Opinions of Benchmade

I am very 'meh' when it comes to Benchmade and yet every so often they come out with a knife that I cannot stop lusting over. My Fiance bought me a MPR for Christmas last year and despite how many folks did not like theirs , I love mine. Mine did not have any of the issues I so frequently heard of , thank God. :)
I also cannot stop wanting a 760 Lfti , i WILL own one soon , I must have one... I simply must.

Otherwise I have no interest in any of their other offerings because I too have had crappy experiences with past purchases.

The only other BM I own is a Mini-grip - cynic2701 is spot on about the fine line between stiff opening and blade play on BM's , my mini was the same way , it took an hour or so and a lot of patience before I got mine perfectly situated.


The reason I love Kershaw so much and am so interested in their upcoming and past projects ? I have never had any of the issues I have experienced with Benchmade.

That is what makes a happy consumer and a future customer.

Tostig
 
I've had to send 3 of the last 5 I've owned back for warranty repair, all when new and one just today (a brand new 710 M390 which was in the worst shape of any new knife I've ever bought). If somebody else did the AXIS lock, I'd jump ship in a heartbeat just due to having to waste money in postage and my own time spent dealing with warranty returns. This is NOT the way to do business. I have a feeling when the patent is up on the AXIS mechanism, Benchmade is going to see how much they've hurt themselves doing business this way.
 
McCleaven said:
I have no issues sharpening blades and i have a fun time doing it. i have all the stuff. lansky diamond sharpener, 2 whet stones, a hard and a medium, and 2 ceramics, also hard and medium. I can touch up any blade with just the ceramics, but i shouldn't have to sharpen knife straight outta the box! or feel like i have to re-profile it! the bevel on the BM's is just so small! it is hard to eye it with the ceramic. and the problem with the side to side play my have been the fact that the 551 is a little on the cheaper side of things benchmade offers. i have looked at the 710 and the 940 i believe, but i find it hard to throw down that much when i have been so disappointed with the company in the past.
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Try spending $455 on a knife that can't even cleanly cut a sheet of paper out of the box. That will reall make you cuss.

For Becnhamde knvies in general (more often than not) you NEED to use either teflon tape or loctite on the pivot. I am not a fan of such a small margin for wobble and two handed opening.
 
Wow they dont call this the Benchmade hater forum for nothing.

I find it hilarious that some people bitch about their designs when they have people like Emerson, Lum, Snoody, Siebert, Osborne, Elishewitz, Blackwood, Pardue, Bogusweski, and Marlow actually designing the knives. Yeah these world class knifemakers have no idea what they are doing.

Their bladesteels suck also. I mean who uses S30V, CPM-M4, M2, D2, ATS-34, 154CM,
N690, 440C, X-15, AUS-8, M390, N680 and various Damascus anymore?

Axis is a terrible locking mechanism also, its only rated to 800 lbs and copied by spyderco with their ball bearing lock and SOG with their ARC lock.

The blade play is out of control also. I mean who want to turn a torx screw to tighten the blade for less play or loosen it for faster openings? They should be like spyderco where no matter how loose the pivot is the knife still wont flick open.

The herp derp is strong in this thread.
 
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BaliMaster5 said:
Wow they dont call this the Benchmade hater forum for nothing.

I find it hilarious that some people bitch about their designs when they have people like Emerson, Lum, Snoody, Siebert, Osborne, Elishewitz, Blackwood, Pardue, Bogusweski, and Marlow actually designing the knives. Yeah these world class knifemakers have no idea what they are doing.

The herp derp is strong in this thread.
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Who is "they"? Perhaps you'd feel more at home on another forum?
 
BaliMaster5 said:
Wow they dont call this the Benchmade hater forum for nothing.

I find it hilarious that some people bitch about their designs when they have people like Emerson, Lum, Snoody, Siebert, Osborne, Elishewitz, Blackwood, Pardue, Bogusweski, and Marlow actually designing the knives. Yeah these world class knifemakers have no idea what they are doing.

Their bladesteels suck also. I mean who uses S30V, CPM-M4, M2, D2, ATS-34, 154CM,
N690, 440C, X-15, AUS-8, M390, N680 and various Damascus anymore?

Axis is a terrible locking mechanism also, its only rated to 800 lbs and copied by spyderco with their ball bearing lock and SOG with their ARC lock.

The blade play is out of control also. I mean who want to turn a torx screw to tighten the blade for less play or loosen it for faster openings? They should be like spyderco where no matter how loose the pivot is the knife still wont flick open.

The herp derp is strong in this thread.
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I don't really have a dog in this fight, so I wasn't going to say anything, but this really grinds my gears.

