Benchmade 940-1

B

Brobrady

Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Messages
124
I just got my 940-1 and am undecided if I like it. Has anyone else been a little under whelmed?
 
It happend to me when I got my first 940 the blade was to long And plain . At the time I was use to spyderco design blade being different leaf style . So when I got my first 940 I sold it did not like it . I decided to give it a second chance and got one in a trade I EDC it for a few days and like it but it went back into the box . Bought the 940-1 and to me this is benchmade best knife . so yes I did not like the original 940 and I bought it because of all the praise it gets but now that I'm more experience with knives I see why people like the 940 and the 940-1 . Sometime you have to be in the game for a while to understand what others are saying about a knife . At the time I bought the 940 I was maybe six month Into knives so my inexperienced made me think it wasn't worth the money .
 
I have had mine a couple months and has been in pocket ever since. Love the lock and size of it for the usable blade length.
 
I kind of went the other way. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I'm used to carrying 4.5oz + knives with a lot of belly in the blade so I wasn't so sure it would be a keeper. It's quite a nice little change of pace. Not to mention it's a beautiful knife, IMO. Carbon fiber, blue standoffs, and S90V steel...what's not to like, right?
Much like miltmaldo, I didn't dig the 940 at first either but glad I got the 940-1.
 
I've had the same experience with the 940x series as the Sebenza. Have had many of each, trade them off and get them back. The 940-1 is a keeper. Light as a feather, long blade, great steel, axis lock & beautiful. I "think" some of the underwhelming feelings come from cost & the fact that there is little heft. If you think about it, there is a lot of quality in that 2.44oz knife. Not many out there like it.
 
Well said Steve. :thumbup:

Before purchasing my 940-1 I got to handle it at a local knife shop on a couple of occasions so the appreciation of the knife grew on me between the visits. Then the day came were I walked in, hand picked the one I wanted and walked out a very happy customer. :D
 
Ive held one and it felt so weak that I could easily snap it in half if I wanted to. I would never rely on something so thin and flimsy. As for lbs of torque, the axis lock on the 940 models is one of their weakest locks. Check their youtube channel.
 
farokhsidhwa said:
Ive held one and it felt so weak that I could easily snap it in half if I wanted to. I would never rely on something so thin and flimsy. As for lbs of torque, the axis lock on the 940 models is one of their weakest locks. Check their youtube channel.
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I guess that it all depends if you want to cut with it or jump on it.
 
A.P.F. said:
I guess that it all depends if you want to cut with it or jump on it.
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I want to cut with it thanks, but it would probably develop blade play before I had to even sharpen the s90v. Therefore its a flimsy cutter in my opinion. And the fact that I look for a strong knife doesnt mean that I dont cut with it. Furthermore, wanting a strong knife has nothing to do with jumping on it. Nice try though..
 
Thanks for the good responses. I started to carry it today and like how it just disappears in my pocket. I really like how light it is. I disagree with the earlier poster and think the knife is well built.
 
farokhsidhwa said:
I want to cut with it thanks, but it would probably develop blade play before I had to even sharpen the s90v. Therefore its a flimsy cutter in my opinion. And the fact that I look for a strong knife doesnt mean that I dont cut with it. Furthermore, wanting a strong knife has nothing to do with jumping on it. Nice try though..
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Blade play in modern folders is 99% a result of a slipping pivot screw, which can easily be fixed with a Torx bit and some loc-tite. It's the tradeoff we make for ease of maintenance and modifications. Claiming that the 940-1 is a "flimsy cutter" because of a potential issue inherent to all modern folders does a great disservice to a perfectly functional knife.

Now, on the other hand, saying that the 940-1 felt flimsy to you.... that's a perfectly valid opinion.
 
That's more cardboard than I'm ever going to cut! It's nice to see how the knife holds up after that much use. I was thinking the price was to high but when you compare the M4 Para it's not that bad.
 
I think a lot of people talk alot about knives being flimsy, locks possibly failing, steel not being up to snuff ect, and i think 90% of their concerns are not warrented. I use my knives for work every day, i have yet to have any type of lock fail on me other than 10 years ago with a cheap chinese s&w branded liner lock knife (Stabbing into wood like an idiot, ive got the scar to proove it). Folders are NOT meant to be battoned with or spine whacked and to be honest most quality locking folders will never fold on you unless you do something retarded with them. Folders are for cutting and slicing, in that USE the lock will not fail, being there is little to no backwards (ie spine) pressure being excerted on the blade/lock. Blade steel, well i have my own gripes about all these "super steels" if you can sharpen its a non issue. Before i was into higher end knives, i carried chinese s&w knives and a few kershaws made in china, the ABUSE i put those knives through would make most people cringe. To this day even with my Sebenas and higher end spidies i still abuse them and hit the blade on other metal or concrete, sheetrock and other abrasives probably once a week. S90V or 420hc, it doesnt matter they all need to be sharpened after that sort of mishap. The 940-1 is a great lightweight knife with a lock more than adequate for its intended use. If youre prying, buy a prybar. If youre battoning, buy a fixed blade. If youre cutting, buy a folder. Ok end rant haha.
 
I had a couple dozen BM's at one point but I had to sell all my better knives about 10 years ago for financial reasons. I have been very selective in what I have replaced and the only Benchmades have been the 940 and a 531. I find the look and feel of the 940 very attractive and it offers a lot of blade in a thin package that takes minimal pocket space.
 
Good materials, good quality, good weight and functionality. I remember getting my 940 and thinking it was too small and too lite. But it carries like pocket lint, you barely know it's there. I've been strongly considering upgrading to the 940-1 for a couple months, just haven't pulled the trigger yet -- haven't decided if it's worth the extra $$$. I'm sure it'll happen soon enough.
 
I love mine. Purchased it for dress pants carry at work. Great fit and finish on mine; only had to touch up the edge on my KME, which I do on pretty much everything new.
I have no delusions of batoning, prying, etc. with a 2.4oz CF folding knife. A very nice little knife for what it was designed for.
 
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This one is unusual for me. I really like the 940. I also like carbon fiber handles and S90V blades. After buying a 940 I thought it was only natural that I would like the 940-1 even more, based on the better looks and the nicer blade. On paper it was a no-brainer upgrade for me. After buying one and using it for about a month I sold it. For me the balance was odd...it's so feathery light in the handle that it balances blade-heavy in the hand. I have the same issue with Griptilians as well (even worse, they feel like a hollow plastic toy to me). I know that's a nit-pick, a personal preference and generally irrelevant.....but I found that based solely on the way they feel in my hand I prefer to carry the 940 over the 940-1.

All the talk of strength, possibility of lock failure, lbs of torque, snapping in half....all laughable in my opinion. Both the 940 and the 940-1 are more than capable of a lifetime of real world use. If someone was to break one in half the failure would be on the user, not the knife.
 
farokhsidhwa said:
I want to cut with it thanks, but it would probably develop blade play before I had to even sharpen the s90v.
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I seriously doubt it. A buddy showed me his knife the other day when I asked him what he carried. It was a 940 of some variety. The knife looked like it had been well used, so I asked him about it. He's carried it every day for 9 years. He's a fireman and an outdoorsman, so the knife gets used for tough tasks frequently, and has been for 9 years. The lockup is 100% rock solid, just like a brand new knife. I never had anything bad to say about the Axis lock, but after seeing his knife, I've become a strong believer.
 
When i held the 940 i wasnt blown away at first but i liked how it was light weight and the action was very smooth on the 940 i held. After handling it for a few more weeks i appreciated it more than when i originally held it.
 
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