Benchmade Auto Osborne: Classic Knife Design Now An Automatic
The new Benchmade Auto Osborne, model 9400, gives you access to an iconic blade design at the push of a button.
The original Osborne 940 has been a popular Benchmade folding knife for 20 years. It features a versatile and unusual 3.4-inch reverse tanto blade and great handling characteristics. Those attributes make it useful for hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts who choose a sturdy folder as their primary cutting tool. And of course, there’s the comfort of carrying a knife this size in your pocket as a backup weapon.
Now Benchmade has updated this Warren Osborne creation with the introduction of the Benchmade Auto Osborne, model 9400. It keeps all of the features that made the 940 great and combines them with a rapid deployment auto mechanism. It will be available for purchase beginning June 25.
One Of Several Osborne Designs
Warren Osborne designed the knife that bears his name. He sold his first custom knife in 1980. Up until his death in 2016, he collaborated with Benchmade on several knife designs.
Originally, he designed the Osborne 940 as a knife that could put in the hard work on his ranch, but also be classy enough to keep in his pocket during a night out in town.
The Osborne 943 is a similar knife, but with a clip blade. Both have become stalwarts in the Benchmade lineup.
Others Osborne designs include the Emissary 3.5; Barrage; Proxy; and Rift. I have the big brother to the Osborne 940: the Benchmade Contego, model 810. Mine is the Knifeworks exclusive version of this model with blue and black laminated G10 grips. It’s my favorite large folder.
Model 9400 Is One Beefy Knife
The Benchmade Auto Osborne’s 3.4-inch plain-edge blade is made of CPM S30V, a premium stainless steel with a hardness rating of 58-60. That blade is .115 inches thick. It measures 7.87 inches in overall length when it’s open. Closed, it’s 4.47 inches long. It weighs 2.65 ounces.
The initial model 9400 will feature handle material of 6061-T6 aluminum. The handle is an attractive green with purple liners.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Benchmade offers future models with carbon fiber and G10 handles as they do with the model 940. This knife comes with a reversible split arrow pocket clip for tip-up carry.
The Benchmade Auto Osborne, model 9400, is made in the U.S. It will have a suggested retail price of $270. For more information, go to www.Benchmade.com.
Key Features: Benchmade Auto Osborne
Blade Steel: CPM S30V (58-60 HRC)
Blade Style: Reverse Tanto
Blade Length: 3.40 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.115 inches
Length Open: 7.87 inches
Length Closed: 4.47 inches
Weight: 2.65 ounces
Handle Thickness: 0.43 inches
Handle Material: 6061-T6 aluminum
MSRP: $270 ($280 with black blade)
Steven Paul Barlow is a retired sergeant/station commander and former firearms instructor with the New York State Police. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enthusiast with all things related to firearms, knives, and survival. He has been writing on outdoor topics for more than 35 years. His collections of outdoor humor stories are available at BriarHill Books.