Benchmade 921 or 941/943?

Shiden

Shiden

Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Messages
277
What would you recommend?

A Benchmade 921 Switchback or a 941/943 Osborne?

The differences between these two are not very large, so choosing is difficult.
Thanks.

Shiden
 
If you buy one, you'll never know if you would have liked the other better, so buy both. If you're anything like me, you're going to end up with both anyway. If one of the two doesn't hold your interest - eBay.
 
I think the 921 has a better utility blade, and better steel. But that's only half the answer, if that.

For me the choice was easy. I don't like Aluminum handles. Just aesthetics - by the time I've owned an AL handled knife for a year or two, it tends to look like a POS. So I went for the 94x over the 921, because the 921 is only available in AL while the 94x has had several Limited Editions in carbon fibre and titanium.
 
I have a 943 and love it. Easily my sharpest blade of all that I own. Also, it rides perfectly in my pocket...totally unnoticed until needed. Excellent blade geometry for both light utility and self defense.
As far as the handle is concerned. The clip is starting to show some wear but the handle itself is mint. Very durable finish.

I highly recommend the 943 but like mentioned above...why not get both!
 
I own several of both models and basically only carry the 94x's. The 94x's to me are much easlier to carry clipped to the pocket and the 921 is much wider in the pocket.If you are going to be cutting a lot of card board the 921 will be the better cutter because of the thin almost flat ground blade. Larry
 
You get two blades for the price of one with the 921, but other than that, you can't go wrong with either. Warren Osborne is doing some outstanding work for BM.

There are also some great limited editions of the 94X series.
 
The 943 has been my EDC for almost a year now and it is a great knife. 154CM is a good steel, the opening is ultra smooth, and the AXIS lock is solid.
 
I love my 940. I've never had the pleasure of handling a 921 though, so I'm biased. I love the blade shape of the 940 and the green aluminum handles, just perfect IMO.
 
Thanks all for the input. To buy them both is unfortunately no option: don't have that much cash. And I have no knifeshop near to handle them.
I was slightly more attracted to the 921, because of the small extra blade. I think I wait a while before I decide about it.

Shiden
 
The 921's handle is better shaped for retention with both piercing and pull-cutting applications, but it's thinner and sleeker than the 94x handles. The tough part to your question is that both sets of knives are such excellent cutters.

My favorite's the 921 Switchback, but all of them are so great that I don't envy the dilemma you're in. If it makes it easier, most 921 users barely ever use the little slipjoint blade. I generally reach for my slipjoint before reaching for the slipjoint blade on the 921.
 
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