Benchmade Knives – A Brief History and Knife Reviews

Although the Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. set-up shop in Clackamas, Oregon in 1990, they were originally founded in California in 1988.

Their initial line of knives primarily consisted of Bali-Song knives, the building of which employed a combination of outside vendors and inside processing to create finished products. But, like most companies, entering a new business meant big plans but scarce money, second hand equipment, and limited resources. However, a natural born fortitude and an undying passion to make the best knives in the world led to significant growth and, as the Benchmade product line grew, so did their in-house capabilities. Thus, they eventually began to acquire new machines and technologies including the first of several lasers; making Benchmade the first knife manufacturer to have such equipment in-house.

Open minds and positive attitudes would lead to several more industry firsts over the course of the next several years and consequently, this was only the beginning of Benchmade’s breaking of new ground in the manufactured knife market by using non-traditional materials and modern manufacturing methods in not only building knives better but, inevitably, building better knives.

Consequently, their ”Designer Series” was introduced in 1991 with several different custom designs being manufactured. By tapping into the custom knife makers’ knowledge and combining it with their manufacturing expertise, they were more readily able to offer more contemporary knife designs and innovations to knife users than other companies were.

Consecutive years of aggressive growth led to the next logical step which came about in 1996 when Benchmade moved into their own 35,000 sq. ft. facility and, in 2011, an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space was added and the entire factory. Furthermore, the company was awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Council.

Today, Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. manufactures knives for a loyal and ever growing following of knife users around the globe and their commitment to world-class quality is embodied in their well known motto:

It’s Not Just a Knife. It’s a Benchmade.

Click here to view all the available Benchmade folding knives on Amazon.