Benchmade 710 or Benchmade 940 or Paramilitary 2?

T

TheAmateur

Joined
May 20, 2012
Messages
401
Hi,
I'm torn between these three knives and need some guidance as to which to get first. Im fairly new and like to buy knives to collect, and use. I have Med-Lg hands and normally carry 2 knives, Front right: Small/people friendly (i.e. Mini sebenza, case trapper); Back right: Larger knife for heavier duty tasks (i.e., SOG trident). And one of these 3 knives will be going in my back pocket EDC rotation. Any feedback is appreciated. :D
 
Welcome to Bladeforums.

To answer your question, the Para 2 is my favorite EDC knife. Great blade steel and geometry, great ergos, and a tad less expensive than the 710 or 940.
 
The Paramilitary 2 and Griptilian are the next two knives on my list.

I recently started collecting again. First time since I was a kid, so it's all kind of new to me as well. So much new and exciting technology since my old Uncle Henry Bear Paw from the early 80's.
 
Benchmade 940 for a smaller profile, lighter and if you like the looks.
Paramilitary 2, if you like the blade shape (most people do), option to carry tip down and price. (oh, and a better traction plan).
Don't really know about the BM710, but if you wanted D2 steel.

Paramilitary2 is really popular right now, but the 940 is also a great knife.
 
I have owned (3) 940's and still have a safe queen - I love the way they look. I've never carried it. A great EDC but can't kick a 710D2, XM-18 or Sebenza out of my pocket.

I can't speak to the para but a full Military is my jacket pocket carry in colder weather beside an edc underneath.

You can't miss with any of these knives. You'll probably end up owning them in time so go for the one you want most for now. :)
 
710 and 940 are the only folders I carry right now. I would go with the 710 if you can only pick one. Can't go wrong with any of them really.
 
cziv said:
I have owned (3) 940's and still have a safe queen - I love the way they look. I've never carried it. A great EDC but can't kick a 710D2, XM-18 or Sebenza out of my pocket.
Click to expand...

Considering the staggering price difference I'd hope not.

I vote PM2
 
I'd go with the 710 and get one in m390. It's compact, light, carries extremely well and packs a very large blade.

The para 2 is nice but the blade is pretty small. If they made a version without the choil/ a larger cutting edge it would be hard to beat for EDC.

The 940 is a much smaller knife but very nice. The scales will get scratched up though.

Anyways if you want a knife that's light, carries extremely well, has a fast ambidextrous lock and a massive cutting edge go for the 710. I've owned about 5 now and I think it's the best light weight EDC put there if you go for the m390 version
 
Thanks for all the quick replies. Right now, I think I'm leaning more toward the 710 then 950 then para2. The only thing that I don't like about the para2 is the design and how much useless handle there is.
Still not sure about 710 or 950, so keep it coming! thnx :D
 
TheAmateur said:
Thanks for all the quick replies. Right now, I think I'm leaning more toward the 710 then 950 then para2. The only thing that I don't like about the para2 is the design and how much useless handle there is.
Still not sure about 710 or 950, so keep it coming! thnx :D
Click to expand...

It sounds like the BM 710 is for you. It has almost a 1:1 blade to handle ratio, opens smoothly, the axis lock is good and proven (despite those guys who gripe about broken springs which we've never seen). It has a longer cutting surface than the full size Military.

Mine's in D2, never a spot of rust in about 5 years and BM can run S30V & D2 like nobody's business. I have a semi-polished edge on mine what will glide through phone book pages.

I'll never part with it, I just wish there were more days in the week to carry it more often - sadly it's kind of neglected.

On mine, after seeing it in a video, I took some 400 grit sand paper and in 10 minutes was able to roll the g-10 back and round it a bit so it's simple to thumb flick it or open it with gloves. Here's a couple to watch.

[video=youtube;2xdJz_Wpxjk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xdJz_Wpxjk[/video]

[video=youtube;4pe_kRKwM7U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pe_kRKwM7U[/video]
 
It depends on what you want them for. I've had all three.

