Best for EDC Usage - Benchmade 940 vs. Spyderco Sage-1

kgnikon said:
Gotta love this sort of thread--especially that these two knives are in my top 5 under the $200 mark. Will share some of my thoughts later today. I LOVE BF!
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Yes, please do. I love you hear your opinion. In a couple of days, I should have this pre-owned 940 that I purchased. I've never seen or held a Sage-1, but it's been on my "next to purchase" list, ever since getting the Chaparral. The Chaparral is labeled as the little brother to the Sage-1. I then learned about the 940 and fell in love with the blade looks and profile, although I could do without the green aluminum scales and that purple Ti backspacer. That being said, I've always favored the Axis Lock over everything else. My 2nd favorite in the liner lock (which the Sage-1 has and what I read, it's a pretty damn good implementation as well).
 
The 940 is nice, but I sold mine and kept my Sage 1. The Sage has better ergos and slices better IMHO. Yeah the 940 offers more blade length in a slimmer package, but the blade has very little belly and doesn't come with a great edge. The CF on the Sage is way more appealing than the Benchmade. Bottom line was I always reached for a Spyderco and never for my 940. There are plenty of great Spyderco's in the 3.5" blade legth, btw.
 
timberweasel said:
Both are excellent EDC folders. I think the Sage is the better slicer, but the 940 is more robust for general use. I suggest handling each if possible and choose the one that feels best to you.

If you ask which I personally prefer, I'd say the 940. Not because it's a better knife, but because it is one of my favourite designs Benchmade offers and I'm more of a Spyderco guy at heart... if that makes any sense at all (:o.) Spyderco offers more models I prefer to the Sage, but when it comes to Benchmade, I like the 940 and the 707 best.

*Note: if you decide on the 940, don't be discouraged if the edge isn't up to snuff or the pivot needs adjusting. With a little effort, it's still one helluva knife. The Sage is good to go right out of the box.

Good luck, OP! :)

-Brett
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Funny you mention this. I just received a pre-owned 940 (for a price that I couldn't pass-up) and found both the sharpness and the pivot (which continues to loosen by itself) to be an issue.
 
this_is_nascar said:
Funny you mention this. I just received a pre-owned 940 (for a price that I couldn't pass-up) and found both the sharpness and the pivot (which continues to loosen by itself) to be an issue.
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Is it your first BM? They seem to have one single point where the pvot is adjusted correctly, a few drops of blue loctite will take care of that problem. Loctite it, tighten it all the way down then slowly loosen it till its perfect.
 
Nikkogi said:
They are both excellent choices. I've had about 5 940's and always end up flipping them. In my opinion, I'd go with the Sage. For me, the ergonomics are better and the choil is a very nice addition. Are you considering the Sage 2? It's a little more than the Sage 1 but much nicer in my view.
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zl1 said:
I've only held a 940,but it was too tiny in my hand
I love the Sage 1 however. That's probably because it's a bit more hand filling.
Had a Sage 2, hated it, but love the Sage 1.
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I looked at the Sage-2, for only the amount of time it took me to find out it was a frame-lock. I don't know why, but I hate frame-lock knives. As previously mentioned, I did land a pre-owned 940, not because I choose the 940 over the Sage-1, but because of the timing and because I got such a good deal on the 940. I am still considering a Sage-1, but then I run into the issue of "I already own a Chaparral, so does the Sage-1 really give me anything more than what I have now?" I believe the Sage-1 will fill my hand more than the Chaparral, but the cutting surface is damn near the same. I also recall the blade stock being thicker (thus stronger) than the Chaparral.
 
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Nikkogi said:
They are both excellent choices. I've had about 5 940's and always end up flipping them. In my opinion, I'd go with the Sage. For me, the ergonomics are better and the choil is a very nice addition. Are you considering the Sage 2? It's a little more than the Sage 1 but much nicer in my view.
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zl1 said:
I've only held a 940,but it was too tiny in my hand
I love the Sage 1 however. That's probably because it's a bit more hand filling.
Had a Sage 2, hated it, but love the Sage 1.
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Cereal_killer said:
Is it your first BM? They seem to have one single point where the pvot is adjusted correctly, a few drops of blue loctite will take care of that problem. Loctite it, tighten it all the way down then slowly loosen it till its perfect.
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My only other BM is my 556 Mini Grip, that's probably over 10-years old. It's never needed a pivot adjustment or Loctite to be used. I understand this is a pretty simple fix for the 940, so I'm not sweating it that much.
 
SpydieHole said:
The 940 is nice, but I sold mine and kept my Sage 1. The Sage has better ergos and slices better IMHO. Yeah the 940 offers more blade length in a slimmer package, but the blade has very little belly and doesn't come with a great edge. The CF on the Sage is way more appealing than the Benchmade. Bottom line was I always reached for a Spyderco and never for my 940. There are plenty of great Spyderco's in the 3.5" blade legth, btw.
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Based on pure looks, I agree, the CF appeals more to me. Does anyone know why the 940 doesn't sharpen to the point that other knives do? I continue to read that getting a great edge on the 940 is a known problem. Being new to the hobby, I don't understand the physics of why. Can someone explain?
 
kgnikon said:
Gotta love this sort of thread--especially that these two knives are in my top 5 under the $200 mark. Will share some of my thoughts later today. I LOVE BF!
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Not sure if I missed it or not, but I'm still awaiting your additional thoughts on this. Thanks.
 
this_is_nascar said:
I looked at the Sage-2, for only the amount of time it took me to find out it was a liner-lock. I don't know why, but I hate liner-lock knives...
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The Sage 1 is a liner lock, the Sage 2 is a frame lock (which is the common name for the R.I.L.-Reeve Integral lock). I didn't like them for a long time, I has a few steel lock R.I.L.'s but just recently I got my first experience with a Titanium R.I.L. and couldn't believe how much I loved it, it just felt right where as the steel ones were lackluster. Now I own one (a Domino) and have several more on my list.
 
Cereal_killer said:
The Sage 1 is a liner lock, the Sage 2 is a frame lock (which is the common name for the R.I.L.-Reeve Integral lock). I didn't like them for a long time, I has a few steel lock R.I.L.'s but just recently I got my first experience with a Titanium R.I.L. and couldn't believe how much I loved it, it just felt right where as the steel ones were lackluster. Now I own one (a Domino) and have several more on my list.
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Thanks. A senior moment. I meant to say frame-lock on the Sage-2, which I don't like at all.
 
Everything said about the 940 is spot on. Narrow but long, scary sharp and has held it's egde well.
 
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