Benchmade 940-1 Review
Chatter in the knife community suggests that the Benchmade 940 is one of the better "large" EDC knives out there. For me, 3 inches is the break even point on blade length. Anything more, I have found, is better suited to hard use tasks only. But the Benchmade fans have been persistent. There is a steady drone out there--try the 940, try the 940. So when I got the chance, I did. And fortunately for me, there is the premium 940, the 940-1. I am not a huge fan of S30V, and as a dedicated steel junkie, I am thrilled to get the chance to try a new steel and S90V is new to me. With that, the decision was made--I'd get the 940-1 when the opportunity arose.
Carry: 2
Steel: 2
Blade Shape: 2
Okay I will admit it. I thought the reverse tanto blade shape was something of a gimmick, but the more I used it and the more I carried it the more I realized that it was just a darn useful blade shape.
In addition to providing some good penetrating power for stabs to start cuts, it also has enough belly to do roll cuts and the like. It may not be simple, and I am not a huge fan of the long narrow blade, but the reverse tanto works and works well.
Deployment Method: 2
Retention Method: 2
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
I think the 940-1 is probably the best EDC knife out there if you like bigger blades. At 2.4 or so ounces, its an insanely discrete and polite pocket companion. The carbon fiber handle is not only functional, its a nice touch. The feel in the hand is great as the handle itself, though simple, is very effective in the hand. And then there is the steel. I LOVE the S90V. It is amazing.
For a steel junkie this is one of the better production knives out there, especially if you find the ZDP-189 Dragonfly too small. Its probably not as capable as a hard use knife as the Paramilitary 2 is but it is quite tough. Really, its main role is as a bigger EDC and in that capacity there is nothing out there that smokes the 940-1.
My prior experience with Benchmade leads me to believe that the fit and finish issues were just a series of random flukes. I wouldn't let that stop you. This is a great version of an all-time classic. And if you think it is expensive now, just image how much it will be if they decide to end production. As gift it won't ever leave my collection, but given how good a knife it is, it probably would stay put regardless of how I got it. This is freakin' awesome knife. Had there not been the fit and finish hitch, this would have been a 20/20 perfect, but I have to be honest. In all likelihood, yours will be that perfect large EDC knife.
The Competition
Please...be serious.
For those of you that listen to the podcast (Gear Geeks Live, with co-hosts Dan from Bladereviews.com and Andrew of Edge Observer), you know this story, but it is so touching it is worth repeating. I knew my family (my wife, my son, my parents, and myself) were going on vacation to Maine in August of 2014. We traditionally stop in Freeport, Maine before heading even further north to Acadia (which is a spectacular place). Freeport is a quaint New England town, complete with simple, white single spire churches, old inns, and traditional industries (furniture building at Thomas Moser takes place just outside of town). It also happens to be the home of LL Bean. The entire town is infused with an upsacle, outdoorsy feel. Freeport also happens to have a GREAT knife store: Casco Bay. They sell kitchen stuff too, but knives are the center of the show. Inside I found a single 940-1 and I plunked down my saved pennies. When I did I found that the knife was being paid for by none other than my Dad. Its an expensive blade, and I hate to think that someone spent that kind of money on me, but its hard to fight with your Dad over money. As a side note, he also got a knife--a Spyderco Dragonfly and my son got a "kid safe" wooden kitchen knife--we all walked out with a blade. Needless to say, this makes the 940-1 a bit more special, its a super premium set up with a good story.
Oh, but wait, there is more to this story than just a surprise gift. I'll get to that in a minute. The question for the review is pretty simple--can a 3.44 inch blade make a good EDC for a person that thinks the Dragonfly II is perfect?
Here is the product page. Here is a written review. Here is a video review. Here is the datasheet on S90V. Here is the review sample (a gift from my Dad):
You can find the 940-1 at two affliates: Blade HQ and Knivesshipfree.com. Purchasing it at either place will benefit the site and giveaways.
