Benchmade 530 for edc, good choice? Better than grip?

[philly b]

Hey guys,

I recently started a thread trying to decide which knife under 55 dollars i would like, but you guys peer pressured me into getting something more expensive, which i should probably thank you for.

I loved my old griptilian (which i lost) and i am wondering how the benchmade 530 stacks up to the griptilian, would it be considered a "step up"?

If not, what benchmade imbetween the griptilian and the benchmade 940 would be a good choice for me? I love the 940 but it is simply too much $$ at the moment, so what would be a good "in-between knife" no more than say around 80 dollars?

Thanks,

Phil

 

[rifon2]

I EDC'd a 530 for a couple of years.

It's a fantastic knife, very underrated IMO.
3-1/4" blade of 154CM, nested steel liners, super slim & light.
Axis lock.

It just disappears in your pocket even though it's surely large enough for most tasks.

Definitely a winner. :thumbup:

 

[Nathan Ihrke]

i got my dad a 530 for christmas and i can flip it open quicker than an assisted openning knife... it has 154 cm which is a plus and i really slim and good for edc, i got my dads at right around $60, i think you found your knife

 

[THG]

I think it's a good knife, but not "better" than the Grip. I had the pleasure of handling a 530 a few days ago. It was very slim, very light. An amazing piece of work. However, it seemed to be more "flimsy" than a Grip. Overall, I think the Grip is a tougher knife, but for light-use EDC, I think the 530 would do just fine.

 

[rifon2]

I think the Grip is a tougher knife

The Grip has a thicker blade and thicker handle scales than the 530.
Thicker liners as well.

But I think the 530 is really well made, not flimsy at all, and great for light to medium duty use.

 

[Nathan Ihrke]

i wouldn't say that it is flimsy at all but i do not think it is as strong as a grip... i think as long as your not doing anything strenuous a 530 will by all means be strong enough for what your doing

 

[THG]

But I think the 530 is really well made, not flimsy at all, and great for light to medium duty use.

i wouldn't say that it is flimsy at all but i do not think it is as strong as a grip... i think as long as your not doing anything strenuous a 530 will by all means be strong enough for what your doing

By "more flimsy," I didn't mean it was flimsy at all, just more so than the Grips (which I think is pretty obvious)

 

[Fred Sanford]

I guess if you like knives that "look like" Out-The-Front autos then yes.

For whatever reason I never understood why the 530 is still even in their line up.

 

[rifon2]

By "more flimsy," I didn't mean it was flimsy at all, just more so than the Grips (which I think is pretty obvious)

Yes, the Grips are obviously more heavily built.

For whatever reason I never understood why the 530 is still even in their line up.

And yet it's been there longer than most.
I think it's because it's useful and fairly unique - reasonably priced, excellent blade steel, very, very slim and light. With a great lock.

AFAIK, there's nothing really quite like it.

 

[steelscout30]

Benchmade/Ritter RSK Mk1 (Griptilian).

'Nuff said. :thumbup:

www.aeromedix.com

An improved, absolutely phenomenal version of the Griptilian. I don't think you could ask for much more out of a production folder.

 

[HotSwat]

The 530 is one of the best knives on the market. It is crazy sharp. The grip is more of a heavy user, the 530 is more like a tactical gentman's knife. It can take anything you throw at it.

My gripe with the grip is that it only partially lined. I prefer the mini grip because it is fully lined. I would recommend the Spyderco Tenacios .

 

[Keyman]

I am with steelscout30 all the way, without a doubt.
I have the mini and a standard Ritters in M2, they are the only knives I carry anymore. I believe a Mini-Ritter, even though worth every penny, is still a little over your $55 price range.
A standard Mini Grip is one sweet knife; it has good steel, great lock-up and will disappear into your pocket; that would definitely be my choice, given the price range.
But, if you think you might be interested in spending a bit more for an upgraded version, go Ritter you will not be disappointed.:thumbup:

 

[rifon2]

You really can't go wrong with any of these knives, they're all great.

Pick one that suits your hand, style, and wallet & buy it...then you can buy the others...

 

[Nathan Ihrke]

I guess if you like knives that "look like" Out-The-Front autos then yes.

For whatever reason I never understood why the 530 is still even in their line up.

Yeah, who would want to keep a knife in the lineup that's sharp, easy to carry, has good steel, decent handle, good priced and makes the company money... benchmade is probly going to contact you to make decisions for them soon:jerkit:

 

[elmora2]

I got my mom a 530BK, and it's a great knife. I wouldn't say it's a "step up" from the Griptilian; I'd say they're about on par with one another. However, I would say that they serve different purposes.

The Grip: Better, more secure grip (go figure), more durable (more substantial handle and thicker blade.

The 530: Much slimmer and more compact, so much easier to find a place or pocket to carry it (not to mention being much lighter than the Grip). Also, its thinner blade makes it a more efficient cutter than the Grip.

I'd say to pick the one that will serve your needs better. Myself, I'd probably go with the Grip, but you're very likely to be happy either way.

 

[Dekz]

Yeah, who would want to keep a knife in the lineup that's sharp, easy to carry, has good steel, decent handle, good priced and makes the company money... benchmade is probly going to contact you to make decisions for them soon:jerkit:

Judging from some of your posts that I've read, you might want to read a bit more and post a bit less.

 

[Fred Sanford]

Yeah, who would want to keep a knife in the lineup that's sharp, easy to carry, has good steel, decent handle, good priced and makes the company money... benchmade is probly going to contact you to make decisions for them soon (removed jerkit smiley as it is inappropriate)

No need to "attack" me bro. I agree it does have good steel. It's just a very "stabby" stiletto looking blade and with the coffin style handle it looks like an OTF knife or a "bad guy" knife you see in the movies. Each of us may have our opinions.

 

[steelscout30]

Gentlemen, I don't think that the attacking is necessary here on BladeForums. We're all civlized individuals that love knives; just because we disagree, I don't think it's necessary to get mean about it.

The smear tactics are dominant enough in the world without people such as ourselves, who share a common interest and goal (finding a great knife to carry, and furthering the industry), attacking each other out of spite.

Let's be polite, informative, and help the people that are looking for something out there in this wonderful world of cutlery we live in today.

I am NOT taking a side, I just don't think that attacks are necessary to begin with, and they don't belong here. Go to MySpace for that I guess.

God bless.

KATN,

Wade

 

[philly b]

I just ordered a 530 from yourcornerstore.com for $70 delivered. Thanks so much for your advise everyone, and for those of you who thought i should have gotten something else, i will certainly consider your opinions when i go about getting my next knife.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[enderwiggin]

I guess if you like knives that "look like" Out-The-Front autos then yes.

For whatever reason I never understood why the 530 is still even in their line up.

I don't get it either. It seems pointless to build a knife that looks like an OTF auto then not even put a spring assist on it.

But then, I'm not a huge fan of single-edged knives that are made to look like they're double-sided either.

But hey, those are my personal choices when I'm buying a knife!

Phil, please let us know what you think of it after you've had a chance to try it out for a bit.