CPM 20CV Benchmade Griptilian? Worth the extra buck?

jake9095

jake9095

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Jan 28, 2013
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I recently sold my stock 154cm mini griptilian to a friend who was desperately in need of his own knife so now I am mini-griptilian-less. I was about to buy a stock one again when I came across the new G10 and CPM 20CV model griptilians. I traditionally only buy knives with coated blades because I have a tendency to end up in the water, but I wanted to know would 20CV be relatively rust-proof without a coating or is it worth the extra money for the coated blade.

Any opinions on CPM 20CV steel and thoughts or experience on the new g10 griptilians would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jake
 
20cv will be fine with moisture if you wipe it off at the end of each day.

as for whether its worth it, up to you. steel and scale material is great. but if you like frn qnd 154, might consider getting the normal grip and. another blade! ;)

worst case scenario, get the new grip and sell it if you're not a fan
 
20CV is CPM equivalence of M390/CTS-204.

This steel has excellent corrosion resistance, much better than 154 and the edge holding should be more than 2 or 3 times better too (at regular daily use).

IMO G10 Grip do feel much better than regular one.
 
Yes, I think so! Enough so, that I pulled the the trigger myself and ordered one. I have loved the blue/grey G-10 ever since I have saw one, and the upgraded steel is just a plus. :)
 
Here is a thread about the New Grips in the BM Subforum that I linked to a post where it is claimed the price on the new grips are not worth it. I and many other people show why we think it is worth the cost: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ee-a-new-G10-Grip!!!!?p=15524722#post15524722

The whole thread is a good read if you are interested in the model. Lots of pics too!

This is one of the best Benchmade products I have owned and I've had a lot. To equal what you get in this package you would need to pay significantly more. As for rust resistance? I think it would be fine with just a wipe down but if you are worried why not get the coated version?
 
I've really enjoyed my 20CV Griptilian. When you add in all the pluses, it really is worth the uplift in price over a standard Grip. The only criticism I've really heard about it is that some people find it less "grippy" than the Zytel handled one. It's true, the G10, though denser and more solid feeling, has a more subtle surface texture. If that might be a problem for you, I'd suggest you try one in hand before you buy. I'm thinking about going back to grab a 20CV mini because my vanilla mini just seems cheap and hollow now after carrying my 551BK-1.

Oh, and make sure you like gray and blue, lol.
 
IMO it is worth the higher cost. The main complaint on the Grips is the 'cheap' feeling scales.
After market G10 scales go for ~ $100. Now add the cost of upgrading the steel......it's a steal!!
Joe
 
Thanks to everyone for the input. I probably will end up going for the updated G10 model because when I sold my first one it was because I wanted to upgrade so there is no point in not doing so. That and the CPM 20CV steel seems to make a positive impression on most people so it seems like a win-win.
 
In a word. 1,000 times yes. G10 and 20CV are an extreme improvement and make the Griptilain one of Benchmades best knives
 
palonej said:
IMO it is worth the higher cost. The main complaint on the Grips is the 'cheap' feeling scales.
After market G10 scales go for ~ $100. Now add the cost of upgrading the steel......it's a steal!!
Joe
Click to expand...

Don't forget the anodized stand-offs!
 
The steel upgrade alone is worth the cost if you care about that sort of thing. I bought two of them as gifts and really wanted to rit dye the gray handle black. I think it would look great with the blue stand offs.

However, I still carry my two standard 154cm grips with custom scales, and found the G10 not to be the "upgrade" worthy of the -1 designation. Now if they had gone with solid CF...
 
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