Greetings MichaelScarn: Osborne has designed some excellent knives. I have owned and used a few of the Benchmade 900 series, I still do. As Gunmike1 posted, the 950 is a great slicer. The scale texture is quite aggressive and provides a superior hand grip when wet. It also provides an excellent grip on your pocket edges and quickly turns them into shredded cloth.-- Think pine cone with a good blade inside. It is heavier and more bulky than the other axis lock Osborne folders. Because of it's design and appearance, it makes it a bit more difficult explaining to sheeple and the cops why you are carrying something that looks like it could disembowel a tank.
The 930, in contrast, is a very artistically agreeable production knife. It frequently elicits a "nice looking knife" comment when first seen by others. It is, in my opinion, a tastefully executed combination of smooth curves, polished darkened steel and moderately textured blue and back G-10. The liners, which have the color of black chrome, extend above the edge of the scales and the thumb stud is more ornate but of a lower profile than most other axis lock folders. The liners, because they stand proud of the top of the scales, can be annoying when used for extended cutting. They create hot spots in the hand and their bright finish can soon show wear. The thumb studs are a bit harder to get a purchase on then the the other Osbornes. The axis lock knives are entirely too much fun to play with. I frequently open and close them by holding the axis bar back and use wrist motion . Because of the curvature at the end of the 930, I have had the bottom of my palm bitten when doing this entirely too many times. It is my only Axis lock that does this. I'm a fast learner. It only took about two dozen times before i stopped that. I carry it when going out socially. It is a great looking gentleman's knife.
The 940 is measurably thinner but just as solid in lock up as the other Osbornes. The jimping on the 940 is just about useless. The finish on the scales initially felt chalky but smoothed out in time. The blade geometry has just enough belly to make cutting easy but not enough to make sharpening a challenge. A folding pocket knife spends a hell of a lot more time folded in the pocket than it does in actual cutting. The 940 seems to excel at both. It is light ,thin and easy to carry. It does not scream "I HAVE A KNIFE" in my pocket to cops and sheeple. It's blade is quite capable for all my medium duty tasks. After carrying one for a few weeks, I bought another as a spare. The 940 would be my ideal EDC except for it's ease and speed in opening and closing. Where i live, it can too easily be judged a gravity knife by those so inclined.
I have never owned a 943 or 960. After carrying the 940 Osborne I didn't feel the need. The best buy for me is the one I carry and use. Not necessarily the fanciest or the biggest. The preceding is just the opinion of one old dude. OldDude1