Blade HQ
KnivesShipFree
Blade HQ
KnivesShipFree
The Warren Osborne designed 940 is a mainstay of the Benchmade line up, every bit the signature piece that the Griptillians and 710 are. This is, in large part, due to its superior form. If you are looking for an EDC knife bigger than the the Dragonfly, the 940 should be on your short list. The 940 is one of those designs, that, if you listen carefully, you will hear lots of people reference. Nutnfancy loves it. Chris from Knife Thursday loves it. Its just a brilliant design. There are two reasons--first, the performance ratios are bonkers, even on the stock version (they are better here, of course); and second, because of simple and effective shapes. Look at the handle:
Nothing crazy, nothing complication, just a good place to put your index finger and a nice palm swell on the spine. It works and works well. Even the cut outs on the handle scales help--giving the knife a curved three dimensional feel in the hand. But that's not all--the reverse tanto blade shape is quite good too. It allows for a massive amount of thickness to be carried very close to the tip of the blade, but still gives you an easy to maintain and useful belly. Its simplicity is the key to its success. I could do without the faux (or here: invisible) bolster, but its such a non issue it barely warrants mentioning. The long and short of it is this--the 940-1 is a superior design. Finally, as a small point--I love the tiny splash of color in the standoffs. The anodized blue really pops, see it peeking out there:
But the curves and cuts tell only part of the story, and from my perspective, it is the smallest part. The 940, and especially the 940-1, hold sway over the market of large EDC knives because of the incredible performance ratios. First, to show you that this ain't not dainty thing, here is the 940-1 on a deck of cards (the Zippo has been retired, or more appropriately, but into use, in my fire starting kit):
This is one massive talon of a blade. But unlike other long reach wonders, the 940 is still elegantly slender in the pocket, falling in and disappearing when stored as if Benchmade had somehow mastered the Whovian trick that makes the Tardis possible. No knife (I don't think) is going to approach the Al Mar's numbers, but for a blade this size, the 940-1 probably equally impossible to challenge. The knife weighs a staggeringly light 2.44 ounces (trimming off a full ounce from the already impressive regular 940), but it packs a blade length of 3.44 inches. This is a frame that, when closed, is only 4.47 inches long and about an inch wide. I don't normally lay out all of the specs for a blade, but here, they are so integral to the reason why the 940 and the 940-1 are amazing designs they need to be made explicit. The blade:handle is .77 (above par, certainly). The blade:weight is 1.40, easily within the Chill territory, but not quite the insane 1.96 of the Hawk. But even these numbers don't spell it out entirely. The thing about the 940-1 that just kills me is out slender it is. It is not a wide blade and the entire thing is impressively thin. No knife I have reviewed packs as much in to such a small volume. I wish I had someway to calculate volume (thanks for the suggestions, but all of them would threaten the structural integrity of the knife or at least create a maintenance nightmare), but if I did I am sure the 940-1 would rank higher than anything else I have review.
The design of the 940-1 (and the 940) is a stunning achievement on Benchmade's part and handling and using the knife have proven to me why it is so beloved in the community. This is one killer piece of kit.
Fit and Finish: 1 (0 on the original knife; 2 on the replacement/fixed knife)
And so we get to the part of the review where things don't go as planned. I bought this knife on a road trip to Maine, as I said before, and when we left little Freeport and were all comfortably in the car, I opened the package and dropped the slender beauty out of its little satin bag. It seemed fine, but then I noticed the clip was oddly discolored, as seen here:
When we finally got to Acadia I put the knife in my pocket and did some chores around the beach house. One time when pulling it out of my pocket it got stuck. As I pulled I noticed a screw had fallen out. It was the screw that held the carbon fiber plate in place. Strike two.
Then I noticed that one of the pocket clip screws was loose. As I tried to tighten it, it just spun in its hole. On close inspection I saw this:
The screw was not only loose but the threaded plastic insert that held the screw in place in the carbon fiber was popped out of place and rotating freely. I would never be able to tighten that screw, as its housing would just spin.
