kreole
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 4,148
Picked one of these up recently and figured I'd do a review. I love the 940, and I love M4, so I figured I'd try it out.
First, the obvious differences: It's got a carbon fiber bolster and titanium handle, but the dimensions besides weight are the same.
This edition does not have screw holes all the way through, meaning it looks a little cleaner on one side.
The grooves at the top and bottom have machining marks that aren't polished out like the flats of the handle. This takes away from it being a Gold Class knife in my opinion, something that could have been addressed but was not. Previous Gold models, like the 940Ti-91, had distinct grooves that fit better with a premium model.
The blade is said to have clear coating, but it is blatantly not clear but gray. I'm not a fan of blade coatings, but it does look nice being the same color as all of the handle hardware, including the axis bar--something I didn't notice in pictures but is a nice touch--and even the blade stop bar.
For non-obvious differences, one is the part you pull back on the axis lock along with the thumb studs, which have ridges similar to each other, are more aggressive than my standard 940. I'm not sure if this is due to the coating or a machining difference, but whereas my standard 940 is rather smooth, this one gives much better traction. It could also be that my standard 940 has been carried a lot so has worn down; if anyone has a newer 940, I'd be curious to know the truth of it.
There are gaps between the titanium and carbon fiber portions. I would have hoped they fit together precisely, being as expensive as it is. Functionally it makes no difference--you can't feel them, only see them--but I foresee dirt and pocket lint getting wedged in there over time.
Another machining mistake is about half of the backspacer stands above the titanium portions of the handle, and half is below; everything from the top middle screw towards the pivot stands above. With the standard model, the whole thing is below, which makes it functionally purposeless. This one actually has a purpose because your thumb does catch on it a bit so as to be useful jimping. Perhaps it isn't accidental, but I suspect it is. I couldn't get a good picture of this, but maybe you can tell from the shadows cast between the bumps of the backspacers.
The catalog lists the 940-121 at 3.41 ounces, .51 ounces more than the standard 940. I don't have a scale, but there's no way that is correct. It feels close to the weight of the Spyderco Military, maybe slightly heavier. This weight difference changes the balance entirely. The standard 940 will balance on my first finger, whereas this version balances on the second. The balance point of the standard 940 is at the end of the axis bar cutout of the handle, the side furthest from the pivot, and the balance point of the 940-121 is at the screw.
Conclusion:
Altogether, the 940-121 feels a lot different than the standard edition. It answers some of the criticisms I have seen of the 940; it does not have chalky handles like the aluminum model does, and it is hefty enough to feel like a hard working knife instead of a gentleman's knife.
I think I prefer the balance of this version, though regardless of my preference, each balance point matches the type of knife it is. The balance point is between the first two fingers on the standard model, which makes it very dexterous, very easy to pivot up and down by moving your first and second fingers up and down. This version has the balance point resting on the middle finger. That makes it less dexterous but more secure, better for cuts with strength coming from the arm. You can still pivot it with your first and third fingers, but this is a little slower and perhaps a little less precise.
That added heft matches well to the M4 blade, a tougher steel. Benchmade claims it is hardening it to 62-64, much better than they used to use if it's true, but I haven't had it tested. If it matters to you, it is probably the sharpest knife I've ever received, with is polished but not to a mirror finish, and even the entire length of the blade.
The fit and finish is perfect for all the moving parts. It's smooth like any other axis (once it broke in--the coating made it rough at first) and came with no side to side blade, no adjustments needed. It's the little things that lack the finish a knife in this price range deserves, those mentioned above.
Last, I know a lot of people don't like the green. I didn't really understand using the same color as the standard model. I anodize titanium, though, so didn't really care. I wasn't totally sure what color would go best with the carbon fiber. I decided to try as dark purple as I could get, and I think it came out really nice:
If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.
First, the obvious differences: It's got a carbon fiber bolster and titanium handle, but the dimensions besides weight are the same.
This edition does not have screw holes all the way through, meaning it looks a little cleaner on one side.
The grooves at the top and bottom have machining marks that aren't polished out like the flats of the handle. This takes away from it being a Gold Class knife in my opinion, something that could have been addressed but was not. Previous Gold models, like the 940Ti-91, had distinct grooves that fit better with a premium model.
The blade is said to have clear coating, but it is blatantly not clear but gray. I'm not a fan of blade coatings, but it does look nice being the same color as all of the handle hardware, including the axis bar--something I didn't notice in pictures but is a nice touch--and even the blade stop bar.
For non-obvious differences, one is the part you pull back on the axis lock along with the thumb studs, which have ridges similar to each other, are more aggressive than my standard 940. I'm not sure if this is due to the coating or a machining difference, but whereas my standard 940 is rather smooth, this one gives much better traction. It could also be that my standard 940 has been carried a lot so has worn down; if anyone has a newer 940, I'd be curious to know the truth of it.
There are gaps between the titanium and carbon fiber portions. I would have hoped they fit together precisely, being as expensive as it is. Functionally it makes no difference--you can't feel them, only see them--but I foresee dirt and pocket lint getting wedged in there over time.
Another machining mistake is about half of the backspacer stands above the titanium portions of the handle, and half is below; everything from the top middle screw towards the pivot stands above. With the standard model, the whole thing is below, which makes it functionally purposeless. This one actually has a purpose because your thumb does catch on it a bit so as to be useful jimping. Perhaps it isn't accidental, but I suspect it is. I couldn't get a good picture of this, but maybe you can tell from the shadows cast between the bumps of the backspacers.
The catalog lists the 940-121 at 3.41 ounces, .51 ounces more than the standard 940. I don't have a scale, but there's no way that is correct. It feels close to the weight of the Spyderco Military, maybe slightly heavier. This weight difference changes the balance entirely. The standard 940 will balance on my first finger, whereas this version balances on the second. The balance point of the standard 940 is at the end of the axis bar cutout of the handle, the side furthest from the pivot, and the balance point of the 940-121 is at the screw.
Conclusion:
Altogether, the 940-121 feels a lot different than the standard edition. It answers some of the criticisms I have seen of the 940; it does not have chalky handles like the aluminum model does, and it is hefty enough to feel like a hard working knife instead of a gentleman's knife.
I think I prefer the balance of this version, though regardless of my preference, each balance point matches the type of knife it is. The balance point is between the first two fingers on the standard model, which makes it very dexterous, very easy to pivot up and down by moving your first and second fingers up and down. This version has the balance point resting on the middle finger. That makes it less dexterous but more secure, better for cuts with strength coming from the arm. You can still pivot it with your first and third fingers, but this is a little slower and perhaps a little less precise.
That added heft matches well to the M4 blade, a tougher steel. Benchmade claims it is hardening it to 62-64, much better than they used to use if it's true, but I haven't had it tested. If it matters to you, it is probably the sharpest knife I've ever received, with is polished but not to a mirror finish, and even the entire length of the blade.
The fit and finish is perfect for all the moving parts. It's smooth like any other axis (once it broke in--the coating made it rough at first) and came with no side to side blade, no adjustments needed. It's the little things that lack the finish a knife in this price range deserves, those mentioned above.
Last, I know a lot of people don't like the green. I didn't really understand using the same color as the standard model. I anodize titanium, though, so didn't really care. I wasn't totally sure what color would go best with the carbon fiber. I decided to try as dark purple as I could get, and I think it came out really nice:
If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.
