Possibly the Best EDC knife on the market? Benchmade 940

I used to like this model very much and actually bought three of them over a period of time but I never carry them. The two I have left have become safe queens along with all my other Benchmade's since I entered the world of higher end knives.

As a matter of fact I have been toying with the idea of just selling them all outright to finance the purchase of an Acies.

They are unique little knives but they are too small for my edc needs. IMO nothing can compete with my XM-18.

There is no such thing as a "best" knife. It's a relative term. . .
 
thegeek574 said:
I will say that everyone will have different preferences for their carry knife. Saying that this possibly is the best implies that there is a best, and that is not true. I have plenty of knives that could do the jobs that i call on them to do every day probably better than the one i carry, but the ZT 0200 always finds it's way into my pocket. I love the heft, then handle, the steel, and generally just the beefiness of the knife. That is why it is the one that is in my pocket, every day. I do not have a 940, so i will not pass personal judgment. Just my $.02.

Here is a pic of my baby.
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+1 for ZT For my big hands I love it.
 
It is indeed a very good knife. However I began to dislike the 940. I really hated the aluminum handles. They marked up really easily and they were a little on the chalky side. I also didn't like the slender feel. I think the 950 Rift blows it out of the water to be honest:)
 
midnightreport said:
I still have one big gripe: it's really easy to gouge up the aluminum handles while sharpening close to the handle on the sharpmaker. I've remedied this using blue painter's tape on the handles while sharpening.
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After I marked up my first few 940's I started doing the same thing with the painters tape. Works great.
 
Nikkogi said:
It is indeed a very good knife. However I began to dislike the 940. I really hated the aluminum handles. They marked up really easily and they were a little on the chalky side. I also didn't like the slender feel. I think the 950 Rift blows it out of the water to be honest:)
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The 950 is a tank. My 950 with CPM-M4 is all what I've been carrying recently. I just love the Osborne designs in general. The only Benchmade knives I have left are Osborne collabs.
 
I had a 943 and I loved it at first but never found myself carrying it as an edc. I loved the slim profile and sleek look but for a blade that length I really expect and need more depth and belly plus it was difficult for me to sharpen (S30v). Also the fake ass jimping was a waste of effort and cost and worst the T6 aluminum handles marked up easily and mixed with BM notoriously horrible painted pocket clip just gave it a bad look only after a week in the pocket! I dug the axis lock, it was my first so I did want more. Crazily I found my new favorite edc for the time being in the Sanrenmu 763. It has excellent g-10 handles, excellent size blade with lots of depth and belly, excellent deep pocket clip, exact axis lock, 2oz, large lanyard hole, much more functional jimping. Just an overall perfect sized edc with axis lock and good sharp and easily maintainable steel, best of all I got it BNIB for $6.50! I can buy over 30 of these for the price I picked up my 943 for last year. So in closing I thought the 943 is overrated and overpriced and if that is your best edc you need to open your eyes and look around.
 
^ I'm sorry you had to pay over $180 for your 943. Mine cost me a little more than half of that.

Everytime I open the knife I am impressed by the size of the blade that comes out of the sleek handle. Truly amazing knife for the package and I do think its one of the best for its role. Reverse tanto is the way to go.
 
Moonwilson mentions getting his stolen at his place of work, wtf! I'd be fuckin pissed to lose a BM like that doing my job! As an edc with my $6.50 SRM 763 I don't have that problem. The only downside might be the steel, it won't be what I choose as my end of the world survival knife, but at least I can maintain it easily not like S30v. I actually used it to breakdown over 10 cardboard boxes some with lots of packing tape and it glided through it all and after I was done I did a paper test and it sliced cleanly, I was very impressed.
 
Slider817 said:
Great story, i have had my 940s for so long and have bought so many knives since, and sometimes I ask myself why? I have so many great knives, why am I getting another knife. But then I snap out of it, and buy it anyway.
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So funny... So true!
 
Kilow206 said:
I had a 943 and I loved it at first but never found myself carrying it as an edc. I loved the slim profile and sleek look but for a blade that length I really expect and need more depth and belly plus it was difficult for me to sharpen (S30v). Also the fake ass jimping was a waste of effort and cost and worst the T6 aluminum handles marked up easily and mixed with BM notoriously horrible painted pocket clip just gave it a bad look only after a week in the pocket! I dug the axis lock, it was my first so I did want more. Crazily I found my new favorite edc for the time being in the Sanrenmu 763. It has excellent g-10 handles, excellent size blade with lots of depth and belly, excellent deep pocket clip, exact axis lock, 2oz, large lanyard hole, much more functional jimping. Just an overall perfect sized edc with axis lock and good sharp and easily maintainable steel, best of all I got it BNIB for $6.50! I can buy over 30 of these for the price I picked up my 943 for last year. So in closing I thought the 943 is overrated and overpriced and if that is your best edc you need to open your eyes and look around.
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If a high value knife us what you are looking for, clearly you must steer clear of Benchmade, with so many excellent competitors from oversees and the US Benchmade knives don't give the Best bang for the buck by far. However, for me and many of the people who hang around this forum, knives are a hobby in their own right, we buy Customs for $300+ I personally have over 100 knives, so when I started this thread I did not include price as a major factor.

