Comparison Console
Benchmade 960 vs Spyderco Meerkat
EDC Knives comparison. Compare price, weight, specifications, materials, and real-world use case.
Command Brief
Recommended read
Benchmade 960 stands out as the lightest option for weight, with about a 6% gap from the closest alternative. Spyderco Meerkat stands out as the cheapest option for retail price, with about a 31% gap from the closest alternative.
Decision Signals
What stands out
Spyderco Meerkat stands out as the cheapest option for retail price, with about a 31% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade 960 stands out as the most expensive option for retail price, with about a 44% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade 960 stands out as the lightest option for weight, with about a 6% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Meerkat stands out as the heaviest option for weight, with about a 6% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Meerkat stands out as the shortest option for closed length, with about a 19% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade 960 stands out as the longest option for closed length, with about a 23% gap from the closest alternative.
Spyderco Meerkat stands out as the shortest option for blade length, with about a 36% gap from the closest alternative.
Benchmade 960 stands out as the longest option for blade length, with about a 55% gap from the closest alternative.
Specification Profile
Relative dimensions at a glance
Each axis is normalized against the largest raw value among the products in this comparison. Farther outward means a larger value, not necessarily a better result. Axes with an unverified value are omitted.
Price & carry
Retail price
US$200Most expensive
US$138.75Cheapest
Weight
64.1 g (2.26 oz)Lightest
68 g (2.40 oz)Heaviest
Dimensions
Blade length
79.25 mm (3.12 in)Longest
51 mm (2.01 in)Shortest
Overall length
184.9 mm (7.28 in)Longest
135 mm (5.31 in)Shortest
Closed length
105.7 mm (4.16 in)Longest
86 mm (3.39 in)Shortest
Blade thickness
2.54 mm (0.10 in)Thickest
2.4 mm (0.09 in)Thinnest
Materials & mechanism
Blade steel
D2 Tool Steel
CPM SPY27 (standard variant)
Handle material
Red anodized aluminum with black G10 inlay
FRN
Finish
Red anodized aluminum handles, polished stainless steel clip, anodized blue titanium back spacer
Satin
Lock type
AXIS Lock/Crossbar Lock
Phantom Lock
Opening method
Thumb stud, flick of the wrist
Thumb Hole
Clip type
Reversible stainless steel tip-up
Reversible Wire Clip
Use case profile
Best for
EDC (Every Day Carry)Collectors
Everyday Carry (EDC)Compact utility tasks
Not best for
Heavy hard use due to slick handles, lack of jimping
Unknown
Common praise
Smooth and reliable Axis lock mechanismAttractive red anodized aluminum handle with black G10 inlayLightweight at about 2.26 ozGood quality D2 tool steel blade
Compact and capableUnique Phantom Lock mechanismHigh-performance CPM SPY27 steel (standard model)Ambidextrous clipLightweight
Common complaints
Handle can be slick and lacks texture for gripBlade sharpening is more challenging due to D2 steel
Phantom Lock mechanism may be unfamiliar to some users