Why all the Benchmade stain?

Tostig said:
I would think in today's crap economy that an American company would really strive to make sure each and every product it puts out is top notch and worth the customers dollar. Otherwise I like many , will happily take my business to those I trust.
:)

Tostig
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Actually it's exactly the opposite of what you think, not really talking about knife companies, but the in general they will cut every corner they can including payroll and sell a cheapened product to pad the bottom line.

Welcome to Corp America were they do everything exactly the opposite of the way it should be done just to make a fast buck.. ;)

We see this in just about everything we buy today from food to clothes ect.

The big change came along when Middle Management became number crunchers instead of Managers, it's been down hill ever since, sacrifice quality for profit every time.

They really are their own worst enemy...
 
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Tostig said:
I would think in today's crap economy that an American company would really strive to make sure each and every product it puts out is top notch and worth the customers dollar. Tostig
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The company can strive all they want and it will make minimal difference. 100% of the workers themselves have to strive. It is really tough to inspect in quality after the fact.
 
as an aside, this was recently posted on the BM forum in regards to factory edges:

"Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and concerns regarding any sharpness issues. We agree, when you get a new Benchmade, it should exceed your expectations when it comes to sharpness. We are constantly evaluating our process and procedures to ensure reliable, consistent quality. It’s a never-ending process as we introduce new models and new, innovative blade steels. We also are committed to training (and re-training) our sharpeners so they are always producing the best quality product.

With regards to responding to concerns on the Forum, we do our best to see, read and evaluate as much as we can, but can’t catch every post, despite our best efforts. If you need more immediate service, please call our customer service team at 800-800-7427 or email us at info@benchmade.com

PS - to take advantage of your Benchmade's lifetime LifeSharp service, please learn more .


--
Jason
Team Benchmade
 
Tote412 said:
I have a griptilian. I like the knife. Yes it does have a cheap feeling handle. I have gotten used to it, but have not grown to like it. Will I buy another benchmade in the future? Maybe, maybe not. I do like the axis lock and have no other issues with the knife. The prices are the only thing that will probably keep me from buying many more. I buy users only, I can't really justify paying more than $100 for a tacticool knife.
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With all due respect, you are still new here. The bolded portions sound similar to things said by most people that have no real interest in knives other than to just have one in their pocket. Most of the people on these forums are collectors and users. They have a massive amount of folders. I guess the term could be aficionados or "afis". There is just a little more to it than "tacticool" knives.
 
RevDevil said:
With all due respect, you are still new here. The bolded portions sound similar to things said by most people that have no real interest in knives other than to just have one in their pocket. Most of the people on these forums are collectors and users. They have a massive amount of folders. I guess the term could be aficionados or "afis". There is just a little more to it than "tacticool" knives.
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Yeah there is a lot more to it than tacticool, well for me there is anyway, that really doesn't even factor into it at all for me.
 
Tostig said:
Oh buddy, my only irritation was huntbomb and his lame reply. I seriously considered what to do about this knife - as stated the problems are fixed although the edge is a work in progress to my liking , the edge didn't even bug me near as much as how sloppy the knife was thrown together. Would it make a difference to email Benchmade ? I doubt it seriously.

As I type the knife is in my pocket , as it has been since I corrected it. I love the knife overall ! Not because it's a Benchmade though , because it is a sweet knife.

My point in taking the time to post that long post was to say that there are real reasons out there a company loses a customer. In my work we see it all the time , we get old customers begging us to service them because the company that promised them the moon at a bargain rate did not and could not deliver as we do.

I liken any other company to ours. If you please folks you get the business , if you make enough folks mad and arrogantly defend your decisions you will lose like nothing else until you can no longer keep the power on.

