My experience of Benchmade quality control

Benchmade knives almost always come dull, to the point that a sharp one would probably be a QC mistake. :rolleyes:

That said, if you ignore the poor edges (annoying, but obviously sharpenable) and the pivot "issue" (common to production knives, but: loctite or teflon tape), the number of "QC" problems you see complained about diminishes significantly. ;)

If you like a Benchmade design, and are capable of sharpening and applying loctite, don't let the complaints stop you.
 
Darth, yours may always come dull, but that hasn't been my experience. Of course, dull could be relative, meaning: I've never had one arrive that would pop hairs (tree top) off my arm. BUT! all but one have arrived sharp!. To one that expects true hair-popping sharpness out the box, then probably they're going to arrive "dull".

Then again, you might have received every dull knife BM has sent out. Mine were different, that's all.
 
Considering the issues from the topic starter, that is nothing to what i remember. :D:cool:

1. AFCK 800: Blade was not only ground uneven, both sides were ground completly different. :eek: (was bought 2003)

2. AFCK 806D2: Bad blade, that chipped easily and was replaced by BM. (was bought 2003)

3. Mini - AFCK in ATS34: Edge dulled super quick. Blade was replaced. (was bought 2003)

4. BM 520: Spinewhack failure, knife collapsed. Was replaced. (was bought 2005)

5. BM 5000A: A washer was missing. Never noticed that since someone form the german forum made a topic around it. Put the washer in by myself, no problem. S30V edge has shown a micro (really micro) chip once. Never used it that much, to say if that may happen again. Maybe i should? (was bought 2004)

6. BM 140HS: OK the scales didn´t fitt the tang 100%. No problem. (was bought 2004 or 2005)

The replacements were great, no problems with them. Do we get 2. class over here? Don´t think so.

The last three ones from BM were from the HK line:

Ally: Perfect. (was bought 2008 or 2009)
14210: Perfect (was bought 2008 or 2009)
14205: Perfect (was bought 2009)

Both, the 14210 and 14205 feature a 154CM blade, that take and hold a great edge. Couldn´t imagine any better. Fit, finish, perfect.

Why did a kept on buying BM? :confused: Good question. Well, liked the knives. All are 100% lefthand :thumbup:. When i was looking around for something new. i always ended up with BM (exept a Swamprat Bandicoot, a Kabar heavy Bowie and some customs :D). They have fixed everything and seem to have become better over the years.
 
StretchNM said:
Darth, yours may always come dull, but that hasn't been my experience. Of course, dull could be relative, meaning: I've never had one arrive that would pop hairs (tree top) off my arm. BUT! all but one have arrived sharp!. To one that expects true hair-popping sharpness out the box, then probably they're going to arrive "dull".

Then again, you might have received every dull knife BM has sent out. Mine were different, that's all.
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Not a single one of my Benchmades could shave hair, or even come close. Worse yet, not a single one could be sharpened on my Sharpmaker (even the 40 degree setting) because the edges were to obtuse. I've had to reprofile each one with a Lansky or diamond stones first.

No big deal, really, I reprofile many of my other knives anyways, but I can certainly see how the poor edges could mar someone's first impression, especially if that person is not equipped to adjust the edge angle.
 
gunmike1 said:
I can highly recommend the Onslaught, as mine came pretty much flawless and it is a great slicer not just for a very large knife, but a great slicer even compared to most much smaller folders as well.

Mike
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I heard alot of people say the tip was weak or to thin do you guys feel that way?
 
BM 530- Dull, OK otherwise
Mini-Grip D2 blade- Dull, OK otherwise
BM 340- Dull as a spoon. Won't lock open, will send it back.
BM 587-1- Very sharp. Perfect all around.
 
StretchNM said:
Darth, yours may always come dull, but that hasn't been my experience. Of course, dull could be relative, meaning: I've never had one arrive that would pop hairs (tree top) off my arm. BUT! all but one have arrived sharp!. To one that expects true hair-popping sharpness out the box, then probably they're going to arrive "dull".

Then again, you might have received every dull knife BM has sent out. Mine were different, that's all.
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Not sure about any others, but I've had both of my AFO II's arrive sharp enough to make the hair pop off when I shave it, Don't know about cutting just the top half off, but I know the whole hair will pop off like a rocket. The Rukus 610 I had(:() was the same way. The rest of my BM's were at least sharp enough to slice newsprint without difficulty.

It is strange how this works out that way!


Stretch, the points you made in your recent posts are indeed valid, and receive an A+ from me!!
 
Thank you cutter. When I say "hair-popping", I mean gliding the blade edge above the skin about 1/16" to 1/8". Some call that "tree topping", I think, but I don;t really know what is right - I only know the process. And I know that very few of my knives will "pop" hairs above the skin, and even then not all the time, only when I get my sharpening and stropping mechanics just right. There are a few fellows in this forum that I'm confident can make all their knives "pop" hairs. I've seen their videos and am amazed at that skill. I can sharpen my knives very well, but nowhere near what some people can do.

