All About Pocket Knives

Hey all, I was kinda shocked to see the pricing for some of the recent benchmades, I know all things are relative to wants vs needs in life but they seemed really really high price wise. Any thoughts as to why so high? It boggles my mind. These are current production knives here and not rare or antique ones BTW. Any thoughts on Benchmade?

Not since they started cutting up police confiscated guns as shown on a thread in 24hourcampfire . Com I won't be buying Benchmade anytime soon

Ok, I gotta confess, I'm a Benchmade fan. Up until about 6 years ago, I had a handful of cheap knives, I'd accumulated, over the years. I was gifted this Benchmade 917 Triage. Since it was a gift, from a hunting buddy, I decided to make it my EDC, at weekends, on the ranch. After about two years of use and abuse, this thing looked and still looks pretty good. Now at 6-7 years old there is some minor wear-through of the black coating. It was after the first couple of years, how I noted this thing held a great edge and took an edge readily and easily. Unfortunately I started reading about and researching Benchmade knifes. I say Unfortunately, ...because I am probably closing in on 35 of their knives. If you are looking for an excuse to stay away...then STAY AWAY!!! Go buy cheap knives...because you risk becoming addicted
The 917 is designed for first responders, with seatbelt cutter and a flat tip...I thought I would pick up another, BM, and opted for the Griptilian.
I haven't bought many BM knives in the last 2-3 years; although, I just ordered another BM Proper and Mini Crooked River, because the PX had a sale I couldn't resist
Anyway, to try and answer your questions
A quick search of current prices showed the basic Benchmade Griptilian $106.25 at knifecenter.com...the mini Griptilians were around $98. I'm pretty sure I got my Griptilian, for pretty near $100....What I did notice, is that most of the entry level BM's are no longer 1541 steel and have upgraded to S30V...seems to me that competition in the S30V market...has actually brought the price of this knife down, in the last couple of years.
A quick scan of The 940-2 Osborne in black G10 was 174.25 at knivesshipfree and in the green anodized aluminum was 187.00
Up a few bucks, since I got mine...I think going rate was about $165, around 4-5 years ago. But, the price of paying skilled employees, rent and doing business certainly have not gone down.
I own $5 knives and a few $300 knives...most of my knives are not BM. I will say, they are are very well built knives and the company really stands behind their knives. I've dealt with customer service, twice...once they shipped me a replacement screw and the other time, they sent me a new belt clip, absolutely free, including postage.
They do have lifetime free sharpening...you just pay postage there and they send it back...I'm guessing that most people willing to spend the money on BM are knife aficionados and probably sharpen their own (I do). Also they have a life-time warranty. I do like supporting USA workers, when possible...although I do have some Chinese knives. BM knives are not cheap...but barring losing it, or using it for a crowbar...these are built to be handed down.

garddogg56 wrote:Not since they started cutting up police confiscated guns as shown on a thread in 24hourcampfire . Com I won't be buying Benchmade anytime soon

Benchmade was cutting up guns?

ken98k wrote:

garddogg56 wrote:Not since they started cutting up police confiscated guns as shown on a thread in 24hourcampfire . Com I won't be buying Benchmade anytime soon

Benchmade was cutting up guns?

https://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/ ... troy-guns/

Wow! This is the first I’d heard of the cutting up guns thing. I did a quick search on the internet, and it’s all over the net. It doesn’t appear to be anything nefarious on Benchmade’s part, but the optics sure do look bad.

Being a Spyderco guy, I sure hope they don’t do something stupid like this in the future.

Oregon City can destroy guns and Benchmade can assist them, but I can cut up my Mini-Griptilians and buy something else to replace them.

Politics aside... I personally think they look to be very nice knives for the price. I don't have any...yet. But they look very appealing. Just hope Gov. of Canada doesn't crack down on knives anymore. Like last year...

Additionally, all of Benchmade's political contributions went to Democrats who voted for laws that make it more difficult to own guns.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprec ... cycle=2018

Notice that Oregon City Police's early postings wrote that they were destroying guns because it is their policy to do so. Later postings attempt to squirm away from that.

Canada and England are examples of were liberal gun policies lead next.

WillyCamaro wrote: [...] Just hope Gov. of Canada doesn't crack down on knives anymore. Like last year...

Benchmade would be wise to look across the Atlantic and prioritize their own long term business interests. Very few citizens can own guns in England. That was not enough. Now they are outlawing knives.

A little to the north Washington law makes it illegal for police to destroy confiscated guns. Police must sell them to licensed firearms dealers. However, Seattle and probably some other jurisdictions stall and warehouse guns using the excuse that they are still being held for evidence.

