BM 940-2 feels cheap...

[Petunia D. Feeble]

The handle bugs me. Particularly the flat down the middle of the scales. If there were some texture of some sort; some fluted milling or a radius it might feel more premium. The orange Spyderco Positron has the same sort of slippery g10, but it's contoured. It feels more expensive than it is in-hand. Whereas the Benchmade feels cheaper.

Like the OP, I prefer the aluminum variety. I wish they'd do a 943 in a funky color scheme.

 

[Mo2]

I agree with the statement that lighter isn't better, I can't for the life of me understand why people are so into the BM Bugout, scales you can squish together, so light that a gust of wind is gonna push it off a camping table. Maybe as a backup backup backup knife, but everything else, nah, I like to have confidence in my tools and I would always feel like it'll break into a million pieces if I just ask the knife "Can we please open this box Bugout?"

Different tools for different jobs.

 

[GB940Rookie]

I have quite a bit of confidence in both my super light 940-1 and my super heavy 940.
The -1 is my favorite.

 

[skyhorse]

Since the OP likes the 940-1, maybe it's time to check out the GB2 .

 

[Mick_1KRR]

I prefer the original alloy scales, they hold up perfectly, i've seen some that have been hammered for years and still look great with age. The 940 is a MUCH more durable knife than it's slim profile would have you think. It really is a little big knife.

 

[b00n]

Different tools for different jobs.

For sure, I am not knocking anybody for liking them, just not for me. I can see the sense to carry something light in some situations. But since I wear overall pants, carry a couple of hand tools already in those pants, a 4,5,6,7 ounce knife makes virtually no difference to me so shaving 1, 2, 3 ounces off and carrying something that feels plastic-y to me personally seems like a trade off I rather not make. But yeah, when it comes down to it, it's good to have options and there is something for everybody. We should focus on the fact that we all like knives and stop trying to convert people to "our" style of knives, same with the car community, a JDM guy should be able to hang out with the MOPAR guys, since they are all in it because they love cars, styles are as different as opinions, focus on what connects you.

 

[BubbaGump]

I think the corollary is true as well--when people handle an overbuilt and heavy folder, they think high quality. IMO it's just psychological. Quality is determined by fit, finish, materials, etc..not weight...

 

[Hackenslash]

The handle bugs me. Particularly the flat down the middle of the scales. If there were some texture of some sort; some fluted milling or a radius it might feel more premium. The orange Spyderco Positron has the same sort of slippery g10, but it's contoured. It feels more expensive than it is in-hand. Whereas the Benchmade feels cheaper.

Like the OP, I prefer the aluminum variety. I wish they'd do a 943 in a funky color scheme.

I think this gets at the gist of the difference. It's not so much a difference in weight but a difference in contact with your hand. I've had a 940-1, 940-2 and a 943. I still have the first and the third and find myself reaching for the vanilla 943 most often. It's not blade shape or weight, it's that the standard 940/943 handle scales have a nice "friction" with the hand. The CF and G10 on these models tends to be rather smooth and slick. The aluminum has a grippiness to it.

That being said, we had some unseasonably cold weather at the house a couple of weeks ago and the aluminum handle wasn't that great to work with.

 

[whp]

I own a 940-2 and agree it feels cheep for a $170 knife (if that makes sense). It doesn’t have to do with weight necessarily, so maybe ‘feel’ is not the right word. I must say, however, It’s still a stellar design for unobtrusive EDC and it goes in my pocket frequently.

That s another way of saying a pretty nice knife seems overpriced. I feel that way about a lot of Benchmades these days. And they used to be one of my two favorite knife brands.