I would think in today's crap economy that an American company would really strive to make sure each and every product it puts out is top notch and worth the customers dollar. Otherwise I like many , will happily take my business to those I trust.
:)

Tostig
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My experience may be different than others, but I have a mini Ritter grip user that I had problems with the edge at the beginning. I thought it was just factory grind issues. Over the course of a few *years*, I had problems with edge retention and had a few little nicks that shouldn't have chipped like they did, but I thought, ahh... what the heck... I'll just sharpen them out. Eventually, I cut something that shouldn't have been an issue (cat5 cable which other knives sailed through), and it chipped out on me again. Mind you, this was 5 years after I bought the knife.

My point? I emailed Benchmade. I sent them the knife. They replaced the blade for free under warranty, no questions asked. (no issues with the new blade, btw)

I agree that there may be issues with quality control, but their customer service in my experience is *outstanding*!



I'm not a collector in the safe-keeper sense, so I will defer to others on the details of fit and finish, but overall, I am happy with my dealings with the company, and fwiw, I like the mini-grip handles. Good contours and they keep it nice and light in my pocket.
 
Yea, I am sure there is a secret socicety merking around - with its members communicating by secret code based on knife theme...
The standart topics utilised to bring across some secret messages usually are:
- I do not like assisted oppening...
- My BM came out dull...
- Grip's handle is so plastic...
- My Para 2 rocks, does yours rock too...
- What should I take with me into bathrom for SD purpose...
- What is wrong with the Quality Control today...
and so on...

:D
 
We have many manufacturers with a strong presence on the forum right now, Benchmade is not one of them. The problem is probably more a lack of super duper ultra enthusiastic fanboy comments than an excess of negative ones.
 
It's human nature to complain, as opposed to actually acknowledging something positive. BM has had its ups and downs. I've owned a lot of them from the very early days, just after the switch from Pacific Cutlery, up to a few of the current models. Overall, I've been happy with the company, and second to Spydercos, I own more BM's than any other manufacturer. On the other hand, I've sent more BM's for service than any other manufacturer.
 
softrockrenegade said:
I will say I'm a bit bored with their new knives , I love the axis lock but every model feels the same to me where as spyderco has a different engineered lock on every model and each knife has it's own unique action and feel when opening .
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For the reason you dislike them, I like them. I love the feel of the Axis 'cause you know what you'll be getting when you get another with that lock. I personally dislike having to learn what knives I have to flick out harder as opposed to the easier ones.
 
I have no problem with posts about BM or really any at all, I'm a BM fanboy so about 50% of my forum time is over there, I also happen to like most of the other BM fanboys.

I don't think dull knives, bad HTs or missing hardware should be something anyone should expect from any company.

I've not had a bad or poor or even iffy Benchmade in my dozen or so years of using quality cutlery, I haven't had a bad Spyderco, my dad did and he STILL hasn't sent it in (Free from his job so he doesn't care, boo).

Come to think of it, I must be the luckiest guy around because I can't think of a knife that I've purchased (besides an Opinel#7) new that had any problems... that Opinel... dull, that's it.... ONE dull knife in a dozen years.

I think it's time for the complainers to check their karma. (joke)
 
The only thing I hate is that they put an extremely obtuse edge angle from the factory. I got my bone collector in D2 with something like a 60 degree angle. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BRING D2 FROM A 60 DEGREE EDGE TO A 40 DEGREE ON A SHARPMAKER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
 
The problem that some people have with the BM plastic handles (me included) is that for their pricepoint, the handles just plainly feel cheap. I can find a knife with similar feeling handles for half the price or less. While I can't say for other people, I think that buying a knife with all of the cost coming from the blade steel, liners/lock, and the name (not the handles) is a bit imbalanced. For that much, I would pay for sturdier and tougher feeling handles, compromising a slightly lower quality blade.
 
