- Joined
- Jul 7, 2000
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- 1,556
This is a follow up to my post, Put in your two cents. It is my first of a few long term reviews which I will post. Im sorry that it took me so long to get around to writing this, but Ive been busier than planned. I dont know what kind of an ETA to give for the rest of my planned reviews.
Long term review of the Benchmade 940
My original desire for the BM940 came about quite oddly. When I first saw pictures of it, I thought it was decent looking, but nothing spectacular. It didnt stand out to me as anything particularly beautiful or even that functional looking. If I knew then what I know now, I would have been running to buy one.
It wasnt until I actually handled the 940 that it started to become more appealing to me. Not only was it different than anything I had, but it just felt so damn good. The action was smoother than anything I had felt and I had to have it. So I finally plunked down the cash
That was more than a year and half ago, and the 940 still holds a high place in my EDC rotation. It offers me many things that I just havent found in my other knives and while it has its issues, its a great knife for the price.
As I mentioned, the action is smooth as silk. I think that part of this is due to the fact that I chose the model with BT2 coating and the inherent lubricity that it presents. The smooth action, coupled with the aluminum handles and coated clip make this knife extremely quick into action. The clip and handle produce very little drag when drawing from the pocket and the blade can be flipped out with even a soft flick of the wrist.
Now I know what some of you are thinking, Oh great, ToTC is blabbing on about quickdraws. Whats next, tactical sentry removal? No, no, no. Youve got this review all wrong. My point is that the 940 can perform mundane tasks in the blink of an eye due to its speed of presentation. Putting something together in the garage? Just slide out the 940, flick out the blade, cut the zip-tie on the part you need, pull back the lock, flick the blade back in, and put back the 940. This can all be done with the utmost of speed and convenience and requires less of your attention than another folder might. After all, since your fingers can be clear of the blade during unlocking, you can keep your attention on the task at hand. You can keep your eyes on your job the whole time.
Not only is the 940 smooth into action and operation, its well balanced and flows well in the hand. It doesnt offer any finger grooves or other exaggerated ergonomics, but there is a sophisticated simplicity to it: It works in your hand the way a nice ink pen does.
To me, the 940 represents the utmost balance between a tactical folder and a gentlemans knife. It is appealing to the eye, sheeple friendly, has classy lines, and yet could easily serve you in stressful times of need. The only thing this folder isnt good for is the bitter cold. Its thin, aluminum handle is no fun to use when it is cold and you have limited dexterity. Gloved use just isnt even an option.
With all that I like about the 940, I think the blade steel could use work. This 154CM has been heat treated to a very soft level. I believe this came up in discussion a while ago and it was said that Benchmade wanted to capitalize on the name of 154CM while offering the sharpenability of 440C. Its too bad because Ive found the edge on my 940 to roll fairly easily.
You cant sharpen the 940 at 30 degrees on the Sharpmaker due to the thumbstuds, so Ive always sharpened it at 40. Even at 40 degrees, however, it doesnt take a lot to roll the edge compared to my other folders. Also, the 940 doesnt have a lot of bite to its edge. Ive found that if I go all the way to the white stones, the 940 barely has any ability to slice. It is a mean pushcutter though.
The best edge Ive found for the 940 is the utility edge from finishing on the flats of the gray stones at 40 degrees. This increases cutting performance without sacrificing too much pushcutting ability. After all, the flat grind coupled with the BT2 coating really makes the 940 glide through pushcuts.
The point on mine is rounded from use which wasnt hard considering its soft nature. Once gone, the tip has been hard to restore. The reverse tanto design requires the removal of a lot of steel to reshape the point.
Overall, the 940 is a great package for anything but heavy-duty use. Its only downfall is its soft heat treat. The tip could be considered a strength or a weakness, depending on how you look at it. Its not a splinter-picker, but its fairly robust for its size.
Long term review of the Benchmade 940
My original desire for the BM940 came about quite oddly. When I first saw pictures of it, I thought it was decent looking, but nothing spectacular. It didnt stand out to me as anything particularly beautiful or even that functional looking. If I knew then what I know now, I would have been running to buy one.
It wasnt until I actually handled the 940 that it started to become more appealing to me. Not only was it different than anything I had, but it just felt so damn good. The action was smoother than anything I had felt and I had to have it. So I finally plunked down the cash
That was more than a year and half ago, and the 940 still holds a high place in my EDC rotation. It offers me many things that I just havent found in my other knives and while it has its issues, its a great knife for the price.
As I mentioned, the action is smooth as silk. I think that part of this is due to the fact that I chose the model with BT2 coating and the inherent lubricity that it presents. The smooth action, coupled with the aluminum handles and coated clip make this knife extremely quick into action. The clip and handle produce very little drag when drawing from the pocket and the blade can be flipped out with even a soft flick of the wrist.
Now I know what some of you are thinking, Oh great, ToTC is blabbing on about quickdraws. Whats next, tactical sentry removal? No, no, no. Youve got this review all wrong. My point is that the 940 can perform mundane tasks in the blink of an eye due to its speed of presentation. Putting something together in the garage? Just slide out the 940, flick out the blade, cut the zip-tie on the part you need, pull back the lock, flick the blade back in, and put back the 940. This can all be done with the utmost of speed and convenience and requires less of your attention than another folder might. After all, since your fingers can be clear of the blade during unlocking, you can keep your attention on the task at hand. You can keep your eyes on your job the whole time.
Not only is the 940 smooth into action and operation, its well balanced and flows well in the hand. It doesnt offer any finger grooves or other exaggerated ergonomics, but there is a sophisticated simplicity to it: It works in your hand the way a nice ink pen does.
To me, the 940 represents the utmost balance between a tactical folder and a gentlemans knife. It is appealing to the eye, sheeple friendly, has classy lines, and yet could easily serve you in stressful times of need. The only thing this folder isnt good for is the bitter cold. Its thin, aluminum handle is no fun to use when it is cold and you have limited dexterity. Gloved use just isnt even an option.
With all that I like about the 940, I think the blade steel could use work. This 154CM has been heat treated to a very soft level. I believe this came up in discussion a while ago and it was said that Benchmade wanted to capitalize on the name of 154CM while offering the sharpenability of 440C. Its too bad because Ive found the edge on my 940 to roll fairly easily.
You cant sharpen the 940 at 30 degrees on the Sharpmaker due to the thumbstuds, so Ive always sharpened it at 40. Even at 40 degrees, however, it doesnt take a lot to roll the edge compared to my other folders. Also, the 940 doesnt have a lot of bite to its edge. Ive found that if I go all the way to the white stones, the 940 barely has any ability to slice. It is a mean pushcutter though.
The best edge Ive found for the 940 is the utility edge from finishing on the flats of the gray stones at 40 degrees. This increases cutting performance without sacrificing too much pushcutting ability. After all, the flat grind coupled with the BT2 coating really makes the 940 glide through pushcuts.
The point on mine is rounded from use which wasnt hard considering its soft nature. Once gone, the tip has been hard to restore. The reverse tanto design requires the removal of a lot of steel to reshape the point.
Overall, the 940 is a great package for anything but heavy-duty use. Its only downfall is its soft heat treat. The tip could be considered a strength or a weakness, depending on how you look at it. Its not a splinter-picker, but its fairly robust for its size.
