contego or griptilian

J

jamaljahda

Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
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Hello all this is my first time posting in this forum. I am having a hard time deciding between getting a control or a griptilian. I want the one with the thumb hole and sheepsfoot blade. Is the control just a bigger version of that as I love the lines on the contego. What are the major differences that make one 102 dollars and the other 184. They look very similar.
 
Contego and griptilian are two different beasts. A full size griptilian with a thumb hole and sheepsfoot is a great, affordable EDC knife. The highlight being the axis lock. The scales are plain, yet durable. However the full size griptilian doesn't employ full liners. It's hard to beat for the price and durability.

The Contego is a tougher, better made knife in my opinion. There's nothing wrong with the griptilian, but the contego is worth the money. It's the things like the deep carry clip, the rugged jimping, the blade steel options, etc...and it still has the axis lock. You won't be disappointed in either, but you'll like the contego.
 
You really need to see if you can handle them both, because as it was previously stated, these knives are very different. Big box sporting goods stores may carry them. You can use the Benchmade website to find authorized dealers near you.
 
I don't own the Grip, but do have a Contego. I have seen many Grips and can tell you the two knives are very different is size and intent. I hate the term, but the Contego is more of a "tactical" knife, and the Grip an EDC. The Contego is going to be heavier and a lot longer (it will take up more pocket space). Either is a nice knife, but the Grip is probably a better first Benchmade and wont scare people when you take it out. My favorite is the 710, bigger than the Grip, but not as beastly as the Contego. Good luck on your search.
 
Very different knives. Out of the box, the Contego wow'd me with it's heft and beastliness; very cool but I rarely carry it. Grip is great and very utilitarian but doesn't make me super stoked to carry around. If I were you, I'd split the difference (and the cost) and get the 908 Stryker drop point . About the same size as a lg. Grip but with full liners and G10. Perfect. Goldilocks knife for me.

Good luck in your selection :thumbup:
 
I m now appreciating the Griptilian more and more. Good size, very strong and light. Feels good in my hand.
 
If your willing to spend the $ on a contego then I would look into a limited/special edition griptilian. G-10 scales and usually a great steel. In my opinion its the perfect edc. You can find one for around 200. But believe me it's worth it!

I have yet to handle the contego. But its next on my knife list. It looks like a beast! Enjoy whichever one you choose. You can't go wrong with any benchmade!!
 
A-love05 said:
If your willing to spend the $ on a contego then I would look into a limited/special edition griptilian. G-10 scales and usually a great steel. In my opinion its the perfect edc. You can find one for around 200. But believe me it's worth it!

I have yet to handle the contego. But its next on my knife list. It looks like a beast! Enjoy whichever one you choose. You can't go wrong with any benchmade!!
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Great suggestion although you can get the REI Griptilian for $175 or less and it has G10 and S30V.
 
I would say both :p But, yes. Griptilian is nice knife for EDC. There are many variations as you can see, so it seems like almost semi-custom knife. Contego is a bit more harder use blade when you want extra toughness. This year we have 2 options, one is CPM-M4 being very strong tool steel, or M390 Stainless steel that performs up to very high level as close to M4.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I have decided to go the route of the griptillian. I will get the Sheepfoot blade with the thumb hole. I'm sure I will be happy.
 
There's only one answer: get both! :p

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Seriously... one for jeans and the other for shorts. That's my thinking.
 
Thanks for the great photo showing the two. Very different and each with a huge fan base.
 
I had a similar dilemma, between the contego and the rift. I went with the rift only due to the fact that this would be a primary EDC,, and that contego is BIG!
Blade steel is obviously better on the contego,, its too bad Benchmade doesn't offer the CPM M4 as an option for the customized griptilian,, you'd have one hell of a knife.
Contego: Pro: Better steel, deep pocket clip, glass breaker Con: Supposedly has hot spots,, and is very large(maybe not a con)
Griptilian: Pro: Options, options options on steel, color, blade shape, opening system,, Con: Some people don't like the scales...
 
Black series (Contego) vs. Blue series (Griptillian)...so as others mentioned they have different philosophies. My Contego is one of my favorite non-autos. Mine has M4 steel blade (great blade steel, IMHO...really fallen in love with it) with the grey Cerakote. I nearly got a Griptillian a while back, but decided on the Rift instead (also a Black Series offering). All great knives, just depends on your intended use and your personal preferences on design, size, etc. Let us know what you end up with (hopefully with some pics)!
 
You can get Grips on ebay for around 80 bucks. I'd go that if I were you.

The Contego is massive and heavy. Plus M4 will rust on you.

People overhype the super-steels, ignoring the greater difference that is the manufacturers. The fact of the matter is that for the average joe that just wants a knife, 154cm is overkill.
 
Plus M4 will rust on you.
People overhype the super-steels, ignoring the greater difference that is the manufacturers. The fact of the matter is that for the average joe that just wants a knife, 154cm is overkill.
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I wouldn't overhype and make a blanket statement either ;) Remember there are a lot of knife makers and material science engineer on this forum as well.

Yeah, M4 is not stainless steel, so I would not use on ocean going fishing boat. As long as you maintain oiling the bare metal, and clean wipe the blade, it is very good and won't rust that easy.

If you think 154cm is overkill (I think it is good stainless steel, however.) I bet you haven't done extensive use of M4 or better yet CPM-M4 with acute bevel have you? If you use harder cuts all day along, M4 will shine it's ability to resist wear. Same can be said about S90V for ware, S30V for toughness and corrosion resistant over something like D2.

For casual use, it is not a big deal. As always, YMMV.

If you have, then that's good.
 
Grip is a great choice, I think you chose well.

For an honest to goodness EDC, the Grip is hard to beat, inexpensive enough to beat on without worrying about breaking the bank if you break the knife, good steel.

I'm an M4 junkie, man can it hold a sweet edge.
 
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