BM 940. What makes it special?

baxtrom

baxtrom

Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
858
Hi guys,
Like the caption reads. It seems this knife pops up here and there in forums and YouTube channels as a folder that all other are measured by. I had a 940 once, unfortunately it was a Volvo šŸ˜€, so I donā€™t have any experience from this knife.

So what does it boil down to?
Combination of steel grade, ergonomics, materials, stability, what have you?
What could you do with a 940, that you couldnā€™t do with say a 50-100$ Buck or cold steel or (because Iā€™m from Sweden) EKA? How would a similarly expensive folder, like a FƤllkniven for example (literally meaning ā€œthe folding knifeā€ btw) hold up against the 940?

(Am I wrong btw, are there other knives that deserve this special place in the book of folders? Some spyderco or what have you.)

cheers /baxtrom
 
I won't hit every point you asked, but I will throw a few thoughts out there.

You could argue that a $50 Buck could do all you'd ever want out of a knife. That would make all knives over $50 ... useless? overpriced? unnecessary? Actually, a $38 Ontario Rat 1 or 2 in D2 could probably do everything you'd need and you'd save $12 over the Buck.
You could make the same argument that a $24,000 Kia or Hyundai vehicle can you from point A to B and back to A, haul a family safely, and get respectable gas mileage. Why pay $80K for a BMW? Why pay for a Porsche? Who realistically needs a car that can go 200 miles per hour or go from 0-60 in 3 seconds?

In a knife (like a car) people like options : blade steel, handle materials, different sizes, style stuff (like flame anodizing titanium, custom pivot screws), etc. S30V is more expensive then D2 or 420HC. Cru-wear steel is more costly then S30V. G10 or micarta cost more then plastic. Titanium costs more then aluminum or stainless steel.

As for the 940, most folks would call it a "classic" knife.
1. Osborne and Pardue are two legends in the knife makers world. BM allowed their designs to be introduced to the masses at affordable prices. This still happens to this day.
2. The axis lock was quite revolutionary when it came out and still is a great lock imo. It works well for a righty or lefty.
3. I believe Osborne "invented" the reverse American tanto. Some argue the spey blade is a "reverse tanto" and I've seen Osbornes design called a reverse American tanto.
4. You can't discount the amount of 940s sold over the years and still sells to this day. Ford Mustangs sell to this day. Not many folks are asking for the Ford Pinto to be brought back.

Someone more knowledgeable about knife history will correct any and all mistakes I made.

I hope this helps some tho...
 
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I have had a 943 for only about a week that I picked up here. So far I would say ergos, lightness of carry, ease of deployment and closing. I prefer the blade shape of the 943, but the benefits of the 940 blade tends towards its robustness. Check out Wranglerstarā€™s review on YouTube. He has had and used his 940 for literally years.
 
940 is a meme knife

Wranglestar made it popular with the prepper set, which is a Very Online culture so if they like a knife it makes it seem like it's the most popular knife since the Endura or Delica or something

It's a decent knife but better suited for smaller hands and narrow pockets, like you see in women's jeans
 
spoonrobot said:
940 is a meme knife

Wranglestar made it popular with the prepper set, which is a Very Online culture so if they like a knife it makes it seem like it's the most popular knife since the Endura or Delica or something

It's a decent knife but better suited for smaller hands and narrow pockets, like you see in women's jeans
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Aha, the axe guy. Yes he seems to be into 940s. Apparently he lost a number of them, my wallet shudders thinking about it
 
I think it's popular because it was "ahead" of its time when it was first released and the design is a utilitarian's dream come true. It has a great blade to handle ratio, flips and carries well with a slender but long handle, the reverse tanto is relatively stout while the whole package is actually pretty light weight. I have no doubt it will continue to go down cutlery history as one of the most iconic designs from BM.
 
Didnā€™t realize that as I didnā€™t start watching until about a month ago. Never been big in YouTube nor prepping. Knives, camping, climbing, etc.

Also, couldnā€™t get past the green aluminum handle on the 940 when I first saw it years ago
 
What makes the knife so special to those who love it is their experience with the knife, which is not for me to discount. It is a good knife originally released at a time when Benchmade was in it's prime. I personally, though I've owned one, was never the the biggest fan myself. For BM's from that era give me a 710 over a 940 all day.
 
