benchamade 943, first impressions not so good

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hemi1300

Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
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so i anxiously received my benchmade 943 today and was thrilled. Upon opening the box and deploying the blade a few times i thought "wow thing thing feels tiny and lightweight". This is my first axis lock and it works great for flipping open the blade, very smooth and fast, closing just as easy one handed. Was just surprised how thin and lightweight it feels compared to my spyderco paramilitary 2 or kershaw blur. Don't plan on using it to chop down trees, and normally grab a box cutter for any serious type of cutting that may damage the edge, but fear this thing won't hold up to any type of hard edc use. Anybody carrying a 943 for a while and putting it through the test care to give me your opinion on the durability of this knife?
 
I have a 940 and 943, understand what you are saying. But the folks who use these knives pretty hard are also pretty universal in their conclusion that they are very durable. Short of trying to pry up a manhole cover, you will probably find that the 943 is tougher than you first think. If you want something beefier, consider maybe the 710 sometime. Rock on.
 
The words "Hard Use and Tactical or much over rated when it comes to knives. A folding knife is not a fixed blade and should not be used as such. Your 943 will hold up to a lot of use. Use it for what a knife was intended for, cutting stuff, it was not intended to cut down trees. You have a fine knife there. It will last a long time with proper use and care.
 
I carried a 943 for three years during college. I put it through all the abuse that a drunk college kid could, and it held up fine.

Cynic2701 said:
I carried one exclusively for three years while in college. The 943 is very light, slim, easy to carry, and has enough blade length to deal with pretty much anything you might reasonably come across on a day to day basis. Mine has held up pretty well:

Click to expand...
 
They wouldn't keep pumping out the same model every year for 10+ years if people were dissatisfied with its performance or durability.

I bought a 940 (which admittedly has a stronger tip though the rest is identical) around the year 2000. EDC'd it for about 6 years, used it to break down hundreds of boxes, opened all manner of packaging, and took it camping. It's still in great shape.

Use it prudently and you should be fine. :)
 
thanks for the good responses, makes me feel a bit better. I don't push my knives to the limits, mainly use them for cutting cardboard boxes and such, no tree chopping or prying anything. I use a knife for it's intended purposes-to cut things. I carry a razor knife every day in my tool bag at work (electrician) and go for that if i need to cut anything that may damage the blade. I do like the fact that the 943 basically disappears in my pocket compared to the spyderco or kershaw, hard to even notice it's there
 
also noticed the blade doesn't seem to sharp from the factory, will barely shave hair. Edge pro will make quick work of it though lol
 
I used my Benchmade 940 to good use for a couple of years after I got it in August 2005. It's a tough one that's easy and light to carry. Due to the blade shape the tip is stronger than the 943.

Matching up the specification of Spyderco ParaMilitary2 with Benchmade 943 shows the areas of commonality:

Spyderco ParaMilitary2:
Overall Length: 8.28"
Blade Length: 3.44"
Cutting Edge: 3.08"
Blade Thickness: 0.14"
Blade Material: S30V
Blade Style: Clip Point
Blade Grind: Flat
Edge Type: Plain
Handle Length: 4.81"
Handle Thickness: 0.46"
Handle Material: G-10
Liner Material: Stainless Steel
Weight: 3.75 oz.
Pocket Clip: Right/Left Hand, Tip-Up/Down
Knife Type: Manual
Opener: Thumb Hole
Lock Type: Compression Lock

Benchmade 943:
Overall Length: 7.87"
Blade Length: 3.40"
Blade Thickness: 0.115"
Blade Material: S30V
Blade Style: Clip Point
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Satin
Edge Type: Plain
Handle Length: 4.47"
Handle Thickness: 0.410"
Handle Material: Aluminum
Liner Material: Stainless Steel
Weight: 2.90 oz.
Pocket Clip: Right/Left Hand, Tip-Up
Knife Type: Manual
Opener: Thumb Stud
Lock Type: AXIS®
 
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