A pocket knife is as essential a daily loadout as their shoes to many.
Benchmade opened its doors to customers back in 1988 and quickly garnered a large customer base of knife enthusiasts. Its high-quality knives and the fact that they stand behind their products made Benchmade a household name.
The No products found. is one of the most popular everyday carry knives out there. It’s been in production for over 14 years now.
But after I learned that the knife is a creation of the late Warren Osborne, I knew I had to get it.
In this review, I’ll go over all of the knife’s features that make it the EDC knife of choice of thousands.
SKIP AHEAD
Benchmade 940 Review
Look
The 940 is beautifully proportioned and slim. In addition to the butterfly logo, Osborne’s boomerang insignia peeks out of the handle scales, which is an excellent touch.
The design strikes the right balance between appeal and utility.
Size and Weight
The knife is built with a 3.4-inch long modified reverse tanto blade. The blade is super slim at 0.114 inches.
The handle is four-tenths of an inch thick, and when fully deployed, the length of the knife is 7.87 inches.
When closed and stowed away in your pocket, the knife is only 4.47 inches long, but it is slim and light at 2.9 ounces.
The knife is feather-light – and it’s hard to notice in the pockets after you slip it in.
The No products found. has a balanced design – one that only an expert can pull off. Its dimensions and weight make it perfect for everyday use.
Material
The blade is built from CPM-S30V premium stainless steel. The steel is American-made and is one of the best steels available.
It is both easy to sharpen and holds an edge exceptionally well. Even after weeks of use, you will find it sharp enough to shave with.
Deployment
As mentioned, the design of the 940 is expertly balanced, which makes the deployment feel as slick as a breeze. Implementation is undeterred even if you’re wearing a glove, which is one of the best things about the knife.
The AXIS-lock keeps the fingers away from the blade’s path, which I why I think every knife should come with an AXIS-lock. AXIS gives the knife a solid lock but ensures that it is easy to open one-handed.
The 940 also comes with an ambidextrous dual thumb-stud opener, but the best way to deploy is to pull back on the locking handle and flick it.
Handle
The Benchmade 940 comes with anodized 6061-T6 aluminum handles. The liners are made out of stainless steel and a purple anodized titanium backspacer.
The aluminum gives the handle an excellent grip, making heavy-duty cutting and slicing a lot easier.
There is one downside, though. The all-metal construction makes the handle very cold in the winter months.
Pocket Clip
Benchmade typically makes excellent pocket clips. But the stock pocket clip that comes with the 940 is painted black. It will scratch, and even chip off – which will annoy some.
You can contact Benchmade for a more extended pocket clip if you like a deep carry. They’ll gladly send one out.
Cutting Force
The knife can slice through fabric like hemp and nylon with relative ease. It can also cut through thick plastic, wood for kindling, and meat.
The design quality and cutting force combined make the 940 the go-to option for thousands of customers.
Sharpening
As I mentioned earlier, the knife has a modified reverse tanto blade. The shape of the blade makes the tip of the knife thick, which increases durability. The swedge out on the spine makes it slimmer without affecting blade strength.
Also, since it is made from some of the best steel available, you can count on the blade to perform when you need it.
But sharpening is where the steel shines. Achieving a mirror edge should be a breeze – and with the right tools, it should take no longer than ten minutes.
Blades made from other steels need a lot of time and energy to get an edge this sharp.
Warranty
One of the best parts of buying a Benchmade knife is that they stand behind their products.
Benchmade commits to ensuring that your knife has a factory-fresh edge as long as you own it.
The warranty is officially termed “LifeSharp,” and Benchmade promises that service will be provided free of charge.
You can mail your knife to the company via a carrier of your choice – the company will clean, adjust, oil, and sharpen the blade, and send it back to you at no cost.
The warranty makes the premium you pay for Benchmade’s knives all the more worth it.
Benchmade 940 Pros and Cons
Pros
- AXIS-lock makes for safer and easier locking and unlocking
- Balanced design – easy to deploy
- Attractive look
- High-quality American-made steel
- Excellent warranty
Cons
- Slightly pricey
- Pivot screw loosens up
Open Questions…
Q: Is the knife left-handed?
A: It has an ambidextrous design – you can use it comfortably with any hand.
Q: Does the warranty cover serrated blades?
A: No, the company will not repair or replace a serrated blade.
What People Are Saying About the Benchmade 940
Customers are very happy with their products and do not report any significant issues.
But I’ve noticed some common gripes—the paint on the pocket clip chips off, which annoys customers.
Also, the standard pocket clip that Benchmade provides proves to be a little too big for the slim knife. I don’t mind it, but it does stick out a bit.
Lastly, the pivot screw of the knife is engineered a little too precisely. Customers report that after a few open and close cycles, the blade begins to wobble a bit.
But other than that, there are no other issues with the knife.
Other Benchmade Knives Reviewed
We’ve covered reviews of many of the Benchmade line of knives. Check them out as well:
Verdict
Everything from the design to its construction is perfect, and the knife will last you years. And with Benchmade’s excellent warranty, you certainly get the most out of your money.
