BM 940 vs Sage CF?

mlanghornes

mlanghornes

Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
798
Which do you like better for general edc utility carry and why? Have you used either of them for serious work? What alternatives to these two would you suggest for general edc work in the $90-160 range? Sorry for the load of questions, but I'm trying to find my Grail knife, and can use all the help I can get :)
 
Although I don't have a a CF Sage - I have a titanium one - I find that both are rather nice. There are distinct differences however.

The Sage has a FFG blade, which is shorter (2 5/8's inch) and much broader. It is also slightly heavier at 3.2 ounces. If you prefer a choiled knife with usable jimping, I'd go with the Sage.

The 940 has a longer saber-ground blade (3.4 inches) which is not nearly as broad as the Sage. Weight-wise it is slightly lighter at 2.92 ounces. The jimping is purely cosmetic on the 940.

Between the two ergonomics-wise, I'd say it is a toss up. I like the way the Sage feels in the hand, but personally I feel that the 940 fits my hands better. Sure, my thumb doesn't really have a space on the handle, but it feels great placed against the flat spot on the blade above the thumbstud. My hands are medium-to-large sized.

The cutting performance of the Sage will be marginally better due to the flat grind. But I'd trust the tip of the 940 much more for any kind of light prying or abuse. Between the two I've found BM's heat treat of the S30V to be a bit better than Spyderco's.

But that's just me, I'm sure others will feel the opposite way.

Both knives will stand up to any reasonable use. Both are suited for light or medium use, which is all I expect for an EDC. If you plan on prying, abusing, or using your knife "hard" I would suggest an ESEE Izula.

Also, what is "serious work"? I'm not sure that I've ever used my knife for non-serious work...
 
I have both. The Sage CF feels nicer in the hand than that "chalky" feeling of the 940. The axis lock of the 940 might be heavier duty than the (perfectly aligned) liner lock of the Sage but for normal use it shouldn't make a difference.
I have a preference for the Sage 1, for the way it feels in the hand, and it is a great slicer as well.
I would actually suggest the Caly 3 ZDP as an alternative: it looks a lot like the Sage but it is thinner than the Sage and the backlock is heavier duty than a liner lock, and the ZDP steel is peerless.
For a bit more blade length and thus a most versatile knife, also do check the Stretch 2 CF/ZDP. One of the all time best Spydercos.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Also, what is "serious work"? I'm not sure that I've ever used my knife for non-serious work...
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I'm referring to work above and beyond what an edc knife usually does, e.g. wilderness or bushcraft use, cutting loads of cardboard or drywall, etc. I'm not referring to what I consider unreasonable tasks, like batonning, prying, chopping, etc.

Thanks for the good inputs so far.
 
I have the 943 and the Sage. I think the 940/943 is the looker of the two. But I carry the Sage 1 much more than the 943. The FFG and the textured CF scales work better for me.
 
mlanghornes said:
I'm referring to work above and beyond what an edc knife usually does, e.g. wilderness or bushcraft use, cutting loads of cardboard or drywall, etc. I'm not referring to what I consider unreasonable tasks, like batonning, prying, chopping, etc.
Click to expand...

If that's the case then I'm sure that either will serve you just fine, though with your price range I'd probably go for the Sage II over the Sage I. I would think that the titanium framelock would be stronger than the linerlock.

Once thing that is nice is how easy it is to clean out a framelock compared to nearly every other locking system. It is also less prone to failure--I've had two omega springs break on me so far. Which isn't a criticism of the mechanism itself, both my 940 and 943 locked up solidly even with only one spring.

I love the Axis-lock, it is very strong and reliable (even with a broken spring).

But BM won't send you omega springs to fix it for yourself.
 
That's a tough call. Both are great. I own the 940 and I handled the ti Sage
in a passaround for a week. They are different in their feel/build. I think
the Sage would probably be the better EDC due to it's ergonomics and full
flat ground blade. I love the 940, but the blade profile is not what I prefer
for most cutting tasks. FFG is the way to go for an EDC in my opinion.
 
I have them both and have kept them 'cause they are different to me. It's trite, but they are both keepers and both representative of Benchmade vs. Spyderco:

Benchmade 940:

  • Boxy aluminum handles
  • Smooth axis lock
  • Shallower blade, thicker point
  • More of a gentleman's folder look
  • Thumb studs

Spyderco Sage

  • Wide, flat, carbon fiber handles
  • Liner lock
  • Spyderhole
  • Wide blade - better slicer, but weaker tip
  • Spyderco is active on the forum here
 
I dont own the Sage 1 but I do own the Sage 2 and I can honestly say it has an amazingly comfortable and ergonomic handle thats perfectly suited for edcing and heavy use. I would say CF is a better overall handle material than the aluminum scales but I guess that's preference. Cant really comment much on the 940 since I've never handled one but I definitly recommend the Sage series in general for superb ergos and great slicing/cutting ability.
 
