founded 1979 ; 37 years ago 1979 headquarters oregon city oregon key people les de asis founder & ceo products knives pens rescue tools number of employees 150 website benchmade.com the benchmade knife company is a knife manufacturer run by roberta and les de asis in oregon city oregon united states . its products are geared toward many niche markets such as outdoor sporting cutlery rescue law enforcement martial arts and military . the company has collaborated with a number of custom knife makers since its inception . contents 1 history 2 location 3 products 4 gallery 5 references 6 external links history edit benchmade started in california in 1979 as bali song changing its name in 1988 to the pacific cutlery corporation . in 1990 the company moved to clackamas oregon . 1 2 benchmade became known primarily as a manufacturer of butterfly or balisong style knives which it continues to manufacture . these knives have been so identified with the company that benchmade has registered bali song as a trademark and logo . 3 benchmade s original bali song design by jody samson was awarded blade magazine s knife of the year award in 1979 . 4 as of february 2009 the company was employing approximately 150 people . 5 benchmade has had several years of growth and has expanded both the variety of knives it produces and the facility itself . location edit in 1996 benchmade moved to oregon city . apart from some red class products which were produced in their off shore facilities 6 benchmade has produced more than 90 % of its knives in oregon city and has succeeded in bringing others back to home production . 7 since 2010 all red class production knives have been discontinued and as such every benchmade labeled knife is made in the united states . one of the reasons benchmade is located in oregon as are many other knife makers is because oregon has very relaxed laws toward knives in general and switchblades or butterfly knives in particular . there are no restrictions against selling a switchblade style knife to an oregon resident . 8 products edit blade steels such as 154cm d2 cpm s30v steel cpms90v cpm20cv n680 and m390 are used on many models . benchmade is one of the few manufacturers to have offered high speed m2 and cpm m4 tool steels in a production knife . 9 benchmade receives a significant amount of revenue from selling restricted sales knives to the military and law enforcement . 10 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 . 11 benchmade has three different classes when it comes to their knives . the first class is the blue class also known as the recreation class . this type of benchmade knife is made for typical use by the everyday person . the next class is the black class also known as the professional class . this type of benchmade knife is made for military law enforcement and public safety workers . they are knives made for more challenging work . the last class is the gold class also known as the collector class . this class of benchmade knife is made for collectors and are limited edition . 12 benchmade has a patent on the locking mechanism used in most of the switchblades they produce . 13 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 jody samson ernest emerson allen elishewitz mel pardue bill mchenry 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 . 11 14 15 some of the benchmade knife models includes benchmade griptilian benchmade hk benchmade 556 mini griptilian benchmade contego features a reverse tanto blade and ambidextrous thumb stud opener ensures . weighing 5.9 ounces the knife comes with a carbide glass breaker . benchmade 940 osborne benchmade bkc bedlam axis benchmade serum benchmade mini barrage gallery edit benchmade bedlam auto with cm 154 steel patented axis lock benchmade 4300 cla composite lite auto . auto knife push button operation with side mounted safety reversible clip . length 7.85 inches blade length 3.4 inches . blade material cm154 . a benchmade 940 osborne folding knife references edit lewis jack ; roger combs 1992 . gun digest book of knives . dbi . pp. 193 186 . isbn 978 0 87349 129 7 . benchmade history page . retrieved 2006 11 04 . benchmade copyright and trademarks . retrieved 2006 11 04 . burch michael 2007 . butterfly knives take wing . in kertzman joe . knives 2008 . f & w media . pp. 26 30 . isbn 978 0 89689 542 3 . breniman aaron january 22 2008 . oregon city s sharpest store . the oregon city news . retrieved 2012 10 19 . benchmade red class products . retrieved 2008 09 15 . kertzman joe 2007 . knives 2008 . iola wi f & w media . p. 296 . isbn 978 0 87349 195 2 . oregon knife club legal faq answer . retrieved 2008 09 15 . bottorff steve 2002 . sharpening made easy a primer on sharpening knives and other edged tools . knife world publications . pp. 87 88 . isbn 978 0 940362 19 2 . benchmade public safety military and law enforcement page . retrieved 2006 11 04 . a b dick steven 1997 the working folding knife stoeger publishing company p. 280 isbn 978 0 88317 210 0 benchmade . benchmade knife company . benchmade.com . retrieved 2015 05 04 . benchmade locking mechanism page . retrieved 2006 11 22 . clarke christopher 1995 benchmade emerson cqc7 double duty folder tactical knives 1 3 58 60 kertzman joe 2001 . 2002 sporting knives . krause publications . p. 108 . isbn 978 0 87349 266 9 . external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to benchmade knife company . official website v t e knives and daggers list of daggers list of blade materials types of knives aircrew survival egress knife athame balisong butterfly ballistic ballpoint pen knife bayonet boline bolo boning boot knife bowie bread knife cane knife cheese knife chef s knife cleaver clip point combat knife commander corvo cqc 6 deba b ch diving knife drop point electric knife fairbairn sykes fighting knife gerber mark ii ginsu grapefruit knife gravity knife gunong hunting knife jacob s ladder karambit k la kirpan kitchen knife kukri laguiole knife machete mandau mezzaluna misericorde mora knife multi tool nakiri b ch navaja neck knife nontron knife opinel knife palette knife pantographic knife parang penknife penny knife pocket knife putty knife puukko rampuri resolza sabatier sami knife santoku sark scalpel seax sgian dubh sharpfinger shiv sliding knife smatchet sog knife straight razor strider smf survival knife swiss army knife switchblade taping knife throwing knife tomato knife trench knife tumi ulu utility knife warrior knife x acto yanagi ba yatagan types of daggers anelace applegate fairbairn fighting knife arkansas toothpick bc 41 bagh naka baselard bichuwa bollock dagger cinquedea dirk ear dagger emeici fac n french nail hachiwara hunting dagger janbiya kaiken kalis kard katar khanjali khanjar kris mark i trench knife ocean edge knife parrying dagger poignard push dagger rondel dagger seme shobo sica stiletto tant marine raider stiletto v 42 stiletto yarar parachute knife yoroid shi knife manufacturers aitor al mar knives american tomahawk company bear mcg benchmade b ker buck knives caber camillus cutlery company cattaraugus cutlery company chris reeve knives cold steel columbia river knife & tool cuisinart cutco cutlery dovo solingen dexter russell dirte knives eikhorn ek commando knife co. emerson knives erizo f. dick f llkniven famae fiskars f ritechnics gerber legendary blades global golok hanwei imperial schrade j. a. henckels ka bar kershaw knives kitchenaid korin japanese trading company kyocera leatherman mad dog knives mercworx microtech knives morseth murphy knives ontario knife company opinel pro tech knives randall made knives ranz rigid knives r sle sog specialty knives sabatier a n & perrier spyderco strider knives survival aids tekna thiers issard tramontina victorinox vox knives w. r. case & sons cutlery co. walther arms wenger western knife company wilkinson sword windlass steelcrafts w sthof yarara ltd knifemakers a.g. russell american bladesmith society rex applegate james black blackie collins john nelson cooper ernest emerson jerry fisk phill hartsfield bill harsey jr. gil hibben knifemakers guild zanjan knifemakers jimmy lile bob loveless bob lum william f. moran ken onion ralph osterhout bo randall chris reeve jody samson william scagel mike snody robert terzuola michael walker buster warenski daniel winkler book knives and daggers category knives daggers retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title benchmade & oldid 732271696 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