Benchmade 945 Review
Benchmade’s product history can be divided into four eras: Bali Benchmade, pre-Axis, Axis, and Bugout. In the Bugout era, which, not coincidentally occurred when the patent on the Axis lock expired, Benchmade has dramatically improved the tolerances on Axis lock knives. It used to be that we assumed that Axis locks, also known as sliding bar locks, had an irreducible amount of blade play. Even in really nice versions of a sliding bar lock there was a choice between stubbornly slow deployment or bladeplay. There was nothing like a flickable Axis lock with no bladeplay. Then the patent expired and dozens of companies started making sliding bar locks. Many of them blew the Benchmade versions away. Then Benchmade upped its game and made the Bugout—the first flickable, tight-as-a-drum Axis lock. What happened next has been fascinating to watch. Benchmade got off the huge folder bandwagon (for the most part) and has produced a series of excellent knives. They were all smaller, more EDC friendly blades. At the same time it has expanded its customized offerings dramatically. This was a new Benchmade.
All of this is really exciting. I love the Bugout and the Mini Bugout. But the best knife of this era (so far) is the 945 or the Mini 940. In fact, here is my hot take—this is the best Benchmade knife ever. If you like knives or Benchmades or sliding bar locks, this is it. It is slim, compact, full ambi, and incredibly fun to fidget with throughout the day. It is one of the best EDC knives on the market in 2021, even with its subpar (but excellently ground and heat treated) steel.
Here is the product page. There are, at the time of this writing, two variants—a black bladed G10 handled version and a satin ground blade with green aluminum handles. Both cost the same—MSRP of $205 with a street price around $170. Undoubtedly there will be other variants in the future with a carbon fiber S90V version likely to land in the next year or two.
Twitter Review Summary: Benchmade’s Empire Strikes Back—a sequel better than the already very good original.
Design: 2
The 940 is an all-time classic, Benchmade’s answer to Spyderco’s PM2. But here is a little secret—it was kinda visually awkward, the knife equivalent of a toucan. It is a great knife, don’t mistake what I am saying, but it is not what I think of as a slick looking blade. It is just too long and too skinny to look graceful (if you want to see a graceful knife, take a look at the Spyderco Caly3…those are some very fine lines). The 945 has all of the cool angles of the 940 with none of the useless extra length. Honestly, if I would have seen both knives together the first time I saw either, I would have assumed that the design started as the 945 and then was upsized to the 940. This is the way the design should have been from the beginning. The blade length compared to the blade height looks better as does the grind. This is, now, an aesthetic masterpiece, hanging easily with the likes of the Caly3 and other beautiful production blades. There is not a line too long, not a curve, cut, or facet too many. No element is wasted. It is a gorgeous knife. With that one change, the 945 pairs superior performance with aesthetic appeal and viola—Benchmade has a new best knife (for the record, it used to be the Mini Grip).
Aside from the 945’s beauty there are the obvious things it inherits from the 940—a slim, taut body with plenty of blade compacted into a tiny frame. The entire knife feels thin—the handles are thin, the blade is not overly tall, and now, the length dimensions make more sense and are less likely to get you in trouble. If you liked the 940, but wished it were a bit more EDC friendly (which, for its size it was), the 945 is a knife you will love. It is superb in every way, design wise. This is a sequel better than the original.
The performance ratios are quite good. The original version wasn’t a porker and this knife is even more svelte. The blade:handle is: .76, which is the top quarter of blades (anything crossing the .75 line is very, very good). The blade:weight is: 1.46, which is also exceptionally good. I have said this before, but it bears repeating—performance ratios don’t make a knife great, but most great knives do well here. The 945 does well, as you can see.
Fit and Finish: 2
You aren’t going to find any stray machine marks or weird mistakes. Everything is clean, tight, and consistent. My only gripe here is the powdery aluminum handles. They are absolute magnets for marks and scratches. As you can see above nearly any material will leave marks. The generally come out, but still. Over about a month, the coating tames down and just becomes grippy as opposed to powdery. After that, there are no issues. This is as nicely made a knife as you will see with a butterfly on it.
Grip: 2
If you thought that the key to the 940’s success was the long handle, the 945 proves why that notion is wrong. In fact, the handle length had very little to do with it. Instead, it was the very neutral handle shape that made the 940 and now the 945 great. First, there is the small palm swell on the spine of the knife. This gives you just enough meat to let you know the knife is there. Second, there is slight index notch. It is nothing obnoxious, but just enough to work. It also hides an exposed rear tang (something that the Bugout and the Mini Bugout suffer from). Finally, there is the tail end of the knife—there is nary a bird’s beak to be found. On a fixed blade where you do serious chopping that can be an issue. Here, where there is no reason to go bananas on something, you don’t need a bird’s beak.
Carry: 2
Aside from the opening week or two where the aluminum’s powder coating inhibits easy removal and insertion of the knife into a pocket, the 945 is an ideal pocket inhabitant. In many pants it is small enough to ride in the coin pocket. Even in the worst case scenario, say in the thigh pocket on a pair of cargo pants, it is still light enough to go largely unnoticed until you need it.
