Benchmade Ritter Grip: perfect blade design?

I love sharpening the Ritter grip, it's super easy. The belly makes draw cutting easy, and while the point wasn't so 'pointy' on the M4 grip I got, I touched it up and now it's pretty close to perfect for my needs. I use it all the time to cut along a straight edge at work, and open packages. To me it has the same 'cutting' ability as my other knives, the profile is close to perfect for my needs. The blade profile in conjunction with the 'no mess, no fuss' Valox handles (they certainly don't show marks like titanium) are perfect for a user.

:thumbup::thumbup: for me.
 
Josh K said:
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.

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.
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Boy you can say that again! The Ritter Grip RSK MK1 was the biggest waste of $125 I ever made. Fortunately, one member agreed with these guys and I got all but shipping charges back out of it.

I agree, I LOVE my Endura 4, G-10, FFG lockback! That slim little sucker has the same blade length as the Benchmade 710 side by side and way better ergos.

I do love my BM 710 though I have to admit and I'd recommend it over the Ritter grip any day! :thumbup:
 
Steven Andrews said:
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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Josh K said:
Why do you prefer it?
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It's mainly down to the speed and ease of opening and closing the knife - an important consideration when selecting a folder. After many years' research and considerable investment :o I have found that I prefer thumb studs to opening holes (of any shape) and Benchmade's Axis Lock over all others.
Axis Lock Benchmades can be reliably opened and closed even in thick firefighting gloves and lock up securely with zero play.

The Endura is a great knife (I favour my older unlined "3 series" over my Endura 4), but I find that Griptilans feel better in the hand when cutting and are quicker and easier to open and close. I will however choose to carry a 3 series Endura or Pacific Salt if I am expecting the knife to get full of crud or sand, as they are easier to wash out than a Grip - though stripping and reassembling a Grip is fairly easy.

I really like my Seb (a Small Regular), but find I will generally choose to carry a Mini Grip variant over it as I prefer the Axis Lock to a frame lock.
Once again, ease of opening and closing makes me opt for the Benchmade.
I also find the Mini Grip's handle to be more comfortable and secure in use.

Regarding the XM, I find it quite clunky and heavy. The thumb stud rides too close to the forward swell of the handle and I have found that this can nudge my thumb off the stud when opening the knife, especially in gloves.
Also, I find it much easier to Axis-flick a Benchmade to the closed position after use.

I really like the Grips' Noryl GTX scales. They are light, strong, tactile and hardly show any wear. I have never felt the urge to swap them out for custom scales ..though I really like the CF of my 551-101. :thumbup:

My only minor gripe with the full sized Grip is the thickness of the handle. It take up quite a lot of pocket space and I usually find that, for EDC, I will carry a Mini Grip variant , 94* Osborne or 710.
 
Steven Andrews said:
Regarding the XM, I find it quite clunky and heavy. The thumb stud rides too close to the forward swell of the handle and I have found that this can nudge my thumb off the stud when opening the knife, especially in gloves.
Also, I find it much easier to Axis-flick a Benchmade to the closed position after use.

I will carry a Mini Grip variant , 94* Osborne or 710.
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I'll swap you a new Ritter Grip, BM 940 Osborne, or BM 710 for that clunky XM-18. Just shoot me a PM and let me know. :)
 
I have a Ritter reg and mini and love them both...Also have a mini grip m390...Great knife as well...The Ritters just seem to slice a little better and the mini grip has a little better point...I can't really say I like one that much over the other...I love the axis for it's ease of use and will use no other...I think it comes down to personal preference and to say any knife in this class is poor is questionable to me...All great knives IMO...
 
cziv said:
I'll swap you a new Ritter Grip, BM 940 Osborne, or BM 710 for that clunky XM-18. Just shoot me a PM and let me know. :)
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Thanks, but I have all the RSK Mk1, Osborne and 710 variants that I want at present.
I'll probably end up selling the XM and use the funds to take my family out to dinner...a few times.
 
Once upon a time, I ordered a ZDP-189 Endura. I got the package, opened it, held the knife and promptly put it back in the box to be returned. I just couldn't stand the handle ergos. Different story with a Grip however. The ergos on the Grip are perfect for my hands and once you put a mirror edge on a Ritter, you have a cutting machine.

The moral of the story is that no knife is perfect for everyone. There is no way I can denegrate a popular knife like the endura and I wouldn't even try, however for me, a Ritter Grip is a fine knife.
 
My old M2 Ritter Grip has a little blade play. the blade isn't centered and it clacks when you flick it open. It is however a cutting machine and one tough knife. I really like the high flat grind on the Ritter blades but I agree with Steven that the axis lock is what makes the Grips great work knives.

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Nikkogi said:
I think the Ritter has quite a bit of belly, lol. Which knife are you referring to that has more?
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Anything with a nice recurve:D...they are a pain to sharpen but they slice very well. I'm not saying the Grip isn't good, I like it alot...but I like the aesthetics and performance of a recurve or just a knife with more belly. It's all personal preferance.
 
funny, i had just started carrying my riiter again and was asking myself why on earth didn't i carry it more? i do have custom micarta scales on mine which slimmed it down a bit but the blade shape really works for me.
 
A.P.F. said:
Once upon a time, I ordered a ZDP-189 Endura. I got the package, opened it, held the knife and promptly put it back in the box to be returned. I just couldn't stand the handle ergos.
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I agree. The middle hump is horribly placed. I don't understand how the money could be spent to make the molds for this (in my opinion) mistake of a handle.

I ground down that hump with a bench grinder, and now it's one of the best knives I have to use.

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GroundE4D4s-5.jpg
 
RevDevil said:
Im not a fan of the plastic handles. For the price there should be full liners and G10.
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for around $100, youc an get a similar blade shape as the ritter grips, thicker s30v, full liners and g10. The only difference is its a liner lock. The lone wolf blackfoot (mini grip) and long horn (grip) would be very comparable.
 
My 4 most used knives are Mini and Regular Grips with Wilkins scales, an FFG VG-10 Endura and a Pacific Salt. I love the Axis locks for speed and ease of opening/closing, though they are hard to clean and the thumb studs do get in the way of cutting sometimes. I've had my Ritters for years and the stone washed finish has held up remarkably. The Spydercos carry a bit easier and at about $50 a piece, I don't worry very much about losing them. In the kitchen, around the house and farm, the FFG Endura rules. When I'm working or vacationing around water, I carry the Salt. The big Ritter is my preferred hunting/field folder, the little Ritter is perhaps my most comfortable EDC. Interestingly, the handle on Pacific Salt fits my hand the best of all of them, also the weight is just right to me. If it came in FFG, it might just be my all around favorite.
 
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My spyderco military was only 20 bucks more than my ritter and has superior edge geometry and g10 scales. The blade is one continuous ark which ime performs better then straight edges. It's superior to the ritter and looks nicer imo.
 
I like my mini m4 ritter grip alot, which I got via trade! I traded bm 940 away and I am happy. I admit, I am looking to get regular griptillian too...
 
My personal experience with the Ritter Mini M4 has been great. I find myself carring this knife more than others I have, I suppose its because its light, quick and cuts good. I have alot of knives to choose from but this one works for me for everday light tasks.
 
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