Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions

Copper 940-2

more_vert
Wherein I have a surprisingly easy time rebuilding an axis locker with copper scales. Most people know the Benchmade 940 as the 'Osborne'. Widely regarded as one of the best production pocket knives in the world, the Osborne probably isn't new to most of you.
search
Warren Osborne has actually designed several knives for Benchmade, but this is the one that people call the 'Osborne'. It's a hell of a knife - light, but long, with exquisite balance and a beautifully smooth flip. As you can see by looking at the variations in texture of the G-10 scales, 940s are subject to a whole lot of finishing work before they leave the factory. The handle gives excellent grip.
search
I knew I wanted to make a Copper Osborne when I saw the aftermarket scales were available for them... but I'm sort of partial to my 940-1 as is, so I ordered this one, a 940-2 from KnifeWorks. KnifeWorks offers engraving services. I like customizing stuff so I often make use of these sorts of things when a seller makes them available, although it's usually BHQ. I often give names to things I've customized or had customized -- less in the sense one names a pet and more in the sense one names a work of art, but it does worry some folks all the same -- and so I decided to make this build named 'Sister Minerva' after the Roman version of Athena, goddess of using your brain to kick peoples' ass whenever they get out of line. "Yes", I thought to myself. "A nice, little tasteful 'Sister Minerva' under the butterfly where BHQ always puts their engravings. That's gonna be cool and understated. Let the copper scales do all the talking." So I ordered it engraved, and then it came.
search
LOL. I had an inkling that something might be out of the ordinary when I opened the package and the bill had a feminine handwritten note thanking me for getting an engraving with lots of smileys and exclamation points. I kinda get the sense that the engraver very much approved of naming this knife after a Roman goddess of ass-beating, and I think it's possible she took quite a bit of pride in the engraving. Well, what can I say? There's some chick down in Louisiana that wanted to make daaaamn sure that people ten feet away were gonna know the name of this knife, so - fuck it, just roll with it. SISTER MINERVA it is. I can dig it. Anyways, this is how an Osborne looks when you take off the scale. The lock and pivot are held in a subframe assembly with jimped edges.
search
To swap out the scales you have to remove the pivot, which is what holds the knife parts together, so you do end up disassembling the whole thing. You hadda know this next pic was coming:
search
So yeah, after seeing me take a jillion pictures of different knives on an Osborne 940-2 mat, here's your Osborne real life break down payoff. :) How'd it go back together? Much much easier than I thought it was going to! A lot of axis lock knives require some tricky reassembly steps, like assembling the entire knife without the scales and then stepwise removing fasteners and adding in the scales, or building the inner works around the pivot and then popping out the pivot by sliding a screwdriver in from the other side to temporarily replace it in the job of keeping the rest of the knife together, while you clap on the scales and then stick the pivot back on. Honestly it can be deeply annoying. But there was none of that necessary on the Osborne. I built it like I was making a sandwich and every piece fit right on. I've had a couple dozen axis locks apart and back together, and this one was just easy like pie. Only now it's got copper scales, as befits a Minerva.
search
I can hear the engraver now: "THAT'S SISTER MINERVA, BITCH!"
search
Is it heavy? No, not really! 4.6 ounces -- 131 grams. So Sister Minerva is chunky for an Osborne, the laws of physics and the weight of copper being what they are, but as a pocket knife goes it's still surprisingly pocketable. I thought there might need to be a little bit of break in but the knife was grav dropping shut within 30 seconds of reassembly. Benchmade does nice work and hat tip to Flytanium for making a scale that fit perfectly.
search
Anyway, Drop, that is the Copper Osborne. If you want one, you'll need to make one. And if you get yours engraved, do yourself a favor and make sure you tell 'em EXACTLY how you want it, or else be ready to roll with it however it comes. ;)
15
3
remove_red_eye
1.4K

search
close
Rhome
7
Dec 15, 2019
Ok, that is cool!
stateofjustin
16
Dec 12, 2019
Definitely one of the best EDC folders around. This was my first Benchmade, purchased around 20 years ago. Do they make other material scales for the 940-1 aside from copper? Thanks for the writeup and for introducing us to a new aftermarket supplier!
reswright
3850
Dec 12, 2019
stateofjustinBrass and titanium, last I checked. Sooner or later I'm going to get around to trying them too, I've just been having too much fun with the copper rebuilds.
Related Posts
Trending Posts in More Community Picks