One of our stops at the Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) in Phoenix last year was the Benchmade knife booth. If you’re not familiar with Benchmade, they are an innovative knife company that was founded in California in 1988 and then made its way to Oregon in 1990. Benchmade has set itself apart by using non traditional material, innovative manufacturing processes (lasers!), and even input from well respected custom knife designers. I was impressed by what I saw at Benchmade’s booth. Their knives seemed much more solid than any folding knife I had used before. Bear with me here as I use a car analogy to try to explain the feel of a Benchmade knife. You know that clunky effect you get when slamming the door on a cheap econo-car vs. that satisfying precision thud you get with a high-end luxury performance car? Most other knives = econo car, Benchmade = luxury performance car. Read More