Help me decide on a pulpit knife: BM 940 or Spyderco Caly 3.5 Zdp-189 or Sog Facet

T

The Preacher

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Alright...I am felling the itch for yet another knife. 1st option: I have always loved osbourne designs and feel pulled toward a Benchmade 940. Love the blade shape, axis lock and pocketability. The only draw back for me is the aluminum handles and chipping. I am not hard on my knives anyways but it is a concern. I would make a titanium low ride clip for it and maybe eventually some carbon fiber scales or g-10. Would prefer to get a knife I dont't feel the need to customize too much. 2nd option: Caly 3.5 Zdp-189 carbon fiber version. For some reason that big leaf has some appeal and it has some classiness for the pulpit (I am a Preacher in real life). ;) I would also not worry about showing wear as much due to the CF handles. Drawback for me is the lock...I prefer the axis lock and I also have more spydercos then anything else right now. Used to only buy benchmade. 3rd option: The Sog facet has caught my eye as a dress knife and not so much a user. It is the most unique and different of the three for me. Good materials and class. Drawback is the blade shape. Not my usual style. I have found all three around the same price range. Let me know what you guys would choose. Any other recommendations would be appreciated as well. Thanks!
 
I think worrying about the aluminum handles chipping is an incorrect perception. I've never seen a post on chipped aluminum handles, but there are posts on CF chipping when dropped and such, so that would put the 940 ahead of the Caly 3.5 in that regard.

If you want any pics in particular of those two next to each other, let me know because I have both sitting at my desk right now. They're two of my favorites, and neither is a bad choice (not that that helps with your decision :p).
 
Thanks for the reply. Always up for some pics! So...does the aluminum scratch easy? Since you have both...which would you choose if you could only keep one?
 
Buy all three and mail me the 2 you like the least ;)

Really though I would go for the Caly, but maybe not the CF.

Personal opinion.
 
Oof, hard question because I'd take either over most other knives. I guess I'd go with the Caly 3.5. The 940 gets categorized as a light use knife because of its size and aluminum handles, but really I think it's a compact harder duty knife. It is 3mm stock with a short saber grind that keeps it thicker towards the edge, and it keeps its thickness very close to the tip, altogether making it robust:

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The Caly 3.5 in comparison is much less of a tank and a better cutter (relatively--the 940 is still very nice). If I was looking for a knife that might see harder use, I'd go with the 940, but since I don't, the Caly 3.5 wins. ZDP189 I also prefer to S30v, but it doesn't win the competition on its own.

As far as the aluminum finish, I've had mine a few years now, and it still looks pretty good. It's scraped down to the aluminum at the butt, at the bottom of the handle, at the front end where I hit it with a sharpening stone (idiotically, when it was brand new), and there is some scuffing on the middle ridge (not down to the aluminum, and I couldn't get a picture of it). Certainly the carbon fiber will keep its look better over time, but the aluminum doesn't do poorly:

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(clip looks new because it is--had to send it in for a replacement axis spring, and they gave me a new clip)
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Some more pics:

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Wow..it sure helps seeing those side by side! Thank you for your insight. I'll let you know what I decide. I think I just like the overall look of the 940 better is why I'm going back and forth but I know the Caly fits application wise a little better. Is the Caly a smooth opener? Never handled one.
 
The Preacher said:
Wow..it sure helps seeing those side by side! Thank you for your insight. I'll let you know what I decide. I think I just like the overall look of the 940 better is why I'm going back and forth but I know the Caly fits application wise a little better. Is the Caly a smooth opener? Never handled one.
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It's smooth but not in a friction-free way, if you know what I mean, whereas the 940 is the most friction-free knife I have without bearings, better than my other axis lock knives even. I have all three versions of the Caly 3.5 (Vg10,Super Blue,ZDP189), and the ZDP189 is the smoothest and broke in quickest (very quickly), which I assume because the outer layer is softer steel.

The 940 does have a nice look. There are too few folders short spine to edge and long butt to tip.
 
I was just thinking about it some more--I hate to be that guy who comes in to a "Should I buy knifeX or knifeY" and suggests knifeZ, but the Al Mar Falcon or Eagle might be something to consider. The design is nearly the cross product of the 940 and Caly. Here's the Eagle next to them (the Falcon has a shorter blade by about an inch so is probably a better comparison, but I don't have one):

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It's like a Caly squished shorter to be more like the 940, with the handle shape of a 940, back lock from the Caly, thumb stud from the 940, thinner blade like the Caly, no choil like the 940, pinned like the Caly.
 
I vote for the 940, although both are great knives. I say the 940 for a couple of reasons. First, I LOVE the axis lock. Secondly, it's slimmer so it takes up less room in my pocket. I actually have a 942 which is an older version of the 940. I've had it for about 15 years and I love it. The aluminum has scratched, but never chipped. I actually like the scratched worn look it has. It gives it character.
 
The Preacher said:
Or I'm also tossing around a BM 710 in M390
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I have a 710-2 in m390. I bought it last December and it has dominated the pocket time. If you want one act soon. In October it will change to silver twill g10 w a black M4 blade. BM is stopping its M390 use for the moment :(
 
Got a 940 a month ago and I can't keep it out of my pocket. It kick my para 2 out of my pocket. The handles have been holding up great on wear. Highly recommend this knife
 
The Preacher said:
Or I'm also tossing around a BM 710 in M390
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As if it wasn't obvious before, I like your taste :D. The Caly 3.5 and BM 940 are two of my favorites, but the 710 (only have it in M390) is my absolute favorite.

The 710 is about a 50% increase in weight over the 940. You really don't get much more edge, but there's a lot more handle in every direction but thickness. It noticeably feels bigger in the hand.

Sorry about the quality.

lined up by the start of their edge
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Again if you want anything photo'd in particular, let me know.
 
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