My local knife dealer is dumping ZT for Benchmade.

Big mistake if I were his only customer. I have owned three Benchmades...and about thirty or so ZT's. I don't even LOOK at BM any more. With me it's Spydie, ZT, and then BM way...way...way...WAY... down the line.
 
Icehawk said:
Benchmade is a name even non-knife folks may recognize, ZT? Not so much.
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True!!! I heard of Benchmade before really getting into knives. I still remember the first time I saw the brand and was blown away by the prices even then. The store was having a close out sale, so I bought one of the red box Benchmades at a discount price.
 
Sonnydaze said:
Big mistake if I were his only customer. I have owned three Benchmades...and about thirty or so ZT's. I don't even LOOK at BM any more. With me it's Spydie, ZT, and then BM way...way...way...WAY... down the line.
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IMO ZT makes a much better knife, but most folks just aren’t willing to pay the prices to experience the quality that comes with the purchase. Benchmade does make a good product and they offer more products in a lower price range than ZT.
 
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TheEdge01 said:
True!!! I heard of Benchmade before really getting into knives. I still remember the first time I saw the brand and was blown away by the prices even then. The store was having a close out sale, so I bought one of the red box Benchmades at a discount price.
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I remember looking at them in the case and thinking "$100? Wow, that's crazy expensive." Keep in mind this is as a teenager, a Buck 110 or SAK is pretty much what everyone had. My dad bought me a Spike and it was the first high(er) end knife I owned, like many premium items once you own one you can feel the difference. Before that the nicest knife I owned was a Wenger, still have that one.

Buck, Spyderco, BM, Case, Gerber, Kershaw, Victorinox, and maybe Shrade are the only brands I would expect an average person to have potentially heard of.
 
Icehawk said:
I remember looking at them in the case and thinking "$100? Wow, that's crazy expensive." Keep in mind this is as a teenager, a Buck 110 or SAK is pretty much what everyone had. My dad bought me a Spike and it was the first high(er) end knife I owned, like many premium items once you own one you can feel the difference. Before that the nicest knife I owned was a Wenger, still have that one.

Buck, Spyderco, BM, Case, Gerber, Kershaw, Victorinox, and maybe Shrade are the only brands I would expect an average person to have potentially heard of.
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When I was growing up Case xx, Boker, Old Timer and Gerber was top of the line. My first costly (Over 100$) knife I bought was a BM mini barrage.
 
What’s a walk in knife store?? Never seen one.
The unwashed masses see a ZT and have no clue. Then see the prices and say no way.
 
I don't have any knife stores anywhere near me but I know alot of my friends and people I meet canping or trail riding don't know about ZT or not much until they see me using one and ask about it or I recommend they check one out when they are wanting a new knife ... but Benchmade most have ... so I can understand Whitty's post ...

whitty said:
We sell more ZT online and more Benchmade in store. If he is not on line it is probably a good call. The knife business is tough and decisions like this are hard to make. I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully if it goes well he will be able to sell both!
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Just echoing some of the comments here. One of my friends is a Benchmade dealer in a cigar store and they sell a pretty fair amount of Benchmade product. He personlly likes ZT knives a lot, but readily admits they don't have the pizazz, the breadth of models, the flashy colors, and catalogue of different designs. I have a couple of Benchmades myself and have readily recommended their mini Grip (and bought one for my nephew from him) to many people.

I have encouraged my dealer buddy to take a look at the new ZT designs as they seem to be following the "knife jewelry" trend that is so popular. Bright colors, contrasting inserts, "peep eye" pivots, jewelry design pivots, more "slicey" looking blades, heavily machined 3d titanium handles that are on deck now are a far cry from their old work knives from years ago. It could be that in a few more release seasons that the old 350 will be their only artifact from their heritage. But, if it wasn't what people wanted and if these designs didn't sell, then they wouldn't be there.

If I was a retailer and could only sell one knife, I would probably sell Benchmade as well.

Robert
 
TheEdge01 said:
IMO ZT makes a much better knife, but most folks just aren’t willing to pay the prices to experience the quality that comes with the purchase. Benchmade does make a good product and they offer more products in a lower price range than ZT.
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I will just reply to your post because it is what I was thinking too. I think you are right with Benchmade having more variety, but with their price increase and their map pricing it’s starting to make ZT a better value. A Benchmade 940-2 and a ZT 0450 is basically the same knife, same price but you get S30V/g10 with Benchmade and s35v/cf with ZT.
 
TravisL said:
I will just reply to your post because it is what I was thinking too. I think you are right with Benchmade having more variety, but with their price increase and their map pricing it’s starting to make ZT a better value. A Benchmade 940-2 and a ZT 0450 is basically the same knife, same price but you get S30V/g10 with Benchmade and s35v/cf with ZT.
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As a knife person, I agree that ZT is a better value, let’s just hope that Benchmade and other companies jacking their MAP prices up don’t price themselves out of the market.
 
While I think ZT uses higher end components such as titanium handle scales and carbon fiber at better prices, I know a lot of people question ZT's heat treatment. Personally, I like both. However, I would pick a Benchmade over ZT.

TheEdge01 said:
As a knife person, I agree that ZT is a better value, let’s just hope that Benchmade and other companies jacking their MAP prices up don’t price themselves out of the market.
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I remember when I first got into this "hobby", Benchmade was very well marketed. I saw their name all over the forums, bought two or three, but now own zero.

Now all I need is for ZT to reissue the 0550, and I'd buy yet another. ZT/Kershaw's service has been astounding as well, even on used gear.
 
James Lewis said:
While I think ZT uses higher end components such as titanium handle scales and carbon fiber at better prices, I know a lot of people question ZT's heat treatment. Personally, I like both. However, I would pick a Benchmade over ZT.
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I’m a fan of Benchmade also and if their QC continues to improve it will make the price increases an easier pill to swallow. QC is expensive. Sal Glesser had a post on the Spyderco page about how expensive QC is.
 
Just about everyone and their uncle knows Benchmade but I would say maybe 10-15% of the population knows about ZT.
 
highestpoint said:
Just about everyone and their uncle knows Benchmade but I would say maybe 10-15% of the population knows about ZT.
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I definitely agree. Just about everyone knows Buck and Benchmade. Spyderco and ZT are still big in the knife community but not as recognizable as a name when compared to Benchmade and Buck
 
Knives&More said:
I definitely agree. Just about everyone knows Buck and Benchmade. Spyderco and ZT are still big in the knife community but not as recognizable as a name when compared to Benchmade and Buck
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That is true. I have carried a Spyderco and have guys not know the brand.
 
TravisL said:
That is true. I have carried a Spyderco and have guys not know who the company is.
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I honestly think Buck is the biggest in terms of brand recognition in the U.S. Just about every knife enthusiast has/had atleast 1 Buck at the house.
 
I own 2 BM and 2 ZT..both are quality knives and I really have nothing bad to say about them.
My 2 BM:
Mini Grip, Mini Infidel.
(Two entirely different knives obviously but both built to last).
My 2 ZT:
0095BLKS90V
0450CF

I have never had better flippers..ever..especially the 0450 which feels almost assisted but its on bearings.

I have never had to deal with Kai CS but have dealt with BM CS. Needed 1 screw for my Mini Grip. Rep got back to me almost immediately via my email and within a week, free of charge, had every screw that my Mini grip takes. I was blown away.
 
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