Help Between the 940, 943, 555-1

J

JWT

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Sep 13, 2017
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7
Looking for opinions and comparisons between the 940, 943, and 555-1. A little background...I am not a collector by any means but like carrying a decent knife. Have been carrying a Spyderco Dragonfly Salt for about a year now. I like the size and can drop it in my pocket and forget it. Looking for something a little larger and more useful. I do alot of weekend projects around the house and consider myself pretty handy. Also, do the occasional camping trip. Looking for a nice, easy to carry knife that will get the job done.

I like the 555-1 due to be a little shorter overall (I like a smaller knife) and looks more rugged and can handle a variety of tasks. I know the 940 and 943 are damn near the same knife, but like how slender it is even though it is a larger knife. I love the looks of both but would like a comparison with those and the 555-1. Going to try to find some in my area to handle this weekend. Let me know what y'all think!
 
Mini grip is much smaller in the handle. That was the deciding factor for me to side with the 940. You definitely need to handle one before you decide. That extra blade length on the 940 makes a significant difference to me as well.
 
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As luke86 said... the mini-G is smaller all 'round than the full sized Grip and smaller than the 94x series. That's the problem for me with mini-Grips. They're too short for me to get a secure hold on the handle. For everyday stuff that might be OK, but for outdoor uses I find them to be too short for a secure and comfortable grip.

I really liked the reverse tanto blade on the 940 I used to have. I found it very useful for a wide range of chores and the knife was easy to manipulate in my "glove-size L" hands. The 940 has plenty of cutting edge and a strong tip. It's also fairly slim and light. It should be able to handle the whole range of folder chores for the uses you've mentioned.
 
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I have a couple of Mini Grips as well as two variants of the 940 (-1 and -1501). The Grips were my favorite carry knife until I found the 940. I have not carried them since then. I agree with 017 in that the thumb studs on some 940s are slightly more difficult to access, however I find everything else about the 940 models to be a better fit for my purposes. The Mini grips are a little heavier and possibly stronger, especially the G10 handled versions, but the 940 is plenty strong--I can't think of a task I'd attempt with a folding knife that the 940 wouldn't handle. The 2 940s I own are noticeably lighter and slimmer so I don't notice them as much in the pocket. I find the longer, slimmer blade quite a bit more useful. I'd be very interested in trying the 943 blade, but I prefer 20CV and S90V over S30V, so until a 943 comes out in one of those or a similar steel, I'll stick to the 940.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I have found a few dealers about an hour away and heading that way for some things this weekend. Going to try and stop by and see how each model feels.
 
That's always good, man. It'll make your decision a lot easier whenever you get to actually feel the differences between each knife.

Hope you find what you're looking for!
 
Consider steels as well. Some recommend having a nice sharpening setup for 20cv vs s30v.
 
I use the Sharpmaker (mostly just the brown rods) for all my folders. Seems to work well on 20CV and S90V, as long as you use it to maintain the edge, as opposed to sharpening it after it gets dull.
 
Went and held both knives (the regular 555, not g-10) and I have to say I like the Mini Grip better. The 940 felt nice and the action was great, but just seemed a little too big for what I like/am used to. I liked the smaller size and blade shape of the 555. I didn't like the plastic feel of the mini as much but held a regular Grip with the g-10 and liked it. Think I'm going with the 555-1. I know alot of people feel the price is steep for the knife but I love the look, feel and open back design of the -1 model. Thanks for the replies and help!
 
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JWT said:
Went and held both knives (the regular 555, not g-10) and I have to say I like the Mini Grip better. The 940 felt nice and the action was great, but just seemed a little too big for what I like/am used to. I liked the smaller size and blade shape of the 555. I didn't like the plastic feel of the mini as much but held a regular Grip with the g-10 and liked it. Think I'm going with the 555-1. I know alot of people feel the price is steep for the knife but I love the look, feel and open back design of the -1 model. Thanks for the replies and help!
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The 940 is a bit slim for me. I have a 940-2 that I wish was a tad thicker therefore I think the Mini Grip would be perfect in thickness. I don't see how someone can argue that the 555-1 is overpriced compared to a 940.
 
I agree bluemetalchurch. The length of the 940 was more than I am used to and feel more than I need at the time. Once I get used to the 555-1 I think I may be inclined to a larger knife but I've been carrying a Dragonfly for a while and it was just more knife than I wanted.

And bluemetalchurch, WHO DAT!
 
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The -1 Grips are very nice. I don't think they are overpriced, the value is there if you appreciate these things. I have the 556-1. Although at the moment I seem to be preferring the longer blade of the 940, the Mini Grip offers a surprising amount of cutting edge for the size of the overall package. I have not measured lately, but I'm pretty sure it has about the same amount of usable edge as the Spyderco Para 2 (or close to it), a much larger knife in all other respects.
 
Just an update to the thread...I received my 555-1 today and very pleased. The size and feel is perfect, very smooth action and the quality control is excellent. Very pleased. Thanks for the help!
 
JWT said:
Just an update to the thread...I received my 555-1 today and very pleased. The size and feel is perfect, very smooth action and the quality control is excellent. Very pleased. Thanks for the help!
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'Grats on your latest purchase!
 
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