Cold Kill said:
The problem that some people have with the BM plastic handles (me included) is that for their pricepoint, the handles just plainly feel cheap. I can find a knife with similar feeling handles for half the price or less. While I can't say for other people, I think that buying a knife with all of the cost coming from the blade steel, liners/lock, and the name (not the handles) is a bit imbalanced. For that much, I would pay for sturdier and tougher feeling handles, compromising a slightly lower quality blade.
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My emphasis on the word 'feeling' goes to an important issue of subjective vs. objective evaluations. For me, I have never had the handle on a Grip break, crack or chip. It is light weight, offers a secure grip and is easy to slide into and out of a pocket. Such are my objective evaluations of the handle. As for the subjective 'feel' of the handle, I would like it even more if it was carbon fiber, but I am too cheap to pony-up the cash for the Gold Class version. :o
 
I did not trip too much on the "edge" on my Lfti , or the "edge" on my 755 , both of which mind you are fairly expensive knives and are considered two of their more , fancier models.( not Gold class but you get my drift chief ). Perhaps I should mention that I spent many hours of my time perfecting those edges to a working state , to be honest both knives need a complete regrind but that is another day... I guess that is just something one has to expect when purchasing a Benchmade.

Remember how many folks were ever so waiting for the 755 , only to sell it off with a quickness ? There were a lot of issues with those knives , ironically my 755 is also a FP but it exhibits none of the issues others had , aside from an axe like "edge".

Anyhow , my main concerns are that it is not a cheap knife ,by any means, that was not put together correctly.

Sending a brand new knife in for repair is just not an option I'm willing to take ( actually it's beyond ridiculous to have to resort to that ) , I have never had to do that when I buy a Kershaw, Spyderco, EKI , Case ,Buck... hahaha even Rough Rider !

I'll end this with repeating that BM needs to step it up , and I mean no offense to any "die hard" BM fans.


yessiree-bob.

Tostig
 
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APF, what finally made me sell my 2 large Grips was - one day I removed a pocket clip for some reason. I couldn't for the life of me deploy the blade because of those big round slippery handles.

Every attempt caused the hole knife to pop out of my hand. (the last straw)

A lot of staunch Benchmade lovers/defenders in this thread. I almost thought I wandered into the Spyderco sub-forum. Must mean Benchmania is alive and well!! :thumbup:
 
After some thought... To be fair to Benchmade.

I've been carrying this knife since I fixed it , it is one hell of a fine knife. It is absolutely rock solid with zero play and as smooth as any high dollar folder using the same construction. Unlike a lot of folks I think the hexagonal blade stop is a fine idea once you get it fine tuned.
I really would like to get it reground to use this great steel in it's best form. Even though I've thinned the edge a lot it is still not a great cutter , seems to get gummed up on cardboard even though the actual using edge is razor sharp , my first foray into CPM-M4. :)
The Ti handles are formed quite well and very comfortable in any grip. The pocket clip could use better placement and is quite limited but , what ya gonna do...

I do wonder why in the catalog it said the thumbstud was ambidextrous since in the picture it clearly is not... Oh well , thankfully this Lefty has adjusted to a right handed knife world.

Yea so , to make up for all my bagging on Benchmade , this is a really nice knife that I know I will enjoy for many years.

Tostig
 
This thread made me laugh. It never ceases to amaze me how much time people will spend talking about such little things. At the end of the day I've owned way more Benchmades than any other company, yet I've never had to send one in. Can't say the same for any other company, including much more expensive ones.
 
I only own 3 Benchmades: a 940, Grip and Mini-Grip. The Grip and Mini-Grip were fine. The 940 -- the most expensive knife I own -- was surprisingly dull out of the box and had lateral blade play. Both problems were easily fixable -- a little Sharpmaker and some fine-tuning of the pivot. But I was surprised that such a high-quality knife left the factory in subpar condition.

I bought the Grip and Mini-Grip after that experience, so it certainly hasn't put me off BM as a brand. But I haven't had similar issues with any Spydercos, Kershaws, Bokers, KA-BARs, etc.
 
well, I've not owned 15 Benchmades (lucky dog). I have owned 3 - a Stryker, a limed edition activator, and a fixed griptillian. All were virtually flawless in every area, and well worth the money. All came shaving sharp.
 
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