I always hope for the best from Benchmade. I love the old models, and some of those designs are just classic. Spyderco is an excellent company, and I think they are releasing the best variety of quality knives available. But for me, Benchmade just has that sentimental spot that can't be touched by anyone else.

For sure! Keep an eye out, they pop up on ebay from time to time. Glad you like the knife!

You're 100% right, the 960 might be as good looking as the Kulgera, but it isn't nearly as good in use. Kulgera is king.

Hey, thanks very much! It means a lot from a guy with a ton of quality content and a rightfully big following. Take care!

Thanks a lot my friend! Most definitely I'm still on a high about that 960. It's been years of back and forth trying to find it in the price range I was willing to pay. Slipped through my fingers too many times to count. I certainly appreciate it now that it's mine. As close to a "Grail" knife as I've ever had. Take care!

Yeah, if it's dull like that, you'll want something more refined to sharpen it. Great knife though!

@@JTsKnifeLife Thanks. Any idea on how Benchmade handles blades replacement on discontinued models like these? Do they even have any D2 anything left in their warehouse? I just made a video btw. Well used but as you can see still performs flawlessly.

@@airtioteclint Problem is that they just don't have parts for those old knives. They can sharpen them, but don't offer blade replacements unless for some reason they have some lying around. They didn't for my Ares though.

@@JTsKnifeLife ah that's a shame. I think I will be more careful now knowing the blades are no longer replaceable. Thanks for the info!

Haha thanks my friend! Glad you enjoyed it! 👍

That Ares for sure. What a great one. All of the Elishewitz stuff is sweet. Mini Dark Star is at the top of my list!

Very cool knife. Allen Elishewitz is skilled in Guilloché. I have an article in Knives 2010 about it. Amazing stuff. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilloch%C3%A9

Hmmm, pretty interesting stuff there. Thanks for that!

No problem. Elishewitz does some cool Hogue Knives too. Top of his game.

Definitely, it's as good as I hoped!

Thanks for letting me know, I've never seen that one. Sounds really cool. So many of them!

Well, with ebay and PayPal you don't have to be too worried because if there is a scam you have buyer protection. Both of those companies are very protective of your money because their business depends on it. As for who to buy from, you just need to spend a good amount of time researching the listings themselves. I generally get as much background as possible on the knife and packaging so I know what to look for when I find an auction. I also check out the other items that the seller has available. If any of them seem to be "clones" or illegitimate, I'll avoid him completely. Most important is the item's description. Reputable dealers have high feedback ratings of 100% or nearly 100%. They have thorough descriptions of their products with a ton of pictures. A lot of them have actual online stores, or physical ones, but they use Ebay to expand their business. They are trustworthy, but the best deals will come from just average joes who put stuff up for auction. The way to get a good deal is to be constantly vigilant, and to make sure the person you buy from has a good track record as a seller. There's not much more you can do, honestly. I hope that helps!

All good points and suggestions. Just due diligence on my part will do much to prevent me getting ripped off. Thanks JT! Keep up the good work on your channel.

Thanks man, good luck!

Sounds good, will do! Glad you enjoyed them!