Benchmade 940, Emerson horseman, Brous T4 flipper

[deltablade]

I need some advice. My Cold Steel American Lawman or Ultimate Hunter work fine for me, yet I have been reading very positive posts about these more pricey folders, and I really like the design of the Benchmade/Emerson/Brous. My question is would I notice a big difference in performance…lock strength, edge holding, blade opening, handle comfort…between the Benchmade/Emerson?Brous and my Cold Steels?

 

[Joshua J.]

Not particularly.
Over $100 it's usually more about craftsmanship than any practical benefits. My Spyderco Vallotton is a stunning piece, but it won't work any better than an Endura (and maybe worse depending on the job at hand and what blade grind you have).
As far as practical aspects go the point of deminishing returns is very low.

 

[flarp]

Cold Steel's Tri-Ad lock is frequently regarded as one of the strongest locks (at least based on postings around here). Benchmade's Axis lock is no slouch either (here's one of their lab tests on the 940). Emerson's have a really beefy liner lock and a reputation for withstanding hard use. I have no experience with Brous knives.

Cold Steel uses AUS-8 in most (all?) of their folders, and they do a good job with it. That said, the steel itself isn't as wear resistant as the S30V and 154CM you'll find in the 940 and Horseman respectively. Edge retention is going to be better with properly treated S30V and 154CM than with AUS-8.

For opening/closing action, the Axis lock really shines. They are very smooth and easy to operate one-handed. The Emerson also has the wave feature, if you like opening your knives that way.

Handle comfort is a lot more subjective. The Lawman does have a very large handle compared to the others though. Texture-wise, the 940 is smooth anodized aluminum. The G10 texture on the Emerson is somewhat coarse, but not nearly as coarse as the Lawman.

 

[nine78]

I'm a tool guy. I love tools and I think of knives as tools to be used. That being said , the more expensive the blade the more difficult it is for me too use it for anything more than opening boxes. The ZT 801 is a fantastic knife for the money and I do use mine but i also carry a Kershaw skyline as a backup so I don't trash the 801 should the need to cut something nasty arise.

 

[nine78]

My best advise on brands , edge, comfort and whatnot is just to try some and see what works for you. The only thing I've found that I really don't like so far is the Emerson single sided grind. A lot of folks swear by it.

 

[JP Chestnut]

The BM940 is a seriously thin/narrow knife. I have small (really small) hands and I find it a bit hard to hold on to. If I had large or medium hands, I wouldn't have kept it. Besides that, it's a really nice knife (though the aluminum scales have a "nails on the chalkboard" quality for me).