Benchmade - I'm officially a believer

[Theo]

Personally, I prefer Old Hickory knives.

[Gondor]

I have a few Benchmade knives and they are tough, even when it comes to EDC blades. I think they are my favorite folding knife company.

[EmberMike]

I've been all over the map since I started this thread.

Ok, so I sold the Benchmade Griptilian already. Great knife, just too big and I didn't like the combo edge.

In it's place I bought a Benchmade 707 Sequel. Been using that for various things around the house and yard, and it's a great pocket knife. Very slim, light, easy to carry.

Then I figured I wasn't giving Spyderco enough consideration. Lots of people love those knives, my brother gave me one as a gift but it's not a locking blade, and I prefer some sort of lock. So I bought a Spyderco Sage 3. Loved the knife, didn't love the lock. I'm returning that and trying a Sage 1. That arrives tomorrow and we'll see how that one works out.

I also sold off a lot of old knives to pay for some of these new ones.

Not sure where all this is going, but it seems I'm on a sort of knife odyssey to find my ideal folding knife.

But I'm still sold on Benchmade quality. The 707 Sequel is an outstanding knife, and I'm finding the handle to be very pocket-friendly. I wasn't a big fan of the shape of the Griptilian handle, as it was sort of bulky and bloated and didn't fit well in my pocket.

Something tells me I may still circle back around to a Benchmade Mini Griptilian, even if just as a knock-around knife. It look like it can take a beating. But the Spyderco blade quality is also very impressive.

[Tubby]

I have to agree with Coz. I've still got the Case knives that my father had and they have served me very well. I hate the serrated edges and actually have given away every one that I've had over the years. I've not tried the Benchmark brand but you do give a good review. I may have to go see one the next time I'm down by the store.

[wvbreamfisherman]

So far I'm pretty happy with my Gerber FAST for an EDC knife. It's pretty solid and so far is holding up pretty well to most everyday tasks. It's proven fairly easy to sharpen once it loses its edge, but tends to wire-edge if you're not careful. A little stropping takes care of it.

At some point, I'll probably start looking around for something better, but this one is decent, if not perfect.

[EmberMike]

Originally Posted by wvbreamfisherman

So far I'm pretty happy with my Gerber FAST for an EDC knife...

I actually just dropped my Fast Draw in the mail. Sold it on ebay. I just wasn't a fan. The assisted opening is almost more of a nuisance than a helpful feature. Most good knives nowadays should open easily without being spring-assisted. My Benchmades and Spydercos all do. I think I can actually open them as fast as the Fast Draw, and without the added weight and movement of the knife that comes from the spring opener.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Not sure how much weight the spring assist actually adds, but that's neither here not there for me.

I bought it mostly because the handle fits my hand very well, and I like the Zytel grips.

The blade is also a shape that I like. I looked at the Kershaw knives, and was tempted, but I tried a friend's Gerber and liked it a lot (especially for $20 on Amazon).

Different strokes for different folks.

It's kind of funny how many knife threads we have on here, and the diversity of opinion.

The perfect knife is the one that works for you.

[oldsarge]

I think the ongoing search for the best knife will never end. Way too many options to suite everyone. I've carried the same EDC knife (Cold Steel El Hombre in a plain blade) since 1998. It's for personal defense and never gets used for daily chores. I even have a training knife exactly like it to practice with. I also carry a second knife for every day use. This knife is a CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool) M16-10KZ. Nothing fancy, just a good buy. I often carry different knives to the field just to use since I have them. Sometimes it's not the knife itself but how it's used that makes a big difference. Not being a big fan of the survival "Rambo" styled knives, if I had to I could make it work for me just as well. No matter what you carry, it's important that you work or train with it to become proficient in any skills.

[Gondor]

Originally Posted by oldsarge

I think the ongoing search for the best knife will never end. Way too many options to suite everyone. I've carried the same EDC knife (Cold Steel El Hombre in a plain blade) since 1998. It's for personal defense and never gets used for daily chores. I even have a training knife exactly like it to practice with. I also carry a second knife for every day use. This knife is a CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool) M16-10KZ. Nothing fancy, just a good buy. I often carry different knives to the field just to use since I have them. Sometimes it's not the knife itself but how it's used that makes a big difference. Not being a big fan of the survival "Rambo" styled knives, if I had to I could make it work for me just as well. No matter what you carry, it's important that you work or train with it to become proficient in any skills.

Exactly! By the way, I often hear people pick knives because they have lifetime warranties. Don't get me wrong, that is good, but the best warranty in the world wont do you any good in the woods when you have to rely on your tool which is broken.

[wvbreamfisherman]

One way to offer a lifetime warranty is to make a cheap product and sell it at a high price. You make your money upfront, and cheerfully replace your product to anyone that actually bothers to go through whatever hoops you set up on the warranty process.

It's something like those "lifetime socks" they used to advertise. The sold for about 10x what a regular sock would cost, and were pretty much the same...except they would send you a new pair if you sent in a worn out pair....if you hadn't lost the address...had prrof of purchase...etc, etc..