Newbie's impression of Benchmade 940 (mini-review)

[aggiegrads]

I have carried a knife off and on for the last 20 years, since I was in boy scouts. My grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago, and although he was 99 years old, he still kept a Case pocket knife in his nightstand. It looks like it is several years old and seen much use, but it was still spooky sharp.

I decided to treat myself to a good knife and start carrying one every day once again. I have been lurking and reading reviews for several weeks, and looking at several different models.

I wanted something in between a gentleman's folder and a heavy duty workhorse, with a blade no less than three inches long. I also wanted metal scales for longevity's sake. Enter the Benchmade 940. This looks like exactly what I was looking for. It looks very non-threatening, which is important to me since I am in an office environment. This knife is the perfect compromise of thin yet robust, strong yet elegant, and very utilitarian without looking too tactical.

I don't think I can say anything about the Axis lock that has not already been said. It is smooth as silk, and very intuitive. Although not familiar with the mechanism, I figured it out instantly when I first picked it up. I cannot say the same for the frame lock I picked up a few years ago, and I like not needing to put my hand in harms way to disengage the lock. After a couple of days practice I am able to easily flip the blade open and closed with a flick of the wrist or flip open with my thumbnail. If I am around others who I don't want to alarm, I open the knife deliberately with two hands. This seems to be much less threatening than a one-handed opening, and I have not had a single comment when opening the knife two handed in the presence of sheeple. This is good, because being from a small town in Texas, carrying a knife is very commonplace, as opposed to California where I would get less strange looks if I were to pull a ferret out of my pocket instead of a knife.

The fit and finish of this knife are excellent. There is no play between any of the parts. The anodizing is deep and gives a nice feel without needing knurling or deep grooves for grip. The thumb and finger grips are perfectly placed, and work very well while not making the knife look too tactical (a la Ruckus).

I will not comment on the steel, as others have much more experience than I do in this area. The blade was shaving sharp when new, and after many many chores the past few days (I'm in the process of moving) the blade is still shave-sharp. I think my next purchase will be a Sharpmaker.

I look forward to many years of use with this knife, and handing it down to my son.

 

[jkarp_53]

Great story, thanks.

If I was starting to collect Benchmades the three following choices are my favorites:

940
510
710

940, particularly, is a constant surprise: Great ergos, glassy smooth Axis mechanism, and a beautiful blade!

Watch out though, Benchmades are like Lay's potato chips, "Bet ya can't eat just one" applies here.

 

[tknife]

You picked an excellent knife. I have carried all kinds of factory and custom folders and I keep coming back to the 940 as my favorite.

 

[Planterz]

I love the 940. I used to back and forth between many different knives, from DA OTF Microtechs, side opening autos, balisongs; all changing nearly daily depending on my mood at the time.

After buying a 710HS, I instantly fell in love with the AXIS lock. While using my Scarab and balisongs, I began to appreciate a knife that cannot only be opened easily with one hand, but also closed easily, and more importantly, safely with one hand. I've occasionally cut myself while closing linerlocks, framelocks, and Spyderco midlocks with one hand. Not so with my Scarab, or with my balisongs (that is, until after I figured it out after practice...I did bite myself a few times when first familiarizing myself with balis).

But then I got my 710, and the AXIS lock changed everything. I carried the 710 a lot, used the hell out of it, but I always kinda felt like it was too big for me. Not terribly comfortable in the hand, beefy handle despite a relatively thin blade (I like the thin blade, but not the beefy handle), and heavy.

I bought a 805 AFCK, and that was a step in the wrong direction for me. Even bigger in the handle, thicker blade, less of a slicer grind. I traded it for a 705-401 (soon after, the AFCK was discontinued, and values skyrocketed, so I sorta regret the trade, but at the time it was 100% fair and I was happy to be rid of the AFCK). The 705-401 is a seriously sexy knife, with it's ultra-cool silver twill G10, but the knife was too small.

I handled a 960 in a shop, and found that knife too small too. It's not that a 3" knife is too small for me, or maybe it is, the exception is the Spyderco Calypso series, or any small Spyderco with a finger choil; the finger choil makes all the difference in the world with a small knife. A Delica doesn't fit my hand, but a Calypso Jr/3 does, despite having practically identical cutting edge. But I digress...

I played with a 520, and found it too beefy in the handle. I liked the knife, especially the 5000 auto (even though it killed the concept of easy, safe 1-handed closing). Nice to hold, fun to play with. But not a knife I'd carry. Same feelings with the Ares. I also handled a 610 (way too frickin' huge), and a 615, which although I was comfortable with the blade length and handle materials, the thickness of the handle was far too much.

I liked the 921, and I LOVE wharncliffes, particularly modified wharncliffes like the Leek or the 921, with a very slight curve. I didn't really care for for the secondary blade. That, combined with the aluminum handles with less-than-HAIII anodizing (which'll leave the knife looking beat up in short time), was the deal killer for me.

That was also the deal killer for me with the 94X series. I've had level 2 anodizing on aluminum handled knives, and have seen those owned by others. Even on a user knife, I don't like unnecessary dings and blemishes. That stopped me from considering the 94X.

I'd been aware of the D2CF and Ti-401 variants, but it wasn't until about a year ago that I thought about trying one. My initial desire was for a 941Ti-401. I looked at many pictures, drooled, and lusted. I never found one, instead I found a 940Ti-01; sexy, not as much as the 941, but probably with a more useful blade grind.

When I received it, I instantly fell in love. The blade is nearly perfect. I'd perhaps prefer it to be slightly more wharncliffe-ish, but it's still great. The titanium handles are terrific, and the balance of the knife is superb. The blue accents are sexy as hell. Which is its one downfall. I've had the knife for nearly a year, and I've never used it. It's too nice. I'd like to pick up another to use, and keep one perfect, but that route is too expensive for me for the time being. Even then though, I don't know if I could bring myself to use it. My original plan was to use the hell out of the one I acquired, then send it off to somebody (like Peter Atwood) to have it refinished and reanodized. But then, that leaves me in the same rub as before - with a knife too nice to use.

Then finally, after nearly half a year of searching, I acquired a 940D2CF. Up until this point in time, I'd been switching my EDC knife nearly daily. Since then, I've rarely had any knife in my pocket. With the carbon fiber scales, I don't have to worry about tiny little dings ruining the appearance of my knife; several months of nearly daily carry, and the handles still look great.

Most of us have spent years looking for that "perfect EDC", and haven't yet found it. The search is fun, but expensive, and for many, a never-ending quest. I think I may have found mine. There will still always be challengers; I'll never tire of certain automatics or balisongs. And the BM930 is drawing my eye. And my desire to "stray" will never be quenched, as I'm sure is true for the rest of us few who've found "it".

But with the 940, particularly the CF and Ti handled ones, I've come as close as I think I ever will to my perfect EDC at this point in my life. I like the blade grind, the handle shape and its slim profile, it's not too small, not too large, etc. I'm Little Red Riding Hood, and this knife is just right. Short of a custom version with specific, slight tweaks (a little more wharncliffe, maybe a fraction longer, maybe silver twill G10 handles), I doubt I'll ever find a knife that'll fit me better.

 

[Shaolin]

Excellent review, thanks for sharing. The 950 Rift is on my wants list.

 

[jnevill]

I have 44 Benchmades, I have carried probably half of them at one point or another, but I keep coming back to the 940. It fits perfectly in the pocket (not too big like a lot of them), has plenty of blade, and is smooth as silk. I love it.