrome is a solid buy for any budget minded knife user.
 
So for an extra $10 you can get a Camillus EDC with a 154CM blade and keep your money in this country, correct?
 
No. The folks who send you the knife are usually using foreign oil, the computer networks are using foreign components and sometimes hiring folks who either send some of their money home to foreign countries or are working in foreign call-centers anyways. Then there are your credit card companies. They're often so international that the USA is just one more place of business.

The people of Taiwan/Republic of China/Formosa (whatever you call those islands) are our economic and ideological allies. If they're making a kicking knife, for Benchmade for that matter, economic nationalism shouldn't stop you from enjoying its goodness.

Edited to remove inflammatory content
 
Originally posted by stjames
So for an extra $10 you can get a Camillus EDC with a 154CM blade and keep your money in this country, correct?
Click to expand...

I did pay $40 bucks for it.

StJames, I do own a Camillus EDC as well as other USA-made knives, but I also own knives made in Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Canada, and yes..Taiwan. So what? I do appreciate the quality of American made knives, but if an American based knife company can offer quality knives made overseas and offer them at bargain prices, I'm going to take advantage of it.

If you're so hung up on buying only American made items, that's okay, but I have to ask you where is your watch made? Your TV? Your computer?
 
Originally posted by Cosmic Superchunk
I would make it a bit larger, add a larger lanyard hole and satin finish the blade. Other than that, the Benchmade Monochrome is a solid buy for any budget minded knife user.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
Nice looking knife.

As for the whole "Buy American" thing; it's nice in concept, but not really based in reality. My Wife and I had a little run in with her Father(WW1 vet, who hates anything foreign). He was going to help us buy a car, but would only help if we "Bought something other than a foreign car". We said thanks, but no thanks, and bought ourselves a Honda. Her Father, by the way, drives a Ford Crown Victoria. I'm sure he doesn't even realize that his car is made with mostly Japanese parts, and assembled in either Canada or Mexico. At least the Honda was made in America. Finding something totally made in America, is getting pretty hard to do.
 
Originally posted by thombrogan
No. The folks who send you the knife are usually using foreign oil, the computer networks are using foreign components and sometimes hiring folks who either send some of their money home to foreign countries or are working in foreign call-centers anyways. Then there are your credit card companies. If they're not so international that the USA is just one more place of business, they're located in Delaware, a Yankee state that practiced slavery through the War of Northern Aggression.

The people of Taiwan/Republic of China/Formosa (whatever you call those islands) are our economic and ideological allies. If they're making a kicking knife, for Benchmade for that matter, economic nationalism shouldn't stop you from enjoying its goodness.
Click to expand...

Well spoken!:)
 
Finding something totally made in America, is getting pretty hard to do.
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It is harder and harder to find such items, just not in this case. No offence to our "ideological allies" abroad, but if it is a matter of paying the wages of a fellow in New York or Taiwan, I'll choose New York. Every little bit helps, and the money will circulate in our communities before heading out to foreign soil in exchange for crude oil, electronics, or fine Belgian Ale. I'm pretty sure that all Titanium is imported, after all.

Benchmade made their reputation among many working class people as offering a quality American Made product. If they want to increase their market share by competing against CRKT, Outdoor Edge and the like I'm sure it is good business practices to do so. Spyderco has been offering a mix of imported and domestic made knives for some time, but I believe they started by importing and then moved towards bringing manufacturing into the USA. I’m glad to see that BM is being very clear about their imported line, it’s just a shame they couldn’t find a way to keep production over here.

But hey, I’m sure none of you know anyone personally who lost their job due to plant relocation, so no skin off your community. Maybe if we all cared just a little more it would make a difference. We won't know unless we try.
 
I know people who have lost their jobs due to production leaving this country so that someone can make a few extra bucks. I know intellectual types who lost jobs due to NAFTA and the lower Canadian dollar. Like many others, I liked buying benchmades cause they were made in the USA. That was the target line in many knife sales pitches..."Benchmade, you know its made here, little more money than a CRKT, but better made and american made." "You can buy that Spyderco, but this here benchmade just as good if not better and made in america." Benchmade as a company went down in my opinion when they decided to lower themselves to compete with CRKT and Spyderco off-shore products.

By the way Brogan what's your problem with Delaware? Delaware is not Yankee at all, it's Middle Atlantic at best. The Mason Dixon line is at its lowest border. The state was a major stop on the Underground railroad and a stone's throw from that hot bed of abolition know as the City of Brotherly Love, but that doesn't make it Yankee. There's good fried chicken in the state, biscuits and gravy, but its too north for grits.
 
Buying American is largely advertising rhetoric aimed at consumers to stimulate a misguided loyalty.

When the opportunity arises these same companies export jobs or source product from foriegn sources. They chase the almighty dollar, there is no loyalty to their employees.

I would still buy American when possible to preserve jobs here but thats really hard to do nowadays.

That looks like a cool little knife. Id like to see a comparison with a Kershaw vapor. Its possible they were made in the same factory.
 
Ive got to come back and add in my previous post I was referring to large corporations and not specifically knife companies. Im a little pissed at their double dealing political tactics.

