Griptilian for Fishing?

F

Folder_Dude

Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
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Hi, I just recently became a knife enthusiast, and got a few el cheapo's before finally getting my first (and only, for now) quality folder, a Benchmade 551 Griptilian in PE. I plan on USING this knife, its not just going to sit on a shelf looking pretty (I don't think a Grip was meant to be a display piece, but a user.)

My question is, would it be a good idea to take it with me on my many freshwater fishing trips, you know, for stuff like cutting line, rope, opening lure packages, etc. The things I'm worried about are slime and all the gunk that
seems to always be on your hands while fishing getting in the checkering of the handles, and the blade corroding from the water exposure. I don't guess the water would be a problem if I wipe it down when I get home, as its not salt water... But I would like you guys' opinions on the matter, as most of you are much more seasoned knife knuts than me.

The main question is, is the BM510 a good general purpose folder for outdoor (mainly fishing) use?
 
The problem is, I cant afford that right now, so if I cant use the Grip, I'll have to get some kind of Gerber cheap metal handle POS.
 
The 551 is an excellent knife, I have one, too. It's an awesome using knife. However, I would be more concerned about the possibility of gunking up or maybe corroding the Axis springs during fishing than anything else.

I would second the Spyderco Salt series, like the Pacific Salt or Salt 1, if you are worried about gunk. These knives won't rust, and are very easy to clean. You could soap and water the whole knife without problems, if necessary.
Jim
 
Or if you cannot afford a Salt right now, just be aware of the spring area. My 551 is a 440C version, and the blade on mine is pretty good at resisting corrosion. As far as the checkering getting gunky, IMO it's a little easier to clean out the larger Grip's checkering than the checkering on a lot of other molded-handled knives.
Jim
 
So, how could you clean out the axis lock mechanism if it would get gunky.

And also mine is the 154CM version, which, I believe, is even a little better than 440C.
 
My main fishing knife was a griptilian 551. It never rusted. I just kept it well lubed with white lightning. After any major fishing trip when exposed to gunk and water i would take it apart and grease up the lock and omega springs. Just have to get the correct torx size which is a t-6 for the handle screws and t-10 for the pivot. Thats all you gotta do. And in no way was the lockup affected by mud, gunk or fish guts. Its a great way to go. or just find a cheap framelock. Like a kershaw. Which is super easy to clean. I would prefer the grip myself.
Matt
 
Just fill a bowl with warm water, soap up the knife and the water, and swish it around in there. Then dry it with compressed air, and oil.
 
Yeah you can wash out your Grip in soap and water. It doesn't hurt anything. When you're done just add a drop of lube and go.
 
FWIW,

I took my minigrip on a crabbing trip, used it once in the salt water and it started rusting heavily within 30 minutes. :(

Back to shore, rinsed it out and took a scotchbrite pad to it. It's fully scuffed up, but I did save the knife.

Well, now I know how fast salt water kills a blade!

Fresh water won't pose such a problem...
 
Stainless means just that, it stains less. Wet environments can affect the degree of corrosion on any blade, really.

154CM has got great edge retention, and a slightly lower level of corrosion resistance. Really, it all kind of depends on what you want in a knife.
 
I fish in salt and fresh water. My knives have the black coating and the worst I have gotten is some discoloration spots on the blade. However, I also wash all my gear as soon as I get out of saltwater. I also will spray the knife with Breakfree CLP before I use it in saltwater to add a level of protection to it. I have one mini-Grip and two full sizes Grips though I switched to a fixed blade BM Instigator so I can keep the knife on a lanyard around my neck when wading.
 
trimcut123 said:
And in no way was the lockup affected by mud, gunk or fish guts.
Click to expand...

trimcut123, thanks for posting that, I was just getting ready to ask myself about using an Axis lock for fishing, due to concerns about "stuff" getting in the lock.

Nice to hear you didn't have any problems.

:thumbup:
 
I agree with the above posts. I advise nail clippers for cutting fishing line, they work great,
 
Just use it. It's a good tool. If it get dirty clean it. Oil it if need be! That's what I do with my 551 D2.
 
Folder Dude...

I took a 440C mini-Grip and a VG10 Delica 3 to the beach a couple of years ago to see how they did in salt water. I coated the blades with Breakfree first and then carried them both while wading & swimming in the ocean. They both got well soaked while I was there.

I had no problems with either one of them. Each time I got back to the cabin, I would rinse them in fresh water and dry them with a blow dryer. When I got home after a week, I rinsed and dried them again and added more Breakfree to the blade, pivot, and liner area. No problems ever developed with either of them.
 
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