Benchmade Ritter Grip: perfect blade design?

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Nikkogi

Gold Member
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Jan 19, 2009
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I'll admit it, I am a huge fan of the Ritter Grips. They offer the performance of the expensive knives we all hear about without the price tag. I'd love to own a Sebenza and I will someday. Talking about performance of course, I'd put the Ritter up against any other knife. In my opinion, the blade design is absolutely perfect. Nice thin edge/grinds, beautiful stonewash, strong tip, great jimping, great belly, and nice thumbstuds. I find it to be the perfect utility blade shape.
 
I agree with what you're saying but I personally like a bit more belly on my blade. I think it is all up to how someone uses their knife to determine the "perfect blade design"- for them.
 
Nikkogi said:
... I am a huge fan of the Ritter Grips.
... They offer the performance of the expensive knives
... I'd put the Ritter up against any other knife.
... In my opinion, the blade design is absolutely perfect.
... I find it to be the perfect utility blade shape.
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Deer hunting knives #22
Benchmade Griptillian 551 & Doug Ritter 552
From: virtuovice | December 06, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/user/virtuovice#p/search/0/hZ1mHwhMViI
 
still think the regular Grip looks better...

and for the quality and material, it's sure not cheap...
 
DrOpPoInT1110 said:
I agree with what you're saying but I personally like a bit more belly on my blade. I think it is all up to how someone uses their knife to determine the "perfect blade design"- for them.
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I think the Ritter has quite a bit of belly, lol. Which knife are you referring to that has more?
 
I think the blade shape is about as useless as you can make it. Pair that with the thick FRN handles (which provide no traction) and the round jimping (which you can't grip) and you have a knife that does lots of things, none of them well.

Got the Ritter Grip and mini Grip, went through a big knife only phase and got rid of the mini Ritter, now I want one again. The full size Ritter is one of the best knives I own, and I have Striders and CRK's (Chris Reeve Knives, ed.). It holds its own with the big dogs.
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This guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

I would take an Endura over the Ritter Grip any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I would also save my self about $30 a whole lot more.
 
I used to think a blade with a lot of belly was "perfect." Moving from the "Reg" sebenza to the 21 has made me realize that I was wrong. Blades with more belly are certainly more attractive... But the 21's blade shape is infinitely more useful and more ergonomic to use. The Spydie Millie is even better. A lot of belly is really only good for one thing and that is skinning... As in removing skin from an animal which you are trying not to damage anything under said skin. For real world use I find myself working around the belly of a knife such as my RAT RC3... And they are noticeably harder to sharpen.
 
archieblue said:
I used to think a blade with a lot of belly was "perfect." Moving from the "Reg" sebenza to the 21 has made me realize that I was wrong. Blades with more belly are certainly more attractive... But the 21's blade shape is infinitely more useful and more ergonomic to use. The Spydie Millie is even better. A lot of belly is really only good for one thing and that is skinning... As in removing skin from an animal which you are trying not to damage anything under said skin. For real world use I find myself working around the belly of a knife such as my RAT RC3... And they are noticeably harder to sharpen.
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Interesting. I'm the opposite in almost every way. The belly is generally the spot that gets sharpest the quickest, with the straighter portion taking a bit longer. AND, I prefer knives with belly for almost all my uses, after having tried both. One of my favorite knives for taking a deer all the way from the field to the freezer has what I would consider to be nearly a continuous belly (the Fallkniven H1). That and a custom I have, which again, has nearly a continuous belly. Other knives I have found QUITE useful in boning and butchering are the Fallkniven S1 and the ESEE-4. But admittedly, I've only done 4 deer, so maybe I haven't figured it out yet.

I will also admit, though, that the Spyderco Military has a similar edge shape to the H1, it would seem to me.
 
I must be out of touch/not know what I'm talking about too. I've never owned a Strider, but I prefer the Ritter Grip to the Endura, Sebenza, XM18 and pretty much every other folding knife I've ever owned.
 
