BM 940vs BM 710 vs HK 14205

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Jan 4, 2008
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Hey there everybody, looking to pick up a new knife and i was just wondering what your opinions were on these three in relation to each other. Also if anybody has any pics of any of these that would be awesome. Thanks!
 
I favor the 710, since it is a classic IMO. It is the folding knife I've come to compare others to. However, many people are "recurve challenged" when it comes to sharpening and the grind is "old school" - I'd like to see a flat ground version.

Never really took a liking to the 940. The "reverse tanto" is not my favorite blade shape for a pocket knife as I prefer a pointier tip. I do like the 941/943 blade shapes. In the end, I bought neither as I am not overly partial to all metal handles either (automatics being an exception).

The 14205 has gotten good reviews. The blade shape, again, isn't one of my favorites for a pocket knife.

(EDIT: confused my model numbers)
 
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I've got a 710HSSR, 940S (and a 941), but no 14205 (though if I could go back and do it again, I'd probably get one over the 420 that I have).

The 710 is an excellent knife that carries incredibly well for a knife of its size (nearly four inch blade). I tend not to like recurve that much, so of these three knives, I'm not sure the 710 would be my pick, but whether or not you like recurve is up to you. (I will say, though, that serrations on a recurve make the serrations much more useful; not sure if you want a combo edge, though.) Oh, and I should also mention that the geometry of the 710's blade is fantastic: this knife sails through materials extremely well, even when it's long past the time that the knife should be sharpened.

The 940 (like the 710, but more so) carries extremely well for its size. It's nice and lightweight, but still gives you a full, normal sized blade to work with. The reverse tanto can take some getting used to aesthetically, but functionally it's every bit as good as any other blade shape. Also, the 94x series from Benchmade are among the smoothest and easy to open/close knives that I've handled.

As for the 14205, it's probably the toughest of these three knives, so if you give your knives a beating, this is probably the one I'd recommend. The blade is much thicker than the other two, which gives it strength, but this could hinder your cutting, depending on your use. Also, if you have normal-sized hands, the 14205 might feel more natural and be easier to open and close than the 710.

Of these three knives, I'd personally opt for the 940 if I could only have one. If I were harder on my knives, I might go for one of the others, but the 940 carries so well and is such a pleasure to use that it would have to be my pick. (Plus I personally find the 940 to look a lot more classy than the other two knives here somehow.)
 
940 is the ultimate edc knife.
710 is hella big and I imagine the HK is too.
 
I'd get the 14205. I have a 710, it's a great knife, but I've grown to appreciate different handle designs more (and I'm getting tired of re-curves). I bought a 14255 because of it's use of handle and blade length, giving you the maximum amount of handle to grip and the maximum amount of edge length. It also has a very long thumb ramp, which I greatly appreciate. In hindsight I wish I'd got the 14205. As nice as the tanto tip is, well, I'm getting tired of re-curves.
 
I have owned them all but sold the 14205 because it was too lumpy.

The 710 is great, but a little large for day to day use. I carry Osbornes a lot.
 
940: http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=940

710: http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=710

14205: http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=14205

FYI: http://www.benchmade.com/products/holiday_promo.aspx Through Benchmade free HK 14300S with a $125 purchase.... just found that one

Just got the 940 (154CM though, SV30 would have been sooo much better) for Christmas...I had been wanting an Axis lock for the longest time.... so I cant say which is the best, as Im now biased ;)
 
I only have the 943 and 710D2BK but between those two its a hard choice. They are two different classes of knife. Big and little. It really depends on your carry and what size you feel comfortable with. I personally like to carry both. I like having options and the 943 is easier on other peoples nerves when I use in public. My 710's blade is a little more scuffed up now. Looks great.

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Looking at my pics, the size difference is a great... But they feel so different in the hand.
 
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