I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for when it comes to most things in life…
And it’s no different when it comes to folding knives. Benchmade knives are priced at a premium, but I honestly think that the build quality you get with their knives, justifies the amount you pay for them…
Right now, two of their most exciting designs are:
| Image | Products |
 | Benchmade 940 (Check Price And Reviews On Amazon!) |
 | Benchmade 943 (Check Price And Reviews On BaldeHQ!) |
And in this Benchmade 940 Vs 943 article, we’re going to put these two awesome knives up against each other and see how they measure up in the following categories…
- Blade Steel And Materials
- Blade Shape And Handle Design
- Locking Mechanism
- Size And Dimensions
- Pocket Clip And Carry Position
- Price Comparison
In the end, I’ll reveal to you which of these two fantastic knives I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine which knife will work best for you…
Let’s jump into the comparison!
Blade Steel And Materials…
Benchmade 940
The Benchmade 940 is one of Benchmade’s most popular knife designs. Like all Benchmade designs, it’s elegant and built using very high-quality materials…
To start off with, there are basically 3 versions of the 940 that you can get… the original 940, the 940-1, and the 940-2…
The original 940 and the 940-2 use a CPM S30V blade steel which is a pretty high quality steel, but the 940-1 is my favorite because it actually comes with CPM S90V blade steel…
CPM S90V is considered an ultra premium blade steel (it’s one of the best blades steels you can get). I like it because it’s strong, it resists corrosion, and it maintains it’s edge extremely well…
The one downside of CPM S90V is that (because it holds an edge so well) it’s actually a little difficult to sharpen…
It can definitely be done, but it just takes a little more time and effort than some other blade steels out there…
Now if you have trouble sharpening your 940 (regardless of which version you get), Benchmade actually has a pretty cool service called Life Sharp…
Basically with the Life Sharp program you can send your knife back into Benchmade, and they’ll repair it, lubricate it, and sharpen it for the life of the knife (all for free)…
I think it’s a pretty cool service, and it shows that Benchmade really stands behind their products and is willing to take care of their customers…
Now the handle material on your 940 will, again, be determined by which version you get. The original 940 has a green 6061-T6 aluminum handle, the 940-2 has a G-10 handle, and the 940-1 comes with a carbon fiber handle…
Each of these handle materials are strong and comfortable to hold, but I really like the carbon fiber handle on the 940-1 because it’s a pretty firm and tough material, and it’s also extremely lightweight…
In the end though, all the handle materials that Benchmade offers are high quality, and the best one for you really comes down to your personal preference.
Benchmade 943
The Benchmade 943 is, in a way, a slightly different take on the 940. So just like the 940, the 943 uses very high-quality materials…
To start off with, the blade on the 943 is made from CPM S30V steel. Like I mentioned earlier, CPM S30V is a pretty high quality steel, and it’s actually considered a premium blade steel…
It does a good job of resisting corrosion and maintaining a sharp edge, and it’s not too difficult to sharpen either. To be clear, it won’t maintain its edge quite as well as the CPM S90V steel on the 940-1…
But it will still hold its edge very well, and like I said, it’ll end up being a little easier to sharpen as well. Just as with the 940, you’ll get Benchmade’s Life Sharp service included with the 943…
So you can send it in for factory repair, lubrication, and sharpening all for free, and again, I really like that Benchmade offers this as a way to take extra care of their customers and stand behind their products…
Now the handle on the 943 is made from 6061-T6 aluminum just like the original 940. Again, it’s a very strong handle material, and it’s also fairly lightweight…
All in all, just like with the 940, the materials on the Benchmade 943 are high quality, and I think they’re pretty impressive as well.
Blade Shape And Handle Design…
Benchmade 940
The Benchmade 940 has a reverse tanto blade. It’s a very nimble blade shape, and it’s also a pretty versatile blade that can be used in a number of different applications for everyday carry…
Personally, I think it’s a very attractive blade, and it does a great job at cutting and slicing. In addition to that, you can get the 940 with a plain edge or with a serrated edge (the lower half of the blade will be serrated)…
I’ve always had a preference for plain edge knives because they’re just easier to sharpen, but I like that Benchmade offers the 940 with a serrated blade too for those that want serrations…
That being said, no matter which edge you go with, your 940 will be razor sharp right out of the box, and if you manage to wear down your edge, again, you can send it in to Benchmade to have it resharpened if you’d like to…
The 940’s blade also features a thumb stud that allows you to open the knife easily with one hand, and the blade deployment is very smooth…
Now like I mentioned earlier, the handle comes in a few different materials depending on the version of the 940 that you choose to go with…
Regardless of the material, the handle shape is very ergonomic and comfortable, and it allows you to get a good purchase on the knife when you’re using it…
Last, there are a few different color options that Benchmade offers for the handle including black and green, and you can get the blade in either a metallic satin finish or a black coated finish as well.
Benchmade 943
One of the biggest differences between the Benchmade 943 and the 940 is the shape of the blade. Again, with the 940 you get the reverse tanto blade, but with the 943 you get a more traditional clip point blade…
I’ve been a fan of clip point blades ever since I was a little kid. They’ve always reminded me of a big bowie knife blade, and I like the way they look and the way they perform…
So I like the blade on the 943 because (like the blade of the 940) it’s razor sharp right out of the box, and it’s pretty good at slicing, dicing, and cutting…
The edge on the Benchmade 943 is a plain edge, and like I said earlier, that’s my preference over a serrated blade because it’s easier for me to sharpen…
And just like the 940, the 943 also has a thumb stud that allows you to open the blade with one hand, and the deployment is very smooth…
Now the grip on the 943 is very similar to the 940. It’s also very ergonomic and comfortable, and it really locks in your hand when you’re using the knife…
Right now, black is the only handle color that Benchmade offers, and you can get the 943 with a satin finished metallic blade or a black coated blade as well…
Just on a personal note, I really love the black coated blades on both of these knife designs because I think they look really sleek, but most people prefer the satin finish.
