Benchmade 960 Red Osborne OR Ritter-Grip Mini

redsst

redsst

Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
503
Well...I have finally decided to get myself a Benchmade. I never really saw what all the fuss about the AXIS was about till a friend let me use his. Now I NEED to have one!
So I'm torn between the 960 Osborne and Ritter Mini Grip. 960 has D2. Ritter has s30v. Both are about the same size as far as I can tell (correct me if I'm wrong). The price isn't an issue. I'm just wanting to know what you guy think would be the best choice. Please help.
 
I have an osbourne and am left wishing for the ritter. the larger blade is more utilitarian, for jobs other then light slicing. Both will be awesome though.
 
I would go with the 960. I like the handles better and the blade shape. But the 960's blade is D2. So if you sharpen your knives your self it will be very hard to sharpen unless you have diamond hones. But if you don’t BM will always sharpen it for you.
 
I have a mini-Ritter, and I have handled a 960. They have a different feel to them. To me, the 960 is more of a gent's knife that is large enough to handle most tasks, while the mini-Ritter is more of a utilitarian knife. The 960 is lighter, slimmer, and has thinner handle scales, and has classy looks. Blade shape is more of a personal preference. I am still trying to justify the purchase of a 960, it is a nice knife. The 960 blade is a little longer than the mini-Ritter, while the mini-Ritter has really good blade geometry with the wide chord and thin edge bevel.

In my experience, the BM D2 will hold an edge a little longer than their S30V. Both will serve you well.
 
like others have said it depends on what you use it for. If you want more of a beater that is good outdoors knife then get the ritter... if its just general use then get the 960 the steels are about the same in my opinion. The 960 has D2 so a little more care to keep it dry might be necessary.

Personally i would get the 960 because it looks nicer and i like metal handle better then plasticy ones.
 
I have never held a mini-Ritter, but I really like my 960. It is very, very light in the pocket, but it is big enough handle most every day cutting tasks. The D2 has held an awesome edge... I've been looking for a reason to justify buying another one in grey..
 
I've had several mini grips but no ritter grip, and I have a 960 too. The ritter grip, as nice as it is, misses the point in my mind. Griptillian is a value knife...the reason Benchmade has resisted mass producing high end grips is that they defeat the purpose. The minigrip is really there for those who don't want to spend the money on something like the 960, or Benchmade's huge list of other comparable folders. If I'm paying over a hundred, I will not take FRN.

The 960 is arguably the most beautiful knife Benchmade ever produced. It is certainly the most beautiful I own. The finish has held up perfectly. It's very light, and a little too slippery to hold onto for some apps, despite the G10 (it's Benchmade's typical smooth g10). But the real selling point, outside of looks, is the edge itself. This is the closest thing Benchmade ever got to the old caly jr, in my mind. It's a very thin, very sharp blade that in lighter applications will be almost a kind of pocket laser. The edge holds up well too, although I'm sure Ritter's S30V would do the same.

So my advice would be that if you want to spend more than a hundred, do the 960. If not, do the non ritter minigrip (it can be had in Cabela's D2 as well for some more). 154cm is fine. Honestly, I like to have a minigrip available as a beater anyway, although I replaced it with the much sturdier gravitator.
 
I have both and the 960 is now in the bottom of the drawer. It is too thin for my hands and I am not really that fond of the blade. On the other hand I Love the Ritter Blade profile. I have the M2 version and in my opinion it is in another, better, league than the 960. The handle is not as nice, but it does fit my hand better. Steven
 
Wow guys. Thats a lot of info. I really appreciate the responses. But now I'm more torn that ever. I got a few saying the Ritter and a few saying the 960. I was able to hold a regular mini Grip today. The plastic handle didn't seem that bad to me. I found a store about 50 miles away that has a 960 in stock. So I'm gonna go over there and try it out. The only down side is I will never be able to handle a Ritter before I buy. So I wont be able to really examine that wide chord blade. I'll keep you posted and please keep offering your suggestions. They are all very informative.
 
I most certainly did, noway. From what I've gathered by reading this forum, the 710 is the best Benchmade ever made. It was the first one to have AXIS - it fits perfectly in the hand - it has glasslike, smooth operation. However, it is just far too big for me as an EDC. But if I really like whichever of the two I'm getting (which I don't doubt I will), then I may consider getting one for camping/weekend carry.
 
I've wanted a 960 for a while, so I would go with it. I used to have a Ritter Grip - it was a very well made, solid knife, however that is true of all of the benchmades Ive owned.
 
Weight is alway an issue with me and I'll grab for the Ritter 90% of the time just because it is so light and doesn't bottom out your pocket. The texture of the scales keeps it in place nicely, near as good as a Buck Strider 889 without the damage to your pocket cuff. I also like the M2 steel alot. Good luck with your choice.

Matador-
 
I didn't think about it bottoming out in my pocket. I remove the clip from all my knives and carry them loose in my pocket. Having the clip exposed is not a good idea where I work. The 960 may bottom out? That is why I stopped carrying my Kershaw Leek. It was very thin, but just the right length to sit sideways in the bottom of my pocket. I hate that.
 
There are some solutions for people in places where clips shouldn't be shown. You can always get an STR anodized clip to match the color of pants you wear, but a simpler, although less elegant, solution, is to cut a piece of jeans out (or whatever pants you'll be wearing them with) and attaching them to the side of the clip people can see.

If you don't tuck in your shirt, you can do what I do. I cut out an inch of the bottom of the watch pocket in my jeans and clip my knife to the watch pocket (this allows the bottom of the knife to fit in the otherwise too shallow pocket). It's almost always covered by my shirt in this situation.

Loose pocket carry really bothers me for fear of losing a knife and for the feeling in the jeans. Plus, if you have something else in the pocket, like keys, it'll scratch the knife. If you have an ipod or a phone, the knife can scratch it. I do have one small knife I LPC, but it has some uniquities that make it okay for the task.
 
Well...I finally made up my mind. Actually a better way to say it is that I didn't make up my mind. I got both!
That was exactly what I was trying to avoid, but they were but just so nice. So, needless-to-say, I'll be sleeping on the sofa for a while till the wife forgives me. But it's so worth it. :)
I'll post pics of both together as soon as I figure out how to post pics on this board. (Any tips on how to do so would be much appreciated)
 
Artfully,
Those are some excellent suggestions... never even thought about cutting the bottom of the coin/watch pocket out. Genius.

Congrats Redsst - I've had my finger over the "Checkout" button for a Silver 960 for awhile now... would love to know how it compares to the Ritter.
 
Artfully Martial said:
uniquities
Click to expand...

New word? :p:D

So, let us know which one you like better.

I've been toying with the idea of the red 960 for a long while. I loved my 940, and haven't yet found a replacement that matched its exact 'uniquities' that made it so special to me, although the Kershaw Blue Bump comes close.

Daniel
 
Daniel Dorn said:
I've been toying with the idea of the red 960 for a long while. I loved my 940, and haven't yet found a replacement that matched its exact 'uniquities' that made it so special to me, although the Kershaw Blue Bump comes close.
Click to expand...

i have got several BM also (140, 151, 551, 558,710, 803, 940, 12400) and the 940 is the one i prefer also !:thumbup:
(with the 558 aka Ritter mini:D)
 
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