BM 930 vs BM 960

[jfindon]

I want a new knife and I'm unsure between these two. I was going to go for the Kulgera, but after looking at the 960 again I fell in love all over. I don't like how the liners stick out of the Kulgera but that wouldn't really stop me from buying it, so all things considered, is the quality between the two the same? Sizes are similar and the steel is different, but I'm not going to use it hard enough to notice a difference between D2 and S30V.

 

[elmora2]

If your main deciding criterion is quality, then it'll be a toss-up, as these should be equals (barring rare factory defects; both models would be susceptible to this). It's been a while since I handled either of these, but the main difference between them is size. The Kuglera fits the hand with room to spare, letting you choke up on the blade if you want, or back down the handle. The 960, however, is noticeably smaller, and although you'll probably get all four fingers on the handle, it won't be as "roomy".

For me, I think the Kuglera is a slightly better size (and I'm a fan of S30V over D2 for corrosion resistance). But in terms of aesthetics, I definitely like the 960 a fair bit more.

 

[Planterz]

The 960 is quite a bit smaller than the 930. In my hands, the 960 was small and difficult to hold comfortably, and I don't have particularly big hands either (the 705 is too small in my hands too). IMO, the 930 is a knife of better materials. The aluminum handles on the 960 are only level 2 anodizing (as opposed to HAIII hard anodizing), so they'll show wear if you chose to use the knife in the real world. The 930 will definitely hold up better cosmetically. I had a 930, and it truly is a beautiful knife to look at, but like you mentioned, the exposed bits of the liners are a bit awkward and can be uncomfortable. It was also thicker than I liked, and I felt the lock was more difficult to engage than other AXIS lock knives I own and have owned. I eventually sold it, preferring my 940D2CF.

However, if I had to chose between a regular 94X, a 960, and a 930, I would chose the 930 based on handle material alone. I'm simply not a fan of level 2 anodized aluminum on a working knife.

 

[ExMachina]

personally, i don't like the looks of the 960...

reminded me of another cutting tool:

 

[J.Mattson]

I’ve got a 960, and it does see a fair amount of use and pocket carry as part of my edc rotation. Call it one week of use every other month. When it is in pocket its in there with keys and such. The knife though still looks great.

Its one of the smoothest bechmades I’ve ever had. The axis lock is always fast but the 960 for some reason is just faster.

I have had some staining on the blade but that’s easily explained by the stuff I cut. A lot of food prep, mostly the stuff that I’d use to force a patina so I don’t really hold that against the steel.

When I bought the 960 I looked at most of the other Benchmade knives around this price range and got the 960. Mostly because it was just what I needed, a thin, classy, practical knife that not only works well but looks good.

Take it for what’s it worth, I don’t own a 930 but I wouldn’t trade my 960.

 

[Dag-nabit]

As stated I'm sure neither knife will disappoint.

I purchased the 930 because I like the look of spear point blades. Overall fit and finish is great and the blade deployment is smooth as silk.

I share your concern when I see exposed liners, always wondering if they will dig in and be uncomfortable. I took a chance and bought on line, sight unseen, fortunately I find the 930 very comfortable in the hand and no concern with the exposed liners being uncomfortable.

Based on hand size etc. others may report differing opinions, but personally I'm extremely pleased with this knife

Kevin

 

[walleyeguy7]

i very much like my 930 but the grind is just a tad bit steep imo. only downside for me, besides the g10 being non-textured. the 960 is a totally different animal. d2 steel, metal scales and a framelock if im not mistaken? that comes down to preference. however, the major diference between the two is that the 930 is a pretty big knife and the 960 is a itty bitty knife. both are very classy, the 930 has a nice touch in its matching gray-chrome components, the thumbstud, axis lever, liners, and mosaic-ish pins. so take your pick

edit: btw, the exposed liners are not uncomfortable at all for my medium-large sized, fatty hands. this should not even be a concern, its purely cosmetic

 

[jfindon]

960 is Axis lock also.

Thanks for the opinions guys, I'm still not quite sure. I was also looking at the Kershaw Shallot because I love anything Damascus. I already have a Damascus Leek and the Shallot isn't really expensive either. I also have a 710 so I'm used to fairly large folders.

I wish I could find the 960 and 930 in a store so I could hold them, but no one around me carries decent knives. The only store I saw with BM knives was an Army/Navy store but they only had Griptilians.

You could recommend me something else that is Damascus if you want, I have a hard time finding affordable knives with it. I know MCusta makes them too but I don't really like the look of any of them. Didn't BM have a Gold Class 806 with Damascus? That thing was gorgeous, wish I could warrant a knife that expensive.


EDIT: Is it true they're bringing the 806 back?

With regards to the 806...the product is in development and will be brought to market in the coming months. Details are still TBD. We thank you for your continued patience. Regarding the accidental deletion of the original thread, this was a software glitch, plain and simple. We're sure you’d agree that we'd be fools to intentionally delete a topic that captivated so many participants on the forum.

http://benchmadeforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/638106573/m/448103721/p/4