BenchMark Knives Ltd Still Around?

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Nope

Benchmark started out as a company called Jenkins Metals in Gastonia, NC. Blackie Collins was their designer. They changed the name to Bench Mark because that meant the craftsman's mark on his work.

This was long before Benchmade. So if anyone was trying to borrow reputation it was Benchmade equating themselves with BenchMark (and Blackie Collins).


The company was sold to Gerber for the design rights, and much later, R.B. Jenkins bought them back to revive the company, until he eventually retired, along with his knives. Then the name was purchased and ... well.

Benchmark was a legitimate innovative company. Like so many American knife companies they changed hands, went bankrupt, or were sold and too often turning into "cheap Chinese knife stuff".

Sad to see one of the most innovative American knife companies only be remembered for what people see now.

 

I did some research on Benchmark not too long ago. I saw all of the same cheap Chinese knives and thought, "Really? Is this the same company that made MY Benchmark?" I came to the conclusion that even if it is technically the same company, they are not of the same quality.

 

Brands get sold and bought and sold keeping the same name, but the company and products rarely stay the same. Usually they play off a great reputation and then sell lesser and lesser quality under it. Marbles, BenchMark, Camillus, Schrade, ... We'll cross our fingers and hope Cold Steel doesn't go that way under new ownership.

 

BTW, beautiful AD Hunter. Very few were done in Westinghouse ivory micarta.

 

I think you know more about my knife than I do.

 

Of that, I have NO doubt!

 

I think I think I know ... umm...what? SHINY!

 

Here are 3 of the last run of Rolox knives when Gerber owned Benchmark's designs.

 

An interesting if all too familiar tale of the history of knife-making in the US. Someone works hard to build a company by producing an outstanding product, then sells the brand to someone he hopes will continue the mission, but who ends up trading on the brand recognition and former glory of the original.

As a side note, a benchmark is a reference point or scale on a bench or other stationary object. Land surveys usually begin with a benchmark of known location/elevation. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benchmark