I own the Sage 1 and I owned the 940.

I liked the 940, but didn't love it.
-Axis Lock
-chalky feeling handle
-Blade to handle ratio is GREAT [more blade]
-Cuts great, but doesn't slice like the Sage
-Thumb studs work well, but Spyder Hole is easier
-Ergos are good, feels like a knife
-edge held up well, but never as sharp as my Sage [could change that yourself]

Sage 1
-Walker Liner Lock
-Shorter blade
-SUPER ergonomic, extension of the hand
-Choil with real jimping
-thumb ramp with real jimping
-FFG blade that just slices all day
-s30v on the spydies has held up great
-Prefer the Wire Clip
-Carbon Fiber is a nice touch and is textured

For me? +1 Sage
 
I would buy the 940 if it was me in this situation. It's one of the best mid-range production knives available today imho. It's definitely one of the smoothest knives you'll ever buy.
I say :thumbup: go for it.
 
Mmmm...having had a Sage 2 for about 6 mos, I think it's great for day-to-day EDC (boxes, cheeze-n-crackers, etc.) but I don't think it's all that comfortable for bushcraft chores or any extended cutting tasks. It's just a little too small and thin IMHO......a small to med. fixed blade would feel a lot better if you need to go "hard use". Just my 2 cents.
 
macmiddlebrooks said:
Mmmm...having had a Sage 2 for about 6 mos, I think it's great for day-to-day EDC (boxes, cheeze-n-crackers, etc.) but I don't think it's all that comfortable for bushcraft chores or any extended cutting tasks. It's just a little too small and thin IMHO......a small to med. fixed blade would feel a lot better if you need to go "hard use". Just my 2 cents.
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See, I don't really "need" this knife to perform strenuous tasks, cause I have an izula, I'm just wondering if either could, if they had to for some reason. The consensus seems to favor the sage so far. My only concern with the sage is the handle size. I really want a four finger knife: the tenacious and the delica are four finger knives. The persistence, though, is just barely there, and I know they're about the same size. Can anyone comment to this?
 
The BM 940 is a classic "must have" for BManiacs. I had 2 but sold the older one. The chalkiness wears off if your really EDC it and use it. Like the member above mentioned, a mild scrubbing with dishsoap, maybe a light one of Comet and that's settled. I like the chalkiness, it's more grippy.

Blade to handle is almost 1:1 with a 3.4" blade. Thick and strong for this little mug. Sharp as hell despite the steep factory grind.

Hard use? Any folder can be used harder than you think if you're careful.

Here's an Ontario Rat 1, taller all around but about the same size blade length, heavy as a tank and what I'd consider an inferior locking mechanism.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8545766&postcount=63
 
Neither really appeals to me thanks to metal handles on the 940 (slippery and cold) and the handed lock (I'm left handed) on the Sage.

If I were forced to choose I'd take the Sage, as I prefer a smaller knife, like the handle material more and can operate a liner lock without too much trouble.
 
wongKI said:
Neither really appeals to me thanks to metal handles on the 940 (slippery and cold) and the handed lock (I'm left handed) on the Sage.

If I were forced to choose I'd take the Sage, as I prefer a smaller knife, like the handle material more and can operate a liner lock without too much trouble.
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I'm left handed and I have found the Sage II easier to manipulate with my left hand than any right handed linerlock I have every held.

Any of the Sage series knives, or really any knife with a similar choil design, is going to have part of the handle composed of metal. I think one would be hard-pressed to find a folder where the thumb jimping isn't on the spine of the blade.

Of the two, the 94x series is actually smaller than the Sage in terms of volume. Closed, the Sage is only a tiny bit shorter than a closed 94x while being much broader. I'd estimate that the Sage is around 1.7 times the volume of a 94x. As it has a much shorter, broader - and FFG - blade it takes up more space in the pocket than the "middle finger sized" 94x.
 
mlanghornes said:
See, I don't really "need" this knife to perform strenuous tasks, cause I have an izula, I'm just wondering if either could, if they had to for some reason. The consensus seems to favor the sage so far. My only concern with the sage is the handle size. I really want a four finger knife: the tenacious and the delica are four finger knives. The persistence, though, is just barely there, and I know they're about the same size. Can anyone comment to this?
Click to expand...

The Sage has a bigger handle than the Peristence and is pretty close in handle length to the Tenacious. If you can get a decent 4 finger grip on the Tenacious then I'm almost 100% positive you can get a nice 4 finger grip on the Sage as well.
 
I have the Sage1 and 2. For me, the Sage1 carbon fiber is my grail pocket folder. It is a 4 finger knife for me even when not using the choil. The carbon fiber weave is just perfection and provides a nice feel as well as good pocket retention without tearing up your pocket.
 
I'm a huge Spyderco fan but my vote goes for the 940. Axis over liner lock, plus more blade in a slimmer package.
 
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