Enlighten me on the BM Griptillian

Mark J

Mark J

Joined
Mar 15, 2001
Messages
2,450
I see virtually nothing but praise for this knife and it's counterpart, the mini-griptillian. However, when I look at the specs of the knife and the design/aesthetics, it doesn't seem like it is too special. Is this a case of a knife that doesn't excel at any one thing, but does lots of things really well? Anyway, please let me in on the secret of why this knife is so popular and what I'm missing.

- Mark
 
I have a full size griptillian. The knife fits great in hand, but the real reason the knife gets so much praise is probably due to the axis lock.

The axis lock is strong, locks up great without any play, and is designed to compensate for wear, meaning it will always lock up strong and solid.

It is a great value for around $60, and a great knife to use and abuse
 
I suspect much of it has to do with the introduction to the axis-lock - a fair amount of people are exposed to the lock when they buy a Griptilian.

Then, too, the handles fit many hands well and the blade is a decent shape in the original Griptilians.

Price probably plays a part, also. The basic Griptilians aren't that expensive.
 
It is a good cheap EDC BUT the plastic handles feel so cheap it drives me insane. The mini doesn't feel as cheap as the full size rhough thanks to full liners
 
It it s a great "Bang for your Buck" type of knife. The mini-grip was one of my first BM and it really was a gateway" knife to the axis line. If you don't have one, I would suggest that you pick one up. The minigrips feel more solid because they have full liners, vs the full size have partial liners.

Do yourself a favor and go out and get one! :thumbup:
 
Yea , I wasnt impressed by the online ads or pictures of them.

I bought a Mini used last year and have to say it is a nice little knife.

Tostig
 
I carried a mini for quite awhile. It did feel cheap at first, but after using it for awhile, I got over that. They are great knives and reasonably priced.

I liked it enough to want to get a full size, but when I looked at them, it just wasn't the same
 
I have a mini 555, a full size 551, and a full size Ritter. I've put the 551 back in the box an don't use it at all since getting the Ritter. The mini is a good small edc knife, but when it comes time to choose which knife I'm carrying on a particular day it is usually a Spyderco that finds it's way into my pocket. I like the blade shape and steel on the mini grip but I prefer the slimmer handles of spydercos (Spydercos have great blade design and steel too). Ditto for the full size Ritter. Great blade design and awesome steel but the handle is just too thick for comfortable edc use imho. I'll carry it when I know I'm going to be outside such as on a day hike, etc. but for general carry even the Spyderco Military w/ a 4" blade carries much better.
 
I have four full size Grips and two full size Ritter Grips. The Grips are among the favorite knives that I own due to their comfort and security in hand, the security of an Axis lock and the ease flipping the knife open and closed.

A frequent complaint that I see, is the alleged 'plastic' feel of the handle. All I feel is the toughness of the Noryl GTX handle which, in my perception, is no more 'plastic' feeling than an Endura or Delica.

The Grip rides nicely in my pocket and it's rounded curves allow me to reach past it for other items in the pocket. Of course, most of my praise is subjective in nature and the true test of the knife will only be determined in your hand.
 
It is just one hell of a knife, a little big in the pocket but light weight for its size and a real work horse. Plus the axis lock is a great bonus. Another bonus is that the handle fills the hand beautifully. Just a wonderful all around knife.
 
Many say the plastic used in the handle 'feels' cheap, but the fact is, it makes the knife incredibly light. And it is a solid feeling knife, at least to me. One thing though, mine wasn't as sharp out of the box as Kershaws and Spydercos usually are.
 
I have a 555, which is the mini w/modified sheepsfoot/Spyder hole blade. It's hollow ground and sharp, and easy to touch up with a ceramic stick. I have always loved the Axis lock for reasons already stated. It's trully ambidextrous, so I carry mine weak side to compliment whichever other knife I have on the right. About the only complaints I've heard about them are the handles feeling cheap, which I don't notice anymore, and the mini's handle being too short for a full hand grip, which I've gotten used to. It is a great all-around knife.
 
I have a full size 551 Orange. Its a great EDC knife. Good lock, decent steel and a solid rep. Only thing I do not like is the handle material. G10 would serve better IMO.
 
I have a mini-grip. I love the knife. Good sized, small but capable of cutting, great handle on it. Doesn't feel cheap in the hand (maybe due to the liners as noted above.) The steel holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen.

On the negative side, I had to get new omega springs put in eight months after I bought it, then they failed again six months after that. I'm not hard on the knife whatsoever, always open it with the thumb stud, etc., and I haven't seen anyone else reporting going through two sets of springs, so I dunno. I love the knife, but I'm kind of feeling ambivalent about it now. Judging from general consensus, I may have just gotten a knife with some kind of flaw in it. Service, however, is great. Benchmade backs their products.
 
I can't imagine too many knives that will beat a mini for $55. Full liners yet light, 154CM and the Axis lock is genius.
 
I never got the same feeling of cheapness that bothers so many others. The knife is a low priced axis lock design and a great beater knife. You don't have to worry about really using it because it's so expensive or pretty and you don't have to worry about it failing on you because it's a solid design from a solid company. It's a great all around reliable EDC at a reasonable price considering how much many of us are wiling to spend on an EDC. As long as you don't expect it to be better than higher priced axis designs, you'll love the Grips.
 
One of the first knives I bought was a mini-grip and I sold it shortly thereafter. I'm a big guy and I have big hands. The mini was small and I found it difficult to deploy and fold. Later I bought a Kulgera (930) and while it is a larger knife, I still have the same complaint. It's tough to hold the knife while opening and closing without fingers getting in the way of the blade. In fact I managed to cut myself pretty well on the Kulgera - probably should have had stitches, but couldn't be bothered to be honest. I'd found the Spyderco Delica to be more the size I like. The Boker Trance is also a knife that fits well in my hand and opens and closes easily. I have a Spyderco Endura as well and while the fit is good, I found the overall size of the Delica better for EDC. One last note on the Delica - I bought the stainless model which has some significant heft to it, which I like much more than over models that are on the light side.
 
i like this knife so much i bought two.550 & 551. super smooth & fun.+1 on axis lock. everybody should have one.
 
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