PS I really like the 763, I started a thread "18 knives for $200" http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Just-Bought-18-Knives-for-Under-200-Good-Buy
Which was showing a purchase I made of 18 China direct knives, Ive bought more Sanrenmu, and Enlan, Bee etc since, but I gave away or sold most of them, i think they are excellent knives, but why carry one of those when you have a whole Box of Chris Reeves next to it? For me it's in the details.
 
The 94X series are great knives. The one problem with them is the POS Axis lock. The possibility of it's failure is greater than other systems with more robust springs. Every locking folder uses some kind of spring and these are tiny! Mine went from spanking new to broke in 6 months. You may say that a broken omega spring is few and far between, but I say it is taunting Murphy's Law.

Personally I think a Sebenza is the ultimate EDC. If you're lookin to save a few bucks I reckon the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 is really hard to beat.
 
The knife in my pocket right now is a 940/943 hybrid. I bought a 940 and loved the handling but not the reverse tanto shape. I bought a 943 and swapped the blade into my beat-up 940 so I could sell the 940 with a pristine black handle. So now I have a green 943.

It's a great EDC for me as an office worker.
 
archieblue said:
The 94X series are great knives. The one problem with them is the POS Axis lock. The possibility of it's failure is greater than other systems with more robust springs. Every locking folder uses some kind of spring and these are tiny! Mine went from spanking new to broke in 6 months. You may say that a broken omega spring is few and far between, but I say it is taunting Murphy's Law.

Personally I think a Sebenza is the ultimate EDC. If you're lookin to save a few bucks I reckon the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 is really hard to beat.
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When I started this thread I was debating whether to include, or at least mention the Sebenza, but although you are correct, that a Sebenza is a stronger knife, and is more reliable, and just feels great to play with. I can only speak to my experiences with the 940 and the axis lock in general, and I have had excellent experiences with it, but I find myself carrying my 940s more than my Reeves, and thats why I picked the 940, but the reeves are wonderful knives. I do not have a Paramilitary 2, but if the Para 1 is any indication, it is an excellent contendor, a bit wide though.

Just some Reeve pics, couldn't resist
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I use my 940 as a good go to work knife (office) and also a "gentlemen's" knife as its that light an easy to carry. Its my choice when anything else would be too much, but its enough knife to actually do things with. I don't feel like I am carrying a mini tool or a toy like blade. Its a great all around knife.
 
The 940s are my favorite knives. I've owned probably 5 or 6 in my life (trading/selling and then rebuying cause I miss it). No matter what, I always come back to the knife. I have currently decided my 940 (w/ black handles) will be my permanent knife and I'm never letting it go again.
 
Been carrying a green 940 off and on for over 10 years and mine looks it. Used to carry it onto airplanes with me before 9/11. It is an exceptional design.
 
Sigh, this always happens to me on bladeforums. I see a picture of a knife that i haven't given much attention to before, and all of a sudden i have to have it. That 943 is very nice, but i don't know if its ever going to replace my spydie military. To be honest, i don't know if any knife is ever going to replace my military, except maybe a left handed military. It has kind of become a bad feeling, because for the first time in a long time, no new knives are doing it for me, i think maybe i found my ideal knife :(
 
Kronos said:
Sigh, this always happens to me on bladeforums. I see a picture of a knife that i haven't given much attention to before, and all of a sudden i have to have it. That 943 is very nice, but i don't know if its ever going to replace my spydie military. To be honest, i don't know if any knife is ever going to replace my military, except maybe a left handed military. It has kind of become a bad feeling, because for the first time in a long time, no new knives are doing it for me, i think maybe i found my ideal knife :(
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Congratulations, thats great that you found the right knife for you, I love my Military, I have the now discoed Orange, but it's too big for my EDC, and when I'm out in the woods I usually carry a fixed blade, love the knife though, it's an excellent choice. Why replace it? when I buy knives now, I want them to offer something unique, if it doesn't beat, or offer something special, why get it? Unless you just like to collect, which I totally understand, and relate to that.
 
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