Difference between these two Benchmades

jfindon

jfindon

Joined
Dec 12, 2006
Messages
967
One has a D2 blade, while the other uses the standard 154CM. I'd personally opt for the D2 given the relatively small difference in price and the fact that both of the knives you're looking at have coated blades anyway.
 
The ones you link to are both 154CM.

But your captions for the links indicate that one should be D2 steel.

154CM is a stainless steel. A good steel.

D2 is a carbon steel, more prone to rust, but not much more so. It is a tougher steel and should hold it's edge better. I find D2 difficult to sharpen well so I avoid D2. Many people love it though.

The Benchmade link you have shows some different options for handle color, but the steel remains 154CM in most models. A few farther down that page have D2 blades.

Griptilians can be had in either 154CM, D2, or even S30V for the Doug Ritter designed blade variant.
 
Thanks guys. So it sounds like both types of steel have their pluses and minuses.

GPknives only has that one Griptilian though, and I guess the one that is coated with BT2 coating is $70. What exactly is the BT2 coating? Just for blade protection? Is the SV30 blade on the Ritter design really worth $60-70 more?

EDIT: Just did some Googling and found threads here about 154CM vs. S30V. Seems they are very close and every has a bit of a different opinion. My guess is that it isn't worth the $70 more for me. I'll let someone who actually knows about them tell me though.
 
jfindon said:
Thanks guys. So it sounds like both types of steel have their pluses and minuses.

GPknives only has that one Griptilian though, and I guess the one that is coated with BT2 coating is $70. What exactly is the BT2 coating? Just for blade protection? Is the SV30 blade on the Ritter design really worth $60-70 more?
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Actually it looks like they have the uncoated, plain/serrated , thumb-stud or blade hole versions for $62.00. I bought mine from them last year around this time , they're good people..

I have the coated blade in 154CM which is really not needed, it's a baked on coating like gun-coat, but will come off easily , I would recommend the uncoated version if your getting stainless.
I went through a coated phase last year and really wish I hadn't...
 
JPD1998 said:
Actually it looks like they have the uncoated, plain/serrated , thumb-stud or blade hole versions for $62.00. I bought mine from them last year around this time , they're good people..

I have the coated blade in 154CM which is really not needed, it's a baked on coating like gun-coat, but will come off easily , I would recommend the uncoated version if your getting stainless.
I went through a coated phase last year and really wish I hadn't...
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Yeah they do have uncoated. I just like the look of gun metal or black knives. I didn't think about it possibly being a phase :grumpy:

Well, one or the other, I think this is the knife I'm going to get.
 
Well, the D2 version is a Cabela's exclusive, so you'll have to order it from them or find one in the second-hand market if you want one. The standard versions are available at many dealers. The BT2 coating serves two (three?) main purposes. First, it protects the blade, which is especially important with steels that are more prone to corrosion. D2 doesn't rust all that easily, but it is also not a "stainless" steel, so the coating is a nice feature. The second purpose is as an anti-reflective feature, which is not really a concern for the great majority of users. Finally, it has aesthetic value. Some people love the way coated blades look, others don't care for it at all. With regard to the Ritter version, the unique blade shape itself is really what sets it apart from the regular Griptilians. You'll have to decide if that is worth the additional cost for you, but as for the S30V, I personally wouldn't pay a premium for it (you can search and read of issues that users have had with the steel).
 
Padawan said:
Well, the D2 version is a Cabela's exclusive, so you'll have to order it from them or find one in the second-hand market if you want one. The standard versions are available at many dealers. The BT2 coating serves two (three?) main purposes. First, it protects the blade, which is especially important with steels that are more prone to corrosion. D2 doesn't rust all that easily, but it is also not a "stainless" steel, so the coating is a nice feature. The second purpose is as an anti-reflective feature, which is not really a concern for the great majority of users. Finally, it has aesthetic value. Some people love the way coated blades look, others don't care for it at all. With regard to the Ritter version, the unique blade shape itself is really what sets it apart from the regular Griptilians. You'll have to decide if that is worth the additional cost for you, but as for the S30V, I personally wouldn't pay a premium for it (you can search and read of issues that users have had with the steel).
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Yeah, I saw a few topics about the two steels. I won't pay $60 for a steel that is that close to 154CM.

Thanks guys. I already learned a whole bunch here and I've only been posting for a few days. At least I know I'll finally have a decent knife when I get the Griptilian.
 
jfindon said:
Yeah they do have uncoated. I just like the look of gun metal or black knives. I didn't think about it possibly being a phase :grumpy:

Well, one or the other, I think this is the knife I'm going to get.
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No.. I said I went through a phase , basically I was saying that once it starts to wear off it looks ... well not too good and it's not gun blue or parkerizing it's a paint...

Sorry wasn't trying to insult you... just offer advice
 
The Doug Ritter model has more going for it than just the steel. It has a higher grind, improving it's cutting performance.

I think it's worth the extra $

Phil
 
JPD1998 said:
No.. I said I went through a phase , basically I was saying that once it starts to wear off it looks ... well not too good and it's not gun blue or parkerizing it's a paint...

Sorry wasn't trying to insult you... just offer advice
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Nah, I meant it never dawned on me that it could be a phase, it very well could be for me as well :) I've had a gunmetal knife for a few years and it still looks good to me, so I will probably get the black one instead of having to have the knife grow on me if I get the regular one.
 
jfindon said:
Nah, I meant it never dawned on me that it could be a phase, it very well could be for me as well :) I've had a gunmetal knife for a few years and it still looks good to me, so I will probably get the black one instead of having to have the knife grow on me if I get the regular one.
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What I did last year was just pick a black coated blade everytime and now I have 6 coated Benchmade knives I bought and say "WTF?" I started to switch to uncoated when I bought a BM Stryker....

Good luck they make great products:thumbup:
 
Thanks, hopefully I won't "grow out" of the color :)

Now I just wish some place around me carried these knives, I want to see if I like the thumbstud still or the hole they use. I've never used a knife with the hole to open before, and it seems to me that doing so would put more force on the blade and maybe force it to become loose over time. Probably not, but that's just what it seems like to me.
 
jfindon said:
Thanks, hopefully I won't "grow out" of the color :)

Now I just wish some place around me carried these knives, I want to see if I like the thumbstud still or the hole they use. I've never used a knife with the hole to open before, and it seems to me that doing so would put more force on the blade and maybe force it to become loose over time. Probably not, but that's just what it seems like to me.
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I have the thumb stud version. I just can't get used to the holes.

This knife has the Axis lock so I think it will be easy to open regardless.

But with mine you can hold in the Axis bar and flick it open with your wrist or just flick with your thumb and it's enough to overcome the tension and propel the blade out. It's an amazing lock... I generally just ease the the stud with my thumb, I don't want to flick it open like a switch blade
 
JPD1998 said:
I have the thumb stud version. I just can't get used to the holes.

This knife has the Axis lock so I think it will be easy to open regardless.

But with mine you can hold in the Axis bar and flick it open with your wrist or just flick with your thumb and it's enough to overcome the tension and propel the blade out. It's an amazing lock... I generally just ease the the stud with my thumb, I don't want to flick it open like a switch blade
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Oh yeah, I forgot it has Axis lock.

Aren't the blades a little different too? The stud version is a drop point and I think the hole version is a sheep's foot design or something. It reminds me of the way the Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara looks.
 
jfindon said:
Oh yeah, I forgot it has Axis lock.

Aren't the blades a little different too? The stud version is a drop point and I think the hole version is a sheep's foot design or something. It reminds me of the way the Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara looks.
Click to expand...

Yes they are a little different....
 
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