Benchmade Knives

[MP-5]

 

[mauser9]

Are the spacers plastic or some type of higher grade material such as Delrin ?

I understand SOG knives are high quality and quite a bit less expensive as Benchmade.
But aren't only their $200 and up knives made in the USA ?

I'm considering purchasing a high quality knife and trying to learn.

Yeah some Sogs are made in Taiwan. You might look into the Sog Trident AT line for a decent EDC. Just bought the Trident spring assist which is an improved version of the old model. Steel liners with D-2 steel blade and pocket clip. Usually $95 but Smoky Mountain Knife has em on sale for $75. 3.7 inch blade. Seems well built to me.

 

[BB57]

You might want to do a google search on that and get more than just the knee jerk reaction.

Recoil for one did an interview with them about it. They saw it as supporting the local PD, but due to the snowflake'esque customer reaction they now have a policy that excludes cutting up firearms for the PD.

They also explain they are a knife company and have made political contributions to promote knife rights and have been successful in doing so when it comes to things like automatic and spring assisted knives.

But feel free to dump on them, and then buy a Chinese knife and or buy from a company that doesn't support local US designers. It wouldn't be smart, but there's a lot of that going around in the drive by meme culture we've devolved to.

 

[kozmic]

If you ship Benchmade an automatic knife from out of state for any sort of repair work , will Benchmade perform the repairs and ship the knife back to you?

If you notice, I live in the People's Republic of NY. That question and concept are wwwaaaaayyy beyond anything I can answer or even relate to. Sorry. I'm sure that info is just a phone call away.

 

[Hair Trigger]

Yeah some Sogs are made in Taiwan. You might look into the Sog Trident AT line for a decent EDC. Just bought the Trident spring assist which is an improved version of the old model. Steel liners with D-2 steel blade and pocket clip. Usually $95 but Smoky Mountain Knife has em on sale for $75. 3.7 inch blade. Seems well built to me.

I've got a Trident and a Flash II. The Trident is my everyday knife, it gets stuck in the ground to cut roots, dig out rocks; I cut wire with it and pry on stuff. It takes the abuse without any problem, I just resharpen it weekly. The Flash is sort of my "dress" pocketknife, it only opens boxes and such, and looks a lot better than the Trident now.

I took Superglue and glued the blade lock on both SOG knives, the one that locks it shut. If I ever need one quickly I don't want to have to fumble with it if the lock somehow got engaged. I carry one or the other all the time, have never had one open in my pocket, so I felt the lock was some sort of nanny-safety. They both open very easily as assisted open knives, just a flick of the thumb.

 

[BigBoku]

If you ship Benchmade an automatic knife from out of state for any sort of repair work , will Benchmade perform the repairs and ship the knife back to you?

Yes, I have done it several times over the years for sharpening, here is the info from Benchmade.

In the case that you have an automatic knife and live outside the state of Oregon you will have to send the appropriate documentation along with your knife, or contact an Authorized Dealer in your area to send or receive your knife on your behalf. Please see our Warranty page for additional information and instructions.

 

[Flattop5]

Yes, I have done it several times over the years for sharpening, here is the info from Benchmade.

In the case that you have an automatic knife and live outside the state of Oregon you will have to send the appropriate documentation along with your knife, or contact an Authorized Dealer in your area to send or receive your knife on your behalf. Please see our Warranty page for additional information and instructions.

It is my understanding that the 1950s federal switchblade law only applies to interstate commerce. Is that interstate commerce? I don't think it is. If no money is exchanged, and no sale occurred, then I don't think it is.

Also, apparently the federal law was written against the seller, not the buyer. The buyer is safe. The seller, not. He's the "actor." If I bought the knife from Sam Smith in 1998, I'm home free. Sam Smith would be in trouble, though. He sold it to me. Bad Sam.



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[BigBoku]

I am not a lawyer but I do agree it's not commerce as defined above.

I have also purchased autos direct from Benchmade as they offer a very generous Military/First Responder discount that when I registered for I electronically signed the "Automatic Opening Knife Agreement". Whenever I sent an auto back in for sharpening the agreement was and still is under my account as active so it was a simple process.

In addition to the Federal Statutes I believe the manufacturers other major concern with autos is if the individual can legally posses the item being shipped back to them in the individual state they live in. Here is the agreement from Benchmade.

Automatic Knife Opening Acknowledgement Form

IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL STATUTES, Benchmade Knife Company requests that you read carefully the requirements set forth below, and sign this acknowledgement form prior to your purchase or receipt of any automatic opening knife from our company.

