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- Mar 5, 2009
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- 1,752
This is meant in fun, but there are honestly about 30 different Benchmade knives that would be absolutely perfect if they hadn't just screwed up that one little thing. It's entirely possible that I'm just looking at all the wrong places online (or that I'm too picky), but every time I go down the path of buying a Benchmade, they...
1. Put that ultra-deep swedge all the way across the spine of a perfectly good blade - I hate that. This is largely an aesthetic thing, and I know others love the swedge, but several of their knives would look great to me if they just had a decent spine on it. I love that they have that slender/slim handle and blade-shape, but that swedge ruins it for me.
2. Make a knife in only combo-edge (or make like what - 14 of that knife in plain-edge and 10,000 in combo-edge?). To be fair, this one could just be that I'm late to the game a lot in the Benchmade world and all of the plain-edge versions of a particular model are sold out before I get to them, but I absolutely hate finding that perfect knife and that no one has plain-edge in stock (but everyone on the web has CE) except for places like ebay that have 'em in plain-edge for a good 250% mark-up.
3. Make the knife I want in every lock but the Axis-lock. Not that McHenry and Williams is synonymous with Benchmade, but the Axis Lock is like 75% of the reason I want a Benchmade in the first place (they are kind of famous for it and it's a pretty cool lock). I've found several models that are perfect in every way, but are only available in liner-lock, button-lock, etc. While I'll still buy those models, I really want an Axis model that I like. I've even had an Axis spring take a dump on me and I still want a decent knife with an Axis lock (it's that cool).
4. Make a knife that is ultimately perfect (including no ugly swedge, perfect blade-shape, comes with the Axis lock, and actually available in plain-edge) and hack the scales out of aluminum or G10 with a hatchet. Seriously, Benchmade makes some beautiful scales - so I know they know how to do it right (and yes, I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but c'mon - some of their scales on the knives that I specifically lust after are hideous (and as uncomfortable as they look). It's like adding Hepatitis C to the Pamela Anderson of knives (or adding Tommy Lee or Kid Rock I guess).
5. Make the absolutely perfect knife and then kill it off 5 years before I find out about it (who do they think they are, General Motors?). This really sucks for me because Benchmade fans don't sell their knives (especially not the older ones). I've heard all sorts of stories about the older knives and how much ass they kick (and I've even handled an older 710, and a few other models that I absolutely loved). It's rumored that they used to actually ship knives with a sharpened edge on them but to be honest, that's probably a little far-fetched based on the last 6 I've purchased.
6. Make the 100% cat's meow - just perfect for EZ Bake knife and it's in stock (and it's available in plain-edge with beautiful scales and an Axis lock) and then charge a crapload more for it than their other knives (and no, I'm not talking about Gold-Class knives). It can't honestly cost that much to make prettier G10 scales can it? Sure, in some cases the blade-steel is upgraded as well, but it's rarely that much more expensive than the norm for Benchmade (which is what - 154CM?). That seems like the only difference in a Benchmade that is reasonably priced (yet is hideous to me personally), and one that costs enough that it puts me right at the edge of semi-custom territory. And I know asking for the Axis lock, quality materials, and a good design and then subsequently bitching about price seems kind of silly, but the QC (as well as... for lack of a better word... sharpening?) on the last few Benchmades I've bought don't exactly justify that premium price. And let me say that I don't have a problem with paying $400+ for the right knife (yes, even a production model from one of the big 3), but I'm gun-shy to do so on a Benchmade given the last few examples I've personally owned.
So at the end of the day, I find myself wanting (against all odds) to be a Benchmade fan. If you know of a model without that giant swedge, that has halfway decent G10 (or even aluminum or wood) scales, comes in plain-edge with a regular-looking drop-point, has a poky tip, and is in-stock today - for less than the price of a used small Sebenza)... fire away with that impossible-to-remember numeric model number that Benchmade loves to use (so that I can't remember it and will never be able to find it again).
Again, it's all in fun and I'm seriously looking to be the proud owner of a Benchmade. Of the knives I've sold, I sort of regret selling my small green G10 Bone-Collector, but that's honestly about it. I almost pulled the trigger on an 806 in M390, but couldn't do it after starring at my Blue M390 para-2 for over $100 less - granted, I realize that is a sprint run rarity thing and as soon as the blue Para2s run out and get rare, they will probably be hard to find for a decent price as well.
I sold a 710 (but to be fair, I won't own a Spyderco Military either because I'll just never carry a knife that large) but the 710 I owned and the older one that a friend let me handle were almost completely different knives by QC standards.
