Benchmade Consumer Catalog 2009 - (Page 50) FORWARD THINKING You must have it to succeed. And to make certain it never fades, we established the Benchmade Custom Design Team. It’s founded on the premise of a high regard for the individual custom knife makers who pour their genuine passions, and given talents into making unique realities one piece at a time. To them, it goes beyond earning a living, it’s an opportunity to express their own interpretations of cutting edge design. Benchmade has perfected a collaboration of efforts with these rogues of conformity, tapping into the newest in locking mechanisms, progressive designs, and the latest in materials. Ultimately, this intellectual exchange transpires into something special in the form of a Benchmade knife. THE DESIGNERS MEL PARDUE The senior team member, Mel has been grinding sparks, making knives and creating a following for 20-plus years. His style has a class and simplicity all its own. The Pardue collaborations offer great utility to the everyday knife user while at the same time presenting an upscale distinction. Less is definitely more with Mel’s designs. MIKE SNODY Exploding into the knife making world, Mike has successfully created a name for himself in a short amount of time by wrapping solid function in the guise of contemporary design. His design influence is derived from his own personal experiences. And his “sensitive” side certainly hasn’t held him back either. BILL McHENRY & JASON WILLIAMS It runs in the family… Bill and stepson Jason spend their days making exquisite pieces of “art with an edge on it.” Their dedication and talents compliment one another very well, and have led to several noteworthy innovations in the knife making world. Benchmade was fortunate to be involved with one such innovation, the AXIS mechanism. The rest is history in the making. KEN STEIGERWALT In 1978 at the age of 15, Ken found himself at the kitchen table with some files and a vise. Three years later he decided that knifemaking was going to be his full time career. Since then, Ken has dedicated himself to wowing the industry with his innovative style and describes his work as a passion and a journey to build a better knife than the last. Benchmade has been fortunate to be involved with one such innovation, the Nitrous™ Assist mechanism. With cycle counts in the upward reaches of hundreds of thousands, the rest is history in the making. WARREN OSBORNE Being raised in the farming and ranching industry taught Warren early on what great utility a quality knife can offer. How a knife feels in the hand over extended use, blade design/edge configurations, and the types of materials used are all mandatory considerations of an Osborne design. MATTHEW LERCH Codeveloper of the Nitrous™ Assist mechanism, Matthew has his finger on the pulse of industry leading innovations and will continue to be a valuable contributor to Benchmade’s genuine passion for that next, better design. SEIICHI NAKAMURA Engineering was his life’s work until he retired to focus his efforts on a passion for custom knife work. He specializes in small Japanese style folders, gentlemen’s carry and jewelry knives. His eye for artistry and mechanical engineering make him a perfect fit for the innovative Benchmade team. BOB LUM With over 30 years of knife designing expertise, an artistic drive both in his craftsmanship of knives and his love for photography; provided Benchmade unique design styles infused with his creativity, thus yielding the highest quality knife possible. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest gave him an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the importance of a fine knife, which comes through in his elegant and utilitarian designs. Thanks, Bob. ARMIN STUETZ Armin has been making his fascination with knives a livelihood for many years. Steirer Eisen, his own knife manufacturing company, is located in Styria, Austria. He brings an international presence to the team and says he is only satisfied when his customers are satisfied. Hmm…sounds familiar. 50 TECH INFO BENCHMADEKNIFECO.
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