I think it gained a lot of popularity because it was so different from the knife trends at the time it was released (debuted at Blade Show 2000) and for a good amount of time after. It's a usable 3.4" blade, but carries slim and weighs only 2.6oz. Compared to the "overbuilt" "tactical" knives that dominated back then, it was in a completely separate class but still capable of performing anything you'd want for an EDC knife.
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
I think it gained a lot of popularity because it was so different from the knife trends at the time it was released (debuted at Blade Show 2000) and for a good amount of time after. It's a usable 3.4" blade, but carries slim and weighs only 2.6oz. Compared to the "overbuilt" "tactical" knives that dominated back then, it was in a completely separate class but still capable of performing anything you'd want for an EDC knife.
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Super interesting, I had no idea it was that old. By the time I got into knives aluminum handles were declining greatly in popularity, with a few notable exceptions. For a long time I always perceived the Griptilian as the go-to knife from Benchmade, 710 for the higher end set. I never warmed up to the 940, just didn't fit my hands and thumb.

Funny how our standards change, the overbuilt knives of the past are so relatively thin compared to modern designs. 4mm bladestock was a brick back then!
 
baxtrom said:
Hi guys,
Like the caption reads. It seems this knife pops up here and there in forums and YouTube channels as a folder that all other are measured by. I had a 940 once, unfortunately it was a Volvo šŸ˜€, so I donā€™t have any experience from this knife.

So what does it boil down to?
Combination of steel grade, ergonomics, materials, stability, what have you?
What could you do with a 940, that you couldnā€™t do with say a 50-100$ Buck or cold steel or (because Iā€™m from Sweden) EKA? How would a similarly expensive folder, like a FƤllkniven for example (literally meaning ā€œthe folding knifeā€ btw) hold up against the 940?

(Am I wrong btw, are there other knives that deserve this special place in the book of folders? Some spyderco or what have you.)

cheers /baxtrom
Click to expand...
The same question can be asked of any expensive knives. I have knives worth hundreds of dollars. The truth is? I could live my life with a $27 Rat 1 and be totally fine.
It's about the passion, here. Knives like those aren't for non-knife people.
 
Itā€™s a lot of knife for the weight, rides well in the pocket for a knife of its size, ergonomic, strong tip and personally, I like the shape of the blade. Too much belly is a turn off for me. I like belly on skinning blades though.
Also, I think it looks cool.
With the 940-1, I can take it to the woods or use it as my dress knife.
 
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Lots of good answers above...I'll just add that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is not any one thing about the 940, it is the package. Easy to carry. easy to hold, practical blade shape, compact design/feel with decent cutting length, etc.

I bought one with the green aluminum handles when they first came out (ATS-34). It was a different style compared to much of what was available. Less tactical. It was unique then and it still is.

One thing I liked about the old ones compared with the new is that the thumb studs were longer - they protruded beyond the handle. Worked better for me.
 
Well I would say its overly thick blade leading to a big fat edge angle and a shorter lifetime due to the short height. While that makes it special, I would say the s30v which is the top of the line most modern super-steel for a knife costing 190 bucks really takes it over the top as my favorite knife. Maybe its the terrible grind it could come with that makes it so special. Its really hard to say.
 
spoonrobot said:
940 is a meme knife

Wranglestar made it popular with the prepper set, which is a Very Online culture so if they like a knife it makes it seem like it's the most popular knife since the Endura or Delica or something

It's a decent knife but better suited for smaller hands and narrow pockets, like you see in women's jeans
Click to expand...

I have absolutely no idea what or whom the hell you're talking about.

I've had my 940D2CF for many years now. Since Sept. 2007, in fact. It was my primary EDC for a long time, and will continue to be again once I get the broken omega spring replaced. I didn't buy it because of some youtubers, and I didn't carry it for so many years because it was trendy. For me it's close to the perfect knife. I like knives that cut through things rather than bind in material or require you to chop through something because the blade is absurdly thick. I don't like a lot of belly in my blade, and the particular reverse tanto of the 940 is almost perfect for me. Carbon fiber is light, strong, and looks and feels cool. The AXIS lock allows me to flip it open and closed easily and quickly with one hand and without putting any fingers in the path of the blade. Autos/flippers/assisted knives can be fun to open, but aren't nearly as practical because of the extra effort to close it. I've never watched a prepper video and I have no idea what my EDC kit or whatever it's called weighs. I've also never seen a BM940 meme. I didn't buy my 940D2CF (or my 940Ti-01) because some douchebag on youtube said it'd be a good addition to my EDC, I bought it because it seemed like nearly the perfect knife for me, and it was.