I got rid of the 710 the quickest. It was a nice knife, but the handle was too long for me to comfortable flick the blade out and still have a normal grip. I always had to adjust one or the other when I'd pull the knife from the pocket. Very long blade for how bit the knife was, and it carries relatively slimly.

The para2 is extremely comfortable in the hand, flicks out easy, etc. Theres a reason everyone speaks so highly of it. I'd recommend this one if you need a worker knife. Its a slicer and its tough. I would feel comfortable using this for about anything.. to cut wood, open packages, cook dinner, assassinate a bear..etc. The only thing is that this knife is big enough that it takes up enough space in my pocket to the point where I won't want anything else in that pocket. The g10 is grippy, but rough, and I wouldn't feel comfortable having my cell phone or mp3 player in the same pocket.

The 940 is a slim gentleman edc (I have the 943). Its perfect for what I need it for, and it never leaves my pocket. It carries very light, has a very expensive feel to it, and the handle/blade size are just right. The blade is large enough to fly open easily (compared to something smaller like a mini grip). Only thing is that the texture on the scales doesn't provide much grip, so I wouldn't do any real outdoor work with it. I open packages, cut food, cut things around the house, but never would I use it outdoors to cut wood or other tasks like this. Just not its purpose IMO (although I'm sure it could handle it just fine with the axis lock).


Out of the three, I kept the 943 and the para2, but they serve different roles for me...and the 943 gets more pocket time by far.
 
I have an M390 710 and 5 Para 2's in various steels, I like the 940 but haven't gotten one yet.
I'd go PM2, 710, then 940, if you can go up to $150 for the M390 710 I'd do that over a regular PM2 though. so basically...
710 in M390 > PM2 > 710 > 940

The reason I like the PM2 the best is the FFG and broader blade make the PM2 the best slicer, the recurve on the 710 makes it a bit harder to sharpen/limits what you can sharpen it with. I prefer the compression lock over the axis lock slightly. For me the PM2 is more ergonomic. I don't really like the handle of the 940 that much.
 
Since I have the Benchmade 710 m390 and none of the others, I'm going to say go with this one.

I like the 1:1 blade:handle ratio and the recurve and the look of it. Ho yeah, I also like the blade material.

Only issue that I had was the pivot screw, a few roll of teflon tape and that one is gone.
 
TheAmateur said:
The only thing that I don't like about the para2 is the design and how much useless handle there is.
Still not sure about 710 or 950, so keep it coming! thnx :D
Click to expand...

There isn't any part of the para 2 handle that is "extra" or useless. The handle is not long at all. Are you sure you didn't mean the military?

Either way, my vote is para 2
 
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three knives.

I own both a Benchmade 940 and a Spyderco Paramilatary 2. The Benchmade is a great slicer and feels really good in my hand. However, there isn't much of a "traction plan", so that might be an issue if you're using it in a way that would make your hand slide forward. For everyday tasks, I think it's great. I also really like the speed of blade deployment, and I'm a fan of the axis lock. The Paramilitary 2 is also a great slicer and has great G10 scales and perfect jimping- a very secure feel, in-hand. For me, the downside of the Para 2 is the index finger pinching that can occur when deploying the blade. Not a big deal, but something of which to be aware.

I plan to buy a Benchmade 710, and I expect the function will be similar to the 940. I'm also going to give the Benchmade 950 Rift a try. I think it's in the same ballpark as the other three but it's the heaviest.

From a value standpoint, I'd say the Paramilitary 2 is the best of the three, in price and overall features/function.
 
I'm a benchmade fan but right now my edc is a para 2. The para2 is not too big for edc and the larger handle makes it easy to hold onto. The 710 is very trim for its blade length and I would buy one if the clip wasn't on the wrong end. To me the biggest difference is that the para 2 is much taller and makes it harder to get my hand in my pocket. The 940 is liked for its slicing ability but I prefer a keen point like the para 2 or 710.
 
Thnz, I have decided to go with the 710 in m390. I'll probably end up getting all of these eventually anyways so :thumb up: :D
 
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