BENCHMADE... IS THIS A JOKE?!! 

I was a little worked up. Clip is NOT titanium btw. 😂 Benchmade Parody Video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xqFcC_oEsX.html The views expressed in this video are opinion and not necessarily fact. This video is for entertainment purposes. *KNIFE COUPONS / Affiliate LINKS* ⏬ WE / CIVIVI / SENCUT Promo Code "SHARPAF" www.civivi.com/discount/sharpaf www.weknife.com/discount/sharpaf sencut.com/discount/sharpaf 10% OFF OLIGHT "SHARPAF" www.olightstore.com/s/K9LX0B 30% OFF BATTLBOX Limited Time rwrd.io/vre4qpm?c ON SALE at BLADE OPS bladeops.com/sale-1/?aff=39 SMKW Promotions www.pjatr.com/t/8-12270-295855-191104 VOSTEED Knives shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1973137&u=3354564&m=122540&urllink=&afftrack= My Amazon Store with recommended products www.amazon.com/shop/sharp_af_youtube Jack Wolf Knives www.jackwolfknives.com/ ARTISAN Cutlery shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2193260&u=3354564&m=133489&urllink=&afftrack= BERETTA USA www.pjatr.com/t/8-11218-295855-147027 BLADE SHOW 2023 Playlist ru-vid.com/group/PL3FuPZ37TSTB8T8Uq8g6GWRPnSqnQzShf Purchasing through these links helps support my small channel. Thanks! ✌ 🔪 @SHARP_AF Email: contact.sharpaf@gmail.com instagram.com/sharp_af_youtube/ www.tiktok.com/@sharp_af_youtube ru-vid.com

More people need to speak out about this. I've been saying this for a while regarding Benchmade, but the companies need to see influencers talking about this shit.

I am mystified as to what Benchmade is thinking by charging so much for that knife.

Imagine if someone at Bladeshow wouldve asked BM on camera WHY its $522 ask their salesman to justify that price Imagine the stuttering

Just got a Hogue Ritter in 20CV for 140, still a little steep in my book but it’s in my opinion the perfect nexus of materials, build and price.

This thing is some real “no, we have Sebenza at home” energy.

You are so spot on about the “made in China” thing with knife buyers. I really don’t get the whole inflated pricing either. Hope you had a blast at Blade Show !

Absolutely correct! You can buy good quality Magnacut knives for less money than this, a number of which were shown at the Blade Show this weekend that will be out later this year. And how about the Full Immunity at $270. It's cool looking but no way am I going to buy one at that price. A final thing that is really chapping my hide is the factory edges that come from Benchmade. I have 2 940s, a Mini Bugout and a Boost. All great designs, all with coarse and uneven edges that have to be worked on right away. I've been given two Elementums, and purchased two CJRBs and a Spyderco Tenacious; all of which have better edges than Benchmade. Same with a couple of Enduras, one from the 90s. I could go on. I'm not buying anymore Benchmade's until they get their act together.

This is a $350 knife at best, and that's with the US made tax. When they announced the price back in Bladeshow '22, I thought it must be magnacut and some exotic material like magnesium scales (MKM of all manufacturers, announced a Mg scaled knife this year). Nope..just m390 and skinny.

Best thing they have atm is the new oft..but way too expensive

I was sceptical in the beginning but I totally agree with your thoughts. That’s an absurd of a price.

I have been carrying the Benchmade Narrows since July of 2023. I do a lot of backpacking, hiking, and camping. This knife has been in my pocket on every adventure and it has not let me down. I also carry it with me every day. I'm fortunate to have a lot of really fine everyday-carry knives to choose from. This is far and away the most useful blade I've ever owned and it carries like a feather. I just took it apart, cleaned it, and stropped it, in anticipation of doing some winter camping in the Catskills next week.I'm not saying your analysis is wrong, but for me this knife is absolutely perfect!

in this economy I’d much rather spend that money on a hotdog, soda and a t-shirt.