If you think the 940 is an effeminate knife and unworthy of carry by a manly man, then I'd say you have some self esteem issues that you're trying to compensate for by carrying a beefier knife. I'd rather carry something useful, practical, and satisfies my daily needs than something that doesn't. No offense to people who like and have use for their AD10s, Medfords, Emersons, and the like; I just have no use for knives like that myself. I've done the pocket brick thing. It was impractical and inefficient. Now my largest knife has a whopping 3.5" blade and it feels like a machete to me compared to the others in my rotation.

Calling the 940 a "lesser" knife is absurd, as is insulting those that carry one. For me a larger, thicker knife would be a "lesser" knife because it's less useful to me. I'll stick with my Leeks, Delicas, 940D2CF, and the like. Heck, my most used knife is .185" thick (the entire knife is .185" thick), has a 2.2" long blade, and weighs .62oz. Are you going to talk crap about me for not using a 4" long, 3/8" thick, 9oz pocket brick to open my mail and packages, trim loose threads, shave callouses, break down boxes, or neatly slice off the top of my bag of beef jerky? Or that, despite the ample room in my cargo shorts (no skinny jeans for me), I chose not to carry a knife that requires such large pockets?

Your comments say a lot more about you than it does anybody else.
 
Planterz said:
I have absolutely no idea what or whom the hell you're talking about.

I've had my 940D2CF for many years now. Since Sept. 2007, in fact. It was my primary EDC for a long time, and will continue to be again once I get the broken omega spring replaced. I didn't buy it because of some youtubers, and I didn't carry it for so many years because it was trendy. For me it's close to the perfect knife. I like knives that cut through things rather than bind in material or require you to chop through something because the blade is absurdly thick. I don't like a lot of belly in my blade, and the particular reverse tanto of the 940 is almost perfect for me. Carbon fiber is light, strong, and looks and feels cool. The AXIS lock allows me to flip it open and closed easily and quickly with one hand and without putting any fingers in the path of the blade. Autos/flippers/assisted knives can be fun to open, but aren't nearly as practical because of the extra effort to close it. I've never watched a prepper video and I have no idea what my EDC kit or whatever it's called weighs. I've also never seen a BM940 meme. I didn't buy my 940D2CF (or my 940Ti-01) because some douchebag on youtube said it'd be a good addition to my EDC, I bought it because it seemed like nearly the perfect knife for me, and it was.

If you think the 940 is an effeminate knife and unworthy of carry by a manly man, then I'd say you have some self esteem issues that you're trying to compensate for by carrying a beefier knife. I'd rather carry something useful, practical, and satisfies my daily needs than something that doesn't. No offense to people who like and have use for their AD10s, Medfords, Emersons, and the like; I just have no use for knives like that myself. I've done the pocket brick thing. It was impractical and inefficient. Now my largest knife has a whopping 3.5" blade and it feels like a machete to me compared to the others in my rotation.

Calling the 940 a "lesser" knife is absurd, as is insulting those that carry one. For me a larger, thicker knife would be a "lesser" knife because it's less useful to me. I'll stick with my Leeks, Delicas, 940D2CF, and the like. Heck, my most used knife is .185" thick (the entire knife is .185" thick), has a 2.2" long blade, and weighs .62oz. Are you going to talk crap about me for not using a 4" long, 3/8" thick, 9oz pocket brick to open my mail and packages, trim loose threads, shave callouses, break down boxes, or neatly slice off the top of my bag of beef jerky? Or that, despite the ample room in my cargo shorts (no skinny jeans for me), I chose not to carry a knife that requires such large pockets?

