Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. set-up shop in Clackamas, Oregon in 1990 (originally
founded in California in 1988). The initial knives primarily consisted of Bali-Song®
knives, using a combination of outside vendors and inside processing to build finished
products. And like most companies, starting out meant scarce money and big plans,
using second hand equipment and limited resources.
Soon, a natural born fortitude and an undying passion to make the best knives in
the world led to significant growth. As the Benchmade product line grew so did our
in-house capabilities. We began to acquire new machines and technologies including
the first of several lasers, making Benchmade the first knife manufacturer to have
such equipment in-house. Open minds and positive attitudes would lead to several
more industry firsts over the course of the next several years.
This was only the beginning of Benchmade's breaking of new ground in the manufactured
knife market by using non-traditional materials and modern manufacturing methods
in not only building knives better but, inevitably building better knives. The Designer
Series was first introduced in 1991 with several custom designs being manufactured.
By tapping into the custom knife makers' knowledge and combining it with our manufacturing
expertise we were more readily able to offer more contemporary knife designs and
innovations to knife users. Consecutive years of aggressive growth led to the next
logical step in 1996 when Benchmade moved into our own 35,000 sq. ft. facility.
In 2011, an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space was added and the entire
factory was awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification from the Green Building
Council.
Today, Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. manufactures knives for a loyal and ever growing
following of knife users around the globe. Our commitment to world-class quality
embodied in our well known motto – It’s Not Just a Knife. It’s a Benchmade.