TexasCHLforum.com

Primary edc: ZT 0357BW.
Occasional carry: Spyderco Paramilitary 2.
Dress up carry: Benchmade 940-2.

One correction....

... and were more interested in easy money than their true customer base....

As I understand it, Benchmade did this as a free service, and were not paid for chopping up those guns, so this was not a matter of easy money, as much as it was a matter of poorly thought out civic duty. I absolutely concede that, when they made the decision to cooperate with the PD, they did so without raising their eyes to the horizon to see if it was a smart thing to do or not. But making a dumb decision is not the same as being "anti-gun".

And your previous point is well taken that Benchmade could move to a more weapons-friendly state....although the reality of moving even a small business is that it is hugely expensive to do so. (I helped plan and execute moving a business from California to Texas.) Moving a larger business from one state to another is a bigger undertaking yet, and realistically, it may not be financially feasible for Benchmade to move.

I am a second amendment absolutist, but one of the things I despise most about the left is the whole "cancel culture" thing, which is a phenomenon they created. I refuse to engage in it unless the transgression is so clearly egregious that it would be immoral to respond in any other way. I despise Leonardo DiCaprio's politics, but he makes some pretty good movies; and I’m not going to deny myself some decent entertainment just because the lead actor is wrong on the issues in his personal life. I thought it was kind of silly when people set fire to perfectly good Yeti coffee mugs and ice chests because of Yeti's kerfuffle with the NRA. Sure, don’t buy more Yeti products if they made you angry. But while burning perfectly good Yeti products you’ve already bought and paid for because you’re mad at Yeti is certainly within your rights as the owner of the property, it’s also a classic example of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Like I said, you’re certainly entitled to your opinions, and to act on them as you see fit. I’m just nowhere near as worked up about Benchmade as you are, I’m OK with owning the ones I have, and if I see another one that I like and can afford, I might buy another.

.... Benchmade was working with renegade LE Agencies like Oregon City who made the decision to destroy firearms....

The Oregon City PD didn’t make that decision. They were court-ordered destructions, which the PD was bound by law to carry out....and that’s the part that "our side" loses track of in this discussion. And frankly, we lose track of it because it’s not convenient to our narrative. We accuse the left, and rightfully so, of this kind of willful dishonesty all the time; but it is no less dishonest when we do it. You can’t maintain the moral high ground if you’re willing to bend your morals to fit a narrative. It should always be the other way around.

I’ll grant that Benchmade had no legal obligation to help the destruction effort. OTH, they had what they viewed as a social and business obligation to maintain a good relationship with their local PD, and to be helpful when asked for it. The PD had no real choice but to destroy those guns ... it was either that, or defy a lawful court order. I am certain that the PD viewed themselves as upholders of the law, and as such, I seriously doubt that they even considered civil disobedience over a relatively small number of firearms.

You are, of course, free to hold different views than mine in the matter. But if so, I would also challenge you to be consistent and divest yourself of any Ruger or Smith & Wesson firearms you might own because of their past actions.....not to mention Colt deciding not to sell AR15s to civilians anymore. I could go on with other examples, but the main point is an expectation of consistency from the side of the gun debate with which I align myself.

Have a great day.

K-Texas wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 3:03 pm For those who may not be aware, and I heard about it on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio, Benchmade was caught in-the-act of destroying firearms for Liberal Oregon LE agencies who would not simply sell confiscated firearms back to the shooting public. Then it was found out that they had been contributing to the campaigns of some of Oregon's most liberal politicians. I did not need a replacement for the Bencmade Pica, but I knew it would be my last Benchmade. For more on that go to Gun Talk Media.

That story was blown all out of proportion, and very much out of context. There was a longish thread about it right here on this site, back when it was a fresh story. BTW, the "liberal democrats" Benchmade made donations to were supporting a PRO knife carry bill in the Oregon Legislature, and their donations were in support of that bill......in a Democrat majority state where Benchmade had to deal with the political realities on the ground. The NRA has supported pro-gun democrats in the past for exactly the same reasons. It’s always easy for Gresham to snipe from 1500 miles away when he isn’t possessed of all the facts. Read his take, and then take a minute to read Benchmade's response to the accusations. Then you’ll have a more accurate picture.



Their response to OTH the gun destruction AND the donations is in this video: https://www.full30.com/watch/MDE5NDE3/b ... -the-fight.

All of this is much more nuanced and factual than the flames of outrage stoked by Gresham and others. Gresham provides a valuable service, but he’s human, and like everyone else, he sometimes gets things wrong.

cmgee67 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:14 pm The steels used on the BM 940 and the Spyderco Para 2 are incredible rust resistant. You don’t need the coating unless you want it. They are powder steels with more chromium and less carbon. They are a harder steel. This means they are a little harder to sharpen but hold an edge very well. I agree the Para 2 is excellent. I’ve owned several over the years. I do prefer the axis lock over the compression for ease of use. The 940 is very elegant and a nice knife!

S30V steel for both knives. There are better knife steels out there, but S30V is plenty good enough, and you’re right....they both hold a good edge really well. I agree that the 940 is a more elegant knife, and I love the Axis lock system too. But it’s my "Sunday go to meeting" knife. The Para 2 is like a Glock....ugly, but it works, and I don’t care if it gets scratched up a little.

I own a handful of pretty decent pocket knives, but the two that I consistently alternate between for EDC, are a Benchmade 940-2, and a Spyderco Para Military II Left Handed. Between the two, I prefer the Benchmade, but I carry the Spyderco more often. That’s primarily because the Benchmade is more of a "gentleman's folder", and the Spyderco is more of a daily knockabout knife.

Both of those have uncoated blades, btw.