Benchmade question

I would say no, as I typically see them selling for around $80 - $100.
At $80 it is much easier for me to justify spending a little more to change out the handle scales.
Make sure you decide the blade profile you want and the steel selection as this is prohibitively expensive to "change" later.

I will say however, I feel the Grip and MiniGrip are really nice to cut with, and in general are good value at around $100 or less in a base stock configuration.


EDIT: I am gonna leave my original reply so everybody can see how badly I overlooked the OP

I missed the G10 part of your post.
I would say that if those are the handles scales you want and the blade profile and steel you want and you want a NIB knife, YES got for it.
If on the other hand you are maybe not aware of all the awesome aftermarket handle scales, maybe you may want to investigate further.

I might point you toward two to begin with as they have a really good selection of options:

Cuscadi Knives Scales - Custom,Scale.Division
http://cuscadi.de/

Wilkins
www.wilkins-knives.com
Wilkins adds a little material at the back side of the pommel that changes the feel of the knife when in use (you either like the feel or not).
Kevin started, I believe in the US manufacturing custom knives as a design engineer (I believe). I have a very nice Spyderco collaboration he did.

You might find either or both of these links to be expensive at first glance because of the materials selection. The prices vary here, but the quality is excellent.
I see many customized Grips with either of these two aftermarket scales already installed for just a little more than the price you already mentioned (many times including the factory scales).
 
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Its worth the money yeah. But at that price point id get something different. For 200$ get a regular grip AND a spyderco!:)
 
The steel upgrade alone is a big jump from 154cm. And as a bonus you get g10 scales. Personally I'm not a fan of the color combo on the handles and may switch over to the old school black plastic or down the road get custom ones made up. I did get a good deal on mine because I had some points banked with a certain retailer but still I say pick one up. That 20cv is with the price of admission.
 
pressedmeat said:
Looking at a Benchmade Mini-Griptilian Knife....A 556-1 G10 Mini-Griptilian Knife. worth $150?
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Welcome to the forums. And to answer your question, yes (seeing as how I ended up with one). It's a great blade with major improvements over the standard version.
 
People seem to love the Griptilian and the Mini Griptilian. I expect this knife will be another success. While I'm not a big fan, it is a very useable folder and $150 is not out of the ballpark these days for a Benchmade. Personally, I think the money is better spent on several other Benchmade models that are just as good or even better. Just my opinion.
 
Ok, there are two ways of looking at your question...

1. Is is worth it compared to a standard model 556 at $85?
2. Is is worth it compared to competitive options at $150?

In answer to #1, Yes! The Grip knives are great knives in their own right but the biggest complaint against them has been the hollow, cheap feeling plastic handles. The 556-1 solves this problem with some nice G10 scales. Bear in mind that the G10 scales are relatively "un-grippy", much less so than the stock plastic. I hope you like blue and gray! Probably the second most common criticism of the standard Grips is the 154CM steel. It's a fine steel, but a bit out-dated given some of the powdered metallurgy options. Bang, 20CV in the 556-1! There are a few other things too, like the colored liners and colored stand-offs (again, I hope you like blue and gray) that add value to the knife.

Now, compare it to a Frankengrip; a Grip that you've upgraded on your own. You can buy a stock 556 and invest in aftermarket scales and you'll be adding $75-150 to the price of your knife and still be stuck with 154CM steel. You can buy the Ritter flavor which has a little better blade profile and upgraded steel for $125 and you still have the stock, plastic scales. In terms of getting a premium Grip, the "-1" series are the best bang for the buck. I'm fairly certain Benchmade did the math when pricing these new Grips :cool:.

In terms of the question #2, the answer to that is probably "No". If you're open to other great knives for $150, there are lots of other options that are more cost effective. For instance, you can move up to a full Ti, S35VN steel imported knife for the same price (or even less). Benchmades (and Spydercos) really aren't what you could consider "hi value" knives, and MAP doesn't make them any better on that front.

When all is said and done, the Grip in any iteration is an awesome EDC knife and has a place in anyone's pocket.
 
IMO it is definitely worth it. Buying a stock grip and adding custom scales will bump the price by at least $75......you still have 154 however.
If you like the color combo it is a winner!
Joe
 
I bought a 551-1 and ended up selling it. The steel is really great (MUCH better than 154cm), but I didn't love the G-10 scales. I actually like the Zytel (plastic) scales on the standard Grip. They make the knife feel much lighter and are definitely more grippy than the G-10.

The Doug Ritter version suits my tastes more. Comes with the Zytel scales and IMO a better blade shape. The stonewashed blade is nice looking too.

I suppose if you like G-10 on your Grips, it's a no-brainer.
 
From what I read, CPM-20CV is on par with M390 in quality, plus the G10 handle, so yes - it is worth the price point, especially if you compare it to other brands of knives in this price range.
 
sharp_edge said:
From what I read, CPM-20CV is on par with M390 in quality, plus the G10 handle, so yes - it is worth the price point, especially if you compare it to other brands of knives in this price range.
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Benchmade claims it is better in that it is not as tough to resharpen. Plus, the steel is made in the USA if you care about that sort of thing.
 
Pressedmeat, welcome to the forums.

That's a great knife that Benchmade is offering. You'll be well served by it.

It's a solid piece for the $150 market range. So "YES" would be my answer to your question.
 
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