But it got worse. The blade was radically off centered. Not knife-nerd-complaining-on-the-Internet-off-centered, but cutting-into-the-handle-scale-and-leaving-flakes-of-carbon-fiber-in-my-pocket-off-centered. This was bad. Really bad.
Finally there was this:
That grind line should be perpendicular to the blade spine, not cut across it on a diagonal.
The knife, simply put, was a $260 pile of junk.
But, and here is the real take away, Benchmade's service was fantastic. I sent the knife out and got it back within a week. I received an email when they got the knife and an email when they sent it back (which happened in the same day, about an hour later, from a real person). The return shipping was great. In short, there was nothing I could have asked for that they didn't do. Its a bummer to get a bad knife, especially one this bad and this expensive, but there are errors in all human endeavors, knife making included. The real thing is how someone responds to errors and here Benchmade did a great job.
The fit and finish on the knife I received back, which is probably a new knife, given how quickly they sent it to me, though I am not 100% sure, is flawless. It is, simply put, the nicest production knife I have seen--on par with my peerless Al Mar Hawk and the still amazingly nice Spyderco Techno. The knife is, frankly, better put together than my Strider PT, my Hinderer XM-18, or even the much vaunted Sebenza. It is smooth and effortless to open, it is trim with no sharp or extraneous edges to the carbon fiber. Its simply superb.
So how do I score this knife? It was, to borrow a line from one of my least favorite mandatory reads in high school, the best of times and the worst of times. In the end I think it is fair to average them. The original was a pile of parts. The new or improved knife is insanely nice. Chances are, you'll get a nice one. I am a bit concerned at how bad the first knife was. It wasn't just a little off, it was quite literally broken. Parts of the knife--the clip and blade--didn't work. For the money and from this company, that's pretty stunning. But, as I said, they fixed the problem perfectly. No one remembers how bad the original Lexus cars were because of how thorough and perfect Lexus's response was to the problems. Now they are one of the most high prestige luxury cars in the world. Mistakes matter, but response matter more.
And so we get to the part of the review where things don't go as planned. I bought this knife on a road trip to Maine, as I said before, and when we left little Freeport and were all comfortably in the car, I opened the package and dropped the slender beauty out of its little satin bag. It seemed fine, but then I noticed the clip was oddly discolored, as seen here:
When we finally got to Acadia I put the knife in my pocket and did some chores around the beach house. One time when pulling it out of my pocket it got stuck. As I pulled I noticed a screw had fallen out. It was the screw that held the carbon fiber plate in place. Strike two.
Then I noticed that one of the pocket clip screws was loose. As I tried to tighten it, it just spun in its hole. On close inspection I saw this:
The screw was not only loose but the threaded plastic insert that held the screw in place in the carbon fiber was popped out of place and rotating freely. I would never be able to tighten that screw, as its housing would just spin.
But it got worse. The blade was radically off centered. Not knife-nerd-complaining-on-the-Internet-off-centered, but cutting-into-the-handle-scale-and-leaving-flakes-of-carbon-fiber-in-my-pocket-off-centered. This was bad. Really bad.
Finally there was this:
That grind line should be perpendicular to the blade spine, not cut across it on a diagonal.
The knife, simply put, was a $260 pile of junk.
But, and here is the real take away, Benchmade's service was fantastic. I sent the knife out and got it back within a week. I received an email when they got the knife and an email when they sent it back (which happened in the same day, about an hour later, from a real person). The return shipping was great. In short, there was nothing I could have asked for that they didn't do. Its a bummer to get a bad knife, especially one this bad and this expensive, but there are errors in all human endeavors, knife making included. The real thing is how someone responds to errors and here Benchmade did a great job.
