Benchmade vs. Spyderco

[cdf]

I've asked this question on the Benchmade forum , so I'll put it here to get a balanced view , not to start a bar fight . I own and use both . Spydies. show more raw creative energy , Benchmades seem more engeneered . Sal and Les are both giants in the industry , and share cutomers , so please accept this question in the spirit in which it is raised .

[thombrogan]

I prefer Spyderco, but both make excellent knives.

[4 s ter]

I agree with the "creative energy" statement. The tremendous variety of Spyderco designs attests to that.

I don't agree that Benchmade has an "engineering" advantage. One close look at a model such as the Lil' Temperance with nested liners and a compression lock will show you a knife that is as highly "engineered" as you will find. I'm sure others can add similarly "highly engineered" examples in the Spyderco lineup.

David

p.s. I'm not sure that implying that Spyderco knives are creative but not as highly engineered is a balanced viewpoint to present on the "Spyderco.com Forum" - but that's just my view. I'm not sure what "spirit" you are raising the question in.

"Not all who wander are lost"

[Ted]

Spyderco uses either VG-10 or S30V in 95% of their knives.
Benchmade still uses 440C and older 154CM in a lot of their knives.
And there is the 630 Skirmish Blackwood 'hole' issue.

Ted

[Pyrochazm]

This is honestly a tough one. I'd have to give the nod to Spyderco just for the exclusive use of premium steel (S30V, VG-10, ATS-55/34 H1) I see no spydies with less than some sort of magic metal for a blade. Spyderco's designs are more rugged and simple, which are excellent assets as far as I'm concerned. But Benchmade knives seem to possess an incredible fit & finish, almost on a custom level. And the Axis lock still trumps all others as far as I'm concerned. Their only real problem is their continued use of what is now a sub-par steel: 440C. Benchmade could easily step up to the plate with one of the better Seki city or Crucible steels and knock one out of the park. Why a high quality company would still use a(Comparitivly) lame steel is perplexing to me.

"My parents used to drop acid in order to "Expand their conciousness" and then turned right around and gave me ridilin in the hopes of supressing mine"

Edited by - pyrochazm on 4/14/2004 2:14:47 AM

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha and in my oxymoronic unbiased opinion, I have to go w/ Spyderco. Yes, BM does turn out some excellent knives in terms of materials and tolerances. BUT, Spyderco does the same WITH the advantage of the "creative energy" as you called it, along w/ some very excellent kick @$$ ergonomics, and extremely low maintenance. My fave BM models are the AFCK and the Ascent(Eclipse)...Gee, i wonder why?!!!!

God will put you over...if you let Him! Mark 11:23!

[3knife]

i see nothing wrong with 440c steel. benchmade does use ats 34, 154 cm, s30v,h1,m-2. i am more of a benchmade man myself.how ever i do like some spyderco,s that i carry time to time. i just got a pe miltary cpm s30v. i have a starmate that is a great knife, + about 30 other spyderco,s. i think they are both excellent companies, and will probally continue to support both.

? what does it all mean?

[cliff355]

Neither company makes a bad knife as far as I know, and it is particularly handy that the two companies seem to have different priorities. Between the two of them, if you can't find a knife that fits your particular or general purpose, maybe something other than a knife is called for.

[Jeff/1911]

I love em' both...for the last while my enthusiasm has been spread pretty evenly between the products of each company. Slowly, my number of Benchmade's is approaching my number of Spydies.

Sitting comfortably on the fence...Jeff/1911.

[allenC]

Pyrochazm, Actually Spyderco does use some less-that-best blade steels.
For many years folks like myself have begged Sal to offer a better blade-steel for the SS Endura and SS Delica (both use AUS-6).

As for 440C--it's a very nice blade-steel and there's nothing subpar about its performance. I prefer it over AUS-6, AUS-8, and 440V.
BTW, my Spyderco Meerkat has a blade made of 440C.

As for Benchmade vs Spyderco:
I love them both for different reasons.

I love Spyderco because alot of their knives are light-weight and are simple lock-backs.
Which means easy to carry with very little that can break or malfunction.
And I love the round thumb-hole.