Modern Slip Joints wrote:

ken98k wrote:

garddogg56 wrote:Not since they started cutting up police confiscated guns as shown on a thread in 24hourcampfire . Com I won't be buying Benchmade anytime soon

Benchmade was cutting up guns?

https://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/ ... troy-guns/

Going over this article, with no information otherwise, I did not see anything anti gun about this situation from benchmade or the police department.

All it appears to have been is benchmade destroying guns at the request of the PD because they have the tools to do so and the PD needed them destroyed. The guns that were destroyed were either turned in by people who didn't want them, or ones that were evidence in a crime. Those are things that happen all the time and it has nothing do do with anti 2nd amendment gun grabbing.

Other valuable property like vehicles that are seized after being used to transport narcotics are sold, not destroyed. From the perspective of a Washingtonian what the Oregon City Police are doing should be outlawed. It is here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.098
I do not want any of my money supporting what they are doing.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

Modern Slip Joints wrote:

ken98k wrote: Benchmade was cutting up guns?

https://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/ ... troy-guns/

Going over this article, with no information otherwise, I did not see anything anti gun about this situation from benchmade or the police department.

All it appears to have been is benchmade destroying guns at the request of the PD because they have the tools to do so and the PD needed them destroyed. The guns that were destroyed were either turned in by people who didn't want them, or ones that were evidence in a crime. Those are things that happen all the time and it has nothing do do with anti 2nd amendment gun grabbing.

The thing that is puzzling to me is this. According to what I read, the ATF stipulates that the correct way to “destroy” the firearms is to cut them with an AO torch. The reason for an Oxy Acetylene torch is because it makes a wider cut than plasma torches and the cut it leaves is more crude than the plasma.

From what I read Benchmade wasnusing their plasma cutters to cut these guns. So, in al of Oregon City there isn’t an October Acetylene torch??? The PD motor pool doesn’t have one? The various city maintenance departments don’t have an AO torch?

That’s the part I don’t understand.

Modern Slip Joints wrote:Other valuable property like vehicles that are seized after being used to transport narcotics are sold, not destroyed. From the perspective of a Washingtonian what the Oregon City Police are doing should be illegal. It is here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.098
I do not want any of my money supporting what they are doing.

This week SCOTUS ruled the confiscation and sale of a mans vehicle bought with inherited money was illegal seizure of property. Value v/s the crime. Michigan has a new bill introduced about it. should trump it? As for vehicles it was said that if it had a lien on it it was usually returned to the lender.

last spring I was in a sports store looking at a knife display case. A man walked up to the other one with Benchmade knives. Said I need one with a blade less that 3.5 inches, mines too long. How about that one? Clerk held it upside down and checked, yes it is. I'll take it. Zoom gone! I leaned over and looked $315.00 + 6% for the governor. I call that a return customer happy with the brand.

Fine knives no doubt, just not my bag. I still only listen to classic rock, so my wife says I’m set in my ways ... she occasionally mutters something about can’t teach an old dog new tricks ... guess I’m just a traditional slipjoint guy to the core

Modern Slip Joints wrote:Other valuable property like vehicles that are seized after being used to transport narcotics are sold, not destroyed. From the perspective of a Washingtonian what the Oregon City Police are doing should be illegal. It is here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.098
I do not want any of my money supporting what they are doing.

But what does Oregon law say about the destruction of turned in and confiscated guns? This link shows washington law unless I'm missing something.

Colonel26 wrote:The thing that is puzzling to me is this. According to what I read, the ATF stipulates that the correct way to “destroy” the firearms is to cut them with an AO torch. The reason for an Oxy Acetylene torch is because it makes a wider cut than plasma torches and the cut it leaves is more crude than the plasma.

From what I read Benchmade wasnusing their plasma cutters to cut these guns. So, in al of Oregon City there isn’t an October Acetylene torch??? The PD motor pool doesn’t have one? The various city maintenance departments don’t have an AO torch?

That’s the part I don’t understand.

The ATF may stipulate an acetylene torch is best, but surely that's not the only option that's allowed as there are many ways to destroy a firearm to make it inoperable. I would imagine the PD used benchmade to do this as they had the tools and it was easy for them to do so. Maybe the PD subbed it out to them because they have a good relationship, there's a lot of could be reasons for the why of it is what I'm trying to say. If the guns are not illegally confiscated from law abiding citizens, which does not SEEM to be the case, I have no problem with the destruction of them. I'm not criticizing anybody if they want to jump on benchmade for this but I don't want to do so. They didn't do anything bad even if they were illegally confiscated guns as BM very likely would not have known that information IF it were even the case.

