There is someone for every knife, but the Cold Steel fans aren't usually knife sophisticates.

I like Benchmade and ZT. Also Spyderco.

Kershaw knives have decent cutting edges that hold well, so long as not abused. I have several Kershaws that I've been using for two decades.

a Benchmade saved my life once, so I can't complain, but I haven't owned any since.

Cold Steel is hard to take seriously.

The Zero Tolerance line I have mixed feelings about; they're decent enough knives and I have a few, but I'd be on the fence with their cost vs. what one gets.

Spyderco, not mentioned, makes a lot of knives that seem to be "sprint runs" that come and go; their basic line has proven fairly ubiquitous over the years and I own a number of them. Good blades, generally speaking.

My favorite for carry are Emersons, though. I have a Kershaw Emerson-license in my pocket at the moment; they're very affordable and not a big headache if damaged or lost. My sole complaint about the actual emersons is the fragile pocket clip; I've lost track of the number of their pocket clips I've had that failed. They just don't last. Otherwise, good knives. I'd take an Emerson over a Benchmade.

Out of the choices you are pondering, I like the quality, materials, designs, and price point levels within the brand that Benchmade offers. Good luck friend!

Benchmade. Spyderco. Leatherman.
High end: Emerson. Chris Reeve.

You’ve got to figure out your customer. High end knife buyers are no doubt out there but generally they know exactly what they are looking for. I have plenty of knives but I’m a sucker for exactly what I want and not one that is pretty close.

The web has ruined retail for the thing you want to do. I know if what I desire exists and where to find it and how much to pay.

I like what you’re wanting to do. I try to buy local, and wish you luck.

who is coming in to the store? do they have anywhere else around to get their hands on benchmade knives? are your typical customers willing to spend $150-200 on folding knives?

My inclination would be to be the one place where you can get a certain good (besides the internet.) People are more likely to buy a $40 kershaw on the internet without ever touching one than they would be buying a $150 benchmade without ever getting their hands on one. They'd rather spend that larger chunk of money in person so they'd be more likely to seek out a B&M dealer for a benchmade than a kershaw.

quote:

Originally posted by reflex/deflex 64:
High end knife buyers are no doubt out there.

Yes, and none of these qualify as high end. Yoopersigs is correct.
My email is in my profile if you'd like to discuss additional knife resources and learning the knife community.

Of the ones you mentioned Benchmade is certainly the finest of the 3.

As mentioned above, Cold Steel really can't be taken seriously.

I only have 1 really nice knife. It's a Benchmade. I love it.

Benchmade

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
who is coming in to the store? do they have anywhere else around to get their hands on benchmade knives? are your typical customers willing to spend $150-200 on folding knives?

My inclination would be to be the one place where you can get a certain good (besides the internet.) People are more likely to buy a $40 kershaw on the internet without ever touching one than they would be buying a $150 benchmade without ever getting their hands on one. They'd rather spend that larger chunk of money in person so they'd be more likely to seek out a B&M dealer for a benchmade than a kershaw.

Ding! The local place has a fair bit of Benchmade, and some others. They are happy to get whatever out of the case and let you play with it. Sometimes what looks really great just doesn’t quite want to play in your hand. It didn’t take long at all to have the Benchmade Warn or Emmissary flying open seemingly automatically and easily closing one handed. Some of the others, not so much. I’ve bought one knife online. I suspect it will be the last online knife purchase. I’m sure there will be more in store purchases, whether at the local place or elsewhere.

I've stopped buying knives but kershaw/zt and benchmade have "gravitas" while coldsteel brings up visions of the out of shape guy hacking at pig carcasses.

I've always had lower end pocket knives...mostly Gerbers, Kershaws, and CRKT. They've done the job.

I asked a friend of mine who's a knife dork what American made knife would be a good purchase. Without blinking he said Benchmade...he gave me a few suggestions and then I saw the prices!

He offered to get me a Benchmade Barrage if I paid for the gas on our fishing trip...which would be around $180. I agreed.

Now I have a sweet ass Benchmade that is light years ahead in quality of anything else I ever had. Everything about it is different from what I've previously known about pocket knives. I can never go back...

So, Benchmade.

Kershaw/ZT, Benchmade, Spyderco, and CRKT would be the brands that I carried if I had to sell knives.

Cold steel is tacti-ninja garbage.

CRKT and Kershaw should be enough to carry the mid-tier masses. I like that they both also carry axes, hatches, machetes, and other outdoorsy type large blades. They also have real designers putting their names on their products--you can get knives made in collaboration with big names like Emerson, RMJ Tactical, etc.

ZT, Benchmade, and Spyderco cover the top grade production knkives.

If you want to branch out and hit the bushcrafting, and sportsman markets, you should also carry Condor for mid tier stuff and Bark River for the higher end stuff.

I have several Benchmades and several Kershaws. I do not own any Cold Steel knives. Both are good knives. What I will add to the conversation is that Kershaw is sold at Walmart and probably other national chains. I have never seen a Benchmade at anywhere other than a local shop that was a Benchmade dealer. I don't say that to disparage Kershaw or Walmart, just to say that there are a heck of a lot of Walmarts out there selling Kershaws at pretty cheap prices.

Lol...I have all the brands mentioned and do think Benchmade is a higher quality tool. I like my Cold Steel knives and had no idea they had such a bad reputation.

I have a couple Cold Steel knives and they are fine. Its all the marketing hype and nutty videos that you have to get past.

quote:

Originally posted by myrottiety:
I only have 1 really nice knife. It's a Benchmade. I love it.

This ^^^

I also have a kershaw leek that I like very much for a lower end knife, it's awesome.

I picked up a Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel pretty cheap. It stays in the truck.
Seems well made.
Then I came across this video.

I also have a couple of Kershaw, CRKT, and Spyderco knives.




Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UHvGZBcIEy8

Cold Steel's fixed blade SRK was (and maybe still is?) issued to Navy Seals going through BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal) training.

I admit I'm a Benchmade-a-holic so my choice is clear. I have a few of them and they have damn near consumed me for a couple decades.