Finally got a Benchmade 940 Osborne (my review)

[czgunner]

940 is such a fantastic knife. I've got 3: the original, titanium scale, and auto.

 

[KW Driver]

I've got a couple, because I misplaced the first one for about a year. my only gripe with them is the spring (whatever) to keep it locked open slipped/broke on both of them and they both went back to the factory and returned with fresh edges quickly and with no issues.

 

[Space_Cadet]

I have two 940 and a 943. Beautiful knives. I think the 940 and Spyderco Paramilitary 2 are the best two folders on the market
today.

BTW, In my opinion the best Benchmade ever was the legendary 710, and it was also the best folder ever made.

 

[L. Martino]

Hiya,

Couple of my Benchmade models from the 90s

 

[Phoenixkh]

I used my Spyderco Manix 2 to peel and trim shrimp earlier this afternoon. The knives in this rental unit are beyond help. I tried sharpening them with my little pocket carbide and ceramic sharpener. They are better but you can only do so much if the steel is suspect.

 

[rickw]

Looked at the 940. Walked out with the automatic version 9400.

 

[Climb14er]

I have two 940 and a 943. Beautiful knives. I think the 940 and Spyderco Paramilitary 2 are the best two folders on the market
today.

BTW, In my opinion the best Benchmade ever was the legendary 710, and it was also the best folder ever made.

Legendary is so right! Here’s a 710 M2 that if anything … is my grail knife, THIS is it!

Loved Benchmade for years. Got the 710 very early on from New Graham Knives. Had a few of BM’s including the 705, but transitioned to local Spyderco where I carry the PM2 or Manix 2 S90V most of the time.

The 710 is wickedly super sharp and holds an edge beautifully. The main reason I don’t carry it often enough… Colorado knife laws. Even with a CCW permit, at 3.90 inches, it’s too long to conceal. Colorado is a weird political

State, having lived here fifty years.

Anyway, I appreciate the 940’s design, beautiful knife! Reminds me of a ‘newer’ 710 design.

 

[ameriece]

Here is a size comparison. You can see the 940 sits pretty high up on the size chart. But it is a sleek and nimble knife for sure!

From top to bottom:
Benchmade Griptilian
Benchmade 940
Benchmade Bugout
Spyderco PM3
Spyderco Delica 4

You can really tell from the photo which knives get used for opening boxes, and which knives are carried for camping and cigar cutting tasks. The Spyderco's are super sharp and utilitarian. They get the chores. The BM's are beautiful and get to go camping and outings to the cigar lounge etc. But for an EDC, I grab a Spyderco 75% of the time. They just work better for everyday tasks. Will the 940 change that ratio? I think it might!

View attachment 1597727

Opposite for me. I had a pm2 for about 2 years and never picked it up for hardly anything. The blade deployment and lockup etc was smooth and light but the handle is a bit thin and the blade seems too delicate/thin.

I picked up a griptilian in the past week and have already used this benchmade more in 1 week than I did a pm2 over the course of almost 2 years. I like the heavy duty feel in hand and the thicker blade as well as the mechanics of the axis lock over compression/backlock.

 

[BradWorld]

Opposite for me. I had a pm2 for about 2 years and never picked it up for hardly anything. The blade deployment and lockup etc was smooth and light but the handle is a bit thin and the blade seems too delicate/thin.

I picked up a griptilian in the past week and have already used this benchmade more in 1 week than I did a pm2 over the course of almost 2 years. I like the heavy duty feel in hand and the thicker blade as well as the mechanics of the axis lock over compression/backlock.

I have a PM2 now. Didn’t when I made this thread. I really love that PM2. Even though the PM2 is almost the same length as the 940 (in fact, a little shorter), the 940 does not have the blade width of the PM. The 940 is a sleek and slender knife. The PM2 is more substantial. But the 940 exudes a sense of quality and sturdiness that I have not experienced with a Spyderco. Maybe it’s the metal scales. Maybe it’s the superior mechanics. Maybe it’s just an amazing design. The Griptilian is bulky by comparison to either. You feel it much more in the pocket. But there is no denying that the Griptilian blade design is extremely strong. It’s a beast. It’s thick. And it’s got an amazing grind that’s as functional as it is cool looking. If I were going to pick one of these three knives for some ridiculously hard labor, prying tasks, etc, the Grip would get that vote.