Who exactly was saying these things? The comment about steels was specifically about 154CM, not anything else. Also, just because well-known designers are designing Benchmade's knives, doesn't mean that they are infallible. If a design isn't right for somebody, that's all there is to it. As for the Axis lock, who was criticizing it? The blade play/tightness issue sounds pretty legitimate to me, and has nothing whatsoever to do with Spydercos (both of mine, by the way, can be flicked open). And Spyderco's ball bearing lock is not a copy of an Axis lock, if you had one you would know that.

If these complaints are upsetting your precious fanboy attitude, tough luck.
 
BaliMaster5 said:
Wow they dont call this the Benchmade hater forum for nothing.

I find it hilarious that some people bitch about their designs when they have people like Emerson, Lum, Snoody, Siebert, Osborne, Elishewitz, Blackwood, Pardue, Bogusweski, and Marlow actually designing the knives. Yeah these world class knifemakers have no idea what they are doing.

Their bladesteels suck also. I mean who uses S30V, CPM-M4, M2, D2, ATS-34, 154CM,
N690, 440C, X-15, AUS-8, M390, N680 and various Damascus anymore?

Axis is a terrible locking mechanism also, its only rated to 800 lbs and copied by spyderco with their ball bearing lock and SOG with their ARC lock.

The blade play is out of control also. I mean who want to turn a torx screw to tighten the blade for less play or loosen it for faster openings? They should be like spyderco where no matter how loose the pivot is the knife still wont flick open.

The herp derp is strong in this thread.
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I'd use the past tense when referring to Emerson and Blackwood on that list. Anything that they designed and incorporated into Benchmade's lineup hasn't been made in years.

440C, 154CM/ATS34, and AUS-8 are hardly special. Even S30V is becoming common.
 
Legoman0721 said:
I don't really have a dog in this fight, so I wasn't going to say anything, but this really grinds my gears.

Who exactly was saying these things? The comment about steels was specifically about 154CM, not anything else. Also, just because well-known designers are designing Benchmade's knives, doesn't mean that they are infallible. If a design isn't right for somebody, that's all there is to it. As for the Axis lock, who was criticizing it? The blade play/tightness issue sounds pretty legitimate to me, and has nothing whatsoever to do with Spydercos (both of mine, by the way, can be flicked open). And Spyderco's ball bearing lock is not a copy of an Axis lock, if you had one you would know that.

If these complaints are upsetting your precious fanboy attitude, tough luck.
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Did I strike a nerve? Are you going to be OK?
 
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BaliMaster5 said:
Did I strike a nerve? Are you going to be OK?
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Your fanboy attitude did indeed strike a nerve, and I don't even own a Benchmade. You seem to be off jousting windmills rather than addressing actual realistic criticisms that are in this thread, and you insult people that disagree with you or question you. I'm going to echo EMT_Lee and say that perhaps you would be happier on another forum.
 
BaliMaster5 said:
Wow they dont call this the Benchmade hater forum for nothing.

I find it hilarious that some people bitch about their designs when they have people like Emerson, Lum, Snoody, Siebert, Osborne, Elishewitz, Blackwood, Pardue, Bogusweski, and Marlow actually designing the knives. Yeah these world class knifemakers have no idea what they are doing.

Their bladesteels suck also. I mean who uses S30V, CPM-M4, M2, D2, ATS-34, 154CM,
N690, 440C, X-15, AUS-8, M390, N680 and various Damascus anymore?

Axis is a terrible locking mechanism also, its only rated to 800 lbs and copied by spyderco with their ball bearing lock and SOG with their ARC lock.

The blade play is out of control also. I mean who want to turn a torx screw to tighten the blade for less play or loosen it for faster openings? They should be like spyderco where no matter how loose the pivot is the knife still wont flick open.

The herp derp is strong in this thread.
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I really hate to even respond to you (in fact, you may go on my ignore list), but I wanted to say that, out of all of the knives I've owned, I've spent more on Benchmade than any other. Out of all of the knives I've owned, I've sent more Benchmade knives back than any others. Out of all of the knives I've owned, I've had to re-profile Benchmade knives more than any other. Starting to see a trend here?

I own several models of most other major brands popular today and have had significantly fewer legitimate problems with all of them combined, than I've had with my Benchmades.

You picked the wrong post to wave your flag in buddy.
 
Generally I find Benchmades to be well-designed, well-manufactured knives at a reasonable price for what they are. However, it can be very difficult to get ahold of their customer service (though when you do get ahold of them they usually do a good job of taking care of you) and their present business strategies are obnoxious for retailers. I don't like what they do with D2 or 440C, but they do 154CM and S30V very well.
 
They work great for me. 551 and a 915 triage. I will say I have some profiling issues with my Grip tho....
 