Steven Andrews said:
I must be out of touch/not know what I'm talking about too. I've never owned a Strider, but I prefer the Ritter Grip to the Endura, Sebenza, XM18 and pretty much every other folding knife I've ever owned.
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Why do you prefer it?
 
Steven Andrews said:
I must be out of touch/not know what I'm talking about too. I've never owned a Strider, but I prefer the Ritter Grip to the Endura, Sebenza, XM18 and pretty much every other folding knife I've ever owned.
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Statements without supporting details in the context of discussion doesn't help much. Care to elaborate?
 
The flat ground blade of the Ritter Grip cuts better than the regular Grip, but I find the tip/point of the Ritter Grip blade more difficult to use. The Ritter has a good blade shape, but a full flat grind on a regular Grip blade would suit my utility needs a bit better. I have also had very bad experiences with chipping in the S30V Ritter Grips
 
I own both an Endura and Ritter Grip and I find the Ritter to be superior in every way. Especially in the cutting department which says a lot because that's what the knife was designed to do lol.
 
I've had an old mini-Griptilian in my garage for several years as my knock-around knife for general cutting/trimming duties around the shop and yard. The 154CM holds an edge just fine and sharpens easily. I had no complaints about the knife.

However, I read quite a few glowing reports about the Ritter model, so I bought one from another member here and used it for the last week or so. I have to say I was thoroughly underwhelmed. I certainly don't see where it's superior to the regular Griptilian in any meaningful way. My fault for buying into the hype, I suppose.

For the last decade, my primary pocket knife has been a small Classic Sebenza and the Ritter it isn't nearly as smooth in operation or comfortable in my pocket/hand. Granted, the Sebenza is ~3x more expensive, but I received it as a gift, so the Ritter is the most expensive knife I've ever paid for. And it will probably be the most expensive one I ever sell since my regular Griptilian fits my needs just as well for considerably less money.
 
If the blade makes a knife, the Ritter is a winner, but if the scales make the knife on the other side of things I won't buy it. I've never liked the Valox material, too clacky and thick. I wish for G-10 scales that you don't have to spend a fortune on from custom guys. Make an LE like that and I'll line up for one.
 
archieblue said:
I used to think a blade with a lot of belly was "perfect." Moving from the "Reg" sebenza to the 21 has made me realize that I was wrong. Blades with more belly are certainly more attractive... But the 21's blade shape is infinitely more useful and more ergonomic to use. The Spydie Millie is even better. A lot of belly is really only good for one thing and that is skinning... As in removing skin from an animal which you are trying not to damage anything under said skin. For real world use I find myself working around the belly of a knife such as my RAT RC3... And they are noticeably harder to sharpen.
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I agree. I don't like a lot of belly. It just slips when I start cutting around edge with a lot of belly. And I also have trouble sharpening around curves (that part is my fault, of course.)

Nikkogi said:
I own both an Endura and Ritter Grip and I find the Ritter to be superior in every way. Especially in the cutting department which says a lot because that's what the knife was designed to do lol.
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I hope you don't mean the FFG Endura, because although I don't have a Ritter Grip, I doubt that it out cuts the FFG Endura.
 
Mahoney said:
The flat ground blade of the Ritter Grip cuts better than the regular Grip, but I find the tip/point of the Ritter Grip blade more difficult to use. The Ritter has a good blade shape, but a full flat grind on a regular Grip blade would suit my utility needs a bit better. I have also had very bad experiences with chipping in the S30V Ritter Grips
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I agree with Mahoney- even though I prefer the Mini Grips, the difference in blade shapes is the same. I avoided the S30V issue by getting it in M4. I like the profile of the regular and the thinner blade of the Ritter. Someday, someone will figure it out- I hope- I'm not buying any more until they do! (I have large & small M4 Ritters, the Gold class and small regular Grips and I like them all.)

To answer some of the other questions, as much as I like my Sebenza and FFG Endura I prefer the way the Grips, large & small fit/feel in my hand and they are much easier and quicker to open and close. The other locks don't scare me, but I still prefer the Axis lock.
 
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