Is a Benchmade worth the money

What do you think of the thumbhole on the griptilian vs a thumb stud? Ive always had a stud and I'm not totally sold on the hole.

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I'm the opposite. Thumb studs just don't work for me. I have the mini-grip 555 with the hole and like it a lot. At least with the grip or minigrip you have a choice either way.

The Spyderco type hole, as used on them and some of the Benchmades make the thumb-stud obsolete.

Use one, and you will never go back, unless you just have to get a particular knife design you can't get it in.

The Spyde-hole is a superior design everyone would use now if it hadn't have been a patented Spyderco design licensed to only a few other knife makers years ago.

IMO: The other one great one hand opener design break-through is the Carson Flipper made famous by knife maker Kit Carson. Probably invented by some unknown knife maker in 1800 something in England.

Kershaw & CRKT has the market cornered on them now.

rc

Been in my pocket every day for two years now. Broke the tip using it as a pry bar. Which I shouldn't have been doing. But now it works perfectly as a screw driver

I went through a lot of cheaper knives until I bought the minigriptillian. I should have bought one sooner. I prefer the tip up carry since I use the clip. And the axis lock is still working flawlessly. It gets used daily. Even for things it shouldn't be used for.

Just ordered a custom griptillian. This thread just cost me money


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I own many knives...dozens, and carried them for yearssss. I think they are definitely worth the money. Just consider how much the Grips and mini-Grips cost, I think you'll get a lot of knife for the money you just spent. You can even customize them too for a few more bucks.

rcmodel said:

The Spyderco type hole, as used on them and some of the Benchmades, make the thumb-stud obsolete.

Use one, and you will never go back, unless you just have to get a particular knife design you can't get it in.

The Spyde-hole is a superior design. . .

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I find the Spyderco type hole is much more difficult to manipulate than a thumb-stud. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but its hard to imagine several different ways to use it. What makes the Spyde-hole superior?

I carry a Benchmade Barrage as my daily. I've also had a couple Benchmade automatics and fixed blades.
They are expensive, but I wouldn't trade my thumb stud axis lock for any other AO folder.

I find the Spyderco type hole is much more difficult to manipulate than a thumb-stud. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but its hard to imagine several different ways to use it. What makes the Spyde-hole superior?

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No extra protruding parts - its a clever idea. But in order to work, the blade height has to be sufficiently tall that the knife no longer disappears into a pocket as well as other options, if that sort of thing matters to you.

Benchmade is pretty much a benchmark for quality knives you'll always see x or y brand compared to them. I own several. I also have alot of others. You might also consider a Zero Tolerance ZT300 or a Spyderco . spyderco makes some of the best folders around they just take an keep a razor edge for a lonnng time

Just got a custom griptilian. Never owned a folder that locked up so smoothly this tight.

Yes, Benchmade is worth it.

I find Benchmade to be well worth the money.

I've got several Benchmades. The one I carry the most lately is the Infidel, spring loaded, straight out the front double sided blade. But is is rather pricey. Benchmades are great knives and they have an awesome warrenty. I carried mine thru two Afghanistan trips and sent it back for a TuneUp. They replaced the spring clip and tightened the inner workings, shared it and sn
t it back to me in about three weeks!

One caveat: if you see one of the discontinued red box knives, avoid it, they are not built to the same standards as the U.S. knives.

I bought a 10600SB a few years back, and it's junk - the blade is OK, but it doesn't open smoothly, the clip is wobbly, and the Levitator lock failed completely after a few months. I don't know whether that's poor design or implementation, but either way it sits in a box while I carry a CRKT.

Benchmade? Worth every penny for the Grips and Mini Grips I've had. I have both thumb stud and thumbhole versions and I like both. I like the hole on a Spyderco because they're harder to open, and the hole is MUCH better than a stud, in my opinion. I was hesitant to get a stud-opening Griptilian, but after I found out how glass-rod smooth the Axis lock is, I have to say my fears disappeared. I have both and don't hesitate to carry any of them.