Good on you for having the balls to speak up and say what EVERYONE in the knife industry is thinking,sure as the big boy and girl knife channels on RU-vid won’t say anything 😡

You have hit the nail right on the head with this one. The materials, the machining, the R&D and even the made in America tax, none of it justifies this price point. And this goes throughout their lineup like the base bugout compared to magnacut deca from Hogue or numerous offerings from Spyderco. The butterfly surely is stinging like a bee

I love how aggressive you are with this. Lot of posh benchmade nerds will whine at this if they watch. I love some benchmade knives like the Griptilian and Bailout. Bugout is okay too. But hogue is a better option especially when you see prices like this. Love your spot on honesty.

Weight 2.41 oz Thickness .28” Blade length 3.43 Is there another knife out there with similar specs made out of materials that will hold up to some abuse like this knife should ?

Absolutely correct my friend. I live abroad, Cyprus, and im in the knife world. To get a benchmade or any known make of a knife here, we pay a lot on top of what your saying due to import taxes. I have none benchmades because even a first model bugout, with shipping & taxes costs over $200...!!! Benchmades are the most expensive here. Yes , i belive in supporting your country, we all do. But at the same time , your country must support you. And by making their products, any products, more expensive for no reason, i dont see why we should just follow their marketing like sheep. Let alone that many import products, do have quality and much better pricing. I hope what i wrote makes sence. I do agree with all you said. Have a good one.👍

Thanks for speaking out about more than just the price. Benchmade leads the pack in salesmanship. If you believe that the " Narrows " is worth $ 525.00, you'll believe anything. If you don't have the cash to buy it now, you can put on layaway. What's next ?

Have never had a Benchmade (I know their Griptillian and Osbourne are supposed to be good)... I've always thought their pricing was ridiculous (looking at you too Immunity). I'll stick with my Spyderco Smock lol. IF I had 522 to spend on a knife tho, I would probably get a full textured Ti Demko AD20.5 sharkfoot and still have about 150 left over for something else (maybe Mocuti or some other fancy accessories... stand offs, backspacer, clip). Anyway, will never give Benchmade a dime. I may be the only one, but I'm gonna treat them like Bud Light and Target lol.

It's the same concept of buy a Kimber 1911. They make great firearms, but their subtle upgrades cost an arm and leg when you can get a SIG or Springfield for the same price with all upgrades. Night sights? Sure, that'll be $200 extra. Stippling? Extra $250. No need to charge THIS much for materials -- and M390 is not US produced. 204P is, sure. Not this. I don't get it. I'm glad you're saying something about this BS. Support Chris Reeve - Hogue. Not this shit.

I agree. Glad to see someone saying this out loud. Also was flabbergasted that it won knife if the year. I just don't get it.

I really respect your opinion, but I have to disagree with you. My background is in industrial design. I work in the automotive industry as a American car designer and the amount of work that has to be done with design and R&D is tremendous. There’s enormous amount of investment and time that it takes to have a successful launch of a product whether it’s a knife or a car…Especially when you try to source all the components and raw materials right here in the US of A. Benchmade is a great American company that really takes care of their employees and makes it a place to where they want to work. The employees get to support their families and make a decent wage. I personally think that’s a good thing. With that being said, It takes a lot of work to make a great quality product like the Benchmade Narrows 748. That’s just my opinion of course. I wish benchmade and everyone all the best. 😊

Benchmade has lost their minds. For that money i would buy the full size and mini Ritter Hogue and still have enough left over to buy a small esee fixed blade. It was great meeting you man.

Thank you. More people need to be critical. Way too many glowing reviews of EVERYTHING

for $522 I would buy a bunch of Benchmade narrows boxes, put dog terds in them, and send them to Benchmade daily. Maybe they will get the hint then.

