I've had mine for years. It can take a surprising amount of abuse. It's been one of my favorite EDC knives of all time. But at that price, Benchmade needs to update their blade steel. It seems like you would be paying for the design, not the materials. Price aside, it does so many things so well. Congrats on the 1k!
My story sounds like yours. Have always wanted to try it but there was always something else that came along. Glade you are finally able to try it out. Thanks for the first impressions.
I own a vanilla 940 & 940-1, & today I ordered both a blacked out aluminum partial serrated & a BHQ M4 Jade G10. I absolutely love the 940, much more than I ever anticipated. I'm still exploring the knife world myself, but for all the expensive stuff I've owned, I just keep going back to the 940, Anthem, Griptillian with Micarta scales, & BHQ G10 20CV Bugout. I love my Malibu & M390 Smock among others I own, but I'll be damned if I don't keep putting Benchmade in my pocket most days. It's uncanny! Anyway, good video my man! 😃
I’ve been into knives, on and off, for the last 20 some years. The 940-2, was the beginning of actually collecting knives. It was my “gateway” knife. From there, i bought more Benchmade’s, and moved up to more expensive, higher end production, and mid techs. My 940-2 still gets carried because it’s just a good, all around, go to knife.
I haven't been able to afford a Benchmade yet but this one is definitely at the top of my want list along with a bugout and griptillian can't wait to have enough pennies saved to get one
Awesome video!! ! Just like you when I was a kid I always been infatuated by knives! All through my 20s I loved knives and now the last 3 or 4 years i have been obsessed with knives!! It’s a great time to be a knife guy or gal!! I have a 940 and a 940-1 and have had them for a few years and they are brand new in the box!! I collect a lot of knives just to collect and then I own many pretty nice knives that I have more for my user knifes! I hav been enjoying your channel! Keep up the outstanding work!! God bless you!!
I accidentally got into knives five years ago at age 58. I just wanted a decent edc folder, did some research, and picked up a Rat 1 in aus 8. And that should have been that, right? Wrong. I'm now about 120 knives deep into this crazy addiction. Add in a bunch of multi tools and flashlights too. I own five firearms and am content with that number, I don't have that compulsion to get more, but with knives it just doesn't stop.
I m with ya !! It’s hard to stop once ya really get the bug and the fascination for edc of all kinds!! I currently started getting a collection of olight Flashlights and it’s been so fun !! It’s all an Expensive Hobby to be in but My money could be spent on worse things other than flashlights, knives and edc tools of many kinds!! Have a great weekend!!
Nice man, I’ve owned quite a few BMs but somehow never handled a 940. That’s about to change, I’ve got one on the way. I feel like it might be my favorite, we’ll see. I think the reverse tanto blade will be super useful
I like the 940 series, though I don’t carry them a lot. They come stock with the Emerson style pocket clip, but I changed my 940s to the standard Benchmade deep carry. When it comes to edge maintenance, I find it safest to remove the thumb studs and the blade from the handle. It’s kind of easy to hit the end of the scale if I sharpen with the blade mounted, but that may just be my lack of dexterity.
How many boomerangs can you find on the knife. Hint:6. Designer hid a few. Interesting side fact. It’s a good edc. Well rounded for most tasks tip is strong lock is strong. So it’s a little heavier use if need be imho
Just ordered this one. This one keeps popping up and as a knife Collector i think you must have this one. I do think for the price it can have a update because it's really expensive for S30V and aluminium.. at least for the price tag they should upgrade the steel because the price doesn't match up for the materials
In that environment, I'd take the mini Crooked River, the PM2 or any of the larger budget beaters in my small collection. At work (collision repair and PDR) the 940 gets the most pocket time but I have a few beaters laying around that gets abused. Although the 940-2 is my go-to for most everything, especially with a thin regrind (highly recommended), it isn't "The One". But damn close. Frankly, the Rat 2, which I've had the longest, is just as good or even better. Years of real world use.
You sir earned a new subscriber today thank you for the video I really appreciate it continue the work and maybe one day you will see my whole collection on of my knives that consist of the Tactical Pterodactyl mini camper benchmade 183 contego and the benchmade H&K snody 14100 and the Coldsteel peace keeper 2
I also invite all who read this to check out my Instagram where I do polls and reviews of some lesser known knife companies. On Instagram it’s @Austinsknives
Bearded gear, the Benchmade Osborne 940 you have has the exact issues I was talking about earlier. I older Osborne 940's including my first production from 2000, and my several Knife Of The Month 940's( from early 2001) all have that sweet guillotine drop shutty action without any blade play at all, lock up is absolutely perfect. A lot of never produced Osborne 940's(after 2012) seem to have that issue of only being able to that achieve guillotine drop shutty action if you have slight blade play, and that shouldn't be like that. I can't seem to figure out why this annoying issue is continuously occurring with the Benchmade Osborne 940 model?
