d2 griptillian

Y

yam

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Sep 17, 2003
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Hi I'm new here but have a question if anyone could answer it I'd be thankful.

Cabelas has two Benchmade mini-griptilian lines...one is a D2 steel blade and the other is not. The one that has the D2 steel blade is cheaper. Can anyone tell me the difference between the two and which one would be more desirable.....they look like the same knife to me (except maybe the blade material and price).

D2 mini-griptilian

Non-D2 mini-griptilian

Thanks,

mike
 
Hmmm this doesn't seem to make much sense to me... I would think that the D2 knives would be more expensive. D2 holds an edge as good as anything out there, and I highly recommend it.
 
I noticed Cabela's didn't say what the non-D2 steel was, so I checked the Benchmade site: it's 440C. This is also high-performance, and more corrosion-resistant, which is why the D2 is coated.

I await a steel expert's explanation for what Benchmade is up to here! :) Maybe it's just that the D2 is a currently popular steel, but 440C costs them more to buy and /or to work.
 
Thank you for the welcome Esav Benyamin, it seems like a very nice forum. BTW, I found reference to you folks over at CandlePower Forums.


Mike :)
 
440C is a good stainless steel, and works well for the average user. It is definitely better than the stainless found in most production knives today, at least the kind you see for sale in walmart. If you plan on using it in a wet environment all the time, the 440C version would be a good choice.
D2 is a premium steel and will hold an edge for a long time. It is not stainless, but is more stain resistant than plain carbon steel. The only other drawback for the average user is the difficulty in sharpening. If you are not very good at sharpening, you will find the D2 to be challenging. Diamond stones are a good idea.
 
Usually D2 knives from Benchmade cost about $30-$40 more then same with CM-154. In this case it is 440C, so I think it should cost even more. From my opinion it is a really good deal. Why this happend - miracle, may be? Also it is exclusive for Cabelas.

I already have mine from them, check out my pictures of it:
http://www.geocities.com/nozh2002/Benchmade551-D2.html
(text is in Russian, sorry)

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Jump on the D2 version. It SHOULD cost more than the 440C version. Get it before Cabela's come to their senses!
It's a great knife.
 
This is a Cabela's exclusive. BM is not making this for the mass public at this point.
 
Thank you all for your input. This what I am getting.....the D2 Griptilian from Cabela's is a good deal. The D2 steel is somewhat harder to sharpen but holds an edge well, is more prone to corrosion but has the coating. However the 440C steel is also a good blade material without the corrosion protection but is more resistant to it.

So it comes down to what's the better bang for the buck. I can live with the sharpening and corrosion issues, so it appears the D2 will be the one I get.

Let me know if I'm off base here.

Thanks again for the input folks,

Mike
 
Just to boost your confidence in D2, I have a Dozier Canoe and a Camillus Maxx, both in D2, both used extensively in the kitchen. No rust -- I wash and dry them after use.
 
Now I have to decide....mini or full size! What a great position to be in. :)

Thanks again,
Mike
 
I've been thinking about a Grip, so, when I read your posts (BTW, I want to thank all for contributing to this thread), I threw caution to the wind and ordered both the full size and the mini. Can't wait to play with them.

Question:
Since this is a "small" run of D2 Grips, is there a chance the quality won't be as great? Anyone out there has experience with small production runs from BM?


Thanks in advance,
- gadgetaddict
 
Originally posted by gadgetaddict

Question:
Since this is a "small" run of D2 Grips, is there a chance the quality won't be as great?

Click to expand...

I got one of the D2's, plus I already had a standard 440C. Absolutely NO diff in quality.
 
I have a Gerber Gator that was made for Cabela's in 154CM, ( U.S. equivelant of ATS34), and I really like it. Like all Gerber blades , the factory edge is a little too steep to be able to sharpen with the Spyderco sharpmaker, but I was able to reprofile it ok. Fit & finish are 1st rate and you won't find em with this steel anywhere else.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...belas/en/content/Pod/00/67/42/p006742ii01.jpg
Also, Cabela's has a line called the Knives Of Alaska in D2, & I'll be getting one of those next month. Great knives also.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...ntent/Pod/02/20/74/p022074ii02.jpg&hasJS=true
I think that they are able to get good deals like this because of their large buying power, & sometimes they sell really cheap as "loss leaders" just to get ya buyin stuff, hehe. Also I have their Cabela's Visa & you get 1percent free stuff at Cabela's with every purchase. It adds up !
 
About the only gripe that I've ever heard about the Griptilian series is that the 440C steel isn't the latest and greatest.

This switch to D2 should address that issue nicely.

The Griptilian series is the finest group of real working knives of which I am aware.

I would go for the mini version, as it is actually a bit more solid and refined.
 
Ok, I did it....I bought a min-grip D2 steel blade version from Cabela's. This was based on the mass amount of information I could find in the forum and what was said here in this particular thread.

Thanks to you, my wallet is a little lighter but I feel I made a well informed purchasing decision. Cheers to all of you and your knowledge.

Thanks once again,
Mike
 
Love both of them. The mini is a bit on the small side, but, is cute enough for non-knife people to tolerate. The 551 is great, I would EDC it, if I didn't work in NYC (not a knife-friendly place, IMO). I have the 556 in my pocket right now.

Highly recommend both, based on the first impression. Cabela's shipping was very fast.

- gadgetaddict
 
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