It has become cool to hate on benchmade. I have one but only one. I don't agree with their prices so I don't buy them, but it is their right in a free market society to charge whatever they want. If people stop buying them, they will charge less.
i agree, overpricing has become a norm especially in the knife/gear industry, leatherman is a great example. i have a kershaw iridium that i love but i feel a little bad that i have to support china to get a quality knife for the money. unfortunately i see no end to the premium gear trend in sight since almost every knife company has started using magnacut commonly in their models.
Funny how you evolve in your preferences. When I first got into locking pocket clip knives 20 years ago, I loved BM and bought several. I hated Spyderco because I thought they were so ugly. I slowly moved away from BM because I really am not crazy about the axis lock. Too much blade play and an extremely weak detent. I then switched to ZT for a few years. I finally bought a couple of Spyderco knives this year and I have been blown away with how well they function. Slicey, fidgety, and options for exotic steels. The overpriced problem at BM wasn’t too bad at first but has really been magnified for the last couple of years. New knives like the Narrows and the 710 are selling for high mid tech prices such as Hinderer and Chris Reaves and they are NOT CLOSE to the quality of those knives! Great video and discussion!
It's hard to not love spyderco once you use them for a little while, I took a similar path you did from Benchmade to spyderco to some other fun brands now!
Being a Benchmade customer for over 20 years, the next generation of owners sadly seem to have adapted the 80/20 rule. They have figured out that they can make more money while providing less by focusing on the 20% willing to spend to way too much and ignoring the other 80% of would be customers.
that does seem to be the way of it. I have a few Benchmades and a custom bugout that's almost as a crooked river.. but I won't buy a crooked river, but I want 1
If the politics werent a reason for some, the 200% inflated prices are for the rest. "Life Sharp"? I dont need you to charge me the cost of a 2nd completely new knife for the ability to send mine in, at the cost of my own shipping... Its a dang shame
Definitely the truth, I'll have to look more into the politics situation I knew it was talked about by some but until posting this video I didn't realize by how many...
Life sharp is a joke now. My most recent experience, I sent in a bailout that came to me completely off-center, detailed explanation and numerous pictures. Asked them not to resharpen. 2 weeks later they send it back with even worse centering, resharpened and a new clip. Lmao
I have collected 100's of Knives over 50 years. Ive seen dozens of Benchmade knives id like to have, but they always cost at least twice what they're worth!
I do like their knives but their pricing in my opinion is too high these days. Plus I don’t like their political donations also. Also, you are right Spyderco is expensive too, but where I give them credit is that they are willing to try steels that no other manufacturer will touch like Maxamet, Cpm Rex 121, or k390.
@@DXSharpening that would be nice and I like the native 5 platform also. And would like to see one without a choil also. My most carried blade is probably that one in Rex 45 and the Delica in k390
That’s easy enough… They cost too much. I was looking at some yesterday. Quality was not that great for north of 200 dollars for a folder. I bought a Buck 110 instead
My hogue ex-a01 is superior to my Benchmade presidio ii in every way. The finish is tougher, it's more comfortable, it's thinner, and it has literally been thrown in saltwater at least 2 times now and not a spot of rust. I like the steel better (personal preference) and the clip doesn't snag and bend as easy. I just wish hogue had more options as fast as blade coating and serrations.
@@DXSharpening I will be! The craftsmanship is incredible! Like I said, twice thrown into muddy saltwater, retrieved, forgot to rinse one time, and still working fine!
Benchmade Bugout s30v grivory scales $162-180, Hogue Deka MC (much better steel) polymer scales $139.46. 22.54-40.54 difference. Bugout 20cv g10 scales $243, Deka 20cv or MC g10 scales $166.46. 76.54 difference. Do I need to go on?? Edit I wrote that before watching. You are spot on, BM pricing is just ridiculous I will only buy if I find them on a really good sale at this point.
I can only find the Deka with polymer for that price. Looks like if you want aluminum scales you have to drop another 50-70 dollars for aftermarket replacements. Makes the bel air look god tier
Anti 2nd Amendment, and they also have a nasty habit of buying up patents of awesome designs just to kill them off. Plenty of better US knife makers to choose from.
Another reason for their prices is location. Bm is made in America only technically as Oregon is a high tax state the ownership insists on doing business in, no different than Emerson in SoCal, strider in SoCal etc. I’m not defending bm, they ought to move to a cheaper state like many firearm manufacturers did in the last few years. I hope the OT BM clone takes a huge bite out of their profits, sucks for the employees but the ownership is just terrible. The knife market is over saturated and like Leatherman BM is way out of touch.
In Canada, the Vosteed Parallel, an ultra thin titanium cross bar lock knife, in 154cm, an all time popular steel, is $175. The Benchmade Mini Narrows is $680. It is laughable. Benchmade has some great designs, the Bugout is my favourite knife, but they are the worst company in the industry in terms of value. The price points they charge for FRN is higher than most companies charge for aluminum. The materials themselves are often lacking. Why is all of their G10 slippery trash that makes a knife $375, while companies like Civivi pump out grippy high quality G10 at $80? It is by any logic unjustifiable.
Hi DX, Speaking as a huge Benchmade fan (I never counted, but I probably own at least 30-40 Benchmade knives), I have to say, you made SEVERAL excellent points and broke it down in a very logical manner and in a way that's difficult to refute. I really hope someone from Benchmade watches this video and considers your points carefully. As a classic American knife company, I really want Benchmade to do well, but there are several issues that the knife community has been repeatedly bringing up, and they seem to often be ignoring those concerns/complaints. Buying American made products is also VERY important to me (except for Lion Steel and a few nice Spydercos from Taichung and Seki City - I do make exceptions for those!)'. I DO NOT AND WILL NEVER OWN ANY: Civivi, WE, Sencut, Artisan, CRJB, Kancept, Reate, Kizer, QSP, etc. knives because I don't want my money to support the economy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and their desire and plans for world domination. I also do not want to support Chinese manufacturing companies due to the numerous unethical and unfair business practices that come out of China, such as intellectual theft, brand/design theft, imitation/copy knives, child labor, underpaid labor, deception regarding materials/ingredients used, etc., etc. No problems with Chinese people themselves at all (my wife is Chinese) - it is the political ideologies of Socialism and Communism and the "fruits" of these ideologies that I'm opposed to. Benchmade has a rich history and huge customer base in America and world-wide, so I really hope they stop making decisions that alienate those customers. Moreover, the Chinese knife industry has become very competitive and needs to be taken seriously; Benchmade cannot take their elevated position in the knife community for granted. I know you (and others) may not agree with everything I've said here, nevertheless, I appreciate you addressing this topic so effectively.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and write out a long comment, I really do appreciate it. I absolutely agree with much of what you said and I think you brought up a number of good points that a lot of people should keep in mind when buying knives. I also strongly prioritize American made knives but I tend to think about it as supporting American workers and the American economy rather than keeping money out of China but they are both basically the same thing. Benchmade has so much potential and I'm sure they're doing well right now but I think they could dramatically grow their business by making knives more affordable and pricing their products at a comparable level to the rest of the market. Thanks again for watching and thank you for the comment, it's always great to hear what others think! Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see!
@@DXSharpening Yes, those are also very important reasons to buy American - to support American workers and the American economy! Way too many USA manufacturing jobs have been outsourced overseas - I totally agree. Thanks DX!
I´m a bit of a knife collector, Folder and Fixed ones. Many different brands, sizes, price and qualities. But I own just one Benchmade. The Bugout. Somehow I wanted to have at least one Benchmade (for some variation in my collection), but it will stay my last. I don´t say it´s a bad knife, or I don´t like it (but a little bit of regret is there). In future I focus on all the other brands. I´m in Germany, so I have easy acsess to many European knife companies, and there are some nice examples with it.
If you have to buy them overseas I can't imagine the markup you have to deal with... I have pretty neutral feelings about the bugout and I enjoy using mine Thanks for watching!
I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Benchmade. I bought my first Benchmade in the late 80's, it was a cheap, poor steel, balisong that wouldn't hold and edge for crap but it was fun to play with. Then I was issued an AFO from supply with AUS 8 steel and fell in love. Bought a 710 when first released and now have several different models. The quality and customer service was great...until Les died (RIP) and then both started going down hill. I have bought several since then and every one of them have been so dull that they would not cut melted butter, I received one that had screws missing and had to call to get some and then I had to argue with them because they tried to say it wasn't possible and that I must have taken it apart and lost it. I finally gave up and bought the screws. My brother broke the scales on his mini griptilian, sent it back and waited and waited and waited, he finally called them and they had lost it and said sorry and that was the end of it. Also there new designs are getting so thin that they are almost unusable because they are hard to hold on to and cause hot spots but if you call them and say something about it they say, "we have expert designers and professional testers and don't take feed back from customers" (I've been told that three times now). Benchmade's s30v blades are not as good as other companies such as Spyderco, I don't know if it is the heat treat or what but the Benchmade s30v is harder to sharpen and does not hold an edge anywhere near as good as Spyderco.
Sorry to hear about the poor experiences you've had with them, it really is a shame to hear how they've gone downhill so quickly in recent years. I think they have incredible potential as a company but they need to get back to the old ways of not compromising on quality controls and crappy internal components. I hope you've been able to find some others brands where you don't feel ripped off every time you get a knife from them! Thanks for watching!
I don’t hate Benchmade. I own one, and it’s a fine knife. Benchmades have a good warrantee, but it isn’t as good as Esee, another American made knife. And for $30 less than my Bugout, I bought a Buck 501 with Magnacut steel, brass liners, wood scales, and It is beautiful. It works great, and it has a great warranty. Benchmade are just too expensive. To be fair, Spyderco knife prices have been far exceeding inflation for the past several years as well.
Lots of knives are getting more expensive but at least with spyderco you don't have to worry about springs breaking or poor quality on the majority of them out of thbox....