Does anyone actually know what it cost them to produce the knife? Maybe the cost of materials have gone up, maybe labor cost from the previous knife to this knife have increased, maybe taxes have gone up on material, maybe take in account that employees taxes have increased as all employees are US based, maybe employee benefits health insurance has increased, maybe Workmans comp has increased, maybe the property tax for the factory increased, maybe they had to purchase new machines to stay in business for the next year which have gone up, maybe the scraps rate for thin parts are more, maybe sales have slowed down this year and have ton of overhead and would like to keep Americans employeed. Do factories in China have these expenses? Does anyone genuinely feel they intentionally increased cost to alienate their customers and rip them off as if they are out smarting us?

Benchmade is a rip off. I recently paid $329 for an American Blade Works Model 2 in titanium and Magnacut at hrc 63-64. That's a one-man operation in North Carolina with nowhere close to the volume/efficiency that Benchmade can bring to bear. I also have an American-made Three Rivers Manufacturing Atom with beautifully milled titanium scales and 20cv blade. The TRM is $385-405, and again, they don't have Benchmade's ability to reduce costs through volume/efficiency. This new Benchmade should cost around $350.

I was even more upset about benchmade not having any stickers at their booth! Everyone had stickers. EVERYONE! Seriously, I'm frkn livid!

Thank you for saying it out loud!! I said goodbye to Benchmade after I foolishly paid almost $300 for the CF Bugout. Serious buyer's remorse on that one.

benchmade really needs to undisclose and sell what the R&D was for the Narrows.

$522 for the Narrows is so ridiculous! Even $322 would be too much. I recently purchased a Hogue Doug Ritter Mini RSK MK1-G2 with Stonewashed MagnaCut and Solid Textured Carbon Fiber for $200. It’s made in the US with US parts and it has a better “Axis” lock called ABLE with no blade play and well centered.

Petrified Fish Beluga PFP01 K110 steel blade - $48 + Petrified fish PF838C D2 steel blade - $35 + Firebird FH41 G10 D2 steel blade - $30 + SOG Terminus XR G10 D2 steel blade - $65 + TwoSun TS129 carbon&titanium M390 steel blade - $135 = total $313 and you still have a change. Unbelievable. P.S. Local prices. European country.

You can pour perfume over a dog turd, but eventually the stink will break through.

No, none of the knives that I own were made in China, because before I purchase any knife I determine where it was made. I would buy a Seki City or Taiwanese, but NEVER a Chinese knife. Maybe you need to look before you buy. Don’t project onto the rest of us.

Yeahhhhh…. That’s way to much. I have a couple of Benchmade knives, and here in Europe they are much more expensive than in the US. Paid about 250 euros for a standard 940 2 years ago. So this thing wil cost at least 700 euros when it wil be available here. Never. Not even when their QC was allright, which is really not the case.

I'm watching your video saying "Yes!" "Yes!" "Preach it, Brother!" "WAAAY too much money!" as I'm flicking my new snickety Benchmade dog turd. Guilty as charged, Your Honor.

Yeah.. I handled this knife at Blade Show, you hit the nail on the head with the pricing. Seems like Made in USA = 3x the cost and poor quality. That said Spyderco and Benchmade take the 1 and 2 position in my collection. (# of knives by brand)

For that amount of money I could get my septic tank pumped($280), get my lawnmower fixed($160), buy the black wharny pyrite($50), and take my wife out for lunch or dinner($30). Now that my wife's not reading...I would buy the black and green winterbladeco factor.

If I had $522 to spend exclusively on knives. I’d buy 1) WE Banter purple handle CPM 20CV $128 2)Spyderco PM3 neon green G10 20CV DLT exclusive $159 3) would be patient and find either a benchmade bug-out milled AL m390 . Or BM super freak m4 . Can find them used or blemished for $200 flat

( IMO)For that much money, it has to be a legit iconic knife that has been proven and stood the test of time. In addition it has to have an epic steel with a optimal heat treat. Also id like to know who designed it not just who manufactured it.. Names like Reeve, Harsey Hinderer, and Strider come to mind.

