Best all around real pocket knife benchmade 940 or spyderco pm2???

ScarFoot said:
A comparison photo for the op if they are still watching. I don’t know why I included the Starmate other than I found it while I was going through my pile of knives and forgot how cool it is. Order top to bottom and right to left is Starmate, GB2, Firetac, PM2, 940-1, small Sebenza. The Firetac doesn’t get enough credit in the big knife that pockets like a small knife discussion. Also probably in the top 2 strongest built knives in this group.View attachment 2503704View attachment 2503705View attachment 2503706
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Nice comparison/group shot. Looks like that PM2 has seen some serious use. And I feel you are right, the Firetac looks like it would carry well. Kinda reminds me of the Benchmade 710 in that regard.
 
unwisefool said:
....yes, I know. If you look at the post I was replying to, you will notice they mentioned the Gayle Bradley 2 and then my comment was based on that. Yay.
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I know, it was already pointed out to me. I carelessly did not read the entire conversation and commented foolishly.
 
FearDoiteain said:
Nice comparison/group shot. Looks like that PM2 has seen some serious use. And I feel you are right, the Firetac looks like it would carry well. Kinda reminds me of the Benchmade 710 in that regard.
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The “Crucarta” PM2 is probably my favorite folding knife ever and I carried it almost exclusively starting the day I got it. The handles feel great and they nailed the heat treat on the Cru-wear. I need to buy a few more of them. I’ve set it aside for a little while to carry the Sebenza for the last 4-5 months but I really like the PM2 better. Plus I try to keep my daily carry in the $200 or below range. In general where I work if they get dropped or fall out of your pocket they’re probably gone forever. The Firetacs are great. I have 2 of them and the action on both is incredible.
 
DMG said:
Could you quantify this? How did you measure the tolerances? How is quality better? How did you verify the steel and check the RC?
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For tolerances, things like centering, bladeplay, screws coming loose, etc. I'm not doing crazy measurements, but, for example, out of the PM2s I have owned, all have had lock-rock. When the pivot is tightened to remove the blade play, they've become impossible to close. It is possible that I've had lemons and most of the PM2s in existence are much better, but I do not believe this is the case. In contrast, my Django has zero bladeplay, is perfectly centered, and drops shut perfectly. When I take it apart, it goes back together easily while remaining centered and solid. This has not been the case with my PM2s. This is indicative, in my mind, of tighter, better tolerances.

In terms of "quality", I check things like the fine details. Is every relevant edge smoothed? Are the grinds even? Do we have QOL things like a sharpening choil (nonessential but useful for users)? How good is the coating quality (if present). In general, how good is the attention to detail, function, and form on the knife in question? Quality is a subjective term, but this is my vague and very unscientific measurement.

How did I verify the steel and check the RC? I certainly didn't, but others have, and both companies in question have great reputations in regards to their steels and heat treatments. Here's a link to a BF thread from last August with some more info: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...anax-real-how-about-its-heattreating.1945015/

I might just put together a comprehensive review showing what I'm saying with some good photos and documentation. I'll @ you when/if I get around to it. :)
 
Leo Greer said:
For tolerances, things like centering, bladeplay, screws coming loose, etc. I'm not doing crazy measurements, but, for example, out of the PM2s I have owned, all have had lock-rock. When the pivot is tightened to remove the blade play, they've become impossible to close. It is possible that I've had lemons and most of the PM2s in existence are much better, but I do not believe this is the case. In contrast, my Django has zero bladeplay, is perfectly centered, and drops shut perfectly. When I take it apart, it goes back together easily while remaining centered and solid. This has not been the case with my PM2s. This is indicative, in my mind, of tighter, better tolerances.
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I have 3 PM2s and one 940, the 940 is the only one that had horizontal blade play out the box. My first PM2 is nearly a decade old, beat to shidd, sharpened to the point the blade is 3mm shorter, still no blade play, still perfect action and detent.
Leo Greer said:
In terms of "quality", I check things like the fine details. Is every relevant edge smoothed? Are the grinds even? Do we have QOL things like a sharpening choil (nonessential but useful for users)? How good is the coating quality (if present). In general, how good is the attention to detail, function, and form on the knife in question? Quality is a subjective term, but this is my vague and very unscientific measurement.
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Benchmade have zero quality control and fully rely on customer service to fix their issues. Zero attention to detail, mangled factory edges, protruding screws through the scales all part and parcel of the Benchmade experience. If you're looking for quality and value in a knife look elsewhere.

If high corrosion resistance isn't a requirement and you don't mind some patina, you can't go wrong with a Gayle Bradley 2. Perfect fit and finish, great steel, very slicy blade geometry, and great ergonomics.
 
Kryme said:
I have 3 PM2s and one 940, the 940 is the only one that had horizontal blade play out the box. My first PM2 is nearly a decade old, beat to shidd, sharpened to the point the blade is 3mm shorter, still no blade play, still perfect action and detent.

Benchmade have zero quality control and fully rely on customer service to fix their issues. Zero attention to detail, mangled factory edges, protruding screws through the scales all part and parcel of the Benchmade experience. If you're looking for quality and value in a knife look elsewhere.