For some time when I started collecting knives I was hating in all the expensive brands. Even made a video about my issue with expensive knives and I had several fake Benchmades that, for the cheap, coat, were really solid knives and still are for 10-40 bucks. Some of them were pretty darn close to the real ones and some were not. So fast forward several months and I gave in and bought one real Benchmade, a satin, manual Presidio II and loved it. So I bought more. My issue was just the cost, but I use affirm to buy them so I can spread it out for up to 12 months and pay a little interest. Then I started buying a few new and a few used ones and they are actually really nice. The 2 Claymores I have, I have dropped one of them twice, dropped the other one once and a coworker dropped it too, all 4 times they hit concrete from 3 ft to 5 ft through the 4 drops. Every time, not a single mark on either of them! The grivory held up REALLY well and once each, the blade was open because when they were opened, I and my coworker with the other, didn't have a good grip and they fell with the blade open and the blades were fine both times too! I bought 3 used ones and used the lifesharp service because they were all dull and they all came back nice and sharp and one of them is extremely sharp. First time I opened it once it came back, I went to close it {one of my Claymores} it slipped and literally fileted my finger! There was blood everywhere lol! It didn't stop bleeding for over an hour! I said they did a GREAT job on that one! Each time I heard you can get the clip replaced for free with a standard 3 hole clip which is my favorite anyways, so I took off the clip completely, checked the box to replace and they just replaced them! I ordered 5 of the standard clips and they are far cheaper on their site at only. 10 bucks a piece than anywhere else I've seen and I did the review and said I wish they'd send screws, or at least one because I replaced deep carry clips and only had 2 screws but it worked so no biggie. They responded to my review and said I can request screws for that free of charge! I did it once, but I think I messed up and closed it instead of submitting it, so I'm currently waiting to see. They said the screws are model specific and that's why they don't send them. Then I saw you can request all kinds of parts. Some may cost money, but I'm pretty sure some of it is free. Their customer service has won me over and other than a few models from other brands, I plan on buying a lot more from Benchmade. I have some I'm collecting and some to use and they are really nice. This is coming from someone who hated them for a while. Although, the Bugout, I bought one and when I got it, it didn't feel really any nicer than the 10 dollar fake so I'm nit buying anymore of those. I got a cross I had tattooed on my hand and my dog's name on it who passed away in late August so I'm keeping it, but that's the only one I don't care for so far as far as the quality of the product that is.
I appreciate the extensive comment and I apologize it's taken me so long to get back to you, I've been away for a few weeks! I think your experience with Benchmade has mirrored the common experience these days and in the past, I hope they continue to build their customer service network and improve on their quality control. They have so much potential as a company it's tough to see so many customers lost with the massively inflated prices! Thank you for watching!!
I remember owning some of the first Benchmade knives made. I loved them. They were different and built better than many companies at the time. Then they kicked it up a notch. I couldn't wait for their next release. ATS-34 was the premium steel at the tim 5:24 e, and I collected as many as I could get. Eventually they moved out of California and opened a huge factory in Oregon. When my knives needed repair they shamed me over the phone for taking their knives apart to clean them. One time threatened to void the warranty. I started buying other brands. When I came back, I noticed their knives quality control was over looked.Grind lines were off, liners sticking, terrible action and way overpriced. I still have a place in my heart for them and love some of their designs, but I would never pay $300 for a small kitchen or fishing knife. Other companies are doing more for less.
The last Benchmade I bought was an Adamas 375-1 fixed blade, a really good knife, CruWear with 63-65 HRC, but also expensive at the time. I don't see myself buying a knife from Benchmade in the foreseeable future, the price-performance ratio is no longer right at all.
The fixed adamas is awesome, it just seems to insane to pay that kind of money for a fixed blade that has a mediocre sheath and no scales... I got one for I think $150-$160 and I think that makes it significantly more reasonable. Thanks for watching!
My problem with benchmade is the warranty. I like autos and according to their warranty form they will not ship your auto knife back to you, has to go to a dealer. That’s an extra inconvenience for me when over paying for the knife to begin with.
The quality and warranty are great, but the price inceases of the last 6 yeas are insane. Purchased a g10 budout in 20cv in 2021 for 183. Now the standard bugout is going for that price and the 20cv version 255.00.
I've had benchmade knives going on probably 15 years now. i have 4 of them. all of them are black box knives idk if that matters. anyway i have never had any of them break in any way. but ive also never bought a plastic one. recently i've bought about 4 different kershaw knives and i can say the steel is never as good as benchmades and the build quality is not as good as a benchmade. ive had a spiderco knife and i hated it... nothing wrong with the knife i just didnt like it i hate the giant hoop in the blade. ive had a CRKT for 20 years now and its still goin strong.
Totally fair regarding spyderco, they're not for everyone! Benchmade also seems to be hit or miss in terms of quality, the ones where I've had the best luck with springs seem to be the more rigid/lined knives vs the slim ones such as the bugout... not sure if that makes a difference. Thanks for watching!
Got a Civivi praxis almost one (1) year ago. Does everything I need, has been solid and reliable, affordable price. Then there’s the $10 Ozark Trail….’nuff said…..
Obviously #1 is the outrageous pricing. #2 for the most part they haven’t upgraded the Axis lock. There are so many options for crossbar locks now they really have to figure out a way to make a better upgraded axis lock.
BM, was my gateway to the knife world , I own a ton of them and was a big fan boy. But no longer like them .. they used to offer free clips and screws without question, I miss the 30 dollar blade replacement days .. and frankly their products just feel cheap for the price .. with that said if I see something I like from them I’ll pick it up; but past year or two nothing really appeals to me … pricing is just ridiculous!
Ive been pretty licky over the years with my benchmades. I have more than id like to admit. I have only had one QC issue that I solved with new washers. But their pricing, over advertising of the bugout and focusing on small, light weight knives like the narrows (what a joke) is killing the brand for me. My final bemchmade purchase was the redoubt and I threw on AWT scales. But no more. Ohhhh poor benchmade. They need to make a change. But they dont listen to us.
Definitely true, I think benchmades with awt scales are insane but I don't know why Benchmade doesn't just make them with decent scales to begin with for the price...
@rjlewis8346 my grip hasn't broken a spring yet... hope it never does but the manix definitely won't. Just something to consider when comparing the two
How much is a Benchmade in Canada, I’m willing to bet it’s way higher because of the exchange rate so the argument is the same. I bet the grivory buyout is $250 and the higher end ones are over $400. The narrows has to be approaching $750 there.
@@DXSharpening in many areas. Many corporations responsible for manufacturing would rather maximize profit and cut costs by outsourcing at the cost of this nation. Others just don’t care because they have no soul. I have a hunch that a lot of these inflated prices are not inflation induced by simply a result of greed fueled price gouging.
@Starkwolf88 there is a whole scandal where they helped the police destroy firearms but I think it was really overblown... basically they asked some employee for a favor and it turned into a photo op and tons of negative pr
@@DXSharpening I heard the son took over the business and that is when the QC issues began? I got to go to their facility in Oregon City years ago in the 2010s. It was such a cool and fun experience. Ended up purchasing their Infidel. I never use it cause it's just too big for pocket carry and OTFs are not practical for EDC.
@wc5839 i don't want to speak too much to that because I am not certain, however I have heard that before. That's awesome you got to see the factory, it seems like a lot of the big American ones are on the west coast which is really far for me unfortunately...
Great breakdown.... I agree... the pricing structure for Benchmade has gotten out of control. I don't get how the Bugout is so much more than something like the Griptillian and such. I don't get it. I don't think that enough people talk about Benchmade "problems" right now. I think Buck is one company that used to have a bigger role in EDC knives but I think their designs has caused them to fall out of favor with many. Great video though!
They are just way too expensive now. I have been a Benchmade guy since the 90s. I have a big collection of older knives but I won't drop that much on new ones.
Spyderco has had some questionable QC as of late. My crucarta manix has a badly off center blade, and my maxamet para 3 had the same issue. I was able to fix the issue with the para3 myself, but the manix is still off center.
It used to be just the butterfly tax, now their quality control has plummeted, and there are far too many options from companies vying for your business that are making knives as good and better for much less money. 180$ for a bugout? That’s a plastic knife with no liner…so 180$ for s30V. A Para 3 has s30V, full steel liners, G10 scales (as well as as better ergonomics) for less. And Walmart made a bugout clone in D2 for 10$… so why would anyone even look at Benchmade? …and does anyone actually send their pocket knife away for sharpening?
Off topic question, I kinda ruined my scales on my Presidio II, do you think i could send it in and pay for a new set to put on? Thanks for the responses
I have a BM auto folder x15 years and it needs a cleaning and oil once a year but otherwise no problems and one of my all time favorites. Griptillian that's 20+ years old, its a little finicky but serviceable. They've been great but BM like Toyota, prices keep going up but quality doesn't improve. I don't buy BM anymore.
Look at the prices of the original BenchMade altitude as well as the new model, absolutely crazy high prices for what they are. Glad someone is actually stating the facts comparing these companies vs trying to shill to get a sponsorship
@@DXSharpening I agree 100% the knives are good and not far off from what most knowledgeable people would consider competitive pricing. Drop most models $20-$40 and they’d really be putting some pressure on their competitors and 90% of the online hating would disappear
Bugout problem solved.. instead of spending $180 on the basic blue Bugout, get a 535-3 Bugout on the secondary for $200 or less. You get a huge upgrade for the $20.. carbon fiber, CPM S90V, blue accents, what’s not to love!?
You can definitely shop around for some nice deals on Benchmade and I think that makes it a lot more reasonable to get them... honestly could probably find some nice aftermarket cf scales and throw them on a stock bugout for a similar price
As someone said more than ten years ago, Spyderco is trying to be Benchmade, Benchmade is trying to be Microtech, and Microtech, is well, Microtech. Doesn't seem like much has changed. I have bought exactly one Benchmade in the last 15 years, and I live in Portland, OR, and I like Benchmade, but ever since the MAP pricing came out who knows how long ago, they are just way too expensive, and there are way better options out there namely Houge, Spyderco, and Microtech, and a legion of Chinese brands also. The whole MAP thing was supposed to protect the brick-and-mortar stores, but guess what? They are long gone anyway, now they keep MAP as a way to price gouge the customer. Also, there is absolutely no reason for automatic knives to cost more. Like ZERO. They just do it and keep the price high to gauge Government agencies, like the police and military. You can almost get into Mid-Techs at the prices Benchmades are selling for. I much rather get a Cold Steel Luzon(either size), Spyderco Tenacious/Resilience or a Byrd Cara Cara and get my money's worth, and if I lose it or the police or the TSA takes it, I am not going to care one bit. A knife is a tool, not some Man-Pocket-Jewelry for people with more money than sense.