My second Spyderco was a Military model I bought back in about 99 or 2000. It's the only one I had made in the US. Back then I paid about $120 for it. Now they want over $260 for them. I do think they are kinda proud over there at Spyderco

Don't be narrow minded this is the Benchmade: GREED CLASS knives. It's the new trend of the world and just blame inflation. They are a popular company for knives and unfortunately I believe this is setting the NEW STANDARD for knife pricing. I can tell you if these prices keep going this way I'll be dropping the knife collection hobby. I mean are these hand made? What is justifying half a grand for a production knife? I can only see one thing that is justifying these prices, THEIR POCKETS 💰 🤑

Thabkyou for being one of the few people to give THE MOST REAL REVIEW other than honest outlaw " unless I had a dog turd fetish" Your awsome

If I had $522 to blow I would probably buy a Spartan harsey folder and use the leftover funds to get it reground. I know not really that much better. I might also get a bark river bravo 1.25 LT and white river exodus 3 or one off custom from Walter Wells which I've been itchin for.

Ahh..yes. The old half the knife, twice the price gimmick. I think that's what you call getting hoodwinked. Fandangoed even.

Not $500 of my money. No sir. I am not currently the owner of any of BM's products, and don't plan to be..... B

I would buy a Chris Reeves!

Benchmade jacked their prices up just to be more expensive than the Chinese high end knives. It's not right for China to charge $300 and $400 for ANY knife but for Benchmade to tack on $300 to the manufacturing cost is just OBSCENE! No more, Benchmade.

I just support GOOD knife companies no matter where they are from . I don't get that mindset of "I only buy USA made" ....

I recently purchased a beautiful Rob Wayman custom knife with 100 layer Damascus blade, completely hand made in the USA, from the blade to the sheath, and paid $450. Absolutely NO WAY would I pay $500+ for this knife. I like to support American companies as much as the next guy, but Benchmade is getting a little ridiculous with their pricing. I can get a WE with the same materials (20CV, which is basically the same as M390 AND made in the USA by Crucible), and better QC, for half the price. I agree with Odd Savage's comment that more people need to speak out about this. Benchmade needs to get off their high horse and start showing their customers a little more respect. ✌

I can go get a miguron/am8 knives, get s90v, micro milling done on the titanium handles, titanium backspacers and clip, with better build quality, access to the lock bat with a chamfer for between 150-200, ill take that over what benchmade is charging and doing these days

I’d get the Spyderco Sage 5, a Hogue Deka and put the rest toward the kickstarter for the Lander 2. This is exactly why I find it very hard to buy Benchmade knives. I fully appreciate the beauty and work that goes into them, but I just can’t justify it. My current rotating EDC knives are a CRKT Squirt, CRKT Pilar 3, Spyderco Salt 2, Ontario Rat 2 and Medium Honey Badger with wharncleaver blade shape.

Purchase 5-6 nice knives for all of my Sisters Groomsmen. It’s still being planned. I wish I had more money for the groomsmen at my wedding to do something more than a neat pen that’s engraved.

Easy choice for me to decide what to do with $522. I live about an hour away from Golden so I would run down to the Spyderco factory and pick out something that catches my eye. Probably a Para 3. with my remaining $300 I would buy a burrito and a beer with $275 left in my pocket, a full belly, and an American made pocketknife that will do everything better than the Narrows except for be lightweight. A pocketknife that thin might feel like nothing in your pocket but for me has no other benefits as something that light and thin feels bad in the hand.

I bailed on them years ago after spending an excessive amount on a mini barrage with qc issues that they did not fix. They just sent it back with the same 4 factory stripped screws and a note that they sharpened it. They were great when you didn’t have choices like you do now.

I work in the industry and as resellers we ARE Benchmade's QC. It's unacceptable for what you get. Offcentered blades, shit action. Companies like this need to stop riding on the coat-tails of their names.