If high corrosion resistance isn't a requirement and you don't mind some patina, you can't go wrong with a Gayle Bradley 2. Perfect fit and finish, great steel, very slicy blade geometry, and great ergonomics.
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I love the GB2 but my BM Contego, M4 Bailout and Bugout are all absolutely perfect as well.
 
The original Paramilitary was meant to have a shorter blade anyways - so losing the tip just gets it back closer to the original and the best
 
FearDoiteain said:
I like the lock design and how slicey the PM2 is, but I tend not to carry it as my primary knife due to concerns on the strength of tip. The 940 got a fair bit of pocket time earlier in my knife collecting, and I think it is still a great EDC. I have carried and used a lot of Axis lock knives without any spring breakage, but I understand the concern.

Honestly, if you are ok with a bit more deliberate closing effort, the Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 is a heck of a knife in the same price range. The hollow grind makes it very slicey, but the M4 steel and overall design carries a lot more strength to the tip than PM2. It isn't stainless, and some folks don't like the liner lock, but it is definitely a knife I trust as a solo EDC.
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GB2 really is a winner in all ways except the weak detent, and resultant pocket openings, which means it doesn’t get much of my pocket time. What ever happened to Spyderco’s CQI - surely the GB2 detent must be near the top of the list by now!!!
 
El Jay said:
True, but in an emergency a broken lock means your knife is now a sharp floppy hinge. A broken tip means you still have a locking cutting tool.
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Broken axis spring doesn't turn knife into a sharp floppy thing. You are aware there are two and one broken spring is no big deal to replace and in the meantime the knife is stiff functional. So 940.
 
DMG said:
I love the GB2 but my BM Contego, M4 Bailout and Bugout are all absolutely perfect as well.
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Man, Contego is one of the few that got away, would have loved an M4 Contego. I do have it's smaller brother, the Rift, and it's one of my favorites, shame they discontinued 'em.
matt009au said:
GB2 really is a winner in all ways except the weak detent, and resultant pocket openings, which means it doesn’t get much of my pocket time. What ever happened to Spyderco’s CQI - surely the GB2 detent must be near the top of the list by now!!!
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Haven't had it open in my pocket, and I do carry it in a way that would allow for that to happen. But I do agree it's a weak detent. I don't know why they decided to make the detents weaker, it's not just the GB2, the PM2 and Millie 2 detents are pretty weak too in recent years. My near-decade old PM2 takes about twice as much force to overcome the detent as my year-old Maxamet PM2, I've since handled other US Spydercos and the detent is consistently weak. I heard they made the detent stronger on recent GB2s but I haven't handled any other versions than my own, which I got a month after they came out.

This thread made me dig through my boxes to find my 940, gotta say I missed this knife, but I also remembered one major turn-off and probably the reason it's been sitting in its box for the past 3-4 years. It's pretty chunky behind the edge, and due to the narrow blade it gets even chunkier with each sharpening. I remember cutting apples at the office a few years back, it wasn't really cutting them, once it got past the skin it was just splitting, even my XM-18 was slicing though rather than splitting. Wasn't too happy with it. The fit and finish is awful too, there's screws poking out of the liners not sure if they fixed that on later versions, but it's pretty annoying to see on a knife in this price bracket, and a magnet for pocket lint. Out of the 4 knifeworks exclusive 940s I ordered I had to return 3, because of mangled edges and one had the worst action I've seen in my time collecting Benchmades. Even the one I kept has a fairly uneven edge, and a very visible recurve. If you do decide to go with the 940 keep in mind they rely on their customers for quality control.
 
Kryme said:
Man, Contego is one of the few that got away, would have loved an M4 Contego. I do have it's smaller brother, the Rift, and it's one of my favorites, shame they discontinued 'em.

Haven't had it open in my pocket, and I do carry it in a way that would allow for that to happen. But I do agree it's a weak detent. I don't know why they decided to make the detents weaker, it's not just the GB2, the PM2 and Millie 2 detents are pretty weak too in recent years. My near-decade old PM2 takes about twice as much force to overcome the detent as my year-old Maxamet PM2, I've since handled other US Spydercos and the detent is consistently weak. I heard they made the detent stronger on recent GB2s but I haven't handled any other versions than my own, which I got a month after they came out.

This thread made me dig through my boxes to find my 940, gotta say I missed this knife, but I also remembered one major turn-off and probably the reason it's been sitting in its box for the past 3-4 years. It's pretty chunky behind the edge, and due to the narrow blade it gets even chunkier with each sharpening. I remember cutting apples at the office a few years back, it wasn't really cutting them, once it got past the skin it was just splitting, even my XM-18 was slicing though rather than splitting. Wasn't too happy with it. The fit and finish is awful too, there's screws poking out of the liners not sure if they fixed that on later versions, but it's pretty annoying to see on a knife in this price bracket, and a magnet for pocket lint. Out of the 4 knifeworks exclusive 940s I ordered I had to return 3, because of mangled edges and one had the worst action I've seen in my time collecting Benchmades. Even the one I kept has a fairly uneven edge, and a very visible recurve. If you do decide to go with the 940 keep in mind they rely on their customers for quality control.
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I had a M4 contego rebladed by BM and kept the old blade in the hopes of making a M4 Rift with the maximum blade to handle ratio, with a little trimming.
 
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