@@DXSharpening I agree, but I couldn't think of any other ones you didn't already mention in your video, nice to see Buck enter the 21st Century with some good designs, I have always been a huge Buck fan.
@@wesb123 I used to be a Benchmade guy a couple decades ago. I am a Kershaw user now for a few years. My first american made auto was a Benchmade. I stand by my comment though about gouging the knife community in the present times, overpriced is over priced.
@@jeffhays1968 the only way I would own a butterfly folder would be if it was free. I like their fixed and auto models, the never ending cycle of thumbstud folders does nothing for me.
Like so many things, you pay for the name. Some of that is the "show-off" factor. "Look at me ! I have $8,000 Nikes" Some people are actually impressed.
The pricing is the one legitimate complaint. The prices are high. But compare apples to apples. Don't round up the Benchmade price, then compare it to a competing knife that's on sale. Oh the lockbar on base Bugout is titanium. Not saying that justifies the price in any way, just sharing an interesting tidbit. BM used titanium there to save on weight.
Kershaw livewire ~$220 depending on where you get it and what model Benchmade infidel ~$495 Same handle, magnacut vs d2, same warranty Benchmade bugout ~$164 for stock blue one Hogue deka ~$170 for g10 G10 vs plastic, magnacut vs s30v same warranty Benchmade 940-2 ~$207 Spyderco para 3 ~$190 Same handle, s30v vs s45vn, same warranty, no springs to break in spyderco Bugout ~$164 Microtech msi ~$180 Same handles, s30v vs m390, huge size difference, same locking mechanism, same warranty, same brand reputation All made in usa, I could keep going for dozens of knives... that's pretty apples to apples for me
Spyderco’s customer service is garbage. I sent a knife in that is still in production for new plastic washer/bushings. Could not fix it. My option was buy a new one at a slightly discounted MSRP.
Dudes spending more money on a freaking pocket knife than they spend on a firearm…. And they don’t even use their knives, that’s like buying a Rolex and never wearing it…. INSANE 😂
@@DXSharpening I just mean there are guys that spend 400-500 on knives and don’t even use them for there intended purpose, and they say they want the hardest steel and materials and it’s like for what? Cutting cardboard? 😂 I have some benchmades and I beat the crap out of them cause they’re tools. But over the years I’ve had some other USA brands that are equal quality and way better price. I like your video brother 👍 I agree with much of what you said.
I stopped buying them along time ago honestly, I like their knives but way to much money for what you get,Quiet Carry is my new favorite knife company but I like other brands also and have a good collection as of right now, got the quiet carry waypoint in black g10 and Vanex and never even thought about buying another Benchmade even though I have five Benchmade knives from a few years back
@@DXSharpening You won’t regret it I assure you, The materials and quality is second to none for a production knife and they cost about what a Benchmade does, But the materials and quality is great 👍
I Hate Benchmade for a few Reasons 1) I’ve had Many Many Lock Failure’s, 2) I’ve had Major Blade Chipping and Complete Blade Breaks, 3) they are Highly Highly Over Priced and 4) they are Anti 2A. Benchmade will never get a Penny From Me Ever again and will be Bashed by me every Chance I get.
Sounds like Benchmade is selling an overpriced, mandatory extended warranty, that comes with an average free knife. Until 6weeks ago, I hadn't purchased a knife (Buck 112) since 1971..well 6 weeks ago online i see an add for a Sencut Watauga $42 Canadian, button lock warncliff blade...I didn't know what ANY of that ment, just that I could open with one hand, which was important because my left doesn't work much...the knife was perfect, it was real sharp, I made it shaving sharp..in the last 5 weeks I've purchased 5 more knives, most expensive Buck, button lock $49 Can. Love it..the other 4 under $35..like them, they are now all shaving sharp..I can't imagine paying over $100 Canadian...for a folding knife...that is what surprised me most , compared to 1971. Alot more money compared to average workers wages for knives of the 2020'...Some are amazing works of Art, and excluded from the factory knife comparisons..
Definitely a great way to put it, it is a mandatory warranty. Glad to hear you're enjoying some of the new stuff, and it's great to hear Buck treated you well for so many years!
Thry make good knives and I have some, but I will not buy anymore because their prices are unrealistic. 10 years ago they were not but now in todays knife industry you can get good materials at a great price. I mean Benchmade can not compete period with their super high prices.
Benchmade is hit or miss for everyone. Some will buy one horrible uncentered blade or some soft S90V for $400 and be put off forever, a mini osborne was almost this for me. You could also get lucky and get a perfect specimen like my mini adamas. I've also ordered an osborne on the custom shop that came on point, customs I think will almost always be. $400 though. The price for what you're getting is generally the biggest complaint and it's valid. Bugout is silly, also that crappy thin one they released to much hatred. That aside, there are a few gems in the lineup that for whatever reason are more competitively priced, griptilian and adamas for example. I particularly recommend the adamas or mini adamas in either cruwear or magnacut. The heat treat on these are both done well at 65 hrc and price to materials doesn't look so bad.
The taggedout is probably the only Benchmade that I would say came "perfect" out of the box for me, pretty much every other one has had at least 1 or 2 issues with it...
@@DXSharpening The custom shop is the way, that or pure luck. I didn't even need to adjust the pivot on my two good benchmades. The one they had sitting around for a couple years was trash though.
Well I wouldn’t say I hate benchmade but being in the UK I have to pay more than the US does (obviously) The issue is warranty for me if a little spring breaks on it which is mental that if that breaks my 200 pound 940 is useless until I get a few springs sent all the way from the states if benchmade did a lock like the para 3 I’d purchase the 940 again but it’s just daft things like that for me but ur definitely over paying for the item I think they could offer lesser steels to make models cheaper but fuck knows the logistics of that and how much it would cost them
@@DXSharpeningit takes a while u need to wait for them to respond ect it took a month when I did it tbf to benchmade they sent them out for free so it was good of them but that leads me to another problem some of the screws are bloody solid and you can easily round off which isn’t good it’s just not worth it anymore which is a shame as I would love to carry benchmade but I’ve sold all mine which is a shame for a knife guy 😂 also good video I liked it 👍🏻
@bwxbwx6453 sorry to hear it but that definitely makes sense, you're paying a lot more for the warranty and can't take advantage of it... thanks for the support!
I have decided to only purchase Benchmade knives from the secondary market, If I buy anymore. Every new model they release just feels like more of the same at this point, and they are off their tits on pricing. All that said, I edc a bugout 😂😅.
I think you hit a streak of bad luck. I have never had any issues with any of my benchemades breaking. I tend to stick with benchmade, more particularly with the griptilians because, in my opinion there is no better designed folder to this day. My criticism with benchemade is the way they market, sometimes feels a little out of touch with the majority of the audience. But none the less I have never had a better performing brand on my collection.
Maybe I have got a bit unlucky but it seems like a lot of people tend to get really unlucky with Benchmade... I do think they make a nice product and generally do a great job with treating their steel
I do not mix up politics and knife manufacturing. If I did, I would only buy Benchmades. But I don’t. Why? Because their prices are way too high. They produce great knives but the pricing is off the charts.
Just an opinion benchmade uses to much plastic and the prices are well overpriced. Kershaw uses better steel and aluminum handels. Their American made knives are great value. Factory edge could be better thou sharpening is no big deal
I paid like $130 for a 425 with thick titanium liners and contoured carbon fiber scales. Im not pointing that out to complain about price (whining about the price of luxury items is just about the dumbest thing i can imagine), but about design. Benchmade has dumbed themselves down, and backed themselves into a corner to cater to the worst part of the market. Those same people are the ones who wont even be interested in knives in 5 years. Its the same thing Spyderco is doing now, BM just got a head start.
I think Benchmade has some nice designs and makes a somewhat decent product, the most frustrating thing to me is paying a huge premium to get a knife that looks like it was slapped together in 2 minutes and moved down the assembly line with lots of problems and components that break after a month of use. It seems that they're coasting off a brand reputation and who knows how long it'll last... Thanks for the comment, hope you enjoy the video!
@@DXSharpening I see the "coasting on their reputation" thing a lot, but their reputation is the lowest it's been in the 20 years I've been actively collecting knives. A lot of it can be attributed to people online parroting something they heard from someone else that may or may not actually be true. That's not solely a BM thing, but they seem to get it the worse, deserved or not. It purely comes down to design, for me. It's all cut and paste axis lock models. They're trying to go the lazy spyderco route, but they don't put out spyderco quality or spyderco prices. I want Benchmade to do well. I carried a 940 almost every day in the Marine Corps. I want to give them my money, but that's not gonna happen until they put out something that interests me and the last thing to really do that was the Anthem. I was even considering getting a Necron, until I saw that it had steel liners. That's just straight up disrespecting the customer.
@CNYKnifeNut thank you for your service to this country, I'm glad to hear the 940 served you well. A lot of the stuff released this year was quite underwhelming and I do see what you're saying. Maybe it's because I'm a little newer to this and still getting caught up on some of the older designs and I think I did realize half the stuff that came out this year was either a mini version of something that existed or a different color of something. I was really into benchmade for quite some time but found myself getting bored with the designs along with the poor quality when compared to other brands... After exploring a lot of other American brands it seems like there are numerous other companies doing things better than Benchmade and releasing more exciting designs. It also seems like a lot of companies are hopping on the axis/crossbar lock train which has been a little boring to see as well. I really appreciate the comments!