I was at the knife store and picked up a Benchmade Bugout about a year ago. That was all I need to make my decision. Just because something is thinner and tinier than everything else doesn't make it better. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and have a massive collection of some pretty cool knives. I just bought my first Benchmade a month ago. It was the Benchmade Freek. Now, that is an outstanding knife. Over the years, I have always taken a minute to check out the Benchmade section at the end of the glass counter in all the knife shops out there. As you walked down along the counter, the prices went up and up and then, you got to the Benchmade section. I know quality when I see it and, yes, the Benchmades have always been known for quality materials and functionality. But I never bought them because they were essentially just about the same knives as the ones the next glass down, but twice as much. You think Benchmades are more expensive now? You should have seen them back in the 90's....3" bladed pocket knives for $450.00. It was ridiculous. But you could see that they were leaps and bounds ahead of other knife makers in the quality of their construction. That has changed quite a bit. We are in a completely different age of knife making that has been accelerated by the massive proliferation of online sales and exposure, which has given many other knife makers an ability to be seen that they never had back in the 80's and 90's. You are absolutely right, you can find far better knives out there, knives that don't feel like the wind could blow them out of your hand....like the Bugout, or that they might slip through your fingers when you're handling them. I don't see anything special about this knife. No doubt, it is a quality build in terms of material, but I have no interest in paper thin knives or knives that are so light you barely feel them in your hand. I like to feel like the knife is doing the work, not my hand. I feel the work through the knife, with my hand, but the knife should feel like it has enough stoutness to carry some force behind it. The I have two Benchmade knives, the Auto Presidio II and the Super Freek. And, as much as I have trashed Benchmade, mostly for their pricing, over the years, I have to admit that these two knives are in my top 10 among folders, probably even higher. They are outstanding. The Freek has an M4 blade and it's edge holding is out of this world. The Black, textured aluminum handle on the Automatic Presidio II is one of the best handles of any folder I own and I would dare say it is near perfect, with a locking switch mechanism that is rock solid. So, if I were to spend $525.00 on knives....NO, I would NOT buy this ridiculous knife designed for the purist whiners terrified of a few ounces of metal. I would gladly buy another Presidio II and Super Freek, or probably buy the new Spyderco Autonomy 2 and new Spyderco Military 2 with the fully serrated, blacked-out S30V blade. Those two new Spydercos would run me a total of $522.00. I'd call that one hell of a trade. Knowing my knives and purposes well, these two knives from Spyderco are 4x the value of this Benchmade 748 feather, in terms of actual usefulness to me. When you look at the blade design of this Benchmade 748, I can say with a fair amount of certainty I've already got that knife's purpose covered by several other knives in my collection.

Great knives, great warranty, but I feel like they are getting way out of hand , price wise, with a lot of their catalogue.

I saw a video where they took it from a briefcase sized Pelican case… I doubt that the knife and the handcuff I’d need to tether the case to me would fit in my pocket because I’m not carrying a $522 knife without protecting it…. Wouldn’t use it either, which makes it worth $0 🤷🏻‍♂️

Looks like a standard WE knife for the price of a used Hinderer. I bought a Bugout last year and it made me really dislike Benchmade as a company. I had to spend more money to get ti scales for the Bugout or I was going to immediately get rid of it. I very much hate the feel of their "grivory". It's the tactile equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. They make good knives, but the prices are insane. They want to charge custom prices for mass produced, standard knives. Replace the Benchmade logo with Kizer, Civivi, QSP, or any of a dozen other companies and they'd be half the price and better quality. For $522 I'd get: Sencut Ferrum Forge Kyril: $42 CJRB Pyrite in the new blade shape: $50 Kaviso x QSP Penguin mini: $89 Kizer Drop bear in 20CV: $140 Demko Freereign in Magnacut: $200 or I'd post in all the knife forums that I had $522 and looking for a Hinderer with a harpoon spanto. Either way, is a better way to spend money than giving it to Benchmade.

It annoys me when people complain about the price of most pocket knives, but when it comes to benchmade, its totally justifiable.

