Benchmade Knife Company

[willis68]

I use to be a Benchmade man, they have and still do from time to time make the best Bali songs (Butterfly Knives) on the planet. While they use to be strictly american made knives, Several years ago they began making some of their knives in China a lot of vendors, including Smokey mountain knife outlet dropped their line completely due to this.

The older Benchmades in my opinion were some of the best built knives ever made, They started this color class crap a while back, anyway a diver out here just sold one of my guys a RED class 10350, for $75.00 when he told me that he was buying a NIB Benchmade spring assited knife for $75.00 I thought he was getting a great deal

This knife is a piece of Crap compared to the older ones that I have owned. I think it was the dumbest move that company ever made when they decided to put their name on Cheaply made inferior knives, sorry I just had to Rant

[TNrifleman]

I agree with you there I quit buying them just for that reason, Now i try to find Emersons if i want that type of knife. Ernie Emerson worked for benchmade before he started his own company they are what benchmade use to be and then some.

[Guest Halfpint]

I have a pair of "Black" class knives, both made in the USA. I've had some issues with the "lower" classes, but the Black ones are good pieces of gear. Eventually I'll pick up an original Benchmade/Emerson CQC 7, whenever a buddy decides to sell it.

My EDC knife is actually the CQC-7's successor, as near as I can tell . . . extremely similiar in size, design, function, etc . . . 523 SBK, Mel Pardue Tanto. It's served me well . . .

Friends have killed a handful of Blue and Red class knives, but the few of us that have Black knives have beaten the hell out of them and they still work fine.

[Oh Shoot]

SMKW Knives >> All knives and accessories matching "benchmade" Best prices and largest variety of "benchmade" knives and accessories on the web

- OS

[Mike]

I have a pair of "Black" class knives, both made in the USA. I've had some issues with the "lower" classes, but the Black ones are good pieces of gear. Eventually I'll pick up an original Benchmade/Emerson CQC 7, whenever a buddy decides to sell it.

My EDC knife is actually the CQC-7's successor, as near as I can tell . . . extremely similiar in size, design, function, etc . . . 523 SBK, Mel Pardue Tanto. It's served me well . . .

Friends have killed a handful of Blue and Red class knives, but the few of us that have Black knives have beaten the hell out of them and they still work fine.

x2

Black class is the only way to go with Benchmade.

a lot of vendors, including Smokey mountain knife outlet dropped their line completely due to this.

I have a hard time believing this. With all the crap and bull**** SMKW sells that they drop Benchmade for something like that.

[willis68]

x2

Black class is the only way to go with Benchmade.

I have a hard time believing this. With all the crap and bull**** SMKW sells that they drop Benchmade for something like that.

Call and ask them Amigo, I went there 3 different times and heard this same story, no Benchmades to be found while they do sell a lot of crap, they also sell some high end knives, they use to consider Benchmade High end this is what I was told anyway

Edited May 26, 2010 by willis68

[Mike]

Just was a the Benchmade website.

They have discontinued their red class knife line. Those are the ones being manufactured out of country.

It seems they are back to "Made in the USA"

[willis68]

Yes, they finally did get rid of them, Hopefully that will make a lot of shops become dealers again

[aquaman67]

I went to Gatlinburg right before shipping out to Iraq in 2006. Stopped by Smoky Mountain on the way.

I asked about Benchmade's there and the story I got from an older employee was there was a dispute over price. Smoky Mountain wanted to sell Benchmade's at a lower price than Benchmade wanted them sold at so Benchmade stopped letting Smoky Mountain sell their knives...

That's the story I got.

I EDC a Benchmade 585 Mini-Barrage assited opening...

[JDM175]

I agree with you there I quit buying them just for that reason, Now i try to find Emersons if i want that type of knife. Ernie Emerson worked for benchmade before he started his own company they are what benchmade use to be and then some.

Exactly why my last 2 blades were Emerson

[J Smith]

I heard that BM pulled there knives from SMKWs because they were selling them for under the price point BM wanted.I think a store can do that but they can not show the price in an add.

I do not agree with companies doing this really but many do to keep the perceived value of the product where they want it.

I for one would not trust anything anyone at SMKWs told me.