I have 2 Benchmade auto's and then they had their Bud lite moment and the worst non apology i have ever seen you can't even find it on RUclips anymore 😂 so if you live in Texas Hill country and still like them because I'll never carry them 1 never used the other i sharpened s number 3 pencil once
That is a great way to put it, seems like people don't care as much anymore though! I wasn't really involved with them whenever all that went down and found out about it long after...
The benchmade infidel is one of the worst knives I have ever owned really wanted to like it its a clean design but Ive had 40 dollar otfs that function way better and work consistently Ive sent it in to benchmade at least 4 times and rebladed it I cant stand that piece of junk getting rid of it soon going with a microtech for an otf and I do like benchmades but ever since I got a chris reeve knife Ive been finding the CRK in my pocket far more than any of my benchmades
That's what happens when you only spend $500 on an OTF. Can't expect any kind of quality for such a budget friendly price... Haha, all jokes aside sorry to hear that, absolutely insane that you're having problems with it at that kind of price. Hopefully you enjoy microtech! Thanks for watching!
I absolutely think Benchmade have become very overpriced compared to what they deliver, but saying that its just a piece of plastic with some metal wedged between is a bit silly imo.
Fair enough, ultimately that's what most knives are and there really isn't that much of a justification for spending crazy prices on knives other than just liking them
@@DXSharpening Oh its an enthusiast thing for sure, and I have no issues arguing that we throw money at completely unecessary things. I dont think anyone NEEDS a magnacut blade and titanium scales when functionally a 5 dollar knife from the hardware store does the same thing. So im all on board with that side of it. The part that struck me as silly is that it kinda disrespects all the engineering, material science, design, metallurgy and research that went into making that product the icon it is today. All knife-people know that "steel is steel" is a false statement because theres such a huge difference between good and bad ones, and likewise "plastic is plastic" is equally false. Its not just a random piece of 3D printed PLA that melts in the sun, its glassfiber reinforced nylon. Worth it? Maybe not, but it is different for sure. And yeah one could easily get one of those 10 dollar Ozark Trail clones instead of a bugout and be very happy with it, but even though its much, MUCH better value it is still an inferior product on everything but price, and it wouldnt exist at all, and certainly not for 10 bucks if all the work was not already done by the original, right? Oh and just as a disclaimer, I do agree with you for the most part ^^ Just my inner engineer felt like that one was a bit unfair.
@@kvernesdotten totally fair to say, and I don't mean to discount the engineering that goes into it at all i actually think it's quite impressive that they were able to make a durable design that's so light... i just feel the need to play the other side a little bit when all of this steel and titanium and whatever gets super hyped up and people forget that they're knives Thanks for the comments!
i bought the infidel. cost was around 450-500$. it failed within 4 months and i had to pay to ship it out. dog shit quality for the price. i have 25-50$ knifes that are same quality
I love Benchmade. I have 20 different models. No failures. Stiff out of the box, a little break in and then fine. People have no idea what it costs to run a company that size. BM has costs that smaller companies don’t. Liability insurance, medical and 401K for employees, lawyers to fight the fakes online. It costs the company I work for $2,200 per month per employee for health insurance. Imagine the amount of time they spent on engineering for the Narrows. The lifetime warranty cost a fortune as well. I am surprised how vocal the haters are. There are many knives / companies I dont buy because I dont think I am getting value. I dont spend any time crying about it online.
More power to you, if you like Benchmade and don't mind paying extra go for it. I overpay on knives frequently and I pretty much only buy from American companies and I do have a bunch of Benchmade knives but it gets old paying a premium for knives that break frequently and are terrible out of the box when there are numerous other companies that deserve recognition because they go the extra mile to make sure their knives represent the brand well oit of the box.
You completely missed the point. I dont think I am “overpaying”. Terrible out of the box is a silly statement. They set them up to naturally get good action over time. If they leave the pivot lose up front it may get worse later. 95% of their customers use these as knives, not fidget toys.
It doesn't get so much hate...it gets a lot of fans, and a lot of sales, and a lot of good reviews. It gets a little bit of hate...by pompous people who crave attention. Everyone knows Benchmade so their an easy target for people who want to be heard. Their knives are over-priced, sure. But those knives are also better than most, albeit ever so slightly. It's a sliding scale. People who want a smidge better quality in some aspects are willing to pay more to get it. Some people who don't care about that extra quality will jump at the opportunity to point out that it's not worth it. It's worth it to some.
I don't think their knives are better than most and I don't think you're paying more to get higher quality. I loved Benchmade and their designs and the first expensive knife I got was one and the next several were also Benchmade as well. It was only until recently I started looking at other brands that I realized just how much they were behind others in quality/price/variety of design/more
In the "knife community" (people who have a hobby of researching, buying, collecting, and using numerous different knives), Benchmade ABSOLUTELY GETS A LOT OF HATE! I'm a Benchmade fan, and I often hesitate to say I like various Benchmade knives on knife forums because of all the hate that will be directed against me for supporting them! Benchmade has systematically been "biting the hand that feeds them" (their customers) over and over and over again! This is totally a very relevant and important topic that needs to be discussed. After dramatic, highly publicized examples of companies being inconsiderate of their main customer base, such as Bud Light, you would think Benchmade would be more responsive to customers' concerns.
Will Hirsch delivers a review that essentially sums up why we as hard-core knife collectors are upset with Benchmade ruclips.net/video/sJiDxzho7sw/видео.html
Their price vs quality doesn’t compute with me.
Definitely true!
That was going to be my exact comment. The quality / materials vs price
Define quality. Every benchmade knife will last 99.9999999999% of everyone their lifetime.
I don't hate Benchmade, but that Walmart $10 knife is good enough for me.
Fair enough, they just got restocked!
that's crazy right?!?! Benchmade has a D2 knife at $170ish
It has become cool to hate on benchmade. I have one but only one. I don't agree with their prices so I don't buy them, but it is their right in a free market society to charge whatever they want. If people stop buying them, they will charge less.
Fair enough
i agree, overpricing has become a norm especially in the knife/gear industry, leatherman is a great example. i have a kershaw iridium that i love but i feel a little bad that i have to support china to get a quality knife for the money. unfortunately i see no end to the premium gear trend in sight since almost every knife company has started using magnacut commonly in their models.
Love the little throwback to “fiery but mostly peaceful” hahaha
First comment about that, glad someone caught it hahaha
Thanks for watching!
Funny how you evolve in your preferences. When I first got into locking pocket clip knives 20 years ago, I loved BM and bought several. I hated Spyderco because I thought they were so ugly. I slowly moved away from BM because I really am not crazy about the axis lock. Too much blade play and an extremely weak detent. I then switched to ZT for a few years. I finally bought a couple of Spyderco knives this year and I have been blown away with how well they function. Slicey, fidgety, and options for exotic steels. The overpriced problem at BM wasn’t too bad at first but has really been magnified for the last couple of years. New knives like the Narrows and the 710 are selling for high mid tech prices such as Hinderer and Chris Reaves and they are NOT CLOSE to the quality of those knives! Great video and discussion!
It's hard to not love spyderco once you use them for a little while, I took a similar path you did from Benchmade to spyderco to some other fun brands now!
Being a Benchmade customer for over 20 years, the next generation of owners sadly seem to have adapted the 80/20 rule. They have figured out that they can make more money while providing less by focusing on the 20% willing to spend to way too much and ignoring the other 80% of would be customers.
Thats a great way to look at it, I think it'll only be sustainable for so long...
that does seem to be the way of it. I have a few Benchmades and a custom bugout that's almost as a crooked river.. but I won't buy a crooked river, but I want 1
If the politics werent a reason for some, the 200% inflated prices are for the rest. "Life Sharp"? I dont need you to charge me the cost of a 2nd completely new knife for the ability to send mine in, at the cost of my own shipping... Its a dang shame
Definitely the truth, I'll have to look more into the politics situation I knew it was talked about by some but until posting this video I didn't realize by how many...
Life sharp is a joke now. My most recent experience, I sent in a bailout that came to me completely off-center, detailed explanation and numerous pictures. Asked them not to resharpen. 2 weeks later they send it back with even worse centering, resharpened and a new clip. Lmao
@@bigglock5478 I've heard some mixed reviews but I can't say I've had a poor experience with it!
Then they triple the cost to replace a blade, and nickel and dime you for dumb stuff.
overpriced in my opinion
Many others share the same opinion!
They get so much hate because they are EXTREMELY overpriced!!
Definitely a true reason haha
I have collected 100's of Knives over 50 years. Ive seen dozens of Benchmade knives id like to have, but they always cost at least twice what they're worth!
Definitely true!
I do like their knives but their pricing in my opinion is too high these days. Plus I don’t like their political donations also. Also, you are right Spyderco is expensive too, but where I give them credit is that they are willing to try steels that no other manufacturer will touch like Maxamet, Cpm Rex 121, or k390.
Spyderco consistently has impressed me with their quality, I do wish they came out with some more fun designs in the USA factory though
@@DXSharpening exactly and I feel the same way too, with more stuff in the USA
@@LuisGonzalez-gl4wc hoping for a native 5 sized knife without the choil similar to the bodacious...
@@DXSharpening that would be nice and I like the native 5 platform also. And would like to see one without a choil also. My most carried blade is probably that one in Rex 45 and the Delica in k390
@@LuisGonzalez-gl4wc I really like the para 3 lw and would love one without a choil too...
That’s easy enough… They cost too much. I was looking at some yesterday. Quality was not that great for north of 200 dollars for a folder. I bought a Buck 110 instead
Sometimes the traditional style has lasted so long for a reason, can never go wrong with a buck
My hogue ex-a01 is superior to my Benchmade presidio ii in every way. The finish is tougher, it's more comfortable, it's thinner, and it has literally been thrown in saltwater at least 2 times now and not a spot of rust. I like the steel better (personal preference) and the clip doesn't snag and bend as easy. I just wish hogue had more options as fast as blade coating and serrations.
I think hogue is growing really fast with the popularity of the deka increasing so I would stay tuned...