I wanted to love this knife as well, and I had a 940-1 I carried for YEARS. It just was pocket jewelry until one day I just said screw it, Imma use it. Thats when I found out that most of the task I actually use it on, doesnt meet my expectations.
I have the same one. I think the best thing about it is how much blade you get for the overall profile. I still prefer the g10, 20cv griptilian, and my favorite Benchmade, the super freek. The 940 has this iconic standing, like the spyderco pm2. And I'll take the g10 manix 2 over the pm2.
For example, I bought the Benchmade Osborne 940-1(carbon fiber handle scale with CPM S90V blade). It's a $272.00 and was a bit overpriced in my opinion for what it is. Then after getting it I was triggered by an "I don't give a shit" type of fit&finish issue the 940-1 came with from Benchmade. If you look at the Benchmade 904-1 you will clearly notice that the body screws in the handle are significantly longer than the thickness of the knifes carbon fiber scales, so the screws themselves stick way out in the knifes blade channel(the area between the inside of each handle scale). I was annoyed/triggered because Benchmade is one of, if not the largest knife company in the world and they couldn't either order screws that were the exact same length as the thickness of the carbon fiber scales on the 940-1 or possibly modify/shorten existing screws to the proper length. It just felt to me like Benchmade already had a ton of extra screws that they knew were longer than the thickness of the carbon fiber scales, and they just said fuck it and decided to use them anyway without modifying/shortening them at all!!!
I hear you about those too long screws, and Benchmade's prices. When they came out with the 940-2001 with titanium scales and priced it at $340? I've paid over $600 for a knife so I don't have a problem spending what I consider a lot for a knife, but I felt that asking $340 for that knife was insulting.
Your first impressions are more thorough and thought out than most of the "reviews" we get from these lame youtube knife celebrities. Looking forward to your final thoughts on the 940.
I am sharing the same feelings about this knife, but to me, personally the geometry of the blade is just too thick behind the edge. I feel the drag when I cut just cardboard or an apple. But I am very curious of your final conclusion of this knife.
The 940 is made to work not sit around it’s made to work. Well bug outs 12:03 are OK but I broke mine because it was too weak to do what is required but the 940 has continued on for years. I don’t collect knives they’re a tool. Beat them if they’re not good enough find another one. Mostly it’s a $10 razor knife. Nobody wants to work nine hours and come home make dinner and sharpen a knife no
I like the access to the thumb stud on the Freek, Anthem, and Bugout are a lot better than the 940. I have had a 20cv G10 940 and a 940-1 but sold them both and don’t miss them. I watched a video about a guy who edc the same 940 for 10 years. Sure it’s a jack of all tasks master of none. Other than put in your pocket and forget about it. It’s not for me. Say Bugout or Freek to me and my eyes will light up.
Idk man I don’t think I could fit this knife in a fifth pocket, although it is slim enough that I could carry it back pocket and it would work in that application.
Liam Curran you’re joking right? A backlock vs an axis lock that fails when batoning? Spyderco’s Heat treatment vs benchmades? 940 may have a superior base steel and stronger handle material but you won’t even get to handle material strength before the axis lock fails you. Don’t get me wrong I’m an axis lock owner and fan but you’re kidding yourself if you honestly claim that a benchmade 940 can withstand more abuse than a spyderco endura
Liam Curran Liam Curran you realize they are virtually the same thing right? hahaha. No, you cannot baton with an axis lock I was not just making that up: th-cam.com/video/bkXnLLX38AU/w-d-xo.html
@@BigShaneGillis what does that have to do with batoning lmfao. That video is about omega springs not being strong enough to hold the lock when enough momentum is used to push it down. Doesn't have shit to do with batoning?
