In homage and deference to the long-running Spyderco Fanboy Thread, and in light of Benchmade’s recent 2021 new product announcement, I thought I’d start a Benchmade Fanboy Thread. I did a search and didn’t see anything already (there was a thread regarding some 2019 political drama and if you’d like to bitch about the company I’d prefer if you did it in that thread).
The 2021 new products are here. I’m particularly liking the look of the 4170BK AUTO FACT, although frankly I’m unlikely to ever buy one.
Personally I’ve been a fan for a good 25 years. I worked at a gun/army surplus/police supply shop in the late 90s-early 00s (right thought the y2k hysteria!) and that’s where I first became aware of Benchmade. Over my time as first a customer and then an employee I acquired quite a few, but most of them I’ve sold, lost, or given away over the years. I even had a Benchmade balisong in high school sometime in the early 90s but at the time I had no idea who or what they were, just that this particular “butterfly knife” was much higher quality than the one I got at the county fair, haha. I can’t even recall how I came by the Benchmade, I just recall the butterfly logo on the blade.
One of my personal favorites, that I sold back in 2011, was this 44s Balisong.