Why did Benchmade remove their red series knives?

[cpmsteel]

Not expensive, just more than I can pay when you consider how often I but weapons. I'd say I get two new weapons a month, not that I consider knives weapons.

If you're buying two weapons a month, and can only afford cheaper knives, then I would reccommend buying one weapon every two months. If you want a Benchmade. I was really happy when I found out they stopped carrying the Red class as I thought it was a step in the wrong direction for Benchmade.

I know there are a lot of people here that don't share my sentiments, but I wish they would also get rid of the HD, HK, etc knives also. Narrow it down to just the Blue, Black and Gold.

 

[Morrow]

Their was a really nice red series titanium BM knife, I dont remember the name but it was part of the red series, it looked like a alias 2 basically.

Benchmade Nagara. Now it's the Harley Davidson Nagara.

 

[popedandy]

I don't know the reason behind the move, but I do know that some of the former Red Class knives are being sold under Benchmade's Harley Davidson brand.

I don't worry about why knife companies do things the way they do, and I no longer feel it is worth wasting mental and emotional energy it takes to pass judgements on companies for the bulk of their actions. I'm just a knife enthusiast. I look for knife designs I like and would use. I look for quality materials. I look for quality construction. I consider whether or not I think I am getting a fair value for the price. I ask myself if I really want to own the knife or whether I just like looking at it. Yes, I prefer U.S.-made knives, and most of mine fall into that category. Yes, if I have serious concerns about a company's business practices, I am not likely to buy one of their knives. But otherwise I don't stress over it too much.

 

[Thomas W]

The import business is more difficult than one may think. In many ways it is much more challenging than USA made production. You have to know what you're doing in this genre or you will fail...miserably. No company will trash a portion of their business if it's making money.

 

[Plasmio]

If you're buying two weapons a month, and can only afford cheaper knives, then I would reccommend buying one weapon every two months. If you want a Benchmade. I was really happy when I found out they stopped carrying the Red class as I thought it was a step in the wrong direction for Benchmade.

I know there are a lot of people here that don't share my sentiments, but I wish they would also get rid of the HD, HK, etc knives also. Narrow it down to just the Blue, Black and Gold.

I don't want any specific Benchmade knives enough to slow down adding to my collection.

 

[Plasmio]

"From Team Benchmade:

As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary in Oregon, we’re more committed than ever to designing and manufacturing the world’s best sports cutlery and edged tools. We continually strive to provide high quality products that will deliver superior performance for our customers. It is with this commitment to quality in mind that we are proud to announce beginning in January 2010, all Benchmade branded products will be made in the USA at our factory in Oregon City, Oregon. These products will continue to be offered in our Blue, Black and Gold Classes. We will no longer offer products in our Red Class, although we expect inventory to exist in the marketplace for some time. Also, several of the more popular models from the Red Class will find their way, in one form or another, into our H&K and H-D knife lines. The USA Made models that were in Red Class will now be Blue class models (specifically, the Aphid® and the Rant®)."

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

The way I see it, it was likely a marketing move. Models that were selling well got moved to other sub-brands so they could make the clame that all Benchmade-branded knives were USA made. While technically true, it allows them to continue contracting overseas production (for their sub-brands) whilst retaining "bragging rights."

 

[Alann45]

Doesn't make much sense in my opinion. It's a marketing thing. Since then, the HK and HD line had just exploded.

The way I see it, it was likely a marketing move. Models that were selling well got moved to other sub-brands so they could make the clame that all Benchmade-branded knives were USA made. While technically true, it allows them to continue contracting overseas production (for their sub-brands) whilst retaining "bragging rights."

They may have changed their branding around for a lot of reasons (who knows with their thinking), but the "bragging" is certainly the most visible.

Boasting that your "brand" is all US made while not decreasing the foreign made production of your company (and most likely increasing it) seems, at best, hypocritical.

It would seem that the perception of the flagship brand is more important any real change in where their products are made.

 

[thenextarcher]

The import business is more difficult than one may think. In many ways it is much more challenging than USA made production. You have to know what you're doing in this genre or you will fail...miserably. No company will trash a portion of their business if it's making money.

I was talking to someone and they had said a custom maker had tried to teach the factory in China good quality control, he said he had to travel back so many times it became not even worth it to make knives in China...

 

[Alann45]

I was talking to someone and they had said a custom maker had tried to teach the factory in China good quality control, he said he had to travel back so many times it became not even worth it to make knives in China...

Guess they should have talked to AG, he seems to have managed to explain QC to them.

 

[Poez]

I was talking to someone and they had said a custom maker had tried to teach the factory in China good quality control, he said he had to travel back so many times it became not even worth it to make knives in China...

He got involved with wrong people.
And if they do not have right tools, right materials and right level of skill: no amount of good quality control will ever amount to anything. If all the components of the business are correct and there are good people in all the right places: quality control becomes redundant.
As for Benchmade: they have made some strange marketing decisions, but removing the red class does not look like a wrong one to me. They have got many brands, so there is absolutely no reason for them to try to cover the complete range of products with just one. They have got Benchmade: blue and gold, they have got H&K, Harley Davidson and Lone Wolf.... I do not see anything wrong with removing Chinese made economy models from Benchmade and using them to extend their product line in any of the other brands!
I do not understand why they bought Lone Wolf and turned it into something totally different. but that is another story...

 

[timmy<3bm]

To the op if your wanting red class knives check egay they suck but just search Benchmade 8/10 knive in there are red class. Most nib too.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Actually the Red Class series were quite decent. I'm interested in knowing why you think they "suck."