I love Benchmades because the have the awesome Axis-lock (the compression lock can't compete IMHO) and most of their knives have dual metal liners with G-10 scales (which I believe makes them stronger). Spyderco has a few models with dual liners and even fewer ones with dual liners and G-10 scales.

Allen.

[thombrogan]

AllenC,

I'm a very big fan of the Axis Lock (very strong, very reliable, adds a great level of spped and smoothness to opening and closing the knives, and they usually have ambidextrous pocket clip positioning), but I feel more secure with the Compression Lock. Well, if a c-locked knife I want sells out before I can get it, I won't be blaming you. <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

[steve andrews]

Benchmade for fit and finish.
Spyderco has it on blade steel and ease of opening, especially when wearing thick fire gloves.
Benchmades are very well made and are great to look at - Spydercos WORK.

[mystillwater]

this discussion on benchmade's site didn't get any posts with overtly nagative things to say about Spyderco. i'm disappointed that this one didn't make it 3 posts without one.

on another note...i think both companies are incredible. they are both sort of heading in different directions design-wise but that's ok. i love my dodo alothough it would be alot better with a real axis lock. i love my AFCK but it would be alot better with a round hole. it doesn't make me feel better about myself to slam on of them to support the other, especially since they are both obviously great companies. when it comes to steel they are very evenly matched. benchmade's 154cm is one of my favorite blade steels ever. my 940 will cut cardboard for a week without showing signs of fading. by the same token, my dodo may have never actually needed toughing up but i like the maintence part. hats over to both companies putting out shaving sharp knives for the world to use!!!

-----collecter/user/trader----- (((rotation))) BM 750BT, BM940, BM 921, BM 551S, BM 180D2 Ltd., BM880BT, Dodo PE, Endura SS PE, Mini-Commander, REKAT Pioneer Tanto PE, Kershaw Chive, TAK, BK-7, (Want List) CF Lefty Delica PE, Grey Calypso Jr. PE, SS Harpy PE, BM 710HS, BM 732, BM 942, BM 960, BM 210, Microtech Amphibian, Chax Cutter's Delight

[cdf]

Both outfits are pretty awsome , Quite honestly I wonder why I ever bought customs ! , It can be a bit frustrating as I wish I could combine the best of both , any good welders out there ? I guess its a bit like girlfreinds , you love them all for different reasons !

[Alberghini]

I have 20 Spyderco and 2 Benchmade. In Spyderco i like design and cutting power. In BM 705 and Griptilian the ambidextrous totally friendly
Alberghini

[thombrogan]

Well, Benchmade has shipped their 630 Skirmish pocket knife, with four, round holes on the blade (one of which is used to open the knife). I hope that there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes handshaking between Les and Sal over this.

[HoB]

In the article in KI Mr. Glesser selected both Benchmade and Gerber as examples of knife companies with high integrety. Both seem to have paid royalties to Spyderco for the use of Spyderco innovations. Made me quite happy, since I thought that my Gerber EZ-out was a shameless knock-off.

[Burrellb]

SPYDERCO Fields forever, Lil Temperence, Bob Lum Tanto, and Military<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

I'd rather be tried by 12, than carried by 6

[4 s ter]

HoB - Benchmade used to pay for the licence to use the round hole. Then they went to the oval hole and dropped the licence.

Sal has made it clear in other posts and forums that Benchmade has made NO arrangement (as of a few weeks ago) to legally use the Spyderco trademarked round opening hole in the Blackwood collaboration. Benchmade added a fourth hole to the three in the prototype in order to avoid infringing on Ken Onion's trademarked three holes. Apparently they didn't feel the same need to avoid infringing on Spyderco's trademarked round opening hole.

Benchmade's knives may be fine quality, and Sal has always praised Les as an honorable man. I wonder what has happened to the integrity. Maybe Benchmade thought no one was watching.

David

"Not all who wander are lost"

[dynaryder]

I dig Benchmade for their Axis locks and AFCK's. But I gotta give the nod to Spyderco. Serious customer support and a dearth of designs you just don't see anywhere else. Benchmade may be a 10,but Spyderco goes to *11*. ;-)