No disrespect but why are other companies allowed to charge this money for these materials and Benchmade can't. I don't like thin knives like this, but your rant on this knife is the exact same rants that have been had about CRK for years. Just saying Nothing new here

I love my Benchmade's but I agree 100%....That price IS in the Gold Class as far as the price goes. What surprises me is they're still selling out! It takes a village to get the village idiot to fall into line....Benchmade being the idiot in this case.

1) Tactile Bexar $200 (Merica) 2) JE Made Combustion Green Milled $245 (China) 3) Real Steel Stella $80 (China) Total $525. And honestly, I would gladly turn down the Narrows for just one Tactile OR JE Made...

Okay… I was already subbed BUT this video just made me hit the bell 🔔 You hit the nail on the head bro. Benchmade has lost their whole mind. It’s like marrying a hot woman that made you fall in love with her then when you say I do, she won’t even share the same bed unless you give her half your paycheck. I LOVE Benchmade but I can’t even afford this knife that should be closer to $200. I’m about this close | | to divorcing Benchmade.. Another thing is, why do they not trust me with an uncoated carbon or tool steel? Benchmade has control issues and is high maintenance. Just. About. Done.

I’d buy: A Carothers DEK 2 A Mora garberg SS A worksharp field sharpener ( if that’s allowed ) And with the remaining money a few clearance sectioned brain cells

I'm not American and my monthly salary is 600 dollars, but I think the price is justified, look, people have been buying CR sebanza for years... producing a sebanza is 3 times less demanding. People are buying the Bencmade bugout like crazy, a small cheap flimsy knife that doesn't even cost $30 to produce. When we take all that into account, I think that the price is justified, whoever has the money and likes it should get this knife!! The price is not formed just by taking the value of the materials and the labor used in production, if everything were looked at like that, there would be no art or artists at all, and this is a small work of art

I cant afford this knife because most of my disposable income already goes to buying replacement omega springs for my other Benchmades. Someday though.....😅

I 100% agree that the Narrows is ridiculously overpriced. I did what I often do when I saw a new Benchmade, "Aww cool!!!(sees price) Well FUCK THAT!!!". I honestly don't see how they can get off charging so much. If it was a custom I'd might be willing to understand but for a production knife it's a ridiculous price.

That is the reason I won't buy Benchmade anymore. You're paying for a brand and not 500 bucks worth of material and craftsmanship. And for the amount I paid for the bugout, it feels more cheaply made than my 50 dollar budget knives.

People are gonna buy this and the immunity. The price hikes will continue unfortunately.

If I'm spending that kind of money, I'm getting a Les George VECP or a Freeman 451, or something along those lines. And those are still ~$75-$100 less.

As someone who makes these knives for a living I completely agree. Imma be honest with you I didn't even know we were charging that much for the narrows. Just like when I found out we're charging 400 for a bayonet.

in theory you could get a Chris Reeves or a Rick Hinderer knife for $500 (they go fast). When compared that way there is no contest. I would take a CRK Sebenze every time.

I wanted to get this for my dad. I know he'd love it for Father's Day, but I'm with you on the price. Instead I went with a Chapman Lake CLK-1D. American made, individually numbered and made to order. At $400 I feel like I'm getting my monies worth and I'm supporting a small American knife maker.

There are so many other aspects of a knife beyond just the materials involved that contribute to the price. For example, Chris Reeve Knives is justifiably in the same price point, and using materials that probably cost about the same. What I suspect benchmade is thinking here is that they’re providing much more than just a titanium and m390 knife, since the locking mechanism, and the thinness/skeletonization of the scales is potentially on par with very high end manufacturers like CRK. I think the disconnect is that most people do not put benchmade on the same tier of manufacturing since a lot of their other knives seem to be consistently overpriced. It doesn’t help that they seem to cheap out when it comes to the thumb studs and pocket clip. If I were benchmade, I would create a separate line, let’s call it benchmade made plus, and explicitly advertise how the processes in this line are on par with some of the high end US production makers. One additional sidenote, I suspect much of benchmade’s business comes through government contracts and the military where they give a substantial discount. So if that is the target market of this knife, then the discounted rate is the true price and the high sticker price is never meant to attract demand.