@@DXSharpening I will be! The craftsmanship is incredible! Like I said, twice thrown into muddy saltwater, retrieved, forgot to rinse one time, and still working fine!
Benchmade Bugout s30v grivory scales $162-180, Hogue Deka MC (much better steel) polymer scales $139.46. 22.54-40.54 difference. Bugout 20cv g10 scales $243, Deka 20cv or MC g10 scales $166.46. 76.54 difference. Do I need to go on??
Edit I wrote that before watching. You are spot on, BM pricing is just ridiculous I will only buy if I find them on a really good sale at this point.
They are definitely decent knives when bought on sale but there's a whole host of other problems that come with Benchmade and some other brands!
Hogue makes a great knife
Also, Kershaw Bel Air.
I can only find the Deka with polymer for that price. Looks like if you want aluminum scales you have to drop another 50-70 dollars for aftermarket replacements. Makes the bel air look god tier
@@finmason8339 check out freedom knife shop and add to cart
Anti 2nd Amendment, and they also have a nasty habit of buying up patents of awesome designs just to kill them off. Plenty of better US knife makers to choose from.
I'm glad I started exploring other brands and I've definitely discovered lots of others that are awesome
@@danovercast9282 AnTi 2Nd AmEnDmEnt. Lmfao!
All models about $50 to $400 over priced lol no thanks
Definitely fair haha
Another reason for their prices is location. Bm is made in America only technically as Oregon is a high tax state the ownership insists on doing business in, no different than Emerson in SoCal, strider in SoCal etc. I’m not defending bm, they ought to move to a cheaper state like many firearm manufacturers did in the last few years. I hope the OT BM clone takes a huge bite out of their profits, sucks for the employees but the ownership is just terrible. The knife market is over saturated and like Leatherman BM is way out of touch.
That is a good point, thanks for watching!
In Canada, the Vosteed Parallel, an ultra thin titanium cross bar lock knife, in 154cm, an all time popular steel, is $175. The Benchmade Mini Narrows is $680. It is laughable. Benchmade has some great designs, the Bugout is my favourite knife, but they are the worst company in the industry in terms of value. The price points they charge for FRN is higher than most companies charge for aluminum. The materials themselves are often lacking. Why is all of their G10 slippery trash that makes a knife $375, while companies like Civivi pump out grippy high quality G10 at $80? It is by any logic unjustifiable.
You are definitely paying a premium for an American made product but it shouldn't be 4 times the competition level premium... thanks for watching!
Hi DX, Speaking as a huge Benchmade fan (I never counted, but I probably own at least 30-40 Benchmade knives), I have to say, you made SEVERAL excellent points and broke it down in a very logical manner and in a way that's difficult to refute. I really hope someone from Benchmade watches this video and considers your points carefully. As a classic American knife company, I really want Benchmade to do well, but there are several issues that the knife community has been repeatedly bringing up, and they seem to often be ignoring those concerns/complaints. Buying American made products is also VERY important to me (except for Lion Steel and a few nice Spydercos from Taichung and Seki City - I do make exceptions for those!)'. I DO NOT AND WILL NEVER OWN ANY: Civivi, WE, Sencut, Artisan, CRJB, Kancept, Reate, Kizer, QSP, etc. knives because I don't want my money to support the economy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and their desire and plans for world domination. I also do not want to support Chinese manufacturing companies due to the numerous unethical and unfair business practices that come out of China, such as intellectual theft, brand/design theft, imitation/copy knives, child labor, underpaid labor, deception regarding materials/ingredients used, etc., etc. No problems with Chinese people themselves at all (my wife is Chinese) - it is the political ideologies of Socialism and Communism and the "fruits" of these ideologies that I'm opposed to. Benchmade has a rich history and huge customer base in America and world-wide, so I really hope they stop making decisions that alienate those customers. Moreover, the Chinese knife industry has become very competitive and needs to be taken seriously; Benchmade cannot take their elevated position in the knife community for granted. I know you (and others) may not agree with everything I've said here, nevertheless, I appreciate you addressing this topic so effectively.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and write out a long comment, I really do appreciate it. I absolutely agree with much of what you said and I think you brought up a number of good points that a lot of people should keep in mind when buying knives. I also strongly prioritize American made knives but I tend to think about it as supporting American workers and the American economy rather than keeping money out of China but they are both basically the same thing. Benchmade has so much potential and I'm sure they're doing well right now but I think they could dramatically grow their business by making knives more affordable and pricing their products at a comparable level to the rest of the market.
Thanks again for watching and thank you for the comment, it's always great to hear what others think! Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see!
@@DXSharpening Yes, those are also very important reasons to buy American - to support American workers and the American economy! Way too many USA manufacturing jobs have been outsourced overseas - I totally agree. Thanks DX!
I´m a bit of a knife collector, Folder and Fixed ones. Many different brands, sizes, price and qualities. But I own just one Benchmade. The Bugout. Somehow I wanted to have at least one Benchmade (for some variation in my collection), but it will stay my last. I don´t say it´s a bad knife, or I don´t like it (but a little bit of regret is there).
In future I focus on all the other brands. I´m in Germany, so I have easy acsess to many European knife companies, and there are some nice examples with it.
If you have to buy them overseas I can't imagine the markup you have to deal with... I have pretty neutral feelings about the bugout and I enjoy using mine
Thanks for watching!
I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Benchmade. I bought my first Benchmade in the late 80's, it was a cheap, poor steel, balisong that wouldn't hold and edge for crap but it was fun to play with. Then I was issued an AFO from supply with AUS 8 steel and fell in love. Bought a 710 when first released and now have several different models. The quality and customer service was great...until Les died (RIP) and then both started going down hill. I have bought several since then and every one of them have been so dull that they would not cut melted butter, I received one that had screws missing and had to call to get some and then I had to argue with them because they tried to say it wasn't possible and that I must have taken it apart and lost it. I finally gave up and bought the screws. My brother broke the scales on his mini griptilian, sent it back and waited and waited and waited, he finally called them and they had lost it and said sorry and that was the end of it. Also there new designs are getting so thin that they are almost unusable because they are hard to hold on to and cause hot spots but if you call them and say something about it they say, "we have expert designers and professional testers and don't take feed back from customers" (I've been told that three times now). Benchmade's s30v blades are not as good as other companies such as Spyderco, I don't know if it is the heat treat or what but the Benchmade s30v is harder to sharpen and does not hold an edge anywhere near as good as Spyderco.
Sorry to hear about the poor experiences you've had with them, it really is a shame to hear how they've gone downhill so quickly in recent years. I think they have incredible potential as a company but they need to get back to the old ways of not compromising on quality controls and crappy internal components. I hope you've been able to find some others brands where you don't feel ripped off every time you get a knife from them! Thanks for watching!
I don’t hate Benchmade. I own one, and it’s a fine knife.
Benchmades have a good warrantee, but it isn’t as good as Esee, another American made knife.
And for $30 less than my Bugout, I bought a Buck 501 with Magnacut steel, brass liners, wood scales, and It is beautiful. It works great, and it has a great warranty.
Benchmade are just too expensive. To be fair, Spyderco knife prices have been far exceeding inflation for the past several years as well.
Lots of knives are getting more expensive but at least with spyderco you don't have to worry about springs breaking or poor quality on the majority of them out of thbox....
For some time when I started collecting knives I was hating in all the expensive brands. Even made a video about my issue with expensive knives and I had several fake Benchmades that, for the cheap, coat, were really solid knives and still are for 10-40 bucks. Some of them were pretty darn close to the real ones and some were not. So fast forward several months and I gave in and bought one real Benchmade, a satin, manual Presidio II and loved it. So I bought more. My issue was just the cost, but I use affirm to buy them so I can spread it out for up to 12 months and pay a little interest. Then I started buying a few new and a few used ones and they are actually really nice. The 2 Claymores I have, I have dropped one of them twice, dropped the other one once and a coworker dropped it too, all 4 times they hit concrete from 3 ft to 5 ft through the 4 drops. Every time, not a single mark on either of them! The grivory held up REALLY well and once each, the blade was open because when they were opened, I and my coworker with the other, didn't have a good grip and they fell with the blade open and the blades were fine both times too! I bought 3 used ones and used the lifesharp service because they were all dull and they all came back nice and sharp and one of them is extremely sharp. First time I opened it once it came back, I went to close it {one of my Claymores} it slipped and literally fileted my finger! There was blood everywhere lol! It didn't stop bleeding for over an hour! I said they did a GREAT job on that one! Each time I heard you can get the clip replaced for free with a standard 3 hole clip which is my favorite anyways, so I took off the clip completely, checked the box to replace and they just replaced them! I ordered 5 of the standard clips and they are far cheaper on their site at only. 10 bucks a piece than anywhere else I've seen and I did the review and said I wish they'd send screws, or at least one because I replaced deep carry clips and only had 2 screws but it worked so no biggie. They responded to my review and said I can request screws for that free of charge! I did it once, but I think I messed up and closed it instead of submitting it, so I'm currently waiting to see. They said the screws are model specific and that's why they don't send them. Then I saw you can request all kinds of parts. Some may cost money, but I'm pretty sure some of it is free. Their customer service has won me over and other than a few models from other brands, I plan on buying a lot more from Benchmade. I have some I'm collecting and some to use and they are really nice. This is coming from someone who hated them for a while. Although, the Bugout, I bought one and when I got it, it didn't feel really any nicer than the 10 dollar fake so I'm nit buying anymore of those. I got a cross I had tattooed on my hand and my dog's name on it who passed away in late August so I'm keeping it, but that's the only one I don't care for so far as far as the quality of the product that is.
I appreciate the extensive comment and I apologize it's taken me so long to get back to you, I've been away for a few weeks! I think your experience with Benchmade has mirrored the common experience these days and in the past, I hope they continue to build their customer service network and improve on their quality control. They have so much potential as a company it's tough to see so many customers lost with the massively inflated prices! Thank you for watching!!