Sulaco said:
I really hate to even respond to you (in fact, you may go on my ignore list), but I wanted to say that, out of all of the knives I've owned, I've spent more on Benchmade than any other. Out of all of the knives I've owned, I've sent more Benchmade knives back than any others. Out of all of the knives I've owned, I've had to re-profile Benchmade knives more than any other. Starting to see a trend here?

I own several models of most other major brands popular today and have had significantly fewer legitimate problems with all of them combined, than I've had with my Benchmades.

You picked the wrong post to wave your flag in buddy.
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Serious question: Do you have a learning disability? It seems you do not learn from your mistakes, at all.

Someone defends Benchmade in a anti-Benchmade thread, then points out the obvious hypocrites. The nerve of some people, I tell ya.

I am no more pro-Benchmade, than half the people in this thread are anti-Benchmade.

Sounds like alot of you LOVE to dish it out but cant take a single drop of your own medicine
 
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No issues with my BM's. My Griptillian is my current EDC. Sharpens easily, stays sharp a long time, and is quite tough with a thin edge. 805, 806, Pika, 710, 42, 730, have all been sharp out of the box, though the Pika had an uneven edge, and all but the 730 and 805 got rebeveled to match the Sharpmaker. The 710 had a bent omega spring, but I didn't even notice for 2 years. On top of all that, the 805, 550, and 730 would all outcut my Spyderco knives (2 Delicas, a 3rd and 4th generation). Apparently I've been very lucky, as many here report a multitude of issues. I'll keep right on buying them though, as often as I can.
 
I have been reading about Benchmades for months now and have been truly puzzled by the fact that many love them, others hate them, some seem indifferent. My current hypothesis I am working on is that perhaps some models appeal more than others for a variety of reasons. This year I got my first BM in ages. The 710. Love this knife!! Just got my second BM today thanks to my wife. It is the 581 and am very excited about it too.
 
Benchmades are expensive. I was into spydercos, kershaws, sogs and I shied away from benchmade due to the price. The day Benchmade announced the discontinuation of the 630 Skirmish, I got online and bought one. It was the best knife ever owed. It was my #1 knife, I have a duplicate I plan on burying in a time capsule. The only issue I've ever had with my Benchmades was a persistently dull BM710. MY BM42 is a masterpiece, I've been edcing my BM51, and my blue handled mini-grip was the knife I let people at work use to open packages until my lady commandeered it, she calls it the "blue lazer".

Benchmade was the benchmark for a long time, but the industry has caught up now. There are a lot of great knives out there, but Benchmade is still a high quality fully USA produced product.
 
I have a mini-grip, a fullsized grip with 440c steel, and the Nimcub fixed blade. The two folders have no blade play at all in either direction, and all of them hold a pretty decent edge. Having said that, while there are a few Benchmades out there that I would love to buy, I find myself saving for more ZT's.. :)
 
I believe the anti-Benchmade does not come without a reason. Neither does the Pro-Benchmade.

Good experience with a Benchmade knife doesn't invalidate other peoples' bad experiences. The same goes for other companies-I personally find it rather amusing when, on the Spyderco factory forum, people post about problems and are immediately replied with "I had the same knife and it was perfect!" I don't know but it's a poor argument IMO.

My personal experience hasn't been great. I got a MiniGrip, and while I really like the action and the lock (yes, the Axis lock is fine) I disliked the ergonomics-too small for me. Knives with comparable blade length such as the Spyderco UK Pen Knife are more comfortable. I haven't had a chance to try out how it cuts for the simple reason that the edge seems to have been put on at 60 degrees rather than the usually more common 30.

That said, I would go back for a second time for a more proven model-such as the HK 14210 or the 710. (Or, I might just save up for a Sebenza.)
 
Isaeus said:
Greetings:

I ordered a Benchmade Onslaught and find it comical how stout the handle is in relation to the paper-thin blade. Surely a blade that thin would at least be razor sharp, but it wasn't. Tiny little bevel. I've also found it impossible to find an amount of pivot tension that allows the blade to flick out fast without the side-to-side play side effect.

I do like the 530 I have, though, except for the same paper-thin-but-not-razor-sharp blade issue. I've sharpened both blades but shouldn't have had to.

In general, since my rather recent foray into this money-pit collecting hobby, I've found the majority of knives I've bought to be a letdown in one way or another compared to their cost (with the notable exceptions of the Hogue G-Mascus EX-01, Lion Steel SR-1, Spyderco Endura Wave, DPx H.E.S.T fixed blade, and Cold Steel Spartan and Rajah II). I'm probably too picky.

Cheers,
Isaeus
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You are definitely too picky! :D

I have to say, you are also a real knife knut, with a great variety of knives you do like, of different styles from different companies. This makes the problems you see more credible.

I wish more people here would focus on the knives themselves, instead of mocking each other for having different opinions.
 
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