The fit and finish on the knife I received back, which is probably a new knife, given how quickly they sent it to me, though I am not 100% sure, is flawless. It is, simply put, the nicest production knife I have seen--on par with my peerless Al Mar Hawk and the still amazingly nice Spyderco Techno. The knife is, frankly, better put together than my Strider PT, my Hinderer XM-18, or even the much vaunted Sebenza. It is smooth and effortless to open, it is trim with no sharp or extraneous edges to the carbon fiber. Its simply superb.
So how do I score this knife? It was, to borrow a line from one of my least favorite mandatory reads in high school, the best of times and the worst of times. In the end I think it is fair to average them. The original was a pile of parts. The new or improved knife is insanely nice. Chances are, you'll get a nice one. I am a bit concerned at how bad the first knife was. It wasn't just a little off, it was quite literally broken. Parts of the knife--the clip and blade--didn't work. For the money and from this company, that's pretty stunning. But, as I said, they fixed the problem perfectly. No one remembers how bad the original Lexus cars were because of how thorough and perfect Lexus's response was to the problems. Now they are one of the most high prestige luxury cars in the world. Mistakes matter, but response matter more.
Grip: 2
If you have read more than one of my knife reviews, you probably know that I am not a jimping fundamentalist. I don't hate it, but I think a knife can have a good in-hand feel without it. The famous Ethan Becker handle doesn't have a smidge of jimping and it is still wonderful. The key with the Becker handle and the key to the good grip on the 940 is the same--a fundamentally solid and flexible design to the handle. You want a handle that promotes many good grips and the 940's handle does just that.
There is, as I mentioned above, a good palm swell on the spine and the handle is pleasant shaped. There is also a nice, though not overly forced space for your index finger. This being an EDC knife first and foremost, there is no parrot's beak in the back to lock your hand in place, and in the intended use, I don't think that is an issue. Overall, the handle is excellent. Finally, if you ARE a jimping fundamentalist, there is a run of very slightly textured jimping. It does nothing for me, but the already great handle shape means that its ineffectiveness is irrelevant.
There is, as I mentioned above, a good palm swell on the spine and the handle is pleasant shaped. There is also a nice, though not overly forced space for your index finger. This being an EDC knife first and foremost, there is no parrot's beak in the back to lock your hand in place, and in the intended use, I don't think that is an issue. Overall, the handle is excellent. Finally, if you ARE a jimping fundamentalist, there is a run of very slightly textured jimping. It does nothing for me, but the already great handle shape means that its ineffectiveness is irrelevant.
Carry: 2
Okay, the 940 is a great knife, you know that much by now, but here is where it gets pushed from "great" to "all time classic." The entire knife is so tautly designed, so perfectly proportioned, and so masterfully executed that it is one of the best carry folders ever. It provides you a comparatively monstrous blade given the carry package. I absolutely love how the knife feels in the handle, but it is a slice of divine perfection in the pocket. This is the key to the 940--a large and capable blade in a tiny, slender package. Think of it as the Lotus Exige of knives--relentlessly designed to provide the most performance in the smallest, lightest package.
Steel: 2
Holy hell, S90V is amazing, both on paper and in person. It has a huge dollop of carbon, but more than that, it has a nice balance of everything else. ZDP-189 is the freak steel that it is because it basically squeezes as much carbon and chromium into the mix as possible, but the ingredients of S90V are more elegantly balanced. All of the good stuff is here.
And my testing proved that S90V is worth all of the money and hassle (it is notoriously tough to grind and finish, even Benchmade's normal stellar finish is a bit muted here). It was basically tougher and harder than D2 and more corrosion resistant than 440C or VG-10. I took it on many a hike and camping trip and did fire prep and food prep with it and it was fine. From whittling, making feather sticks, and roasting sticks to slicing up meat and tomatos (I'm Italian so we sub in tomatos for potatos), it did amazingly well. In the same set of tests, 3V developed a distinct patina (though that comparison is hardly fair as 3V is designed specifically to not care about corrosion and focus instead on insane toughness).