Granium Hdz I meant pommel strike I didn’t write this out as my final thesis, so I apologize for your confusion. But honestly if you want to get technical and anal about it, a failure induced from pommel strike is actually a much more dangerous flaw for a folding lighter use knife as opposed to failures induced from a straight up spine wack into material like batonning. Because you are in all likelihood never gonna be batonning with a lighter folder, but if you use that knife enough times day after day, there’s a much better chance you’ll slip and bang your handle against a table/surface, and if you’re using an axis lock, just know it’s probably gonna close on you if that happens
Great knife , designed by a knife guy. Designed for heavy use. But built by an average company I bought one a year and half ago . About the time their political views become known. That's said its in the top five edc knives going. And mine is not going away from me .
I paused ...drove to Cabelas and got one! EDC Perfection! Feels so good in the hand!
940 is actually a low key tank.... I’ve batoned with it and it’s a beast
I've had mine for years. It can take a surprising amount of abuse. It's been one of my favorite EDC knives of all time. But at that price, Benchmade needs to update their blade steel. It seems like you would be paying for the design, not the materials. Price aside, it does so many things so well. Congrats on the 1k!
Thanks so much man! Giveaway will be going live in the next couple of days, I just need to get some more stuff that’s in the mail 👍🏻
S30V is one of the toughest blades out there.
My story sounds like yours. Have always wanted to try it but there was always something else that came along. Glade you are finally able to try it out. Thanks for the first impressions.
Thanks for watching buddy! 🙌🏻
I own a vanilla 940 & 940-1, & today I ordered both a blacked out aluminum partial serrated & a BHQ M4 Jade G10. I absolutely love the 940, much more than I ever anticipated.
I'm still exploring the knife world myself, but for all the expensive stuff I've owned, I just keep going back to the 940, Anthem, Griptillian with Micarta scales, & BHQ G10 20CV Bugout. I love my Malibu & M390 Smock among others I own, but I'll be damned if I don't keep putting Benchmade in my pocket most days. It's uncanny!
Anyway, good video my man! 😃
Sweet love it ....fits nicely in the pocket...at 2.9 ounce it’s just right for for EDC.
Just buy it - probably the best knife ever made. Most knife people know this.
I’ve been into knives, on and off, for the last 20 some years. The 940-2, was the beginning of actually collecting knives. It was my “gateway” knife. From there, i bought more Benchmade’s, and moved up to more expensive, higher end production, and mid techs. My 940-2 still gets carried because it’s just a good, all around, go to knife.
It definitely makes a great all around edc knife. I bet for a lot of people it was their first expensive knife too.
Great vid man and I love the hako shirt as well.
I haven't been able to afford a Benchmade yet but this one is definitely at the top of my want list along with a bugout and griptillian can't wait to have enough pennies saved to get one
My personal opinion, the SuperFreek is a better knife, that would be my recommendation over the 940 🤫
Awesome video!! ! Just like you when I was a kid I always been infatuated by knives! All through my 20s I loved knives and now the last 3 or 4 years i have been obsessed with knives!! It’s a great time to be a knife guy or gal!! I have a 940 and a 940-1 and have had them for a few years and they are brand new in the box!! I collect a lot of knives just to collect and then I own many pretty nice knives that I have more for my user knifes! I hav been enjoying your channel! Keep up the outstanding work!! God bless you!!
I accidentally got into knives five years ago at age 58. I just wanted a decent edc folder, did some research, and picked up a Rat 1 in aus 8. And that should have been that, right? Wrong. I'm now about 120 knives deep into this crazy addiction. Add in a bunch of multi tools and flashlights too. I own five firearms and am content with that number, I don't have that compulsion to get more, but with knives it just doesn't stop.
Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching! 🙌🏻
Right on! I’m with ya brother!! It’s an ongoing desire for more!!
@@shaunchristensen4386 Yep. I've got a Reate torrent coming next week and I just pre-ordered the new spyderco swayback.
I m with ya !! It’s hard to stop once ya really get the bug and the fascination for edc of all kinds!! I currently started getting a collection of olight Flashlights and it’s been so fun !! It’s all an Expensive Hobby to be in but My money could be spent on worse things other than flashlights, knives and edc tools of many kinds!! Have a great weekend!!
Nice man, I’ve owned quite a few BMs but somehow never handled a 940. That’s about to change, I’ve got one on the way. I feel like it might be my favorite, we’ll see. I think the reverse tanto blade will be super useful
I'm carrying the 940 daily and abuse hard at work. I switch out to the -1 for weekends, one of my favorites.
I like the 940 series, though I don’t carry them a lot. They come stock with the Emerson style pocket clip, but I changed my 940s to the standard Benchmade deep carry. When it comes to edge maintenance, I find it safest to remove the thumb studs and the blade from the handle. It’s kind of easy to hit the end of the scale if I sharpen with the blade mounted, but that may just be my lack of dexterity.
