Benchmade Griptilian Questions

[Bruise Lee]

I just got a Benchmade Griptilian Model 551, the one with the drop point blade. I think it's a great knife - that Axis Lock really kicks booty!

In fact, the only thing I don't like about the knife is the clip. It really gets in the way and spoils the feel/handling of the knife for me. My question is, will a small Allen wrench or Torx remove the clip, or do I have to get a special tool that is mentioned in the literature from Benchmade? I assume removing the clip will not void the factory warranty - Benchmade makes it clear that disassembling the knife is a big no-no. Benchmade refers to it as a "six-lobe headed screw."

Also, my knife is marked "Pre-Production 0203/1000." Does this add at all to the value of the knife? Does anyone know the difference between a pre-production and a regular production Griptilian, if any?

Bruise

 

[ZENGHOST]

Originally posted by Bruise Lee
My question is, will a small Allen wrench or Torx remove the clip, or do I have to get a special tool that is mentioned in the literature from Benchmade? I assume removing the clip will not void the factory warranty - Benchmade makes it clear that disassembling the knife is a big no-no. Benchmade refers to it as a "six-lobe headed screw."

Also, my knife is marked "Pre-Production 0203/1000." Does this add at all to the value of the knife? Does anyone know the difference between a pre-production and a regular production Griptilian, if any?

Bruise

Torx is a trademark or something so Benchmade refers to it as a "six-lobe headed screw," but it's still a torx. They also refer to the clip as being "removeable" so I'm pretty sure that wouldn't void the warranty.

Pre-Productions can be worth more than regular production but I don't know if there was any diff between the pre-pro and the regular griptilians. Sometimes they will use different steels, but in this particular case I don't have a clue as to the difference.

 

[miguel_SF]

I carry a 551 almost every day. In fact, I'm looking at one of mine right now. I removed the clip from mine with a Torx wrench, and yes, it feels much better without the clip. As the Zenghost notes, it wouldn't be very reasonable for a manufacturer to void a warranty based on removing a removeable clip. However, these small fasteners and the threads they go into are notoriously easy to strip, and I wouldn't expect any warranty help from BM if I buggered up the threads or screws.

As far as value goes, I love my Griptilians, but I don't expect that these knives are of much interest to collectors, and therefore details like "pre-production" status are probably irrelevant. A Griptilian is a great knife, but it's still just a Griptilian.

miguel

 

[Slowhand]

I have a set of these Craftsman stripped screw removers. They come in three sizes and look sort of like drill bits. I stripped a Torx screw trying to get it out (I was removing a clip, too) and these little babies did the trick beautifully. They backed out this little tiny stripped Torx. The only catch is you have to press down HARD and back the screw out slowly so the bit can dig into the metal of the screw. These things are a great invention. For $20, they are a lfiesaver.