Lansky1 wrote:... guess I’m just a traditional slipjoint guy to the core

I'm with you there. I currently have three BM's and used to have more but modern knives hardly interest me like they used to. I do not think they are as practical as a good traditional knife.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

Modern Slip Joints wrote:Other valuable property like vehicles that are seized after being used to transport narcotics are sold, not destroyed. From the perspective of a Washingtonian what the Oregon City Police are doing should be illegal. It is here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.098
I do not want any of my money supporting what they are doing.

But what does Oregon law say about the destruction of turned in and confiscated guns? This link shows washington law unless I'm missing something.

Colonel26 wrote:The thing that is puzzling to me is this. According to what I read, the ATF stipulates that the correct way to “destroy” the firearms is to cut them with an AO torch. The reason for an Oxy Acetylene torch is because it makes a wider cut than plasma torches and the cut it leaves is more crude than the plasma.

From what I read Benchmade wasnusing their plasma cutters to cut these guns. So, in al of Oregon City there isn’t an October Acetylene torch??? The PD motor pool doesn’t have one? The various city maintenance departments don’t have an AO torch?

That’s the part I don’t understand.

The ATF may stipulate an acetylene torch is best, but surely that's not the only option that's allowed as there are many ways to destroy a firearm to make it inoperable. I would imagine the PD used benchmade to do this as they had the tools and it was easy for them to do so. Maybe the PD subbed it out to them because they have a good relationship, there's a lot of could be reasons for the why of it is what I'm trying to say. If the guns are not illegally confiscated from law abiding citizens, which does not SEEM to be the case, I have no problem with the destruction of them. I'm not criticizing anybody if they want to jump on benchmade for this but I don't want to do so. They didn't do anything bad even if they were illegally confiscated guns as BM very likely would not have known that information IF it were even the case.

Lansky1 wrote:... guess I’m just a traditional slipjoint guy to the core

I'm with you there. I currently have three BM's and used to have more but modern knives hardly interest me like they used to. I do not think they are as practical as a good traditional knife.

From the ATF.

I have two. One is a 111H20 YEL Dive knife I picked up at the Janesville Show in March of '15 because I didn't have a Benchmade. Wanted one and a guy had a bunch of them on sale. The Dive knife was the cheapest one he had left. The other is a 555HG YEL Mini-Grip I picked up in July of '15 because I liked the blade profile and I'd heard so many good things about them. It's unlikely there will be any more. They don't do a whole lot for me and they're so dad gummed expensive. I have nothing against them except the price and I have nothing for them. There's nothing wrong with them (except the price) and I won't get rid of these two but I won't be getting more.

Colonel26 wrote:From the ATF.
9BBD9BE8-1A91-4FC2-B8AB-7F16490F729D.png

Well you've got me there Wade. If they were using a plasma cutter then

After reading this, I will never, ever, buy another benchmade.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprec ... cycle=2018

ken98k wrote:After reading this, I will never, ever, buy another benchmade.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprec ... cycle=2018

Maybe that's why benchmade's trademark color is blue

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

ken98k wrote:After reading this, I will never, ever, buy another benchmade.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprec ... cycle=2018

Maybe that's why benchmade's trademark color is blue

This was posted on the BM Facebook page:

Benchmade is aware of the recent post from our local Oregon City Police Department.
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We apologize for the confusion and concern that this post created. These were firearms that the Oregon City Police Department had to destroy in alignment with their policies. Oregon City Police requested the use of specialty equipment within the Benchmade facility to follow these requirements, and as a supporting partner of our local police force, we obliged the request.
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Benchmade is a proud and unwavering supporter of both law enforcement and Second Amendment rights. These are commitments that we do not take lightly and will continue to support well into the future.
-
When asked for clarity from Oregon City Police Department, Chief Jim Band made the following statement: “When property is to be destroyed, it is the policy of the Oregon City Police Department to destroy property, including firearms, in accordance to our procedures and ORS. The Oregon City Police Department does not sell firearms.”
-Benchmade

ken98k, Thanks for that information. BM states they are strong supporters of the 2nd ammendment. I'm thinking their political contributions speak much louder than their words.

Quick Steel wrote:ken98k, Thanks for that information. BM states they are strong supporters of the 2nd ammendment. I'm thinking their political contributions speak much louder than their words.

Your're right, like the saying goes, "money talks, bs walks."