Benchmade cuts out dealers in 2009?

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Permalink Reply by Scott King on July 13, 2009 at 7:21

I'll put Cutlery News Journal on it.

The pre-web distribution system for many product manufacturers doesn't work now. E-commerce offers tremendous efficiencies and increased profits, and results in the product passes through fewer channels before it reaches the consumers. In many cases, firm's are selling direct to the retail buyers.

Not going to say its best or not and in the case of Benchmade? Don't know, but will say this- I've asked WR Case & Sons Cutlery Co. on several occasions when they were going to start selling online direct to the consumers. They've made it clear they want to keep their dealer network in place.
Scott

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Permalink Reply by DrBlade on July 13, 2009 at 14:29

Yes it's true but not all dealers just most. I think it's arrogance they think they can get by without the dealers. They did it to controll the msrp or whatever. In the long run I don't beleive this will turn out well for them. They have also started to sue many other knife companys and retailers. Check out "road side imports" on youtube he has some videos on it I don't support his actions but you can get more in on the situation.

Also Steven heads up many websites sell knives they don't have in-stock be sure the site has it in-stock or they may have your money for a long long time. Good Luck.

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Permalink Reply by Scott King on July 13, 2009 at 17:16

I spoke by phone with their Sales and Marketing VP today and he denied they were changing their dealer distribution. He said even though they do offer knives online from their site, they are "100% dealer direct to the public and have no plans to change that."

What info do you have Dr. Blade that confirms your info?

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Permalink Reply by Steven Benavidez on July 14, 2009 at 1:57

yeah when i checked their dealer list i found that they still have some places... but not as many as i remembered.

they truly are making a bad move -_-;

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Permalink Reply by DrBlade on July 14, 2009 at 14:12

When I spoke with a dealer about two weeks ago they told me about the change and that they would no longer be selling Benchmade knives. In looking around the internet most small dealers no longer have Benchmade knives and if they do it's just what is left from the last orders or they say they have the knives but when you go to order them they are not in stock.

I could very well be wrong and the truth is I hope I am wrong Benchmade makes some really good knives. For me when you have a good product you should want as many people to have it as possible.

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Permalink Reply by Scott King on July 14, 2009 at 20:37

Thanks for the info. Let's keep our ear to the ground and if I need to call back I will. It wouldn't surprise me to see manufacturers change their business models in today's economy, plus with the internet they can sell direct to the public fairly easily.

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Permalink Reply by Allen Lutz on January 3, 2010 at 11:58

I buy knives for resale on ebay from DISTRIBUTORS who only sell to dealers. You must have a resale license and tax id to purchase knives from a distributor. Benchmade is no longer supplying knive to DISTRIBUTORS. They are still suppling knives to there factory dealers. Distributors buy large quantites of knives from the manufacturer and sell them directly to licensed dealers. The dealers are the guy like myself who resale on ebay at much lower prices than retail thus in the manufacturers eyes lowering the value of the knives.

Most major manufacturers Benchmade, Case, Great Eastern and many others frown upon ebay dealers.
Hope this helps everyone to understand what happened with Benchmade.

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Permalink Reply by Scott King on January 3, 2010 at 18:06

Good intel Allen. Thanks.

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