I’ve carried one every day for 6 months now and I’ll be completely honest. If I could design a knife from scratch and get it custom made, it would look EXACTLY like the Benchmade Narrows. I wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing I would add would be to make it automatic, but I wouldn’t really even do that because that’s not legal where I live. This knife is exactly what I have spent my whole life looking for. Was that worth $500? Yes. It cost twice as much as what I would have normally paid for a knife up to this point. However, it has saved me hours of modification and customizing that I might normally have done to make a stock knife thinner or lighter. It’s funny to me that people on here will happily buy a $200 knife and then pay someone $1000 to do custom engraving work, or drop $150 on custom scales or hardware, yet those same people get all bent out of shape if a knife comes out of the box exactly the way they would have wished and they don’t have to touch a thing.

I agree. I'd buy probably several spyderco knives or some combo of spyderco/civivi knives with the money.

So spot on, for me , Benchmade was the USA brand that did it right alongside Spyderco and Houge, nowadays, I don't even understand their releases. I'll just support local and US based retailers instead of Benchmade. If paying for quality is the goal, I don't mind, I've spent thousands on knife collection, but for me a USA made "EDC" knife cannot be a safe queen. FOR ~$500 I'd rather buy food or essentials for others than to consider it a reasonable price for a useful tool built well for a hobby.

First vid of yours I watched and I love it. I've been trying to say the same things you said in this video for a long time. If I had $500 I'd buy 4 TwoSuns lol. They're the best bang for your buck in the knife community, imo. I don't hate US companies, I just don't blindly buy US only because the quality and price of other knives are just too good. There are twosun knives with M390 and titanium that are under $150. For reference, the ts223 ($159 but cheaper if u look around), ts308 ($145), ts303 ($179), ts138 ($145), and the ts162 ($168) are all m390 knives with titanium. And all can be found for cheaper if u look on sites other than Amazon. And there are soooo many more. They also just came out with a new super steel.

I could buy a few spyderco's, some Kansept, maybe even some WE or Civivi knives. Or I could get some knives from HEA or some other small maker that is doing interesting stuff. 522 is absurd for that.

I must admit, I am bored with all the Chinese knives... they all do blend into one after a while. That being said, Benchmade have lost their way. All their classic old stuff (710, 908, etc) is way better than any of their new designs

I could not agree with you more. I’ve said that since I first saw this knife. I actually asked one of their reps at Blade Show how they could justify such a high price for this knife. His response blew me away- he said $522 is a great discount, it’s actually priced at $580. What an attitude! They are definitely loosing touch with their customers.

I ONLY buy knives made in the USA. I only EDC one knife from Spyerco. I don't collect knives. I invest over $400 total on each knife: scales, cage, deep carry clip.

If someone gave me $500 and said go buy '100% US made knives' only. I would go buy 2 high quality TKell Knives made by a USMC vet 100% US sourced materials and still have enough money left to go buy dinner.

I would purchase a Sandrin for that kind of money. On the high end, with their Monza Ti, comes in at $460. That's with titanium scales and a TUNGSTEN blade; 71 hrc and somewhat flexible with similar specs. Maybe even one of their slipjoints at $300. I dont like giving money to China either, but some companies are rather innovative with their offerings (looking at We/Civivi/Sencut).

I absolutely LOVE ur vid ! I saw that knife on another channel I was intrigued by that knife as soon as he said $500 + I stopped watching Benchmade is insane and I have a lot of Benchmade knives I don't mind spending extra $ on USA knives But that insane I'm a little disappointed in another company a very famous high end co. That charges $500+ for a new line up made in China Not getting my $ I don't give a $hit how good ur quality control is Thanx again for the vid Too bad u had to make it I admire ur honesty

It seems to be the unfortunate trend for everything now. $15 for a red robin chicken sandwich and $16 for a BLT at a local sports bar? I've been wanting to step up into the more premium knives but most are just out of my league, price wise.

