Benchmade

Benchmade

Infobox_Company
company_name = Benchmade Knives, Inc.
company_type = Proprietorship
foundation = California (1988)
location = Oregon City, Oregon
key_people = Les De Asis, Founder & President
industry = Manufacturing
products = Knives
revenue = US$22 million
num_employees = 150
homepage = [http://www.benchmade.com/ www.benchmade.com]
The Benchmade Knife Company is a knife manufacturer run by Roberta and Les de Asis in Oregon City, Oregon, United States.

History

Benchmade started in California in 1988 as the Pacific Cutlery Corp. In 1990 the company moved to Clackamas, Oregon [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/benchmade/index.asp | title = Benchmade History Page | accessdate = 2006-11-04] . The bulk of Benchmade's initial output consisted of butterfly, or balisong-style knives, which it continues to manufacture, indeed the company has registered "Bali-Song" as a trademark [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/policies.asp#Copyright_&_Trademarks | title = Benchmade Copyright and Trademarks | accessdate = 2006-11-04] .As of October 2004, the company employs approximately 150 people.cite news |last=Breniman| First= Aaron|title=Oregon City's sharpest store|publisher =Clackamas Review|date=2008-01-22|url=http://www.clackamasreview.com/news/story.php?story_id=120104323473234500|accessdate=2008-07-14] Benchmade has had several years of growth and has expanded both the variety of knives it produces and the facility itself.

Products

Benchmade products, by nature of design and materials, are positioned at the high end of the production knife market. Premium blade steels such as 154CM, D2, and CPM S30V steel are used on many models. Benchmade is one of the few manufacturers to have offered high speed M2 tool steel in a production knife.

Benchmade receives a significant amount of revenue from selling restricted-sales knives to the military and law enforcement [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_public_safety.asp | title = Benchmade 'Public Safety' Military and Law Enforcement Page | accessdate = 2006-11-04] .Benchmade produces a diverse selection of "auto", or switchblade knives, along with a range of hunting, fishing, utility and miscellaneous knives, however balisongs remain a core product.Harvard reference | Surname=Dick | Given=Steven| Title=The Working Folding Knife | Year=1997| publisher= Stoeger Publishing Company |ISBN= 9780883172100|pages = 280 ]

Benchmade has a patent on the locking mechanism used in most of the switchblades they produce. [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/about_knives/locking_mechanisms.asp | title = Benchmade Locking Mechanism Page | accessdate = 2006-11-22] Benchmade additionally holds an exclusive licence on use of the McHenry / Williams "AXIS Lock", a strong, spring operated locking mechanism used in both automatic and manual action models.

Benchmade has a long tradition of incorporating knife design from noted custom cutlery makers into their production models. These include Ernest Emerson, Allen Elishewitz, Mel Pardue, Bill McHenry, Neil Blackwood, Mike Snody, Jason Williams, Warren Osborne, and Bob Lum. Several production Benchmade models based on the work of these designers have become influential within the industry.Harvard reference | Surname=Clarke| Given=Christopher| Title=Benchmade/Emerson CQC7: Double-Duty Folder| Journal=Tactical Knives | Volume=1 | Issue=3 | Year=1995 | Page=58–60 ] [Winter, Butch (2003), "Custom Collaborations", Sporting Knives 2003: 160, ISBN 0-87349-430-X]

In recent years, Benchmade has ended its public relationship with Allen Elishewitz. Models incorporating his designs no longer carry the previous Elishewitz markings on the reverse of the blade.

Location

In 1996, Benchmade moved to Oregon City. Apart from "Red Class" products, which are produced in their "off shore facilities" [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/about_knives/anewclass.asp | title = Benchmade 'Red Class' products | accessdate = 2008-09-15] , Benchmade produces more than 90% of its knives in Oregon City,Fact|date=September 2008 and has succeeded in bringing others back to home production.Fact|date=September 2008

One of the reasons Benchmade is located in Oregon —as are many other knife makers— is because Oregon has very relaxed laws towards knives in general and switchblades or butterfly knives specifically; [cite web | url = http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/faq.html#legal | title = Oregon Knife Club Legal FAQ Answer| accessdate = 2008-09-15] there are no restrictions against selling a switchblade-style knife to an Oregon resident. [cite web | url = http://www.benchmade.com/products/federal.asp | title = Benchmade Legal Page| accessdate = 2006-11-04]

ee also

*Gerber Legendary Blades
*Kershaw Knives
*Leatherman

References

External links

* [http://www.benchmade.com Benchmade official site]
* [http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/STORIES/benchmade.shtml Benchmade profile from WorkSource Oregon]


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