Your comments say a lot more about you than it does anybody else.
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thanks for your feedback, Iā€™m sure spoonrobot didnā€™t intend to insult anyone or start a flame war šŸ˜‰
Iā€™m glad to get everybodyā€™s opinion on the 940. It seems to me it is the upper price range go to knife for many, while the Ontario rats occupy the low to mid price range and the good old SAKs and Opinels rule the low budget realm
 
Planterz said:
I have absolutely no idea what or whom the hell you're talking about.

I've had my 940D2CF for many years now. Since Sept. 2007, in fact. It was my primary EDC for a long time, and will continue to be again once I get the broken omega spring replaced. I didn't buy it because of some youtubers, and I didn't carry it for so many years because it was trendy. For me it's close to the perfect knife. I like knives that cut through things rather than bind in material or require you to chop through something because the blade is absurdly thick. I don't like a lot of belly in my blade, and the particular reverse tanto of the 940 is almost perfect for me. Carbon fiber is light, strong, and looks and feels cool. The AXIS lock allows me to flip it open and closed easily and quickly with one hand and without putting any fingers in the path of the blade. Autos/flippers/assisted knives can be fun to open, but aren't nearly as practical because of the extra effort to close it. I've never watched a prepper video and I have no idea what my EDC kit or whatever it's called weighs. I've also never seen a BM940 meme. I didn't buy my 940D2CF (or my 940Ti-01) because some douchebag on youtube said it'd be a good addition to my EDC, I bought it because it seemed like nearly the perfect knife for me, and it was.

If you think the 940 is an effeminate knife and unworthy of carry by a manly man, then I'd say you have some self esteem issues that you're trying to compensate for by carrying a beefier knife. I'd rather carry something useful, practical, and satisfies my daily needs than something that doesn't. No offense to people who like and have use for their AD10s, Medfords, Emersons, and the like; I just have no use for knives like that myself. I've done the pocket brick thing. It was impractical and inefficient. Now my largest knife has a whopping 3.5" blade and it feels like a machete to me compared to the others in my rotation.

Calling the 940 a "lesser" knife is absurd, as is insulting those that carry one. For me a larger, thicker knife would be a "lesser" knife because it's less useful to me. I'll stick with my Leeks, Delicas, 940D2CF, and the like. Heck, my most used knife is .185" thick (the entire knife is .185" thick), has a 2.2" long blade, and weighs .62oz. Are you going to talk crap about me for not using a 4" long, 3/8" thick, 9oz pocket brick to open my mail and packages, trim loose threads, shave callouses, break down boxes, or neatly slice off the top of my bag of beef jerky? Or that, despite the ample room in my cargo shorts (no skinny jeans for me), I chose not to carry a knife that requires such large pockets?

Your comments say a lot more about you than it does anybody else.
Click to expand...

You should go eat a Snickers.

His post wasn't offensive.
 
spoonrobot said:
940 is a meme knife

Wranglestar made it popular with the prepper set, which is a Very Online culture so if they like a knife it makes it seem like it's the most popular knife since the Endura or Delica or something

It's a decent knife but better suited for smaller hands and narrow pockets, like you see in women's jeans
Click to expand...

As has been said, the 940 has been around a long time. To think that Wranglestar had anything to do with making it popular is wrong. Maybe more popular within a small group of people but it was very popular before wranglestar's youtube existed. Wranglestar didn't start until 2010 and the 940 was around in 2000. While looking up Wranglestar's start date I noticed how many subscribers he has, and I can't believe he's so popular. Good for him, it's not my cup of joe though.

IMO, gazz98 gazz98 hit it pretty well. It's a well made knife with a lot of blade in a small package that is also surprisingly robust. I also agree with others that it was kind of before it's time and was one of the 1st, to my limited knowledge anyway, modern folders that had a great blend of ease of carry, durability, and usability while also looking pretty darn good. I think many would say the cost of it is too high but also that it's about the perfect EDC; it can fill many roles really well.

If you're looking for a cheaper version, I like to call the Kizer begleiter the cheap import version of a 940. Even better is the titanium and carbon fiber versions with the tanto ground blade, hollow ground straight edge with a flat ground tip.

One of these days, I'll get a 940 auto as I think that would be nearly a perfect EDC for me as I've really grown to like the lack of thumbstuds or holes in blades but dislike flippers because of the protrusion when closed. Front flippers are growing on me as well for the clean look, there's just not a lot of options out there.
 
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