Sounds like too much work for me 🤣🤣
Bearded Gear Well, I come from an older generation. I walked to school and back home, uphill both ways. We had no easy ways and it built character.
Haha maybe one day I’ll be as hardcore as you! 😂
I got the M4 g-10 BladeHQ edition and I love it
How many boomerangs can you find on the knife. Hint:6. Designer hid a few. Interesting side fact. It’s a good edc. Well rounded for most tasks tip is strong lock is strong. So it’s a little heavier use if need be imho
Just ordered this one. This one keeps popping up and as a knife Collector i think you must have this one. I do think for the price it can have a update because it's really expensive for S30V and aluminium.. at least for the price tag they should upgrade the steel because the price doesn't match up for the materials
In that environment, I'd take the mini Crooked River, the PM2 or any of the larger budget beaters in my small collection. At work (collision repair and PDR) the 940 gets the most pocket time but I have a few beaters laying around that gets abused. Although the 940-2 is my go-to for most everything, especially with a thin regrind (highly recommended), it isn't "The One". But damn close. Frankly, the Rat 2, which I've had the longest, is just as good or even better. Years of real world use.
Yeah I think a regrind is the right idea on the 940 👌🏻
What is this stronger Omega spring upgrade you speak of? Where can I learn more about it? Thank you🙂
Ask YD Knives, his Instagram is linked in the video description 👍🏻
You sir earned a new subscriber today thank you for the video I really appreciate it continue the work and maybe one day you will see my whole collection on of my knives that consist of the Tactical Pterodactyl mini camper benchmade 183 contego and the benchmade H&K snody 14100 and the Coldsteel peace keeper 2
I also invite all who read this to check out my Instagram where I do polls and reviews of some lesser known knife companies. On Instagram it’s @Austinsknives
I enjoyed watching your video thanks
Thanks for watching! 👊🏻
Bearded gear, the Benchmade Osborne 940 you have has the exact issues I was talking about earlier. I older Osborne 940's including my first production from 2000, and my several Knife Of The Month 940's( from early 2001) all have that sweet guillotine drop shutty action without any blade play at all, lock up is absolutely perfect. A lot of never produced Osborne 940's(after 2012) seem to have that issue of only being able to that achieve guillotine drop shutty action if you have slight blade play, and that shouldn't be like that. I can't seem to figure out why this annoying issue is continuously occurring with the Benchmade Osborne 940 model?
As long as I've been collecting i still don't have a 940 or a pm2.Just always see something else that I want more
I totally get that haha
I love the 940 but one thing kinda ruins it for me is that the behind the edge thickness is insanely thick like thicker than kim k
It is pretty thick 😂
I wanted to love this knife as well, and I had a 940-1 I carried for YEARS. It just was pocket jewelry until one day I just said screw it, Imma use it. Thats when I found out that most of the task I actually use it on, doesnt meet my expectations.
Review starts at 6:40. The first part is him just rambling.
I much prefer griptilian (mini or fullsize) or even the rift rather than 940s.
I own the 940-2 g10 scales S30v blade steel and its cheaper than the 940
I’d probably prefer the g-10 to the aluminum 👍🏻
I have the same one. I think the best thing about it is how much blade you get for the overall profile.
I still prefer the g10, 20cv griptilian, and my favorite Benchmade, the super freek. The 940 has this iconic standing, like the spyderco pm2. And I'll take the g10 manix 2 over the pm2.
For example, I bought the Benchmade Osborne 940-1(carbon fiber handle scale with CPM S90V blade). It's a $272.00 and was a bit overpriced in my opinion for what it is. Then after getting it I was triggered by an "I don't give a shit" type of fit&finish issue the 940-1 came with from Benchmade. If you look at the Benchmade 904-1 you will clearly notice that the body screws in the handle are significantly longer than the thickness of the knifes carbon fiber scales, so the screws themselves stick way out in the knifes blade channel(the area between the inside of each handle scale). I was annoyed/triggered because Benchmade is one of, if not the largest knife company in the world and they couldn't either order screws that were the exact same length as the thickness of the carbon fiber scales on the 940-1 or possibly modify/shorten existing screws to the proper length. It just felt to me like Benchmade already had a ton of extra screws that they knew were longer than the thickness of the carbon fiber scales, and they just said fuck it and decided to use them anyway without modifying/shortening them at all!!!