A knife company makes significant sacrifices in terms of labor and operations cost to manufacture in the USA.
They are to be commended for doing so and deserve our preferential patronage.

However they cannot compete at the low cost market segments dominated by foreign manufacture.
Benchmade and others are taking advantage of this high quality low cost manufacture to offer us more options in the lower priced segments.
I don't see anything wrong with this.
 
Look at it like this:

Benchmade is making their entry-level Red Class knives in Taiwan so that they CAN keep jobs in the USA. Benchmade was looking at a situation where the vast majority of knives sold in the US are at the under fifty dollar mark. They can't produce knives for that price point using US labor - no one can. Or rather, the knives you could make at that price point using US labor would not be competitive.

Introducing the Red Class lets them make sure they make enough money, as a company, to stay in business. To keep paying their factory staff, and customer service people, and office people, in Oregon City, Oregon, USA.

Benchmade isn't making any* less Made-In-The-USA knives than they did last year. They're just adding a new line of knives to those. I think that's a hell of a lot different than if they'd done what Levi's (etc) do and moved the production of a product line formerly made by Americans offshore.

(* Actually, I think they did move one existing knife into the Red Class, the Model 160 Tether (neck) knife. OK, that was bad.)

Benchmade didn't lay people off. Benchmade didn't close a factory. Benchmade is trying to see, if people are going to buy import knives anyway, if part of that pie can go to them.
 
Benchmade's new line is not to keep jobs in the US but to make more money for Les and his investors. Benchmade wants expansion, and the market share they want is CRKTs. It's a change in the company's focus, philosphy, mission statement, marketing plan, whatever you want to call it.

Camillus makes knives in the US that sell for a reasonable price.

So does Shrade, Case and Buck.

What about Ontario and Queen?
 
Originally posted by MC Chan
That looks like a cool little knife. Id like to see a comparison with a Kershaw vapor. Its possible they were made in the same factory.
Click to expand...

MC Chan, the Kershaw Vapor (made in China) is a decent framelock for $20 bucks, but the fit and finish of the Monochrome is noticably better. It's equally comparible to the Smith & Wesson FL2 (probably made by the same Taiwanese factory anyway).

Going back to the Camillus EDC/Benchmade Monochrome comparison, I prefer satin or stonewash finished blades over bead blasted blades. Obviously, the Camillus EDC's blade finish, the choice of blade steel (154CM) and handle ergonomics makes the Camillus EDC superior in those respects, but the overall construction, fit and finish are about the same to me.

As far as the whole "Buy American" thing, you can argue about the pros and cons of free trade until you're blue in the face and it won't change a thing. When was the last time you saw an American made watch or an American made appliance? Some parts made in the USA, some made in China, some made in Japan and assembled in Mexico. That's the reality of the world in which we live.

I'm as patriotic as the next guy and if I'm looking for an item and find a quality product entirely made in the USA at a price I can live with, I will buy it. In most cases, you get what you pay for, but if I can get a quality imported item at a value, I'm all for it. If it means buying a CRKT knife made in Taiwan or a Timex Triatholon watch made in the Philipines or a DVD player made in Malaysia, if it's a good item and I like it, then I'll buy it. Consider what the cost of the Benchmade Monochrome would be if they were made in the USA. Certainly not a street price of just under $40 bucks.
 
Originally posted by brownshoe
Benchmade's new line is not to keep jobs in the US but to make more money for Les and his investors. Benchmade wants expansion, and the market share they want is CRKTs. It's a change in the company's focus, philosphy, mission statement, marketing plan, whatever you want to call it.

Camillus makes knives in the US that sell for a reasonable price.

So does Shrade, Case and Buck.

What about Ontario and Queen?
Click to expand...

Brownshoe, ALL KNIFE COMPANIES ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY. It's what keeps them competative and alive. Benchmade still makes knives in the USA. It's their "RED CLASS" knives that are made overseas, not their Blue Class, Black Class or Gold Class. Buck has knives made in the USA and Taiwan (some even assembled in Mexico), Schrade has knives made in the USA and Ireland. Spyderco has knives made in the USA, Japan and Taiwan. What does that say about them? It says that to stay competative, they have to offer a wider variety of items at a variety of prices that will attract business. By offering lower cost imported items and maintaining the same high quality control standards as their USA made knives, they can attract a larger knife buying audience and keep themselves alive through tough economic times.
 
Originally posted by Cosmic Superchunk
Consider what the cost of the Benchmade Monochrome would be if they were made in the USA. Certainly not a street price of just under $40 bucks.
Click to expand...

Yes, it might be closer to the $50 you have to spend on the EDC. Enjoy that extra $10 you saved, you'll need it when your job is sent to Taiwan.

I for one didn't realize that BM was having trouble making a profit and keeping their employees on the job. Are they importing knives and using the funds to pay their Oregon City workers? I just thought they were trying to increase overall profits by entering the lucrative area of low cost goods imported into the USA.

Maybe I’m just tired of all the movies and TV shows that are set in San Francisco and filmed in Vancouver so that the stars and producers can put higher walls around their mansions.
 
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