No Benchmades at SMKW

[melt]

Does anyone know why Smokey Mountain Knife Works no longer carries Benchmade Knives?

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Might have something to do with Benchmade's Price fixing policy.

As I understand it, anyone who advertises too low a price for their knives gets cut off. :thumbdn:

 

[OrangeJoe]

Isn't Benchmade the company that told New Graham that they did not know if they were 'the type of dealer' they like to have?

Or something to that effect.

 

[yablanowitz]

They also accepted then ignored several orders from Knives Plus, who used to sell at a substantial discount from MSRP. Just one of the reasons I haven't purchased or carried a Benchmade in over a year.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Their new price inflation strategy will certainly increase sales. . . .



for their competition.

 

[DaveH]

SMWK has pretty much abandoned the higher quality level knives for junk over the years.

 

[EdgeOn]

There are two ways for a dealer to buy Benchmade. Buying from the company directly as a dealer makes the dealer subject to minimum price advertising guidelines. Buying them from distributors raises the cost and makes service of supply unreliable because Benchmade puts the distributors at the bottom of the list for shipping priority.

Either the dealer gets the knives and can't discount enough to be competitive on the internet or he pays more for them and can't get the knives reliably. I would imagine neither scenario appeals to SMKW. It doesn't surprise me.

Benchmade wishes their knives would never be sold on the internet. I think they will achieve that goal one day, for better or worse. I'm surprised they haven't ended two tier distribution entirely. They would if there were truly serious about it.

Leatherman, by the way, does the same thing except the difference in price between direct and distributor is much, much greater than it is with Benchmade but service of supply through distributors is quite reliable.

 

[EdgeOn]

SMWK has pretty much abandoned the higher quality level knives for junk over the years.

The junk is way, way, way more profitable. They are just doing what works best for them. That's what businesses are supposed to do.

 

[DaveH]

I don't have a problem with it, just commenting the the original poster may need to revise downward his expectations.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

SMKW is still better than Bud K

 

[Cougar Allen]

 

[EdgeOn]

SMKW is still better than Bud K

I've never been to SMKW. I have been to BudK, however, and it is an impressive operation - mechanized warehouse - the works. It is obviously profitable. They've already bought two companies. This year's purchase was the remains of United Cutlery. I'm not suggesting the products are better in one place than the other. I'm just suggesting that BudK is very successful at what they do and they are certainly one of largest importers and shippers of sporting and collectible cutlery in the U.S.

People on this forum aren't very aware of the low end of the marketplace for knives but it is impressively large and profitable. If someone were going into the knife business today, I would recommend they go straight there without looking back.

 

[Dr. Mudd]

SMKW is still better than Bud K

Hell, yes! I like buying from SMKW, but I'm choosy about what I buy. It's mostly Victorinox and some left over Schrade US-made medium lockbacks. You pays your money and you makes your choices. Pick through the junk and find the treasures.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

People on this forum aren't very aware of the low end of the marketplace for knives but it is impressively large and profitable. If someone were going into the knife business today, I would recommend they go straight there without looking back.

Wow! bad advice of the month!

Quite the opposite, most people here are all too aware of the garbage-end of the spectrum.

Luckily there are people/companies with enough character to forgo massive profits selling useless crap to the ignorant masses, to provide enthusiasts with a quality product.