I was a fan of Benchmade before Benchmade was Benchmade. This is actually something I had entirely forgotten about until recently. A trip to the western knife capital of the United States reminded me of it. Benchmade was part of a Portland, Oregon, area press tour I took in June 2025. As we made our way up the stairs to a meeting room at Benchmade headquarters, a core memory was unlocked.
Benchmade Through the Years
To understand what I mean, let’s take a walk back to the beginning. As with so many makers in so many different industries, Les de Asis started making knives because he couldn’t find what he wanted anywhere else. In his case, he wanted a high-quality balisong knife.
For those not familiar with that term, you might know it as a butterfly knife. It’s a Filipino design where the handle splits and folds up around the blade. While many cultures have a similar knife, the Filipino one is the most common.
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Les wanted to use modern materials and innovations to create something great, and something that would honor his own Filipino heritage. In 1979, he partnered with Jody Samson to create Bali-Song, Inc., using secondhand equipment to grind out their first knives.
A local gun shop ordered 100 of their knives, and their popularity began to rise. Jody did the blade grinding while he and Les played with design ideas.
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I lusted after those Bali-Song knives back then. I’d see them advertised and even ordered catalogs a time or two from the company. However, I was just never able to swing one on the meager allowance I was earning. I never forgot the name, though.
I was reminded of this when we got to the meeting room at Benchmade HQ. They have a large mural along one wall featuring Les des Asis and the original Bali-Song logo. For a moment, I was 14 again and dying to find a Bali-Song knife to make my very own.
Troubles Abound
In 1981, they changed the name to Pacific Cutlery and expanded the line to include fixed blades and other folder styles in addition to the balisongs. However, by about 1987, things were getting ugly. They were having a difficult time getting some of the materials they needed because suppliers preferred dealing with larger companies. As a result, production suffered.
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Making matters worse, California had decided that balisong knives were illegal and began confiscating them from dealers.
By this time, Les had closed up shop on the Pacific Cutlery name and wasn’t sure what to do next. He reached out to some of his colleagues, like Al Mar and Peter Kershaw. They suggested that the Portland, Oregon area would be perfect for him.
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It was very knife-friendly, and there were several similar companies in the area. So, in 1990, he made the move and founded Benchmade Knives.
The butterfly in the Benchmade logo is a homage to their history.
Benchmade’s Five Classes
Today, the Benchmade line consists of five classes or collections of knives, based on the target audience for each.
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The Blue Class is their standard everyday lineup, consisting of knives suited for EDC and general outdoor recreation. One of the more popular Benchmade knives, the Bugout, is a classic example of the Blue Class.
The Black Class is the tactical line. These are hard-use knives that are designed primarily for those serving in the military, law enforcement, or other first responder roles. A great example in this class is the Adamas.
The Gold Class is for the true collectors. High-end blade treatments, exotic handle materials, and such are used for knives that are as much art as they are functional tools. Their recent Purple Haze Mini Barrage model epitomizes the Gold Class.
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The Hunt Class knives are for breaking down the meat you’ve harvested, large or small. I’m quite fond of the Meatcrafter, as it’s perfect for kitchen use as well as in the field.
The Water Class is a new line that debuted in 2024. These models are specifically geared for environments where getting wet isn’t just a hazard, it’s a goal.
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In the last few years, Benchmade has also started a line of kitchen cutlery that includes a Chef Knife, Utility Knife, Paring Knife, Station Knife, and Table Knife sets. I had the opportunity to test drive one of the table knives at a dinner we attended in Portland, and it was phenomenal. Very comfortable as well as nimble.
No matter what type of knife you’re after, Benchmade has you covered. As it says right on the side of their building, “We are Benchmade, Built in the USA – Yours, For Life.”
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Building a Bugout
As part of our Benchmade tour, we had the opportunity to build our own knife. Each of us was given all of the parts for a Bugout as well as illustrated instructions, just as though we were new employees.
The process seemed pretty straightforward. However, a few of the steps were particularly fidgety, and you had to get the pieces lined up exactly so, or the rest wouldn’t go together properly.
I’m happy to say that I wasn’t the only one who ended up having to start all over at least once. By the end, we had all successfully built our own Bugout folding knives. It also happens to be one of Benchmade’s most popular models.
Aggressively Innovative
As we toured the Benchmade factory, one of the things that stuck out to me was how aggressively innovative the company has been. They don’t wait for other brands to come up with ideas that they can then riff off of themselves. Instead, they’re at the forefront of the industry. Many of their designs have been copied and cloned, often by overseas outfits looking to make a quick buck.
In addition to developing their own knives, Benchmade often partners with custom makers to do production runs of their designs. Some of these makers include Ernest Emerson, Jason Williams, and Warren Osborne. Regarding the latter, the Benchmade 940 Osborne is thought to be one of the best EDC knife options on the market today.
Benchmade is a true leader in the knife industry, and for good reason. They’ve worked damn hard to get there.