I remember owning some of the first Benchmade knives made. I loved them. They were different and built better than many companies at the time. Then they kicked it up a notch. I couldn't wait for their next release. ATS-34 was the premium steel at the tim 5:24 e, and I collected as many as I could get. Eventually they moved out of California and opened a huge factory in Oregon. When my knives needed repair they shamed me over the phone for taking their knives apart to clean them. One time threatened to void the warranty. I started buying other brands. When I came back, I noticed their knives quality control was over looked.Grind lines were off, liners sticking, terrible action and way overpriced. I still have a place in my heart for them and love some of their designs, but I would never pay $300 for a small kitchen or fishing knife. Other companies are doing more for less.
Definitely agree with you! Thanks for watching!
The price. Next question.
Ha! Definitely true
The last Benchmade I bought was an Adamas 375-1 fixed blade, a really good knife, CruWear with 63-65 HRC, but also expensive at the time. I don't see myself buying a knife from Benchmade in the foreseeable future, the price-performance ratio is no longer right at all.
The fixed adamas is awesome, it just seems to insane to pay that kind of money for a fixed blade that has a mediocre sheath and no scales... I got one for I think $150-$160 and I think that makes it significantly more reasonable. Thanks for watching!
I just got my shootout back this past Saturday. They replaced the springs, pocket clip and resharpened it. Its good as new
Glad to hear it, mine came back extremely sharp which was great
I own four BM and never had a problem with any of em.
None get heavy use but neither do any of my knives.
Great to hear, sounds like you're a part of the lucky half!
My problem with benchmade is the warranty. I like autos and according to their warranty form they will not ship your auto knife back to you, has to go to a dealer. That’s an extra inconvenience for me when over paying for the knife to begin with.
Yeah that's the problem I had with the shootout, just an added pain to ship through a dealer!
The quality and warranty are great, but the price inceases of the last 6 yeas are insane. Purchased a g10 budout in 20cv in 2021 for 183. Now the standard bugout is going for that price and the 20cv version 255.00.
Yeah that's absolutely insane and I'm sure it'll only continue to go up from here
The Bugout I bought is the most over priced item I have ever bought but I like it.
Ha, fair enough!
I've had benchmade knives going on probably 15 years now. i have 4 of them. all of them are black box knives idk if that matters. anyway i have never had any of them break in any way. but ive also never bought a plastic one. recently i've bought about 4 different kershaw knives and i can say the steel is never as good as benchmades and the build quality is not as good as a benchmade. ive had a spiderco knife and i hated it... nothing wrong with the knife i just didnt like it i hate the giant hoop in the blade. ive had a CRKT for 20 years now and its still goin strong.
Totally fair regarding spyderco, they're not for everyone! Benchmade also seems to be hit or miss in terms of quality, the ones where I've had the best luck with springs seem to be the more rigid/lined knives vs the slim ones such as the bugout... not sure if that makes a difference. Thanks for watching!
Here’s an example. A bugout in s30v (7.4inch) is $180. I can get a Heretic Mini Pariah in magnacut (8.1inch) for $195. Yeahhhhhhh lol
It's the same if not better quality too! Thanks for watching
I have a bunch of Benchmade knives, but I haven't bought any in quite a few years because of all the reasons you mentioned.
Thanks for watching!
Highly Overpriced!
Lots of people definitely think so!
Got a Civivi praxis almost one (1) year ago. Does everything I need, has been solid and reliable, affordable price. Then there’s the $10 Ozark Trail….’nuff said…..
I still have to see if I can get my hands on one of the ozark trails that just came out!
Obviously #1 is the outrageous pricing. #2 for the most part they haven’t upgraded the Axis lock. There are so many options for crossbar locks now they really have to figure out a way to make a better upgraded axis lock.
Hoping they put the new flat springs in every model similar to how microtech is doing the gen iii stuff with the upgraded action...
BM, was my gateway to the knife world , I own a ton of them and was a big fan boy. But no longer like them .. they used to offer free clips and screws without question, I miss the 30 dollar blade replacement days .. and frankly their products just feel cheap for the price .. with that said if I see something I like from them I’ll pick it up; but past year or two nothing really appeals to me … pricing is just ridiculous!
I'm in a similar boat! Hoping they realign with the rest of the industry soon and begin to improve on their designs!
Ive been pretty licky over the years with my benchmades. I have more than id like to admit. I have only had one QC issue that I solved with new washers. But their pricing, over advertising of the bugout and focusing on small, light weight knives like the narrows (what a joke) is killing the brand for me. My final bemchmade purchase was the redoubt and I threw on AWT scales. But no more. Ohhhh poor benchmade. They need to make a change. But they dont listen to us.
Definitely true, I think benchmades with awt scales are insane but I don't know why Benchmade doesn't just make them with decent scales to begin with for the price...
Even if a knife doesn’t come perfect it should come sharp. I can’t tell you how many knives I’ve bought that weren’t sharp.
Definitely true, that's the most basic thing when buying a tool to cut, it should cut...
I’ve never had a axis spring break. However I’ve had quality issues. For that price point. It’s eh..
Feels like it's super hit or miss with the omega springs... quality not so much. Thanks for watching!
@@DXSharpening I mean honestly. The grip and manix can be compared. For price wise.
@rjlewis8346 my grip hasn't broken a spring yet... hope it never does but the manix definitely won't. Just something to consider when comparing the two
@@DXSharpening exactly. Almost same price point. Two different qualities
Hogue Deka is $210 in Canada
Quite a markup!
How much is a Benchmade in Canada, I’m willing to bet it’s way higher because of the exchange rate so the argument is the same. I bet the grivory buyout is $250 and the higher end ones are over $400. The narrows has to be approaching $750 there.
@BrandonGavin_EDC just looked it up, the exchange rate makes it 243 cad...
I tend to find that many US companies have an inflated sense of self worth and ego, charging customers more for less.
It's a shame that American manufacturing has started to go downhill in certain areas...
@@DXSharpening in many areas. Many corporations responsible for manufacturing would rather maximize profit and cut costs by outsourcing at the cost of this nation. Others just don’t care because they have no soul. I have a hunch that a lot of these inflated prices are not inflation induced by simply a result of greed fueled price gouging.
I stopped buying Benchmade when I discovered their political donations are 100% to the left.
Same
Totally fair, I really need to look into it more
@@DXSharpening I think they were helping to destroy rifles or ar15’s too a couple years ago. I forget exactly what it was.
How could you be sure of that?
@Starkwolf88 there is a whole scandal where they helped the police destroy firearms but I think it was really overblown... basically they asked some employee for a favor and it turned into a photo op and tons of negative pr
The Redout and all Benchmade models are not D2, it is CPM-D2 steel. It’s a big difference.
I might have misspoken during this video but yes, cpm d2 and d2 aren't the same and both are generally going to be fine...
I have not purchased a Benchmade in 4+ years, so I cannot speak on the quality. All my Benchmade knives have no issues.
Looks like you got in before the crash!
@@DXSharpening I heard the son took over the business and that is when the QC issues began? I got to go to their facility in Oregon City years ago in the 2010s. It was such a cool and fun experience. Ended up purchasing their Infidel. I never use it cause it's just too big for pocket carry and OTFs are not practical for EDC.
@wc5839 i don't want to speak too much to that because I am not certain, however I have heard that before. That's awesome you got to see the factory, it seems like a lot of the big American ones are on the west coast which is really far for me unfortunately...
Great breakdown.... I agree... the pricing structure for Benchmade has gotten out of control. I don't get how the Bugout is so much more than something like the Griptillian and such. I don't get it. I don't think that enough people talk about Benchmade "problems" right now. I think Buck is one company that used to have a bigger role in EDC knives but I think their designs has caused them to fall out of favor with many. Great video though!
Thank you! I really like Buck and I think they're making an effort to modernize and return to their former glory
When I peruse knives, I always skip the Benchmade’s. Scared to spend that much money for one.
Fair enough, thanks for watching!
this is a 100k subs level overview, keep it up with the great content 👏
I really appreciate that, thanks for the support!!
@@DXSharpening its just credit where its due, my friend
@@the_midnight_noodle7614 thank you again, if there are any videos you'd like to see please let me know@
They are just way too expensive now. I have been a Benchmade guy since the 90s. I have a big collection of older knives but I won't drop that much on new ones.
I would venture to guess the quality has dropped significantly compared to the older ones in your collection!
I sold my fairly large collection of benchmade blades. and bought hogue and spyderco and never looked back.
I've started to sell some of the ones I use less often and I'm really enjoying the other brands I've started to try out
Because I can name 10 other makers off the top of my head that make a FAR superior product for the same price.
Just takes a little bit of shopping around to find some other great brands
Spyderco has had some questionable QC as of late. My crucarta manix has a badly off center blade, and my maxamet para 3 had the same issue. I was able to fix the issue with the para3 myself, but the manix is still off center.
I'm sure they would fix it for you if you reached out, sorry to hear that! Thanks for watching!
It used to be just the butterfly tax, now their quality control has plummeted, and there are far too many options from companies vying for your business that are making knives as good and better for much less money. 180$ for a bugout? That’s a plastic knife with no liner…so 180$ for s30V. A Para 3 has s30V, full steel liners, G10 scales (as well as as better ergonomics) for less.
And Walmart made a bugout clone in D2 for 10$… so why would anyone even look at Benchmade?
…and does anyone actually send their pocket knife away for sharpening?
Definitely agree with everything you said!!
Off topic question, I kinda ruined my scales on my Presidio II, do you think i could send it in and pay for a new set to put on? Thanks for the responses
What do you mean by ruined...? If you just send it in for lifesharp they might just fix it for you
I have a BM auto folder x15 years and it needs a cleaning and oil once a year but otherwise no problems and one of my all time favorites. Griptillian that's 20+ years old, its a little finicky but serviceable. They've been great but BM like Toyota, prices keep going up but quality doesn't improve. I don't buy BM anymore.
The quality has definitely gone down hill, awesome to hear you've had one last that long!