When you shave hair on your arm, for instance, a few will "pop" off into space, but that is just pressure and micro-friction or something, I believe. But when you are gliding the edge above the skin, the few hairs that are cut will literally "pop" off into some 3rd dimension place. ((:D)) There is tension in these carotine/protein/ultra-thin cuticlites! So when we cut them above the root, I think the hair's tension causes them to "pop" away. It takes just the right background lighting for me to see it happen.

I don;t know if my explanation is right because I'm really not a scientist or anything, but it's what I reason is happening. I do believe, however, that the term "hair-popping" sometimes gets applied to alot of knives that are just marginally sharp. I mean, they're not really hair-popping, just good paper slicers.

So when BM sends out a knife, at least in my experience, it arrives very sharp, but NOT hair-popping sharp. I have never, ever received a knife that sharp. Maybe a Helle was close one time out of the box.....maybe.....maybe....
 
I've had 3 BM's, currently 2:

BM 940 was traded and it had worst problem of offcentering and pivot comming loose. However blue loctite did fix pivot issue and adjusting pivot centering.

My Griptilian 551 ORG and Mini-Griptilian 558 in M4 were quite nice, except 558 special edition had horrible finish in pocket clip. I wasn't only one but I got STR's custom lowride clip for it.

So far I wouldn't hesitate to buy another BM knife. Thinking the Bone Collector...
 
SteeleySawyer said:
I heard alot of people say the tip was weak or to thin do you guys feel that way?
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The tip is thin on the Onslaught, but the blade is wide with a lot of belly sweeping up to it which gives it more strength than a blade that is narrow from spine to cutting edge. I am used to extremely thin splinter picker tips so I really find the tip on the Onslaught plenty strong for all real knife use assuming you don't consider prying and drilling uses for knives. There is always somewhat of a trade off of durability to get the excellent, and I mean really, truly excellent, slicing performance of the Onslaught. I personally think the blade on the Onslaught is ground like more production knives should be. It is thin enough to not even make me consider getting it reground (I have around 20 Krein regrinds) yet more than strong enough to stand up to all but truly abusive cutting chores. As long as you understand that the Onslaught isn't a sharpened crow bar you will absolutely love the slicing power it gives you with it's 4.3" of thin edged performance.

Mike
 
Very few problems with my many Benchmades. Between Loc-Tite and my Edge Pro there isn't much I can't adjust or sharpen to my liking. I've only had one knife, a 745, that I had to send back for servicing of radial blade play twice, and Benchmade replaced it after the second trip.

I'm sorry to say that in this last year or two the QC issues, particularly with the LE models, have been out of control and leave many of us to send their knives in for fixing...and if a newbie to the line, can and probably does cause them to go elsewhere.

BTW - I agree with the Onslaught...it's awesome, came out of box perfect, and cuts like crazy. I love 154cm steel. Can't wait to see the new 746, the smaller version for the 2011 season.
 
StretchNM said:
These kinds of threads will do that, won;t they? Don;t miss the point of the thread in the responses though - chances are overwhelming your BM will arrive in fine shape. If not, it will be taken care of by BM.
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I think I fall somewhere in between... I really like benchmade and what the brand stands for, but lately I feel they haven't been meeting expectations. Its not so much that the quality is bad, just that knives half the cost are able to offer equivalent or better quality (example: kershaw). For the price, I expect perfection, or darn close at least.
 
My first two BM's, a 551 Grip in 440C and a 201 Activator+ in D2, came so dull they needed external heat to cut butter! I discovered the Sharpmaker - and patience - and both became users. I have since bought two dozen more BM's new - and one used (My backup 630 Skirmish!). All came sharp enough to shave forearm hair. One was missing a scale screw under the clip. They sent me five such screws from a phone call! I do buy mine from a local pusher, but have only selected a second example once (760BK). Many buys were discounted due to being 'older stock' - and were 'one of a kind' - and perfect.

The latest purchases, a 15005-2 fb and 15020-2 mini folder, both Bone Collectors with walnut handles, came uniformally sharp and as perfect as could be - great buys. In their case, perusing additional stock simply allowed different wood darkness/patterns to be seen. My first grab went home with me in both cases. The biggest shocker - the massive 171 Chopper cuts hair along it's entire length. Care should be used if you try this - it's heavy & uncomfortable - a slip could filet your arm! Yeah, scarey sharp, no - forearm razor - yes. BM's are great values. Mine are all US-made.

Stainz
 
I have bought two Onslaughts and they were razor sharp.

The black-coated version has some machining marks around the base of the pocket clip. I can't find anything wrong with the satin-finished blade. (I bought the stain-finished one first and liked it so much that I bought the second black-coated version.)

The 154CM blade steel performs great, and I haven't really used them enough to dull them.

I would have liked rougher finished G10 handles, as they are a bit on the slippery side.

I'll be getting a 746 mini-Onslaught later on and maybe a satin-finished 860 Bedlam too.
 
iandh said:
Its not so much that the quality is bad, just that knives half the cost are able to offer equivalent or better quality (example: kershaw).
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We should remember, however, that Kershaw manages this pricing through means other companies either aren't capable of or don't desire to use.