I hear you about those too long screws, and Benchmade's prices. When they came out with the 940-2001 with titanium scales and priced it at $340? I've paid over $600 for a knife so I don't have a problem spending what I consider a lot for a knife, but I felt that asking $340 for that knife was insulting.
Yeah that’s super frustrating, they shouldn’t be letting things like that slip through the cracks
Is this something that has been fixed? Do you know? Or are they still selling them this way?
What Assisted-opening Benchmade do you recommend??
I don’t like assisted opening knives, so I haven’t owned any Benchmades with that feature, sorry!
Bearded Gear Ok thanks anyway
cool i follow YD knives !
He’s great! 🙌🏻
Your first impressions are more thorough and thought out than most of the "reviews" we get from these lame youtube knife celebrities. Looking forward to your final thoughts on the 940.
Glad you enjoy my take, thanks for watching!
I am sharing the same feelings about this knife, but to me, personally the geometry of the blade is just too thick behind the edge. I feel the drag when I cut just cardboard or an apple. But I am very curious of your final conclusion of this knife.
A few more days of carry and testing and then I’ll share my conclusion 👍🏻
@@beardedgear ok what's the conclusion 1 yr later?
The 940 is made to work not sit around it’s made to work. Well bug outs 12:03 are OK but I broke mine because it was too weak to do what is required but the 940 has continued on for years. I don’t collect knives they’re a tool. Beat them if they’re not good enough find another one. Mostly it’s a $10 razor knife. Nobody wants to work nine hours and come home make dinner and sharpen a knife no
I like the access to the thumb stud on the Freek, Anthem, and Bugout are a lot better than the 940. I have had a 20cv G10 940 and a 940-1 but sold them both and don’t miss them. I watched a video about a guy who edc the same 940 for 10 years. Sure it’s a jack of all tasks master of none. Other than put in your pocket and forget about it. It’s not for me. Say Bugout or Freek to me and my eyes will light up.
I think my conclusion may end up being about the same haha, but time will tell.
I have a Benchmade infidel I have no use for do you know anyone that would trade for it?
They talk about opening packages cutting apples. That’s not even work some of us actually work
A fellow weirdo!👊🏼💥😂
You’re not alone 🤣
But that’s not surprising all of these knife reviewers don’t work they do videos who cares you know Work Hass to get done too
Meh. It’s a pretty ideal fifth pocket knife or secondary carry, but then again so is an endura and it’s half of the price
Idk man I don’t think I could fit this knife in a fifth pocket, although it is slim enough that I could carry it back pocket and it would work in that application.
Liam Curran you’re joking right? A backlock vs an axis lock that fails when batoning? Spyderco’s Heat treatment vs benchmades? 940 may have a superior base steel and stronger handle material but you won’t even get to handle material strength before the axis lock fails you. Don’t get me wrong I’m an axis lock owner and fan but you’re kidding yourself if you honestly claim that a benchmade 940 can withstand more abuse than a spyderco endura
Liam Curran Liam Curran you realize they are virtually the same thing right? hahaha. No, you cannot baton with an axis lock I was not just making that up: th-cam.com/video/bkXnLLX38AU/w-d-xo.html
@@BigShaneGillis what does that have to do with batoning lmfao. That video is about omega springs not being strong enough to hold the lock when enough momentum is used to push it down. Doesn't have shit to do with batoning?
Granium Hdz I meant pommel strike I didn’t write this out as my final thesis, so I apologize for your confusion. But honestly if you want to get technical and anal about it, a failure induced from pommel strike is actually a much more dangerous flaw for a folding lighter use knife as opposed to failures induced from a straight up spine wack into material like batonning. Because you are in all likelihood never gonna be batonning with a lighter folder, but if you use that knife enough times day after day, there’s a much better chance you’ll slip and bang your handle against a table/surface, and if you’re using an axis lock, just know it’s probably gonna close on you if that happens
Great knife , designed by a knife guy. Designed for heavy use. But built by an average company I bought one a year and half ago .
About the time their political views become known. That's said its in the top five edc knives going.
And mine is not going away from me .
I really want one but price keeping me from getting one. Seen some cheaper on Reddit but always worried about scams
o2 version is better balanced
Who builds a fence with a pocket knife lol
Just decent.
Overpriced
So many other choices achieving better value.price drop by 27 percent would acheive value match.
But at $200... Just nope