NGK and Benchmade

You know what would really help BM is if they offered an Axis lock folder or two in the red class to compete with the other knives out there priced the same as their red class knives. You know, the $35 to $50 max price point. But to get an Axis lock you have to move up to a price range most just are not prepared to jump to. Well, if you shop around you can get a mini Griptilian for $60 or slightly more plus shipping and handling.

BMs are not as well known from what I've seen. I have yet to show my axis lock to any of the guys I meet here local that even know about it. They act all surprised when I show it to one of them. Both my neighbors said they'd never even seen one before. The guys putting in my Windows from Sears had not seen them.

I pulled out my Waved modified HK34 at Wal-Mart one day at the knife counter when the guy behind the counter asked me what I carried and his reaction to it got the attention of every other employee in the store near by and they were like all amazed by it and had never seen it or one like it before. They were all like kids in a candy store passing that thing around oohing and awing over it and Waving it open on their pocket. None of them had seen or heard about the Wave either. Then I told them what I paid for it new and they were like oh man! No wonder we haven't see it. They were carrying Kershaws or Gerbers. I'm sure they were knives from the Wal-Mart displays all $50 and some well under in price. I know the one Gerber the guy showed me there was a $20 something knife. Of course I let them know I Waved it but the point is they had no idea.

STR
 
I would like to add a few things.

We heard Les walked away from Mr. Dye while he was talking. Was Mr. Dye yelling or using swear words or anything?

It just seems weird. I don't think we have the entire story.

I've bought other BM knives from another well known internet store which is also a B&M shop and I've had prices that were just as good or better. I wonder why they are not getting talked to by BM?

I would like to believe that NGK is the good guy, but then again I've only heard the story from NGK.

Some things to think about.
 
Don't care if anyone walked away from anyone else in person... by that point decisions had already been made by the higher-ups.

If BM has indeed stopped supplying NGK, they just lost a HUGE benchmade fan/customer. I'm sure I'm not the only one... I will buy whatever I'm interested in that NGK still has in stock to help them out but I'm not going elsewhere simply because someone chose to whine to BM rather than COMPETE.


Joe-Dirt said:
No way in hell that I would pay $150 for a BM 710 or $160 for a BM 940. To me they are not worth it. I also wouldn't pay $80 for a Mini-Griptilian either.

Without NGK I would have never tried Benchmade and they would have lost the business of myself and my friends that bought Benchmade.
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My thoughts exactly.. they OWE new graham, big time. If it werent for them, I wouldn't have spend hundreds and hundreds of bucks on various BM's.
 
Menocu said:
Don't care if anyone walked away from anyone else in person... by that point decisions had already been made by the higher-ups.

If BM has indeed stopped supplying NGK, they just lost a HUGE benchmade fan/customer. I'm sure I'm not the only one... I will buy whatever I'm interested in that NGK still has in stock to help them out but I'm not going elsewhere simply because someone chose to whine to BM rather than COMPETE.
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same here.:thumbup:
 
Menocu said:
Don't care if anyone walked away from anyone else in person... by that point decisions had already been made by the higher-ups.
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the "higher up" was the guy doing the walking. (Highest up)
 
I live in Reno, Nevada, and there is only 1 knife store even close that is in Carson City(30 miles away), and other than that knives are not found only at 1 high end sportings goods store who charges MSRP plus 10%, and a fairly new Sportsman store who really has a pretty good knife selection.
Being retired, and a knife knut most of my life(63 years), and retired was asked by the owner of the Carson City store if I wanted to work part time as he has known me for over 10 years from the gun shows, and knows my knowledge of knives being a knife knut/collector. I jumped at the offer as got to handle all the knives, and new ones(although not many) he brought in many with my suggestion.
This is not a knife friendly area, but want guns, and everyone is there so knife stores have never survived here. Everyone but a limited few(1 or 2) that I know carry POS knives, and on occasion maybe a Spyderco or CRKT.
The owner of the knife store where I worked(I finally had to resign because it was too expensive driving back, and forth, and I worked for nothing as it was only part time, and he gave me knives at his cost for pay) admitted because he sold amphibious vehicles also in the store if it were not for them he would not survive. I saw what he meant as all people wanted that came in was POS knives or the low end knives of the production knives he sold. The favorite saying was "Oh, I could never pay that much for a knife", and we are talking $50.
People that know me think I have a few screws loose that I spend so much money on knives custom, and production but over the years understand it is my hobby, and no different than guns, etc.
One thing you don't see is Benchmade(even at the store where I worked) as they are waaaay too expensive for the people around here willing to spend.
This all leads to if I want knives then I get on the computer, and scan the dealers, and call back east to them, and order the knife I want. I am knew to buying from NGK, and in fact ordered a new knife from them this morning, and it is nice to talk with someone who is on the same wave length as I when we talk knives so I get the info I need to order what I want. I don't own/buy many BM's so what is happening to NGK won't affect my buying much but regardless I would buy from them anyway if they have what I want because of their personal attention, and they way they treat you as a customer.
So to finish this up even though there is a lot of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities out here in the west people still have a heck of a time getting knives they want without going online to get them even in the Portland, Oregon area(where I was born, and lived for over 30 years) with all the knife production companies being there because there are not many knife stores(just knives) in the Portland, Salem area other than a couple in Portland downtown, and Salem downtown, and they all sell at MSRP or above.
All I am saying is without the interent a lot of us would do without our nice collections no matter where you live as B & M stores are very few so one like NGK I would love to have around here as the one I worked at does not even come close but the store I worked at does not keep up with what is out there cuz he cannot afford to carry that much inventory so attemps to sell what he he has in stock, and does not do any interenet business.
Sorry for the long post but want the people on the eastern part of the country to see that out west here it is no better for getting the knives you want as it may seem.
May not be completely on track with the thread but did include my comments on NGK:)

Larry
 
the reality is-
do you pay list for a benchmade skirmish or get a sebenza or hinderer for the same amout of money-

its a no brainer
 
I wonder if a good part of reason knife stores do not thrive is the very existence of so many reliable internet dealers with so much lower prices, even including shipping costs.