Look at the prices of the original BenchMade altitude as well as the new model, absolutely crazy high prices for what they are. Glad someone is actually stating the facts comparing these companies vs trying to shill to get a sponsorship
I think they still make a decent product, just trying to call it as I see it
@@DXSharpening I agree 100% the knives are good and not far off from what most knowledgeable people would consider competitive pricing. Drop most models $20-$40 and they’d really be putting some pressure on their competitors and 90% of the online hating would disappear
Bugout problem solved.. instead of spending $180 on the basic blue Bugout, get a 535-3 Bugout on the secondary for $200 or less. You get a huge upgrade for the $20.. carbon fiber, CPM S90V, blue accents, what’s not to love!?
You can definitely shop around for some nice deals on Benchmade and I think that makes it a lot more reasonable to get them... honestly could probably find some nice aftermarket cf scales and throw them on a stock bugout for a similar price
Spyderco prices are getting too high too, but they have no real or,perceived, problems.
Definitely true, thanks for watching!
As someone said more than ten years ago, Spyderco is trying to be Benchmade, Benchmade is trying to be Microtech, and Microtech, is well, Microtech. Doesn't seem like much has changed. I have bought exactly one Benchmade in the last 15 years, and I live in Portland, OR, and I like Benchmade, but ever since the MAP pricing came out who knows how long ago, they are just way too expensive, and there are way better options out there namely Houge, Spyderco, and Microtech, and a legion of Chinese brands also. The whole MAP thing was supposed to protect the brick-and-mortar stores, but guess what? They are long gone anyway, now they keep MAP as a way to price gouge the customer. Also, there is absolutely no reason for automatic knives to cost more. Like ZERO. They just do it and keep the price high to gauge Government agencies, like the police and military. You can almost get into Mid-Techs at the prices Benchmades are selling for. I much rather get a Cold Steel Luzon(either size), Spyderco Tenacious/Resilience or a Byrd Cara Cara and get my money's worth, and if I lose it or the police or the TSA takes it, I am not going to care one bit. A knife is a tool, not some Man-Pocket-Jewelry for people with more money than sense.
Definitely some fair points, I think there are more brands that are worth looking to out there than Benchmade spyderco and microtech too...
@@DXSharpening I agree, but I couldn't think of any other ones you didn't already mention in your video, nice to see Buck enter the 21st Century with some good designs, I have always been a huge Buck fan.
@@JDStone20 videos to come soon about heretic and protech... I am blown away by the first protech auto I got just as a heads up
100% priced to gouge the community, and then there is the bad press about being anti 2A, true or not.
Do you know their history? Balisong- Pacific Knife-Benchmade
@@wesb123 I used to be a Benchmade guy a couple decades ago. I am a Kershaw user now for a few years. My first american made auto was a Benchmade. I stand by my comment though about gouging the knife community in the present times, overpriced is over priced.
@@jeffhays1968 the only way I would own a butterfly folder would be if it was free. I like their fixed and auto models, the never ending cycle of thumbstud folders does nothing for me.
@@wesb123 I get that for sure. I EDC a Kershaw Leek spring assist for years now.
They destroy firearms for Oregon City Police Department and other surrounding agencies.
Like so many things, you pay for the name. Some of that is the "show-off" factor. "Look at me ! I have $8,000 Nikes" Some people are actually impressed.
Definitely true!
The pricing is the one legitimate complaint. The prices are high. But compare apples to apples. Don't round up the Benchmade price, then compare it to a competing knife that's on sale. Oh the lockbar on base Bugout is titanium. Not saying that justifies the price in any way, just sharing an interesting tidbit. BM used titanium there to save on weight.
Kershaw livewire ~$220 depending on where you get it and what model
Benchmade infidel ~$495
Same handle, magnacut vs d2, same warranty
Benchmade bugout ~$164 for stock blue one
Hogue deka ~$170 for g10
G10 vs plastic, magnacut vs s30v same warranty
Benchmade 940-2 ~$207
Spyderco para 3 ~$190
Same handle, s30v vs s45vn, same warranty, no springs to break in spyderco
Bugout ~$164
Microtech msi ~$180
Same handles, s30v vs m390, huge size difference, same locking mechanism, same warranty, same brand reputation
All made in usa, I could keep going for dozens of knives... that's pretty apples to apples for me
@DXSharpening Yes those are apples to apples.
Spyderco’s customer service is garbage. I sent a knife in that is still in production for new plastic washer/bushings. Could not fix it. My option was buy a new one at a slightly discounted MSRP.
One of the rare cases, very sorry to hear it!
They cost too much, they think the brand deserves a price.
There is some validity to thinking that, just not the insane markups they try to justify at least in my opinion...
Dudes spending more money on a freaking pocket knife than they spend on a firearm…. And they don’t even use their knives, that’s like buying a Rolex and never wearing it…. INSANE 😂
Sorry to disappoint
@@DXSharpening I just mean there are guys that spend 400-500 on knives and don’t even use them for there intended purpose, and they say they want the hardest steel and materials and it’s like for what? Cutting cardboard? 😂 I have some benchmades and I beat the crap out of them cause they’re tools. But over the years I’ve had some other USA brands that are equal quality and way better price. I like your video brother 👍 I agree with much of what you said.
For the money there are so many better options out there. Benchmade are taking THEMSELVES out of the game
Absolutely true!
I stopped buying them along time ago honestly, I like their knives but way to much money for what you get,Quiet Carry is my new favorite knife company but I like other brands also and have a good collection as of right now, got the quiet carry waypoint in black g10 and Vanex and never even thought about buying another Benchmade even though I have five Benchmade knives from a few years back
Not familiar with quiet carry, I'll have to check them out
@@DXSharpening You won’t regret it I assure you, The materials and quality is second to none for a production knife and they cost about what a Benchmade does, But the materials and quality is great 👍
They've embraced shrinkflation, and are pretending to be premium for it.
Great way to put it!
Love me some Benchmade ❤
Fair enough, I enjoy using some of their knives for sure but I think they do deserve criticism! Thanks for watching!
omega springs break. The spyderco manix and microtech ram lock does it better.
Definitely true, thanks for watching!
I Hate Benchmade for a few Reasons 1) I’ve had Many Many Lock Failure’s, 2) I’ve had Major Blade Chipping and Complete Blade Breaks, 3) they are Highly Highly Over Priced and 4) they are Anti 2A. Benchmade will never get a Penny From Me Ever again and will be Bashed by me every Chance I get.
Can I ask what models you had lock failures on? Do you mean springs breaking or the actual lock failing while in use? Thanks for watching!
Everybody forgets they have to pay the workers. This is the United States competitive wages and healthcare add to the cost
So do Spyderco, Case, Microtech, Heretic, Tactile, Toor, Buck, and countless others...
Sounds like Benchmade is selling an overpriced, mandatory extended warranty, that comes with an average free knife. Until 6weeks ago, I hadn't purchased a knife (Buck 112) since 1971..well 6 weeks ago online i see an add for a Sencut Watauga $42 Canadian, button lock warncliff blade...I didn't know what ANY of that ment, just that I could open with one hand, which was important because my left doesn't work much...the knife was perfect, it was real sharp, I made it shaving sharp..in the last 5 weeks I've purchased 5 more knives, most expensive Buck, button lock $49 Can. Love it..the other 4 under $35..like them, they are now all shaving sharp..I can't imagine paying over $100 Canadian...for a folding knife...that is what surprised me most , compared to 1971. Alot more money compared to average workers wages for knives of the 2020'...Some are amazing works of Art, and excluded from the factory knife comparisons..
Definitely a great way to put it, it is a mandatory warranty. Glad to hear you're enjoying some of the new stuff, and it's great to hear Buck treated you well for so many years!
Thry make good knives and I have some, but I will not buy anymore because their prices are unrealistic. 10 years ago they were not but now in todays knife industry you can get good materials at a great price. I mean Benchmade can not compete period with their super high prices.
Yeah that's definitely true and I understand there's a premium for American goods but it seems to he getting overly excessive...
Benchmade is hit or miss for everyone. Some will buy one horrible uncentered blade or some soft S90V for $400 and be put off forever, a mini osborne was almost this for me. You could also get lucky and get a perfect specimen like my mini adamas. I've also ordered an osborne on the custom shop that came on point, customs I think will almost always be. $400 though.
The price for what you're getting is generally the biggest complaint and it's valid. Bugout is silly, also that crappy thin one they released to much hatred. That aside, there are a few gems in the lineup that for whatever reason are more competitively priced, griptilian and adamas for example. I particularly recommend the adamas or mini adamas in either cruwear or magnacut. The heat treat on these are both done well at 65 hrc and price to materials doesn't look so bad.
The taggedout is probably the only Benchmade that I would say came "perfect" out of the box for me, pretty much every other one has had at least 1 or 2 issues with it...
@@DXSharpening The custom shop is the way, that or pure luck. I didn't even need to adjust the pivot on my two good benchmades. The one they had sitting around for a couple years was trash though.
For me they are just ridicoulusly overpriced. Expecially the bugout. Spyderco is high price but you get more return in variety/quality and stuff.
Definitely true! Thanks for watching
Pricing 😢
Thanks for watching!
Well I wouldn’t say I hate benchmade but being in the UK I have to pay more than the US does (obviously)
The issue is warranty for me if a little spring breaks on it which is mental that if that breaks my 200 pound 940 is useless until I get a few springs sent all the way from the states if benchmade did a lock like the para 3 I’d purchase the 940 again but it’s just daft things like that for me but ur definitely over paying for the item I think they could offer lesser steels to make models cheaper but fuck knows the logistics of that and how much it would cost them
Yeah I can't even imagine paying that kind of money and waiting however long it takes to get springs in the mail after it breaks...
@@DXSharpeningit takes a while u need to wait for them to respond ect it took a month when I did it tbf to benchmade they sent them out for free so it was good of them but that leads me to another problem some of the screws are bloody solid and you can easily round off which isn’t good it’s just not worth it anymore which is a shame as I would love to carry benchmade but I’ve sold all mine which is a shame for a knife guy 😂 also good video I liked it 👍🏻
@bwxbwx6453 sorry to hear it but that definitely makes sense, you're paying a lot more for the warranty and can't take advantage of it... thanks for the support!