Steel: 1
You know the spiel—chemistry doesn’t really matter all that much for general use, S30V is not bad, it can be made better by heat treat. All of that is true. But when nearly every single knife coming out of China comes with the American made S35VN steel, selling a knife these days with less is a move that makes you look like you are being cheap, stubborn, or old fashioned. Spyderco and Benchmade need to get with the times. Heck even Chris Reeve upgraded to S45VN.
Blade Shape: 2
This is another secret to the 940’s success. This blade shape, the reverse tanto, is an excellent utility shape (vastly superior to the actual Americanized tanto). It is both easy to sharpen and durable. It provides a very strong but still very acute tip. Knives like the Kershaw Leek and the dreadful ZT0707 should take note—this how you do it. I have a Random Leek in for review, so I will let you know if it is any better than the original. It probably is, but it is not in the same class as the 945.
Grind: 2
I am generally not a fan of complex grinds as they tend to detract from a knife’s slicing ability. That said, the 945 really works incredibly well here. The grind is thin, yet stable. It is even, symmetric, and quite clean. More importantly this knife follows the old adage #knivesshouldbeabletocutstuff. It might sound basic, but sometimes it needs to be restated—we carry knives to cut stuff.
Deployment: 2
Like with most of the Bugout Era knives, the 945 is dialed in and snappy. It is an absolute joy to open and close. It keeps true even when the pivot is absolutely fluid. Seven years ago it would be hard to imagine a time when I would be singing the praises of an Axis lock knife’s deployment and purposely avoiding the bland reptition of ZT folders. Now look at where we are.
Retention Method: 2
The clip is pretty basic, but in that basic shape there is a lot of good. The knife slides in and out of the pocket with ease. The clip stays out of the way in the hand, even in more strenous use. I would have preferred the small deep carry clip seen on the Mini Bugout, but the difference between the two is slight.
Lock/Blade Safety: 2
With this new breed of Axis locks, the 945 is absolutely rock solid. Frankly, the Bugout Era locks are my favorite production knife locks on the market—full ambi, easy to use, and very secure.
Other Considerations:
Fidget Factor: Very High
With a fast, fluid deployment, and a sliding bar lock design, this knife is a fidgeter’s dream.
Fett Effect: Very High
The scratching on the aluminum handles drives me nuts. This isn’t a “classy time worn patina” but instead “how did this scratch get here” kind of thing.
Value: Low
With aluminum handles and S30V, this knife should be under $150 even with the Butterfly Tax. Kizer makes three dozen knives with titanium and S35VN for less money.
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
Benchmade’s EDC revolution, which started with the Bugout, has produced some very fine blades, but the 945 is the best of them all. The 945 is better than the Mink Freek (no pronounced index notch). It is better than the Mini Bugout (no exposed rear tang). It is better than the Mini Grip (slimmer, better lock up). I don’t think it is too bold to suggest that this is the best knife in the Benchmade line up. It is truly a great knife.
The real question for folks into knives enough to read this site regularly is this—should you wait? Invariably there will be an upgraded version probably with carbon fiber handles and S90V steel. They did that for the original 940 and the Mini Freek, the Proper, and the Bugout. So, its coming. It will probably be in about a year, so late spring, early summer 2022. If you have moved on from the Hunt for Perfect Steel, then there is no reason not to buy this knife. There is no real weigh difference between the carbon fiber and the aluminum handles. And this will probably be $50-$100 cheaper if precedent holds. As is, this is a really stellar EDC option. I wouldn’t blink an eye buying one and then checking out the upgrade later to see if a trade in is warranted. But I review gear and so that sort of silliness is warranted. If you want to only buy one version and care about steel, wait. If you don’t care about steel, buy this one. Its fantastic.
This is a great folder and the epitome of the New Benchmade. John, your dad would be proud.
Competition
To say that EDC space is scorching hot right now is a huge understatement. Between designer-produced blades, smart upgrades from traditional sources, and a bevy of sprint runs for long-time favorites (and the Para 3), you can find an EDC knife that will do everything you would ever want. Even in this jam packed field the 945 stands tall. If I were in the market for my first EDC knife and I had some coin to spend here is a short list of knives I would consider:
Terrain 365 Otter AT Flipper
Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 31
Spartan Mini Harsey
Quiet Carry Drift in G10
Spyderco Dragonfly II in 20CV (DLT exclusive)
Spyderco Chaparral in Carbon Fiber
Pena X Series Zulu or Apache
Benchmade 945
Reate Tribute
WE Knives Eidolon
There is a lot of really good stuff out right now. In this stacked field (I think only the Eidolon is not out yet), the 945 is one of the smaller, slimmer knives. It also has a really great handle and blade shape. Picking it would not be an error. I think I like a few knives better (the Rockwall, the Mini Evo, and the 20CV Dragonfly) but not by a lot. The 945 is an excellent blade and if it were around $100-$110 it would be a powder keg in this market.
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Benchmade 945
