new service pricing structure

This was news to me. The blade replacement was one of the ways I could justify their overpriced knives. I had already cut down on which models I buy from them. My future purchases will now be even more limited.
 
as an update to this thread, I just called about getting a new satin 154cm blade on a CLA (4300) and they quoted me $100…..ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Being able to get a reasonable blade replacement was a big selling point.

just a heads up…..
 
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Man, folks needing a reblade on a modern steel knife, that's certainly something. I've got several knives (out of hundreds I own) that I've used hard and sharpened many times, and you can barely tell when holding it next to a new one of that model. What are you guys sharpening with that necessitates a full-on new blade? I mean, if you want one of a different steel they offer, then you should expect to pay, simple as that.

Also, since it's such a huge issue, and apparently Benchmade is the bad guy here, can someone point me out to other American manufactured knife companies that still offer new blades for their knives at a price the mobgroup has decreed is an acceptable price? I'd appreciate it, thanks!
 
Quiet said:
Man, folks needing a reblade on a modern steel knife, that's certainly something. I've got several knives (out of hundreds I own) that I've used hard and sharpened many times, and you can barely tell when holding it next to a new one of that model. What are you guys sharpening with that necessitates a full-on new blade? I mean, if you want one of a different steel they offer, then you should expect to pay, simple as that.
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Step 1: Use pocket knife as a pry bar until a sufficient portion of the tip is broken off
Step 2: Reprofile blade using bench grinder
Step 2a: Hold blade to grinding wheel until heat treatment is sufficiently ruined
Step 3: Use knife to complete the following tasks:
  • Open can of baked beans from the bottom
  • Scrape paint off concrete
  • Remove exposed heads from nails
  • Chop through baling wire
  • Remove rust from cast iron pipes
Step 4: Resharpen blade with bench grinder after every task
Step 5: Repeat steps 3 through 4 as necessary
Step 6: Complain about the price of a brand new blade
 
It wasn’t my knife I was inquiring about above. But the blade on a CLA was overly ground down by someone on a grinding wheel. I told them they could get a new blade and called benchmade for them. Needless to say, it’s gonna stay as-is.

however, if I ever broke a tip off, or needed a replacement at some point, it was nice to know I could do it at a reasonable cost. they’re expensive as hell for pretty basic blade steels
 
back when it was around $30 for a blade replacement i would see benchmades for sale on the bay with a spare blade fairly often. neither blade would show any sign of wear, was purchased just so they could up their asking price in the sale. not so much now that it’s costs more. unfortunately that’s what happens when people abuse a good thing, it gets taken away
 
And a few years ago i sent a large Crooked River to get the pivot collar and backspacer changed to blue. As i waited a week or two for contact of the price, the knife arrived,all changed out, edge touched up all nicely oiled free of charge & free return shipping.I guess those days are gone. Musta caught someone in a good mood that day....
 
TROB said:
It wasn’t my knife I was inquiring about above. But the blade on a CLA was overly ground down by someone on a grinding wheel. I told them they could get a new blade and called benchmade for them. Needless to say, it’s gonna stay as-is.

however, if I ever broke a tip off, or needed a replacement at some point, it was nice to know I could do it at a reasonable cost. they’re expensive as hell for pretty basic blade steels
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If you've broken a tip off, you're using it as something other than a knife, which would be why Benchmade has made the decision to start sharing the pain of a poor decision made with the end-user. I don't see any issues whatsoever with it.
 
Some companies are pricing service and repair work encourage you to buy a new product.
As a jeweler........had a customer bring a watch that cost thousands........companies reply was a discount on a new watch no service.
 
If you ask me a BM went a different direction will the passing of Les and his son now runs the company.With it came different policies.

Then there are a lot more different blade steels offered now than before.Other factors like High materials costs,high demand for products, high wages,freight,etc

This is just my opinion.
 
This is speculation because I don't have a long history owning BM, but I do look at the old ones for sale on eBay. And I am certainly not defending BM; they can do that if they choose and also I have issues with them. But from the point of view of a retired business owner:

Seems that back in the day, BM used some tough steels like 440 that had some give to them and you had to be pretty determined to break one.