Starting up an internet operation "on your kitchen table" mostly requires getting customers to notice you.

Starting up a storefront operation requires getting those same customers, only more of them, to pay for the physical location and equipment.
 
Joe-Dirt said:
I would like to add a few things.

We heard Les walked away from Mr. Dye while he was talking. Was Mr. Dye yelling or using swear words or anything?

It just seems weird. I don't think we have the entire story.

I've bought other BM knives from another well known internet store which is also a B&M shop and I've had prices that were just as good or better. I wonder why they are not getting talked to by BM?

I would like to believe that NGK is the good guy, but then again I've only heard the story from NGK.

Some things to think about.
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1. If you know Mike you know he doesn't "yell" at anyone or cuss anyone for any reason I have ever known in the 15 years or so we have been friends.
2. I was there and forgoing any other reason, Mike could barley talk above a whisper if he wanted too because he was so horse from running he mouth all weekend, which we all know he is good for.

I've bought other BM knives from another well known internet store which is also a B&M shop and I've had prices that were just as good or better. I wonder why they are not getting talked to by BM?
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3. Maybe because they are the ones whinin ???...........
 
NGK-Webmaster,

Thanks for letting me know. I think you guys have always been great. I'm just trying to be fair as I don't know either Les or Mike much at all. I've talked to Mike a couple times on the phone and it was always a good conversation. :)

Do you guys know who was "whining"? I don't expect you to tell us I just wondered if you knew?

Anyway, I'll continue to buy from you guys even if you don't sell BM. If you stop selling BM I'll stop buying BM. ;)

Thanks!! :thumbup:
 
Many industries have MAP (Minumum Advertised Price) or Unilateral Pricing programs. These are to protect ALL channels of dealers. Manufacturers want a deversified and robust distributioin network. Look what's happened inthe performance auto industy (I work as a rep there). Summit and Jesg's have destroyed the profitability of many large product lines to the point were small shops will no longer carry them. Summit now controls the marketing and sales of these companies. Not a healthy situation for a manufacturer. These MAP programs are usually a signed contract as part of becoming a Master WD or Dealer. If you violate the contract you signed you lose your right to be a dealer. Your choice.
 
I don't like the way DeAsis disrespected one of his dealers--there is simply no call for that kind of attitude.

As for Benchmade's business strategy...it's an attempt at "price fixing", plain and simple.

But Benchmade is not the only one doing so...Chris Reeve does the same thing.
 
Why not put an end to all the bickering and whining over a dead subject?? There's two sides’ to every story and opinions are like assholes everyone’s got one. MAPP is nothing new… I think HaveBlue is dead on. You sign the contract and if you violate it you lose your right to be a dealer. MAPP is designed to keep an even playing field and uphold the integrity of the brand. There’s no need to slander and disrespect anyone we’re all adults here. AllenC makes a very good point BM is not the only one with a MAPP policy and I can assure you not the first to cut off a dealer in that regard.
 
HaveBlue & KitChrome, why don't you show us a copy of the contract you claim Michael signed and highlight the clause you claim he violated?
 
KitChrome said:
Why not put an end to all the bickering and whining over a dead subject?? There's two sides’ to every story and opinions are like assholes everyone’s got one. MAPP is nothing new… I think HaveBlue is dead on. You sign the contract and if you violate it you lose your right to be a dealer. MAPP is designed to keep an even playing field and uphold the integrity of the brand. There’s no need to slander and disrespect anyone we’re all adults here. AllenC makes a very good point BM is not the only one with a MAPP policy and I can assure you not the first to cut off a dealer in that regard.
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What I guess you don't understand is this:

I don't care if Benchmade does this. I just hope they understand that I will stop buying their knives. :D

I really don't care. I like NGK more than I like Benchmade.
 
You should read my post one more time...particularly the part that refers to opinions. Nowhere in my post did i say you shouldn't stop buying BM… that’s your choice and if you choose not to more power to you.
 
I don't believe it's a dead subject. It's obviously of tremendous interest to this community when major factors in our area of interest conflict.

I think we have more of the story than many people here realize. Some of the comments are a bit off from the original problem. But that's OK, topic drift is just anotherr way of all of us thinking out loud along with each other.

That old reference to opinions is always unnecessary. Of course we come here to ask for opinions and to express them, and there is no need to be vulgar in referring to them, either. It's disrespectful to those of us who do choose to participate in the discussion.

This IS the Blade Discussion Forum, not W&C, so please keep the bickering to a minimum.
 
Well said Esav! For ME, the issue of NGK vs. BM *I-S* a dead issue. It's between them. HOWEVER, there is still room for discussion about what we all think about this kind of policy as it regards our hobby. YES, BM is not the only company doing this, so what? I can still express an opinion about it, and after all BF is ALL about opinions. If we don't express our opinions, what would we talk about here, if I may ask?
 
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