By placing an order or receiving a Product Service (Lifesharp Service, Lasermark Service, warranty or repair) from us for any automatic opening knife product, you agree that you meet any or all of the following criteria established by Federal law:

Federal law prohibits shipment of automatic knives across state lines, with the following exceptions:

To civilian or Armed Forces supply or procurement officers and employees of the Federal Government ordering, procuring, or purchasing such knives in connection with the activities of the Federal Government;
An active Armed Forces member or employee acting in the performance of his or her duty;
To supply or procurement officers of the National Guard, the Air National Guard, or militia of a State, Territory or the District of Columbia ordering, procuring, or purchasing such knives in the connection with the activities of such organization;
To supply or procurement officers or employees of the municipal government of the District of Columbia or the government of an State or Territory, or any county, city or other political subdivision of a State or Territory;
To manufacturers of such knives or bona fide dealers therein in connection with any shipment made pursuant of an order from any person designated in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Benchmade Knife Company will not sell automatic opening knives to any customer unless such sale or receipt of Product Service return is made in compliance with one or more of the above conditions.
(Benchmade Customer/Owner) recognizes and acknowledges that it is our responsibility as the owner, buyer to ascertain and obey all applicable laws (local, state, federal and international) in regard to the possession or purchase of any item from Benchmade Knife Company. We hereby represent and certify that our purchase or ownership of automatic opening knives from Benchmade Knife Company meets one or more of the criteria set forth above and agree to use these knives in connection of duties as described above in sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Benchmade Knife Company will not sell or ship any automatic opening knives to any customer unless such sale or receipt of Product Service return is made in compliance with our Automatic Knife Opening Acknowledgement form. Please read the form, type your full name and then check the box stating you have read and agreed to the terms.

Full Name

Agreement
I have read and accept the above AKOA Agreement

 

[BB57]

It is my understanding that the 1950s federal switchblade law only applies to interstate commerce. Is that interstate commerce? I don't think it is. If no money is exchanged, and no sale occurred, then I don't think it is.

Also, apparently the federal law was written against the seller, not the buyer. The buyer is safe. The seller, not. He's the "actor." If I bought the knife from Sam Smith in 1998, I'm home free. Sam Smith would be in trouble, though. He sold it to me. Bad Sam.

Over the last couple decades the FBI has vastly exceeded the scope and intent of federal laws like this that were intentionally written with a very conservative eye toward states rights, and intentionally limited to apply only to interstate commerce.

Get Muss Muggins in here and he'll explain how the FBI doesn't build a case to prove a crime but rather *creates* a case to make a crime where one did not exist in the first place by creating an "interstate nexus".

Back in 1977-78 a case was successfully prosecuted in VA where a convicted felon was arrested for possession of a firearm. The court held that the intent of the federal statute was intended to be broad and thus the fact that the firearm had been transported in interstate commerce at some remote time was sufficient to include the necessary element of interstate commerce into the crime.

Unfortunately it's been allowed to creep from there. Fast forward a couple decades and states like Montana allowed firearms to be made and used solely in the state of Montana even if they would violate federal statutes such as the NFA of 1934 if they were taken beyond the state's borders. (The NFA of 1934 has itself been stretched and applied well beyond its original intent. For example look at the NPR issued last year by the ATF using the NFA of 1934 as a basis to require registration or destruction of braced pistols, despite the fact NFA was never intended to apply to firearms in common use (by ATFs own estimate there are more than 3 million of them out there) or to firearms not used by gangs (ATF showed their presence at 2 mass shootings since 2013 (out of 2506 at the time, but didn't show any use, let alone significant use, by gangs).

What the FBI did in states like MT was stretch the definition of interstate nexus by reasoning (and I use that term loosely) that since the steel used in constructing the weapon had been in interstate commerce or failing that, that since the tools or even software someone used somewhere in the process was made or written out of state, that the firearm itself was involved in interstate commerce, thus giving the FBI grounds and jurisdiction for an arrest.

The problem of course is that this makes the interstate commerce clause totally meaningless as everything is involved in interstate commerce at some remote point in time.

The FBI will clearly see mailing a knife back to Benchmade as interstate commerce even if no funds exchange hands. They'll claim since the knife was made in Oregon and sold to someone in another state by known or even unknown means at some remote time in the distance past, it gives them jurisdiction and makes it an offense due to an interstate nexus and interstate commerce.