I bought a Gold Class Mini-Presidio. It was an excellent knife, but I think the $450 I paid would have been better spent on a Sebenza. Of course, it was a moot point since I put it in a knife shop on consignment and got $520 for it less than a month after I got it.

I believe they are worth it. If you decide to buy one you will see. The mini grip 556 is the perfect EDC knife for me, not too big or small, love the axis lock, and the 154CM steel holds an edge well and isn't difficult to sharpen.

The ZT0550 is worth considering.

I like mine...




Only had it for about a day, but it is seriously a consideration to carrying my F1 (legally)

I'm more of a Spyderco guy. But I have several Benchmade balisongs and they are top notch.

IMO one of the best folding knives out there today is the Spyderco Paramilitary 2. I have a sprint run in S35VN

Ironclad said:

I'm looking to get another good quality folding knife. I currently carry a Kershaw. My question is, is a Benchmade significantly better quality? Is it enough to warrant triple the price? In what way is it better? I have no trouble paying more for quality and utility, but I hate to just pay for a name.

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Benchmades are good knives. I think I have 5 of them. The question of whether they are worth the expensive price tag is up in the air sometimes. For whatever reason, I always seem to gravitate back towards my Spydercos, Kershaws or CRKs. I've had some QC issues with BM, mostly loose blades out of the box, but I've also gotten very good customer service when I've needed it.

I think BM is like any other brand, some models sing to you, some don't. Right now I'm just not buying BM's. Very good quality, IMO, but a tad overpriced. Frankly, I think Kershaw makes some of the slickest, high-value blades out there. They make a lot of interesting models and I've had great luck with them.

One thing BM does have is the outstanding Axis lock.

^^^ This

Benchmade does make nice knives and the Axis alone makes them worth the money. I also find that with a properly set up Axis, any other opening method is moot. I sinply open and close them one handed by manipulating the lock. If I had to pick though it would be flipper, thumb stud, then Spyder hole. Never liked the hole.

Hole vs stud is all about personal, i can't stand the hole. BM offers many knives with both options, spyderco not so much.

I have to say, I've been juggling the idea, whether Benchmades are worth the money or not, but I just found out about a shop doing an inventory cleanup sale a couple of days ago.

I ended up ordering a 710D2, it says the knife is new and cost under a hundred, so I feel pretty good spending the money on it. I know I would have eventually bought a 710, and I would have bought it under exactly the circumstances I did this time, a stumbled on sweet deal.

So then I remembered I haven't picked up a knife other than the CRKT Folts S.P.E.W. for her, and I think she might be more comfortable carrying a folding knife too. I ordered her a pink plain edged one, she's very marginally into girly colored things, so if she doesn't like it I'll make fun of her and claim I got it that color so she won't lose it. I don't know what replacement grip options are out there, but I'm sure if she doesn't like pink it'll be easy to find something she does like.

IMHO it's strictly a pride in ownership thing in a way as that hi-dollar knife does not cut any better than my $ 10.00 Opinel.
I am however a Knife Nut and I can understand your feelings about the Benchmade offerings.
I have two Randalls, both gifts from friends, that will NEVER see blood or even a tomato but I'm fortunate to have them.
Respectfully, Zeke

Zeke/PA said:

IMHO it's strictly a pride in ownership thing in a way as that hi-dollar knife does not cut any better than my $ 10.00 Opinel.
I am however a Knife Nut and I can understand your feelings about the Benchmade offerings.
I have two Randalls, both gifts from friends, that will NEVER see blood or even a tomato but I'm fortunate to have them.
Respectfully, Zeke

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I beg to differ. Perhaps fresh out of the box they will both cut, but after use, the $10 knife (if it hasn't broken yet) will show why it was $10. This may become less apparent when comparing say a $50 knife to $100, but any $10 knife is likely nothing more than Chinese junk.