Today everyone wants the super steels like S90V, M390, and the like. Me, too. Those steels are intolerant of side force and will break before they bend.

Between the dishonorable owners who abuse both the knives and the warranties, the owners like me who want steels that we don't have to sharpen every few minutes, the cost of doing business, a new owner who made no money off the knives when they sold, but who is now facing bills for new blades and warranty claims, there seems to be plenty of blame to go around.

That being said, there are plenty of very good alternatives to BM, and it might be a bumpy road ahead for them if they keep this up. Especially if they take it a step or two further.
 
I inquired about a blade replacement for a Super Freek (M4 coated).

$105. I didn't bother to ask if that included taxes & return shipping.
 
When a replacement blade costs twice the price of a chinese knife with similar specs and better design and materials, you just know that most customers are going to choose value first.
And please Benchmade! Stop just Stop, trying to make up sales terms like "grivory" it's plastic just admit it, it's cheap nasty fairly durable plastic. Fine if its cheap, the Rat models from Ontario wear it well, but you seem to think you can sell your "griptilian" an "bugout" plastic crap for the price of a custom. If it wasn't for after market scale makers the Benchmade would be ignored.
 
elasmonut said:
When a replacement blade costs twice the price of a chinese knife with similar specs and better design and materials, you just know that most customers are going to choose value first.
And please Benchmade! Stop just Stop, trying to make up sales terms like "grivory" it's plastic just admit it, it's cheap nasty fairly durable plastic. Fine if its cheap, the Rat models from Ontario wear it well, but you seem to think you can sell your "griptilian" an "bugout" plastic crap for the price of a custom. If it wasn't for after market scale makers the Benchmade would be ignored.
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You can get a Chinese knife with "similar specs and better design and materials" for $52.50?(that's half the price of the blade quoted). The reason the Bugout is such a huge seller is because a lot of people like the "specs and design material".

Givory is cheap and nasty? "plastic crap"? I like the scales on my Taggedout.

"griptilian" an(d) "bugout" plastic crap for the price of a custom? Where do you buy your custom knives for $162.00?(the price of a new Bugout)?

I understand you hate Benchmade, but if the only way you can make your point is with ridiculous exaggerations then you loose a lot of your credibility.
The fact that you are even posting in a Benchmade forum sure smells trollish to me!
 
elasmonut said:
When a replacement blade costs twice the price of a chinese knife with similar specs and better design and materials, you just know that most customers are going to choose value first.
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I find it very hard to believe that there exists a folding knife with CPM M4 steel for $50 - Chinese-manufactured or not. Even the BHQ Spyderco Delica (Japan manufactured) with M4 is over $100 and that is a significantly smaller knife than the Freek. A somewhat closer comparison would be the over $200 Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 (Taiwan Manufactured) at 4.4 oz. versus the Freek at 4.3 oz., both of which sport 3.6" blades and have comparable blade thicknesses. So please share with us this $50 masterpiece of engineering and cost efficiency that has better design and materials than a Benchmade Freek.

elasmonut said:
And please Benchmade! Stop just Stop, trying to make up sales terms like "grivory" it's plastic just admit it, it's cheap nasty fairly durable plastic. Fine if its cheap, the Rat models from Ontario wear it well, but you seem to think you can sell your "griptilian" an "bugout" plastic crap for the price of a custom.
Click to expand...

Grivory isn't a sales term made up by Benchmade. It's a polymer product line produced by the Swiss-based EMS-Grivory company. You can learn more about it here.

elasmonut said:
If it wasn't for after market scale makers the Benchmade would be ignored.
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I don't have any hard statistics in front of me, but I reckon a very small percentage of Benchmade knives get customized with aftermarket scales. I would wager that a large percentage of the aftermarket parts market is directed at Benchmade products - largely due to Benchmade's popularity as a brand - but overall the modding community is a small portion of the knife industry.

I understand that you prefer $50 Chinese knives. And that's fine. But nobody is forcing you to buy Benchmade knives. Enjoy what you like, ignore what you don't. And I'll do the same with your $50 Chinese knives.
 
Let's keep it within the lines, folks. Stick to the facts and let's avoid the melodrama.

It's a big marketplace. Buy what you like, enjoy what you like, and leave your fellow enthusiasts in peace.
 
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