Looking for my first Benchmade folder

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shandrydan1

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So, like the title says, I'm looking for my first Benchmade folder. Figured I would ask for some opinions on here. I know the Grip is probably the most popular but after looking at the folding Bone Collectors I'm really attracted to those. Right now I'm looking to spend around $100. I could go a little over but thats around my budget.

JD
 
I got a griptilian as my first Benchmade, and I was unimpressed. My second was a 943, that was much better! I hated the hollow sounding FRN material used on the grip and I absolutely loved the aluminum and S30V of the 943. I would stick to something a little higher and try to find a good deal, Rather than pay for a new knife of a lesser quality.

It also depends on what type of material your into. The great thing about BM is, they have many different styles to accommodate many different tastes.
 
wrxguyusa said:
It is the first Benchmade to get. Mini or regular. Available in 154CM, D2, and S30V (Ritter).

I just got my mini-grip D2 yesterday. Don't know why I waited so long.
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I like the Mini-Grip a lot better than the full size, you get a slightly smaller blade in a much smaller package, and full steel liners.
 
How is the D2 steel? I dont really have any experience with it.

Also the Barrage is another possibility.
 
The Bone Collector knives are fantastic, definitely worth the price of admission over the Grips :thumbup:

Not to say the Grips are bad knives, they absolutely are not, but the Bone Collectors give you better steel, better scale material, and they feel better in hand, also the BC's have a longer Axis Lock pull that I really like the feel of compared to the Grips. Of course YMMV but I have a Mini BC and a Mini Grip and I like the BC better. It just works :D
 
I haven't cut a darn thing with it, but the online advice I've read said that D2 holds a better edge than most stainless steels. Short of the supersteels like S30V it's supposed to have great edge holding. Benchmade hardens D2 to an advertised 60-62, which is harder than their other steels.

Mine is coated, but stain resistance of D2 is supposedly not as good as other stainless knives.
 
D2 is very good stuff, but it is pretty abrasion resistant, which means you'll probably have to work at it a bit longer than you might be used to, there's a good trade-off though, once you get that D2 good and sharp (and it will get very sharp) it will hold that edge for a loooooooooooooong time, and with a little stropping or touching up every other day or so it just might hold that edge forever.
 
Well I may have to give it a shot and see how it works for me. Gotta love the wifey though. She has just thrown a Spydie Para 2 suggestion into the mix....I'm still leaning toward the larger Bone Collector though.
 
If I had a choice between a Large Bone Collector and a Spyderco Paramilitary 2, at this point in time, I'd choose the Spyderco. I've had some really bad experience with Benchmade fit and finish and quality control lately, and I am not hearing similar things from Spyderco buyers/owners.

Otherwise, I like Benchmade a lot and prefer the Osborne designed folders like the 940/943 as well as the McHenry/Williams 710 series. I am sure the Bone Collectors are nice, too, especially since they use D2, but I prefer thumb studs.
 
I don't like Benchmade, the handle materials (plastic) feel like a rip off for upwards of $150 for their normal folders. For that price I would like to think that my knife isn't all reputation and blade material making the price.
 
para 2 all the way over any benchmade, if it was me. you cannot go wrong with the para2 nor spyderco. if i was going benchmade, pick the design you like best, and uses the steel you like best. benchmade quality and warranty carries over across models, so it falls under which one fits your needs and your choice of design. i like my axis assist 580, and i like my 913. not quite in your price range, but only a little over. of course those are my likes, and your likes aren't mine, so pick the design and steel you like best and you won't go wrong. although if your looking just for other's tastes to help your decision i get that...i do it all the time...so i can play along as well....i like the axis lock and axis assist, and the nitrous assist. add the steel and design you like to that and you can't go wrong.

btw, why do people like bone collector stuff? i just do not get that. seems to me you pay a premium that pays that guy to have his "brand name" attached to it. i avoid endorsement stuff like the plague, maybe i'm weird though?
 
People buy the Bone Collector Benchmade folders because they want a G10-handled variant of the Presidio, not because they want to support Bone Collector - whoever he is!

I prefer thumb studs to opening holes, so haven't bought a Bone Collector, though I have 525 and 527 Mini Presidios.

My recommendation would be for a Bone Collector, if you like opening holes, or a 558 Mini RSK Mk1, 556 Mini Grip or 943/940 Osborne.
 
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I'm not well-versed on the Benchmade line-up, but it seems to me that there aren't a lot of options in the $100 range (new) except for the Grip/mini-Grip series or the old 'red class' knives like the Vex. However, there are lots of folks out there who love their Grips and Vexes. My only BM is the 940, and the only other models I've been eye-balling are the Shoki, Opportunist, and maybe the Rift. These all seem to be more in the $150+ range though...

The Spyderco Para-Military 2 is a fantastic knife and costs less. To me, the action on the compression-lock is somewhat reminiscent of the Axis-lock...
 
I'd go with a 15020 in black G10; 15020-1 in green/black G10 (below); or a 15020-2 in walnut - aka 'Bone Collector', a design for Mike Waddell. The blade is .125" x 3.36" and made of D2 tool steel, Rc 60-62. With a ~$150 MSRP, expect $95-$125 street price. Also, a mini Bone Collector, 15030, -1, & -2, .115" x 2.95" blade of D2, exists - ~$135 MSRP - $90-$100 street price. Great hand fit/feel - super AXIS lock example. Not so fond of the 'B.C.' logo - skull/antlers - but acetone will likely remove it from the blade. Great knife bargain.

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Stainz
 
Cold Kill said:
I don't like Benchmade, the handle materials (plastic) feel like a rip off for upwards of $150 for their normal folders. For that price I would like to think that my knife isn't all reputation and blade material making the price.
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I believe I payed just under $90 for my Mini Bone Collector new from a dealer, The price of the Large Bone Collector right now is under $100 would still cost less than a Paramilitary 2 and you would get nicer sculpted G10 (plastic) instead of flat textured G10 (plastic), I've never played with Spyderco's CPMS30V but I can tell you that Benchmade's D2 is not lacking in anything as far as I can tell. And for $150 you can get some very nice premium Benchmade knives, featuring all kinds of variety's of handle material, and blade steels. Benchmade's can be had for pretty fair prices if you look around :thumbup:
 
TxSxB said:
I believe I payed just under $90 for my Mini Bone Collector new from a dealer, The price of the Large Bone Collector right now is under $100 would still cost less than a Paramilitary 2 and you would get nicer sculpted G10 (plastic) instead of flat textured G10 (plastic), I've never played with Spyderco's CPMS30V but I can tell you that Benchmade's D2 is not lacking in anything as far as I can tell. And for $150 you can get some very nice premium Benchmade knives, featuring all kinds of variety's of handle material, and blade steels. Benchmade's can be had for pretty fair prices if you look around :thumbup:
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I just can't see paying over $50 and not getting metal handles. My Leek was $30 with steel handles, and because of the metal and awesome Sandvik steel,i would put it in contest with higher priced knives, like Benchmade. A $30 knife should never feel like higher quality than a near $100 one.
 
If I may ask what is so superior about metal handles? In general metal scales are more slick, hotter in the sun, and colder in the snow than G10 or similar materials. It looks nice I suppose but I would like my knives to both look good and more importantly function as well as possible.
 
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