I carry a 550HG as my working knife in 154CM. The colour is molded all the way through. I cannot comment on aftermarket scales. The factory ones have stood up extremely well over the past two years of hard use. Very ergonomic for hard cutting, do not absorb grease and oil, easy to clean and provide plenty of traction. When I first received the knife, the scales felt cheap and flimsy but as time progressed they grew on me. They keep the knife ergonomic while keeping the weight down. I do not have any problems with the knife flexing.
I really like 154CM for my daily user. Though it doesn't hold an edge as long as the more exotic steels on my other knives, it's ease of sharpening more than outweighs this drawback. I am constantly cutting abrasive material, straps, scraping corrosion etc. Any steel by the end of the day will be in need of a sharpening. 154CM sharpens up extremely easily even on my Norton india stones. I absolutely love the blade shape. The hollow grind keeps the edge nice and thin for precise cutting while the tip remains nice and strong in the case it gets dropped on the concrete, nicks some steel, etc.
The axis lock opens quickly and smoothly and closes just as fast. It is an excellent working blade.