The primary reason that Kershaw can offer such low prices is simple economies of scale. Manufacturers like Spyderco (and Benchmade, to a certain extent) do not compete directly with Kershaw anywhere other than on these forums; when was the last time you saw a Benchmade or Spyderco at Walmart or Dicks Sporting Goods? Spyderco is a boutique manufacturer, in comparison to Kershaw. Benchmade, I'd imagine, is somewhere in between but certainly not a competitor in Kershaw's market.

Another reason is the design of most mass produced Kershaws. The vast majority of Kershaw produced in any substantial amount are liner/frame locks as they are easier, and possibly cheaper, to manufacture than many competing locks. (Why do you think that makers first custom folders are liner locks?) Or look at the finish of most of the mass produced Kershaws: beadblast. Beadblasting is cheaper and faster than the finishing competitors use (stonewashing, ect.). The simple fact is that most of Kershaw's designs are dictated by financial efficiency.
 
darthsoaker said:
We should remember, however, that Kershaw manages this pricing through means other companies either aren't capable of or don't desire to use.

The primary reason that Kershaw can offer such low prices is simple economies of scale. Manufacturers like Spyderco (and Benchmade, to a certain extent) do not compete directly with Kershaw anywhere other than on these forums; when was the last time you saw a Benchmade or Spyderco at Walmart or Dicks Sporting Goods? Spyderco is a boutique manufacturer, in comparison to Kershaw. Benchmade, I'd imagine, is somewhere in between but certainly not a competitor in Kershaw's market.

Another reason is the design of most mass produced Kershaws. The vast majority of Kershaw produced in any substantial amount are liner/frame locks as they are easier, and possibly cheaper, to manufacture than many competing locks. (Why do you think that makers first custom folders are liner locks?) Or look at the finish of most of the mass produced Kershaws: beadblast. Beadblasting is cheaper and faster than the finishing competitors use (stonewashing, ect.). The simple fact is that most of Kershaw's designs are dictated by financial efficiency.
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you can't compare kershaw to benchmade its like comparing Honda to mercedes
 
Darth is right, the process is different in manufacture, marketing, and sales. So...Kershaw and many others will be cheaper, but the level of the competition is not the same. Still, the end result is that you can get a fair to very good quality knife for less than a Benchmade or Spyderco, just as they don;t cost as much as a CRK...for about the same reasons.

Benchmade tried to compete with the "lesser" manufacturers by offering a "red line" that was made foreign. The knives wern;t bad, at least the ones I handled, they were fine, but it truly bothered me that Benchmade would do that. My opinion was: Why compete at that level? Either you're a premier manufacturer or you're not. Simple.

Spyderco still makes several models foreign - whether in Japan or some in China I believe. So they have a lower-priced share of the market they'd like to get and keep. Now, even Buck is subbing out a few of their models to China or elsewhere foreign.

Benchmade has discontinued their Red Line. I'm happy about that. Now, some of the H&K and Harley Davidson line are still made foreign, but at least the red line is gone. When they ship out a knife or three that QC missed, that's ok with me. I know their foundation is strong and the mistakes are an anomalie. Just from my personal experience with them, I say again, I've had only one that needed to be sent back. They fixed it up right without a word, and didn;t even mind that I took the knife apart before sending it to them (technically - a violation of warranty).

It's really too bad when a guy buys several BM knives and more than one or two are "losers". I believe, and hope, that that is truly an anomalie and that guy is just unfortunate several times in a row.
 
i never said that meaning kershaws were garbage or anything i probably own about 35+ kershaws and 50+ benchmades both are great BUT so are hondas and mercedes

hondas are mass produced have good quality control etc maybe at a good pricepoint for the public

mercedes are usually made to higher quality control better parts and sold to people who buy cars for more than transportation

translated kershaws are great knifes made for the public to enjoy and edc without worrying about ruining a 200$ knife etc

i would say benchmades are made more for knife collectors and law enforcement
 
I don;t know if the analogy works - Honda and Mercedes, but the point behind it is certainly valid. Kershaw may make a knife or three comparable to Benchmades, but their bread-and-butter is NOT on par with Benchmade, in my opinion. Additionally, there's the marketing and sales factor that Darth wrote about. NONE of my Benchmades are above being used. I buy them to use them. It's the sheer number, not a display case, that makes a collection.

Again, there is alot of praise out there for Benchmade knives that goes unheard here. Yes, a few have replied, but BM isn;t a premier maker AND seller for nothing. A few knives will slip by any maker....ANY maker.... and the resulting threads make it look like the world is ending for that manufacturer. Not so. I would like to be perfect, maybe, but if I worked at Benchmade I could not guarantee that every knife I sharpened would be flawless, or that every one of my assembled knives would have the blade perfectly centered every time, or that I wouldn;t foget a washer once every thousand or several hundred knives or so.

There are alot of knife-makers (and manufacturers of other things) that make their products right here in the U.S. There's alot to be said for that, if I were telling it. It means something to me, and Benchmade is no exception.
 
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