Locking Mechanism…
Both the Benchmade 940 and the 943 use the AXIS Lock locking mechanism. This is a locking system that incorporates a spring tensioned bar, a track in the knife handle, and the tang of the blade…
It’s a proprietary locking mechanism for Benchmade that they acquired in 1988, and it was first patented by knifemakers Bill McHenry and Jason Williams…
I like the AXIS Lock locking system because it locks out the blade very securely, and it allows for a very smooth deployment of the blade (especially when it’s properly lubricated).
Size And Dimensions…
Benchmade 940
The Benchmade 940 is a medium-sized utility knife. It has a blade length that measures in at 3.40 inches long, and the handle is 4.47 inches long…
That brings the overall length of the 940 to 7.87 inches long when the blade is fully deployed. In addition to that, it weighs in at just 2.9 ounces, which is pretty lightweight…
So overall, the 940 is a fairly compact knife, and I think it’s an ideal size for everyday carry.
Benchmade 943
The Benchmade 943 is very similarly sized to the 940. In fact, they’re exactly that same size. The 943 has a blade that measures in at 3.40 inches long, and the handle is, again, 4.47 inches long…
So, again, the overall length of the 943 comes in at 7.87 inches long when the blade is fully locked out, and that makes it the exact same size as its Benchmade brother, the 940…
In addition to that, it weighs in at 2.44 ounces so it’s actually just a little bit lighter than it’s Benchmade cousin, the 940.
It’s also very compact and lightweight, and it’s a great size for an EDC knife.
Pocket Clip And Carry Position…
The Benchmade 940 and the 943 both have the exact same clip design. The clip on both knives sets you up for tip up carry and you can swap the clip to either side on both knives as well (which allows you to optimize your pocket carry whether you’re right-handed or left-handed)…
Personally, I prefer tip down carry on my pocket knives, and I wish both knives had an option for tip down carry…
But that being said, I’m ok with tip up carry if I like the design of the knife (I like both the 940 and the 943), and I’m glad that both knives give you the flexibility to swap the clip to either side of the knife…
Now both knives sit fairly low in your pocket. They don’t completely disappear with only the clip showing (the way some knife designs do), but they’re both pretty discrete…
Also, having that little bit of the handle visible in your pocket gives you easy access to both knives, so you can quickly grab your knife and deploy the blade when you need to…
In the end, both the 940 and the 943 are comfortable and easy to carry because both knives have an extremely slim handle design, and they sit fairly low in your pocket.
Price Comparison…
Unfortunately I won’t be able to give you exact numbers in this category because the prices on these knives are constantly changing due to the way the market works…
That being said, the price difference will vary depending on the particular version of the Benchmade 940 you go with…
For example, the 940-1 has the ultra premium CPM S90V blade steel, and it will probably end up being around 90 bucks more expensive than the 943…
However, if you go with the original 940 (which also has a CPM S30V blade steel), it will be virtually the same price as the 943 (which also has CPM S30V steel)…
So basically, if you want the higher quality steel, be prepared to pay a little bit more money, but if you’re happy with CPM S30V (which is still a great blade steel), both knives are around the same price.
Benchmade 940 Vs 943 – Final Thoughts…
So to sum it all up, in the Blade Steel And Materials category, the original 940 comes with CPM S30V blade steel, and the 940-1 comes CPM S90V blade steel, which is an ultra-premium steel…
On the other hand, the 943 just comes with CPM S30V blade steel. Both are good blade steels, but the CPM S90V on the 940-1 will maintain its edge a little bit longer than the CPM S30V on the 940 and the 943…
In the Blade Shape And Handle Design category, the 940 has a reverse tanto blade shape and the 943 has a traditional clip point blade…
In the Locking Mechanism category, both the 940 and the 943 use the AXIS Lock locking mechanism which is a very strong and smooth locking system…
In the Size And Dimensions category, the 940 and the 943 are exactly the same size, and they both have an overall length of 7.87 inches when their blades are fully deployed …
In the Pocket Clip And Carry Position category, both knives have a clip that sets you up for tip up carry and the clip can be swapped to either side on both knives as well…
And last, in the Price Comparison, if you go with the CPM S90V steel on the 940-1, it will cost around 90 dollars more than the 943, but both knives are around the same price if you go with the CPM S30V blade steel…
So which of these knives do I prefer? I prefer the Benchmade 940…
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I prefer the Benchmade 940 for a few reasons. First of all, I like the CPM S90V blade steel that you get on the 940-1…
It’s one of the best blade steels you can get, and it just holds a razor sharp edge on your knife for a very long time…
I also really like the carbon fiber handle on the 940-1 because it’s a strong, super lightweight material, and I think it looks really sleek as well…
Last, even if you take away the 940-1’s superior blade steel and handle material, and you’re just talking about the original 940, I also prefer it over the 943 because I like the reverse tanto blade…
To me, it’s a much more unique blade shape than the clip point that you get on the 943, and I think it gives the 940 a little bit of extra character that you don’t get with the 943…
Now if you prefer the clip point blade, and you’re happy with CPM S30V steel (which is still an awesome knife steel), then feel free to go with the Benchmade 943 because it’s still a great knife…
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In the end, you can’t go wrong going with either of these two awesome knives from Benchmade because both are made with super high-quality materials and both perform very well as utility knives.