Benchmade: The Edge Of Perfection

The outdoor knife industry is a passion category. And, like all outdoor gear, consumers expect quality (especially when some knives retail as much as $1,200). I challenged Benchmade to push past the same old imagery—often lifestyle-y and heavily contrasted—to create a world that would elevate their brand. During my factory tour, I became fascinated with the materials. Lasers were precisely cutting into metal sheets, blades were being sharpened on grinding wheels by hand, metal shavings were pouring out of one machine while another suspended the blades in a green “ghostbusters” fluid. Things. Were. Happening. This process of turning metal sheets into purposeful works of art became my focus.

Photographer: Jim Golden

cw: PETER TRUEBLOOD