[TNRat]

I went to Gatlinburg right before shipping out to Iraq in 2006. Stopped by Smoky Mountain on the way.

I asked about Benchmade's there and the story I got from an older employee was there was a dispute over price. Smoky Mountain wanted to sell Benchmade's at a lower price than Benchmade wanted them sold at so Benchmade stopped letting Smoky Mountain sell their knives...

That's the story I got.

I EDC a Benchmade 585 Mini-Barrage assited opening...

This story is not only plausible but likely if there was even a split.

If you recall Benchmade and Emerson used to have an arrangement wherein several designs were made and sold by Benchmade. This arrangement was discontinued b/c they "decided this was in the best interests of each company." I was personally told that by Les De Asis and Ernest Emerson at Blade the year the split took place.

That is nothing more than business and how things often go in the knife industry. It doesn't mean someone has dropped all their QC or lost their mind. Businesses and people change in order to survive all the time.

[hso]

SMKW didn't quit selling BMs because of offshore manufacturing of some models. There's no logic in that explanation anyway considering the number of offshore manufactured knives you can purchase there.

The conflicts with BM are going to be over sales below the MAP (minimum advertised price) which BM enforces very strongly. Other conflicts can occur when a "retailer" also sells as a wholesaler as SMKW does.

So, the "won't sell Chinese crap" explanation isn't logical for a company that sells tons of "Chinese crap".

[willis68]

SMKW didn't quit selling BMs because of offshore manufacturing of some models. There's no logic in that explanation anyway considering the number of offshore manufactured knives you can purchase there.

The conflicts with BM are going to be over sales below the MAP (minimum advertised price) which BM enforces very strongly. Other conflicts can occur when a "retailer" also sells as a wholesaler as SMKW does.

So, the "won't sell Chinese crap" explanation isn't logical for a company that sells tons of "Chinese crap".

The Gentlemen that I spoke with there, said exactly this: they carried Benchmade products in the past, when they were all American made I went there to buy Benchmade Bali Song knives, and was told the reason they were not selling them is that people NOW considered them cheaply made knives from overseas, not the quality ones that I had come to know over the years, draw your own conclussions

[hso]

I completely believe you. I just don't think that you were told the truth.

They could sell the American made or Japanese made lines of Benchmade and just exclude the Chinese knives if that's all there was to the reason.

[Oh Shoot]

I completely believe you. I just don't think that you were told the truth.

They could sell the American made or Japanese made lines of Benchmade and just exclude the Chinese knives if that's all there was to the reason.

Sound like the "random Walmart explanation" you get from all those oh so knowledge clerks that are oh so privy to corporate decision making.

And speaking of Wally's, they had same type disagreement with Ruger products for a while, wanting to sell them cheaper than Ruger wanted them to.

- OS

[Guest cjr]

I purchased a benchmade from Gander Mountain a month or so ago it has a US patent# Mel Pardu design. No made in china markings on it.

[BigK]

I've always wanted one, but I'm too cheap to drop that much on a knife. I finally got one at 1/2 price b/c the vendor was going to quit selling them. It didn't ocurr to me that some were made in China (mine is), so i didn't even look. After using it as my EDC for over a year, I have no complaints. It's still smooth and tight and holds a great edge.

[willis68]

They still make an Excellent Knife, the fact that they dropped their foreign made "Red class" has brightened my day, I ordered a Black class knife and I expect it will be excellent like all of the older ones that I have owned, we will soon see

Edited June 13, 2010 by willis68

[willis68]

I completely believe you. I just don't think that you were told the truth.

They could sell the American made or Japanese made lines of Benchmade and just exclude the Chinese knives if that's all there was to the reason.

Very possible, they may have told me that trying to sway me into purchasing another brand from them. I am just glad Benchmade still puts out some great products as I would miss their knives

[tnhawk]

The benchmade knife I bought last year has done a fine job so far.

[frankmako]

i got several back in the late 90's. they are still in good shape. i have looked at the new ones and i can tell the difference. so i will keep the old ones in the best shape i can.

[willis68]

I recently received my 9051BK AFO II, I have to say the quality of this one is as good if not better than the earlier ones that I have owned. I am very pleased with it, the first Black class knife I have owned my other Benchmade knives were either Bali-Song's or made before the color classes were done