I have decided to only purchase Benchmade knives from the secondary market, If I buy anymore. Every new model they release just feels like more of the same at this point, and they are off their tits on pricing. All that said, I edc a bugout 😂😅.
If you can get a good deal on a Benchmade they really aren't bad knives, it's just so hard to justify paying the MAP...
@@DXSharpening totally agree
@@captntrousers4646 it's a good thing deals on them aren't too hard to come by
There just over price and there not that good just my opinion
Definitely a fair opinion to have
Let the fan boys pay more for less. I do like the Dacian but not the hrc.
Great design and great idea for a design just poorly executed with the hrc and sheath...
I think you hit a streak of bad luck. I have never had any issues with any of my benchemades breaking.
I tend to stick with benchmade, more particularly with the griptilians because, in my opinion there is no better designed folder to this day.
My criticism with benchemade is the way they market, sometimes feels a little out of touch with the majority of the audience. But none the less I have never had a better performing brand on my collection.
Maybe I have got a bit unlucky but it seems like a lot of people tend to get really unlucky with Benchmade... I do think they make a nice product and generally do a great job with treating their steel
I do not mix up politics and knife manufacturing. If I did, I would only buy Benchmades. But I don’t.
Why? Because their prices are way too high. They produce great knives but the pricing is off the charts.
Not sure I understand... thanks for watching
@@DXSharpening I am referring to some comments here.
Just an opinion benchmade uses to much plastic and the prices are well overpriced. Kershaw uses better steel and aluminum handels. Their American made knives are great value. Factory edge could be better thou sharpening is no big deal
Definitely a valid opinion!
I paid like $130 for a 425 with thick titanium liners and contoured carbon fiber scales. Im not pointing that out to complain about price (whining about the price of luxury items is just about the dumbest thing i can imagine), but about design.
Benchmade has dumbed themselves down, and backed themselves into a corner to cater to the worst part of the market. Those same people are the ones who wont even be interested in knives in 5 years. Its the same thing Spyderco is doing now, BM just got a head start.
I think Benchmade has some nice designs and makes a somewhat decent product, the most frustrating thing to me is paying a huge premium to get a knife that looks like it was slapped together in 2 minutes and moved down the assembly line with lots of problems and components that break after a month of use. It seems that they're coasting off a brand reputation and who knows how long it'll last...
Thanks for the comment, hope you enjoy the video!
@@DXSharpening
I see the "coasting on their reputation" thing a lot, but their reputation is the lowest it's been in the 20 years I've been actively collecting knives. A lot of it can be attributed to people online parroting something they heard from someone else that may or may not actually be true. That's not solely a BM thing, but they seem to get it the worse, deserved or not.
It purely comes down to design, for me. It's all cut and paste axis lock models. They're trying to go the lazy spyderco route, but they don't put out spyderco quality or spyderco prices.
I want Benchmade to do well. I carried a 940 almost every day in the Marine Corps. I want to give them my money, but that's not gonna happen until they put out something that interests me and the last thing to really do that was the Anthem. I was even considering getting a Necron, until I saw that it had steel liners. That's just straight up disrespecting the customer.
@CNYKnifeNut thank you for your service to this country, I'm glad to hear the 940 served you well. A lot of the stuff released this year was quite underwhelming and I do see what you're saying.
Maybe it's because I'm a little newer to this and still getting caught up on some of the older designs and I think I did realize half the stuff that came out this year was either a mini version of something that existed or a different color of something. I was really into benchmade for quite some time but found myself getting bored with the designs along with the poor quality when compared to other brands...
After exploring a lot of other American brands it seems like there are numerous other companies doing things better than Benchmade and releasing more exciting designs. It also seems like a lot of companies are hopping on the axis/crossbar lock train which has been a little boring to see as well.
I really appreciate the comments!
Nice knives but I won’t spend my money with them anymore.
Fair enough!
Heat treatment is bad
Might have to push back a little bit on that, some of their heat treats are bad but sone are great
I have 2 Benchmade auto's and then they had their Bud lite moment and the worst non apology i have ever seen you can't even find it on RUclips anymore 😂 so if you live in Texas Hill country and still like them because I'll never carry them 1 never used the other i sharpened s number 3 pencil once
That is a great way to put it, seems like people don't care as much anymore though! I wasn't really involved with them whenever all that went down and found out about it long after...
The benchmade infidel is one of the worst knives I have ever owned really wanted to like it its a clean design but Ive had 40 dollar otfs that function way better and work consistently Ive sent it in to benchmade at least 4 times and rebladed it I cant stand that piece of junk getting rid of it soon going with a microtech for an otf and I do like benchmades but ever since I got a chris reeve knife Ive been finding the CRK in my pocket far more than any of my benchmades
That's what happens when you only spend $500 on an OTF. Can't expect any kind of quality for such a budget friendly price...
Haha, all jokes aside sorry to hear that, absolutely insane that you're having problems with it at that kind of price. Hopefully you enjoy microtech! Thanks for watching!
Get on with it
2x speed
Overpriced. With ultra cheap scales for the Bugout over 200.00 ? No thanks
Thanks for watching!
I absolutely think Benchmade have become very overpriced compared to what they deliver, but saying that its just a piece of plastic with some metal wedged between is a bit silly imo.
Fair enough, ultimately that's what most knives are and there really isn't that much of a justification for spending crazy prices on knives other than just liking them
@@DXSharpening Oh its an enthusiast thing for sure, and I have no issues arguing that we throw money at completely unecessary things. I dont think anyone NEEDS a magnacut blade and titanium scales when functionally a 5 dollar knife from the hardware store does the same thing. So im all on board with that side of it.
The part that struck me as silly is that it kinda disrespects all the engineering, material science, design, metallurgy and research that went into making that product the icon it is today. All knife-people know that "steel is steel" is a false statement because theres such a huge difference between good and bad ones, and likewise "plastic is plastic" is equally false. Its not just a random piece of 3D printed PLA that melts in the sun, its glassfiber reinforced nylon. Worth it? Maybe not, but it is different for sure.
And yeah one could easily get one of those 10 dollar Ozark Trail clones instead of a bugout and be very happy with it, but even though its much, MUCH better value it is still an inferior product on everything but price, and it wouldnt exist at all, and certainly not for 10 bucks if all the work was not already done by the original, right?
Oh and just as a disclaimer, I do agree with you for the most part ^^ Just my inner engineer felt like that one was a bit unfair.
@@kvernesdotten totally fair to say, and I don't mean to discount the engineering that goes into it at all i actually think it's quite impressive that they were able to make a durable design that's so light... i just feel the need to play the other side a little bit when all of this steel and titanium and whatever gets super hyped up and people forget that they're knives
Thanks for the comments!
Your comparisons 🙀 the horrible knife you compare to the Bugout 😵💫
🙀
I could give you a huge list, but it's not worth my time.
Hopefully I covered a lot of the reasons, but there are lots of other comments that talk about pretty much every reason there is haha
i bought the infidel. cost was around 450-500$. it failed within 4 months and i had to pay to ship it out. dog shit quality for the price. i have 25-50$ knifes that are same quality
That's absolutely insane, I thought they were at least decently made albeit wildly overpriced, sorry to hear it
@@DXSharpening They are decently made. Even the prom queen lets a fart escape everyone in awhile. But all the boys still wanna cop a feel.
I love Benchmade. I have 20 different models. No failures. Stiff out of the box, a little break in and then fine. People have no idea what it costs to run a company that size. BM has costs that smaller companies don’t. Liability insurance, medical and 401K for employees, lawyers to fight the fakes online. It costs the company I work for $2,200 per month per employee for health insurance. Imagine the amount of time they spent on engineering for the Narrows. The lifetime warranty cost a fortune as well. I am surprised how vocal the haters are. There are many knives / companies I dont buy because I dont think I am getting value. I dont spend any time crying about it online.
More power to you, if you like Benchmade and don't mind paying extra go for it. I overpay on knives frequently and I pretty much only buy from American companies and I do have a bunch of Benchmade knives but it gets old paying a premium for knives that break frequently and are terrible out of the box when there are numerous other companies that deserve recognition because they go the extra mile to make sure their knives represent the brand well oit of the box.
You completely missed the point. I dont think I am “overpaying”. Terrible out of the box is a silly statement. They set them up to naturally get good action over time. If they leave the pivot lose up front it may get worse later. 95% of their customers use these as knives, not fidget toys.
@@JoeSmith-ym5zf ok
@@JoeSmith-ym5zf You're overpaying.
You can’t talk sense to a fanboy.
It doesn't get so much hate...it gets a lot of fans, and a lot of sales, and a lot of good reviews. It gets a little bit of hate...by pompous people who crave attention. Everyone knows Benchmade so their an easy target for people who want to be heard. Their knives are over-priced, sure. But those knives are also better than most, albeit ever so slightly. It's a sliding scale. People who want a smidge better quality in some aspects are willing to pay more to get it. Some people who don't care about that extra quality will jump at the opportunity to point out that it's not worth it. It's worth it to some.
I don't think their knives are better than most and I don't think you're paying more to get higher quality. I loved Benchmade and their designs and the first expensive knife I got was one and the next several were also Benchmade as well. It was only until recently I started looking at other brands that I realized just how much they were behind others in quality/price/variety of design/more
In the "knife community" (people who have a hobby of researching, buying, collecting, and using numerous different knives), Benchmade ABSOLUTELY GETS A LOT OF HATE! I'm a Benchmade fan, and I often hesitate to say I like various Benchmade knives on knife forums because of all the hate that will be directed against me for supporting them! Benchmade has systematically been "biting the hand that feeds them" (their customers) over and over and over again! This is totally a very relevant and important topic that needs to be discussed. After dramatic, highly publicized examples of companies being inconsiderate of their main customer base, such as Bud Light, you would think Benchmade would be more responsive to customers' concerns.
Will Hirsch delivers a review that essentially sums up why we as hard-core knife collectors are upset with Benchmade ruclips.net/video/sJiDxzho7sw/видео.html
I'll check it out, thanks!