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Benchmade Knives

Founded in 1988 by Les de Asis in Oregon City, Oregon, Benchmade is a top producer of knives made in the United States. KnifeArt.com has formed a relationship over the years with Benchmade, watching them grow from a small company into a knife manufacturer that produces some of the most talked about products. This allows us to work with several custom knife makers that design Benchmade knives, like the popular Benchmade 140, Benchmade 710 and Benchmade 530.

Benchmade works with various designers in order to create the best knives in the business. Custom designs lead to innovative and functional products for customers, meaning Benchmade gets the inside industry information on modern materials, the newest locking mechanisms and customized finishing techniques. Knife designers Ken Steigerwalt, Shane Sibert, Warren Osborne and Mel Pardue lead the way in the industry.

KnifeArt.com is an authorized dealer and offers a wide selection of Benchmade Knives for sale.

Benchmade Knives Product Guide & Reviews

Benchmade Knife company’s humble roots were firmly planted in Southern California in 1988 by founder/owner Les de Asis, with the purpose of manufacturing high quality production knives. In 1990, the company relocated to Clackamas, OR – a suburb of the sprawling Portland metropolis – the site in which Benchmade was able to grow by leaps and bounds into the specialty cutlery powerhouse that they are today. In the mid 1990’s, de Asis and crew were outgrowing their facility due to the increase demand of Benchmade products from knife aficionados the world over. Finally, in 1996, the company made another move into their present day, 35,000 square foot facility in Oregon City, OR. Today, Benchmade’s factory is stocked with the latest in CNC equipment which helps the company to turn out the best factory knife that one will find anywhere.

Benchmade was one of the first few knife manufacturers of tactical knives to offer custom collaboration knives, a start to a trend that still goes strong today and permeates the entire knife industry regardless of knife style and brands. Working early on with noted big names like Jody Samson, Pat Crawford, Phil Boguszewski, and Walter Brend, the company’s knives established themselves as must-have pieces for fans of these makers who might not otherwise are able to afford their custom made knives. It wasn’t until the later 1990’s, when Benchmade collaborated with noted custom tactical knifemaker Ernest Emerson, that the company firmly cemented their reputation as being a tactical knife stronghold in the industry. And in the years to follow, Benchmade not only upheld their reputation as a tactical knife powerhouse but also expanded their presence and expertise in the

But perhaps, most notably, is Benchmade’s innovations known as the Axis Lock. Thumb through the current Benchmade catalog and you will see that most of the folding knives feature this unique lock mechanism. This lock was engineered by Jason Williams and Bill McHenry, who are well known in the art knife world in the late 1990’s. By about 2000, Benchmade’s first Axis Lock folder, simply dubbed the model 710, made it to the market and was very well received. Few years later, the company launched their Griptilian series of working folders, the first Axis Lock folder with a retail of under $100. The Griptilian series still remains very popular today as it was back during its introduction. It definitely has a bang-for-the-buck factor.

There are also other notable Benchmade pieces within their extensive line-up. Take for instance, the model 860 Axis Lock. It’s definitely wicked with it’s dramatically upswept 154CM blade with heavy Persian flair. Equally as impressive is its gracefully ergonomic G-10 handle. This is what Benchmade is about – design flair executed with ultra precise manufacturing quality. Currently, it’s the most impressive Axis Lock design they have in their line. On the contrary, is the 530. It’s a slender profile folder designed by Mel Pardue. Symmetry is a theme in this knife as the blade shape and handle shape lends the 530 to a stylish, dagger like appearance. The Axis Lock is present, and makes the 154CM blade easy to deploy. And thanks to the Noryl GTX molded thermoplastic scales, the knife is very light weight and a pleasure to carry. On the other end of the spectrum, Benchmade makes knives geared for those in the law enforcement or EMT fields. The model 915 Triage is Benchmade’s full featured rescue folder with an N690 blade, Axis Lock, carbide window breaker set into the butt of the handle, and a neat fold-out cutting hook which is useful for cutting through seatbelts to extract vehicle accident victims and also to cut clothes off the severely injured so treatment can immediately begin. And the orange G-10 makes the knife easy to spot in low light conditions such as working an accident scene at night. Make no mistake, the 915 Triage is much more than a knife for it is a professional, life-saving tool. Benchmade’s entire product line encompasses much more than what was discussed here.



Benchmade Bedlam 860	Benchmade MPR 755	Benchmade Barrage 581	Benchmade Subrosa 790




Benchmade Shoki 480	Benchmade 950 Rift Knives	Benchamde Triage 915	Benchmade Osborne 940




Benchmade Osborne 943	Benchmade Presidio 520, 525	Benchmade Griptilian - 550, 551, 555	Benchmade Onslaught 741




Benchmade Torrent 890	Benchmade Gold Class Knives	Benchmade Fixed Blades	Benchmade 710




Benchmade 746	Benchmade Pens	Benchmade 530	Adamas 275




Benchmade Contego 810	Benchmade 300SN	Benchmade Volli	Benchmade Emissary 470




Benchmade Tomahawk	Benchmade Megumi	Benchmade 483 Shori

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