I really want a thumb-stud Benchmade (to get that slimmer profile when closed) as opposed to another Spyder-hole model. I like ~3" knives. Hook a brother up with some model numbers for me to google (or pics if you've got them).
1. Put that ultra-deep swedge all the way across the spine of a perfectly good blade - I hate that. This is largely an aesthetic thing, and I know others love the swedge, but several of their knives would look great to me if they just had a decent spine on it. I love that they have that slender/slim handle and blade-shape, but that swedge ruins it for me.
2. Make a knife in only combo-edge (or make like what - 14 of that knife in plain-edge and 10,000 in combo-edge?). To be fair, this one could just be that I'm late to the game a lot in the Benchmade world and all of the plain-edge versions of a particular model are sold out before I get to them, but I absolutely hate finding that perfect knife and that no one has plain-edge in stock (but everyone on the web has CE) except for places like ebay that have 'em in plain-edge for a good 250% mark-up.
3. Make the knife I want in every lock but the Axis-lock. Not that McHenry and Williams is synonymous with Benchmade, but the Axis Lock is like 75% of the reason I want a Benchmade in the first place (they are kind of famous for it and it's a pretty cool lock). I've found several models that are perfect in every way, but are only available in liner-lock, button-lock, etc. While I'll still buy those models, I really want an Axis model that I like. I've even had an Axis spring take a dump on me and I still want a decent knife with an Axis lock (it's that cool).
4. Make a knife that is ultimately perfect (including no ugly swedge, perfect blade-shape, comes with the Axis lock, and actually available in plain-edge) and hack the scales out of aluminum or G10 with a hatchet. Seriously, Benchmade makes some beautiful scales - so I know they know how to do it right (and yes, I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but c'mon - some of their scales on the knives that I specifically lust after are hideous (and as uncomfortable as they look). It's like adding Hepatitis C to the Pamela Anderson of knives (or adding Tommy Lee or Kid Rock I guess).
5. Make the absolutely perfect knife and then kill it off 5 years before I find out about it (who do they think they are, General Motors?). This really sucks for me because Benchmade fans don't sell their knives (especially not the older ones). I've heard all sorts of stories about the older knives and how much ass they kick (and I've even handled an older 710, and a few other models that I absolutely loved). It's rumored that they used to actually ship knives with a sharpened edge on them but to be honest, that's probably a little far-fetched based on the last 6 I've purchased.
6. Make the 100% cat's meow - just perfect for EZ Bake knife and it's in stock (and it's available in plain-edge with beautiful scales and an Axis lock) and then charge a crapload more for it than their other knives (and no, I'm not talking about Gold-Class knives). It can't honestly cost that much to make prettier G10 scales can it? Sure, in some cases the blade-steel is upgraded as well, but it's rarely that much more expensive than the norm for Benchmade (which is what - 154CM?). That seems like the only difference in a Benchmade that is reasonably priced (yet is hideous to me personally), and one that costs enough that it puts me right at the edge of semi-custom territory. And I know asking for the Axis lock, quality materials, and a good design and then subsequently bitching about price seems kind of silly, but the QC (as well as... for lack of a better word... sharpening?) on the last few Benchmades I've bought don't exactly justify that premium price. And let me say that I don't have a problem with paying $400+ for the right knife (yes, even a production model from one of the big 3), but I'm gun-shy to do so on a Benchmade given the last few examples I've personally owned.
So at the end of the day, I find myself wanting (against all odds) to be a Benchmade fan. If you know of a model without that giant swedge, that has halfway decent G10 (or even aluminum or wood) scales, comes in plain-edge with a regular-looking drop-point, has a poky tip, and is in-stock today - for less than the price of a used small Sebenza)... fire away with that impossible-to-remember numeric model number that Benchmade loves to use (so that I can't remember it and will never be able to find it again).
Again, it's all in fun and I'm seriously looking to be the proud owner of a Benchmade. Of the knives I've sold, I sort of regret selling my small green G10 Bone-Collector, but that's honestly about it. I almost pulled the trigger on an 806 in M390, but couldn't do it after starring at my Blue M390 para-2 for over $100 less - granted, I realize that is a sprint run rarity thing and as soon as the blue Para2s run out and get rare, they will probably be hard to find for a decent price as well.
I sold a 710 (but to be fair, I won't own a Spyderco Military either because I'll just never carry a knife that large) but the 710 I owned and the older one that a friend let me handle were almost completely different knives by QC standards.
I really want a thumb-stud Benchmade (to get that slimmer profile when closed) as opposed to another Spyder-hole model. I like ~3" knives. Hook a brother up with some model numbers for me to google (or pics if you've got them).