For just about the price of that(within $30) you could get a Shirogorov Neon NL. 😮😎👍

I had a Benchmade knife, it was ok, but the price was just ridiculous so I sold it, bought a Buck 112 pro TRX and I have everything I asked for for a 1/3 of a price. Until Benchmade cut their prices in half I won't buy another one.

If Benchmade came out with a statement saying - ESG scoring is bullshit and we are raising our prices to offset a lack of investment from firms like Blackrock and Vanguard, because we are not bothering with this communist rubbish ESG garbage.... I'd get that, I'd respect that, I'd financially support that. As it stands, especially since BM seems silent on their pricing structure, I'd take that money and buy a couple of dealer exclusive or sprint run Spydercos, or maybe a Bestech or We knife in damasteel and MokuTi. The only thing BM is missing to make themselves more toxic to me is an ad in a knife magazine with a bearded man in a dress and lipstick taking a rainbow dump on the american flag infront of a group of kindergarteners.

I think that knife should be 250 max

Why Benchmade? By any measure, it’s not worth it.

for 522 bucks i would get myself either a chris reeve sebenza or a spyderco para 3 in maxamet with a houge deka in magnacut.

This past week I literally spent nearly exactly the price you mention - $525 - which got me one of only 50 Sharp By Design Apex Special Editions with polished Damasteel blade & mokuti inlays. Seller had Skiffs already installed & included an extra set of $30 hardware. The knife was originally $750, so I feel I got a really good deal. I instantly sanded the pocket clip just like with my other Apex, which immediately makes the ergos at least ten times more comfortable (an absolute must for me on this model). So yeah, I feel like I got a LOT of knife for my $525, & even though it was manufactured in China, Reate is one of the best (if not THE best) production knife manufacturers on Earth. And on top of that, the designer Brian Nadeau is from the United States. It's sad for me to see Benchmade headed where they're going with pricing. I started "seriously" collecting knives a hair over three years ago, & even in that time some of their models have increased in price by as much as $50 (looking at you, Super Freek). I had actually sold all my Benchmades many months ago until just today, when I jumped on BassPro.com to grab an exclusive orange-bladed Bugout because I freaking love orange & I miss the last one I sold. And mostly because I had $125 in gift cards for BassPro/Cabela's. I've owned many Benchmades, & although I still love many of their models (particularly the 940, Bugout, Anthem, Mini Monolock, Sequel, & Phaeton among many others), I cannot justify buying their knives new anymore because of how high the pricecs have gotten. I only did so today because of the gift cards, that's the only exception. I get that there's inflation going on & such, but no other knife company seems to be hiking quite like Benchmade has. That orange Bugout I mentioned was $154 about 9 months ago, & now costs $172. About six months ago I bought a "Scorpion" Magnacut Hogue Deka with gold flake carbon fiber scales for $160 while the standard blue S30V Bugout price was $162. What the actual frick, Benchmade?? Anyway thanks for the video. I'm a huge fan of the Mini Monolock & Anthem (though like an idiot I sold them both...but shh don't tell anyone but I have a Ti integral Kanedeiia "Kanthem" which is identical even in side-by-side comparison & actually better than the original), so I was eager to see what a new titanium knife from them would look like. Now I know.

Thanks for calling them out. Same thing they are doing with the full immunity… insane prices.

Why did you buy it then.

Appreciate the honest assessment and fun hypothetical question. I’d never buy this knife. But since it’s a fun question and free pretend money, I’m going with this: I would buy as many gas station knives as I could with the $522. Then I would go buy a Benchmade Narrows with my own money. I would set up a card table somewhere with a lot of foot traffic, put all the knives out and ask people passing by if they could pick out the best and most expensive knife on the table. I would create a video of that, post on RU-vid and have a lot of fun. I’d make sure I sent a copy of the video to Benchmade. 😂

I just spent $440 for a shaman and fat carbon fiber mods . I thought it was pricey