In the end I just can't say enough good about S90V. It is everything everyone claims it to be and more. The steel, more than the carbon fiber, is worth the cost of the upgrade, and probably then some if you are steel junky. If not, well, I don't know, I still really like it a lot. S90V is clearly in the top eschelon of steels with M390, ZDP-189, M4 and 3V. Gun to my head, I don't know which I would choose for general EDC tasks, but S90V would be one of the last to go.
Blade Shape: 2
Okay I will admit it. I thought the reverse tanto blade shape was something of a gimmick, but the more I used it and the more I carried it the more I realized that it was just a darn useful blade shape.
In addition to providing some good penetrating power for stabs to start cuts, it also has enough belly to do roll cuts and the like. It may not be simple, and I am not a huge fan of the long narrow blade, but the reverse tanto works and works well.
Grind: 2
While a bit busy the grind is fine. Again, the slender, long blade is pretty short for a hollow grind, I have not found it is a problem in practice. The performance of the grind was fine, but I can't help wonder how much it was aided by the insanely awesome steel. It just might be that a pry bar would be fine in S90V.
While a bit busy the grind is fine. Again, the slender, long blade is pretty short for a hollow grind, I have not found it is a problem in practice. The performance of the grind was fine, but I can't help wonder how much it was aided by the insanely awesome steel. It just might be that a pry bar would be fine in S90V.
Deployment Method: 2
It has happened over time, but I have slowly become a convert to thumb studs. I still like flippers and thumb holes quite a bit, but a well executed thumb stud, as the one is here, is a joy. With a quick flick of the thumb and no wrist action, you can pop the 940-1 open in a flash. Even with the pivot tightened (I like mine tighter than factory on most knives) the 940-1's thumb stud allows for perfect, thoughtless deployment. Finally, I think one of the main reasons I have come to appreciate the thumb stud is that it allows for a thinner overall size to the knife when compared to a thumb hole or flipper and given the dimensions of the 940-1 I don't think I'd want any other deployment method.
Retention Method: 2
Bucking the trend of using the split arrow clip on their more premium offerings, the 940-1 comes with the standard spoon-style clip and you know what? Its damn good.
Its not a wall banger or a paint scraper and with the right material underneath (like well finished carbon fiber) it provides the perfect amount of tension to keep your knife in the right place.
Its not a wall banger or a paint scraper and with the right material underneath (like well finished carbon fiber) it provides the perfect amount of tension to keep your knife in the right place.
Lock: 2
Wonderful, stable, and easy to disengage, the Axis lock is really nice in an EDC knife, and here it is executed to perfection. I wouldn't say it was noticeably better than the rendition on my Mini Grip, but it seemed a bit more dialed in. Even when the knife was butter smooth flickable, the lock up was rock solid. Nothing bad at all and lots and lots of good.
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
I think the 940-1 is probably the best EDC knife out there if you like bigger blades. At 2.4 or so ounces, its an insanely discrete and polite pocket companion. The carbon fiber handle is not only functional, its a nice touch. The feel in the hand is great as the handle itself, though simple, is very effective in the hand. And then there is the steel. I LOVE the S90V. It is amazing.
For a steel junkie this is one of the better production knives out there, especially if you find the ZDP-189 Dragonfly too small. Its probably not as capable as a hard use knife as the Paramilitary 2 is but it is quite tough. Really, its main role is as a bigger EDC and in that capacity there is nothing out there that smokes the 940-1.
My prior experience with Benchmade leads me to believe that the fit and finish issues were just a series of random flukes. I wouldn't let that stop you. This is a great version of an all-time classic. And if you think it is expensive now, just image how much it will be if they decide to end production. As gift it won't ever leave my collection, but given how good a knife it is, it probably would stay put regardless of how I got it. This is freakin' awesome knife. Had there not been the fit and finish hitch, this would have been a 20/20 perfect, but I have to be honest. In all likelihood, yours will be that perfect large EDC knife.
The Competition
Please...be serious.