What do each of the big three (Spyerco, Kershaw, Benchmade) do best?

How do you become one of the big three?Is this based on the three you like or on real life $$$$ in the bank?If its the profits I can think of four that might make your big three.
 
Spyderco: Best engineering and innovations. They have absolutely the best performance; I don't think either Kershaws or Benchmades outcut Spydercos. However, Spyderco has the worst quality out of the three.

Kershaw: There is no better bang for your buck. The quality is very high, the prices are generally very reasonable, and you get a knife made in the USA. Also, what company has a better warranty? When you go to their warranty page for a request, they even have a list of commonly requested items (clips, screws, etc.) right there for you, and they send them free of charge. Seriously, you can't beat that. Some of their designs are a bit outlandish, though.

Benchmade: My experience has been limited, but from what I've seen, Benchmade knives are of very high quality. Most (all, now?) of their knives are made in the US. I think what they do best is make knives with conservative designs in mind.

I'm also going to add:
Cold Steel: Without a doubt, they design the toughest knives. If you're into stabbing trees and car hoods and attacking helpless watermelons, then Cold Steel has some great products at great prices. I have to say, though, that after toughness, everything else is an afterthought on a Cold Steel knife.
 
Spyderco: I agree with you OP, they are the sharpest out of the box (although Kershaw is just a hair behind!). What I also love about them are their willingness to experiment with some pretty crazy designs in terms of shapes, mechanisms and even materials. Not all the results are winners, but more often than not, we get some very cool new functional designs.

Kershaw: My favorite of the big 3. What I love is their range. For about $30, I can get a damn good knife. But they also excel in the much higher price ranges too, and anything in between. I also think they have the best auto-open mechanism (the Onion design). They are also not afraid to experiment, like Spyderco, but I think their products are a bit more conservative design-wise.

Benchmade: Sorry, I don't like them. I have had 2 of their knives, and both were a disappointment. Got rid of one as fast as I could, and the other is a beater. I love the axis lock, but that is the only good thing I can say about Benchmade.
 
Forgot to add:

Benchmade:Balisongs. Nothing came close to the old 4x series from any of the other two.

Spyderco: Cool handles that are ugly to look at but beautiful to hold (for the most part)

I absolutely hated the look of the Para until I felt it out. Mmmm. In the same vein I absolutely love the look of the 950-Rift from Benchmade, but when I got to hold it I found the ergos awkward.
 
Spyderco Ergos,steels, best slicers
Kershaw pushes envelope,great f&f even on lower cost models
Benchmade seems to have modern designs
 
Three I have they've done very well on, IMO.....
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Jill,

Those certainly are one of the best each from BM, Spyderco and Kershaw/ZT.

I think a person's collection could begin and end with those three and still be a heck of a collection of knives.:thumbup:

Best,

Heekma
 
To those confused, Kershaw makes every part for their USA made knives right here in the USA. From clip screws to thumbstuds, framelocks to torsion bars, all are made and assembled in Tualatin, Oregon.
 
As an owner and collector of all three here is my take on it:

Spyderco - functional knives but their pricing seems to be inconsistent depending on the model and materials. The Spyderhole makes all of their designs carry wide in the pocket as well as keeping a very similar design pattern to the majority of their offerings. Their CS and warrant leave something to be desired with the associated end user costs to access their services and support. You cannot take them apart without voiding warranty.

Kershaw - Tons of awards, more variety in steel options on typical production options than any of the three, extensive design variations, bring out more new models than most manufacturers, and offer their customers a lifetime warranty with phenomenal service and support with little more than customer shipping costs to return the knife...they usually toss in a torx tool (which in my mind offsets the original shipping). You can take apart their knives, screw everything up, and they WILL fix it for you without charge. They represent the best value for cost of any of the three makers listed. Exceptionally sharp out of box from the cheapest to the most expensive.

Benchmade - Their service, in my experience, is horrid. Good luck getting a call back. Cant take these apart without voiding warranty either. That being said, they have some great designs that fit a variety of applications, good fit and finish, but sometimes don't come sharp.

I will continue to buy all three.
 
ZippoThisKnifeThat said:
Kershaw: Affordability, Ken Onion/Speed Assist and from OP's post, I thought Kershaw had parts made outside the US and assembled them here?
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I think it's just that KAI is a Japanese company, and Sandvik, from whom they buy steel, is Swedish. But the steel is processed here, and the knives are still entirely built here in the US.
 
in terms of factory blades, spydercos slice. benchmades are ground like axes.
 
This is about your big three.There are others who are top sellers that did not get into your three.Many makers produce great knives.
 
kitkat52 said:
This is about your big three.There are others who are top sellers that did not get into your three.Many makers produce great knives.
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Yes...that is true. But this thread isn't about those manufacturers.

Even though there are many auto manufacturers, Ford, GM and Dodge have always been "The Big Three," and in my mind Spyderco, Kershaw and Benchmade are "The Big Three" when it comes to knives.:thumbup:

Best,

Heekma
 
ASBOB said:
I don't know if that's true. When you go to the large sporting goods chains, what you see are Buck and Gerber.
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Cheaper knives appeal more to the unknowing just looking for a knife for a trip or w/e. If you walked into a store knowing nothing about knives besides what size you want and colors you like, etc. You wouldn't have a reason to spend say 120 on a BM or Spyderco vs the like 25 you would pay for a buck/gerber. They just push out more product. But I guess they should be included in the top companies as low cost knives (buck anyways)

Spyderco, Unique designs which look either good or bad depending on the person. High quality products.

Kershaw, Cheaper prices with quality materials.

BM, High quality products and generally plainish designs which appeal a great deal more to me then spydercos offerings. AXIS Lock.
 
Many other makers produce great knives, but these are the three largest ones consistently producing top performance knives at reasonable prices. You can blindly pick any knife from these three and not be disappointed.

If you do your homework and research before you buy, you can easily find good knives from Buck, Cold Steel, CRKT, Gerber, SOG, etc. But, if you just pick one impulsively online you might end up with a dud.
 
heekma said:
In that vein, I was wondering what BF thinks each one does best, or what makes each brand unique from the others.

Heekma
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Benchmade... well, this is a sarcastic comment, but I think what they do best is sell pseudo-custom knives for MSRP's above $300 ... up to $1000 range. I can't for a minute imagine why anyone would pay up for a custom-priced "Gold Class" knife from Benchmade (full disclosure... I bought the CF Griptilian in CPM M4... like, don't love it... overpriced at the $250 I paid... a $150 knife). That they've managed to sell some of their Gold line knives in this range is truly genius. The investment value / resale value is "caveat emptor".

Spyderco: I respect the work Sal Glesser does with the CATRA to stay on top of the upper end knife steel game. I am amazed they haven't resorted to adding thumbstuds. After 15+ year of seriously buying and using knives, the hole strikes me as 1) inferior to a thumb stud and 2) a great way to induce a bit stress riser in a blade.

Kershaw: They are constantly improving, especially with the collaborations and the Zero Tolerance line. And also, their top tier kitchen knives (Shun) really rock. They are changing the face of "retail" (i.e. non-custom) kitchen knives. They are on a roll, and I welcome the competition for Benchmade and Spyderco.
 
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