Benchmade is an American knife manufacturer. Their most famous product is the Model 68, which has become a household name all over the world. If you're not familiar with it, it is classified as a butterfly knife. It is not a typical folding knife where the blade slides out of the handle. With a traditional butterfly knife, you have to slide out part of the handle, then the blade, and finally connect the two halves of the handle with a lock.
BUTTERFLY KNIVES IN FILM
Drawing of a butterfly knife was very popular not only with customers but also with Hollywood filmmakers. They gave the Benchmade brand huge publicity. They were particularly interested in the various tricks that their heroes and villains could use on the silver screen. The famous Model 68 was thus featured in many blockbuster movies.
Among the most famous of these is Face Off with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. The knife also appeared in the unforgettable scenes of The Mummy, The Punisher, Kickass and Lethal Weapon 4. It was the flashy draw of a butterfly knife that added pizzazz, suspense and in some cases, humour to the action scenes.
However, few people know that the very popular "Balisongs" were almost forgotten. The original Bali-Song company, which was founded in 1980, went bankrupt after seven years. A year later a new company, Benchmade, was founded. It learned from the mistakes of its predecessor and became more careful about quality control, prices and shipping.
A TURN FOR THE BETTER
In 1988, production under the new brand was again fully launched. Knives were produced in two stages. The production of parts was handled by machines, while assembly and quality control were carried out by hand by employees.
Benchmade's greatest innovation came in 1990, when the manufacturer acquired a laser cutter. With its help, even steel that was too hard to be pressed could be used for production. Benchmade knives then had significantly more durable steel than their competitors, which also helped the brand win very valuable military contracts. At that point, a real turn for the better began.
BENCHMADE TODAY
But Benchmade knives are no longer just about the iconic butterfly knives. Thanks to military contracts, the company also produces high-quality tactical knives and is constantly expanding its portfolio. Today you will find hunting, outdoor, survival and rescue knives. Particularly worth highlighting are the large hunting knives for game processing or a multifunctional tool set with a sharpener.