Cypress
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,742
The 940/943 has been a staple in almost every serious knife collector’s collection since their introduction in 2001. I have personally owned a 943 for longer than I can remember, and if I ever came into hard times that required selling off my collection, the 943 would stay.
Much like everyone else that saw the initial announcement of the 940-1, I was giddy, but apprehensive of the price. $310 is a lot for a Benchmade, especially a non-Gold-Class version of a current model, and especially because of hit and miss quality control. Luckily, I was able to get mine for much less than the MAP at my local knife shop, and I had my pick of two examples. Chalk one up for the local business!
Anywho, out of the box, the blade was mostly centered with a slight lean towards the non-clip side. I actually prefer it like that, as using the thumbstud centers the blade when you apply an opening force. The edge was paper-cutting sharp, and could maaaaybe shave hair with force. I would hazard a guess at 25º per side, which is Benchmade standard. The pivot was smooth, but not quite “gravity smooth”, ie: disengaging the Axis lock would not see the blade closing under its own weight. All grinds were pretty much true.
My alterations:
Sharpened to 17º per side at 600 diamond then stropped with compound
Replaced the painted clip with a black split-arrow clip
Polished the bushings
Polished the blade where the bushings reside
Polished the pivot barrel
After the work, the blade will now close under its own weight, the pivot is smoother, and the edge is standard scary with some slight toothiness.
One note on sharpening S90V: It is more difficult than any other steel I’ve dealt with. Reprofiling took twice as long as 154CM, but here’s the kicker: Removing the burr or wire edge is near impossible without a strop. This stuff makes M390 seem like kitchen cutlery.
NOW, comparing the 940-1 to the 943 sees weight being the most obvious in-hand difference aside from the blade shape. Benchmade quptes the weight of the 940-1 to be roughly half an ounce lighter than the aluminum version. The balance point of the 940-1 is right behind the Axis lock, with the 943 balance about ¾” further towards the clip. The carbon fiber handles are better than I imagined. They provide about as much grip as the normal aluminum handles, but there is a pretty key difference: The CF doesn’t get cold. It’s uncanny how neutral the temperature stays whether you’ve just pulled it out of a pocket or let it sit somewhere overnight.
Ergos are spot on for a thin knife. The jimping for the thumb and pointer finger is non-aggressive, and completely unnoticeable until it’s actually used. Blade shape is the reverse-tanto style that Osborne adores so much, making for a stout tip and a long cutting edge. I generally prefer other designs, but I can’t find any faults aside from being a bit thick behind the edge. I’ve always felt the 940/943 would benefit from a hollow grind, but maybe that’s just me. Edge-holding capabilities are on par with M390 for everyday tasks. Any small edge imperfections after use are stropped out with ease (oddly enough).
Overall, I absolutely love this knife. I’m sure many of you can understand the pursuit of “the perfect EDC”, and I may have found my stopping point in knife purchases (for a little while anyways).
Pros:
Timeless design
S90V steel
So light, it almost feels fake
Ergos
Drop-dead sexy looks
Cons:
Painted clip
S90V steel can be fussy if you're not using diamonds
Thick behind the edge
Price, if you can't find it in a store
Pictures!
Much like everyone else that saw the initial announcement of the 940-1, I was giddy, but apprehensive of the price. $310 is a lot for a Benchmade, especially a non-Gold-Class version of a current model, and especially because of hit and miss quality control. Luckily, I was able to get mine for much less than the MAP at my local knife shop, and I had my pick of two examples. Chalk one up for the local business!
Anywho, out of the box, the blade was mostly centered with a slight lean towards the non-clip side. I actually prefer it like that, as using the thumbstud centers the blade when you apply an opening force. The edge was paper-cutting sharp, and could maaaaybe shave hair with force. I would hazard a guess at 25º per side, which is Benchmade standard. The pivot was smooth, but not quite “gravity smooth”, ie: disengaging the Axis lock would not see the blade closing under its own weight. All grinds were pretty much true.
My alterations:
Sharpened to 17º per side at 600 diamond then stropped with compound
Replaced the painted clip with a black split-arrow clip
Polished the bushings
Polished the blade where the bushings reside
Polished the pivot barrel
After the work, the blade will now close under its own weight, the pivot is smoother, and the edge is standard scary with some slight toothiness.
One note on sharpening S90V: It is more difficult than any other steel I’ve dealt with. Reprofiling took twice as long as 154CM, but here’s the kicker: Removing the burr or wire edge is near impossible without a strop. This stuff makes M390 seem like kitchen cutlery.
NOW, comparing the 940-1 to the 943 sees weight being the most obvious in-hand difference aside from the blade shape. Benchmade quptes the weight of the 940-1 to be roughly half an ounce lighter than the aluminum version. The balance point of the 940-1 is right behind the Axis lock, with the 943 balance about ¾” further towards the clip. The carbon fiber handles are better than I imagined. They provide about as much grip as the normal aluminum handles, but there is a pretty key difference: The CF doesn’t get cold. It’s uncanny how neutral the temperature stays whether you’ve just pulled it out of a pocket or let it sit somewhere overnight.
Ergos are spot on for a thin knife. The jimping for the thumb and pointer finger is non-aggressive, and completely unnoticeable until it’s actually used. Blade shape is the reverse-tanto style that Osborne adores so much, making for a stout tip and a long cutting edge. I generally prefer other designs, but I can’t find any faults aside from being a bit thick behind the edge. I’ve always felt the 940/943 would benefit from a hollow grind, but maybe that’s just me. Edge-holding capabilities are on par with M390 for everyday tasks. Any small edge imperfections after use are stropped out with ease (oddly enough).
Overall, I absolutely love this knife. I’m sure many of you can understand the pursuit of “the perfect EDC”, and I may have found my stopping point in knife purchases (for a little while anyways).
Pros:
Timeless design
S90V steel
So light, it almost feels fake
Ergos
Drop-dead sexy looks
Cons:
Painted clip
S90V steel can be fussy if you're not using diamonds
Thick behind the edge
Price, if you can't find it in a store
Pictures!
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