griptillian versus rsk1

V

Vafud

Joined
May 21, 2010
Messages
3
I'm stuck between these two knives. I'm looking for a knife that is good for outdoor use in the woods, camping, and survival situations. I'm also looking for a knife that will hold up in a self-defense situation may it arise. Which knife do you think is better? Also my main concern now is that the rsk1 isn't as well suited for self-defense/fighting due to the blade shape and it being less suitable for thrusting/puncturing actions. Is this true, does it matter?

Thanks
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! I moved this from Traditional to General Knife, since neither of these are what we consider traditional.

Self-defense? It doesn't matter. Self-defense is independent of the knife or other weapon. It depends more on your training and mindset. You might ask that part of your question in our Practical Tactical forum.

The RSK-1 is a Griptilian modified for outdoor and survival situations, by an expert in survival preparedness. We also have a Wilderness & Survival Skills forum where you could discuss this with our outdoor members.

Let's see what answers you get here, though! :)
 
Doug Ritters Grip or a regular Grip, get the Ritter.

Better blade shape in my opinion.
 
I have both of them and either one will do any task you ask of it. I love the griptillian style knife personally, it is one of my favorite folding knives. The blade shape on the RSK is more suited towards survival and camping type applications but the 551 will do all of those very well. Personally I carry the 551 because it is a little bit lighter and it carries better in my pocket. That is just personal preference but you cannot go wrong with either of these two knives, they are both great.

As an after thought the RSK is S30V steel with has slightly higher wear and rust resistance properties but the 551's 154CM is a great steel as well. Really it all comes down to which blade style you like best. And when it comes down to it the 551 is probably going to be a better self defense knife, altho I am no expert not even close, but the RSK will get the job done if it needs to.
 
I have the RSK1 so you should not be surprised that I prefer that over the Griptilian. But either is good, and the differences between them for self-defense are inconsequential. So no, it doesn't matter.

Just pick what appeals to you more.

But a word of warning. If you stick around here long enough, you'll be buying more than one knife.
 
I have multiples of both as for some reason I just can't stop buying these damned things! I really like both in their own right and both have their own advantages. I like the high flat grind on the RSK it makes the grind angle a lot less steep making it a better slicer. However I prefer the pointier tip on the regular grip. Either one will suit you just fine. If you're new to knives I would suggest starting with a regular 551 and see how you like it. If you don't like the 551 you will not like the RSK as they have the exact same handle and lock just different blades. You may want to see if aeromedix still has any of the CPM-M4 mini RSK's left. I picked up a couple of the large ones and they really turn the RSK into a whole nother animal!
 
Welcome aboard Vafud-
I'm always leary when people say they are looking for a knife that does everything including SD. The last thing you really want to do is use a knife unless you are highly trained and really outnumbered with no place to run.

I can tell you 98% of people that carry a knife do so with the belief they are carrying a tool and not a weapon. Whatever your choice, always use extreme caution and a lot of logical discretion. As Esav was kind enough to mention the Prac Tac forum is an excellent place to start. I also recommend reading and watching Michael Janich, "Martial Blade Concepts" series. He is definitely a master without question. He explains the science and scenarios for such actions.

Onto your question - For outdoors, wilderness, and camping I would not recommend any folder as a primary blade. I would opt for a small fixed blade that weighs no more than about 6-8 ounces. Maybe a ESEE ,Swamp Rat, Busse, Scrapyard Knives, etc. If you are going to do a job, use the right tool.
 
I had to decide too on wich one to buy between the two models. At the end I decided on the Grip 551 because of the price. I have never regreted about it. The Grip 154cm steel and blade shape are excellent!
 
RevDevil said:
Welcome aboard Vafud-
I'm always leary when people say they are looking for a knife that does everything including SD. The last thing you really want to do is use a knife unless you are highly trained and really outnumbered with no place to run.

I can tell you 98% of people that carry a knife do so with the belief they are carrying a tool and not a weapon. Whatever your choice, always use extreme caution and a lot of logical discretion. As Esav was kind enough to mention the Prac Tac forum is an excellent place to start. I also recommend reading and watching Michael Janich, "Martial Blade Concepts" series. He is definitely a master without question. He explains the science and scenarios for such actions.

Onto your question - For outdoors, wilderness, and camping I would not recommend any folder as a primary blade. I would opt for a small fixed blade that weighs no more than about 6-8 ounces. Maybe a ESEE ,Swamp Rat, Busse, Scrapyard Knives, etc. If you are going to do a job, use the right tool.
Click to expand...


Thanks. The only reason I am even considering the SD factor as a relevent issue is because I plan on doing a lot of hitchhiking in the near future and a lot of living on the road, so a situation that might be a last resort kind of thing is far more likely to come up than it would in other circumstances. Otherwise I really wouldn't worry about it.
 
Vafud,

If your hitchhiking will take you to many states in the US, then be aware that a full size Griptilian is illegal in several states that have a 3" blade length limit. I'm not sure of all of them, but California is one.
 
Bill1170 said:
Vafud,

If your hitchhiking will take you to many states in the US, then be aware that a full size Griptilian is illegal in several states that have a 3" blade length limit. I'm not sure of all of them, but California is one.
Click to expand...

Absolutely untrue! There is no state-wide blade limit in CA.

Under state law, there are some restrictions on blade length that are dependent on location: the most important one being 4" in public buildings. (Schools and colleges have a whole set of mostly irrational rules.)

There are some local ordinances that may have limits on blade length, but there are usually exceptions for "legitimate occupational or recreational use." Note: self-defense does not fall into either category.

If you can not cite the section of the Penal Code that supports the claim that there is a 3" blade length, you should retract the claim.
 
Swedge,

I am happy to retract the claim. I read it on BF and thought it to be true, but am happy to hear that this is false. Thank you for the correction!

Bill
 
Vafud said:
Thanks. The only reason I am even considering the SD factor as a relevent issue is because I plan on doing a lot of hitchhiking in the near future and a lot of living on the road, so a situation that might be a last resort kind of thing is far more likely to come up than it would in other circumstances. Otherwise I really wouldn't worry about it.
Click to expand...

In that case, you have multiple options - get yourself a heavy-ish steel pen. Maybe some Pepper Spray. Come to think about it, I think you could easily get several great suggestions from folks here if you posted something in the Practical Tactical forum here. Give it a shot, I'll put in my 2 cents.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=680
 
RevDevil said:
In that case, you have multiple options - get yourself a heavy-ish steel pen. Maybe some Pepper Spray. Come to think about it, I think you could easily get several great suggestions from folks here if you posted something in the Practical Tactical forum here. Give it a shot, I'll put in my 2 cents.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=680
Click to expand...

I would have to agree with this in terms of getting a Tactical styled pen. I EDC a Schrade Tactical Pen and I love it. It writes great and is comfortable. I really like it because I carry my pen in my BRP and so when I sit on it I won't break it, plus its easily accessible if needed. I wouldn't carry pepper spray when hitch hiking as you may make your drivers a bit uncomfortable. Hitch hiking is an interesting area for self defense as you need to be able to protect yourself and have your SD weapons accessible from a seated position inside of a car but they can't be visible as obvious weapons or you might not get picked up.

I have considered a lot of carry options when it comes to hitch hiking as I plan to do a lot of it after I move in the next year. I really think you are on the right tract when thinking about SD option in your folder. Its primary purpose would be as a tool but you always want that option. I think the full sized Grip is a great knife for this. It is an amazing user, good comfort for long term use, carving whittling and such. It also make a great food prep knife, I have used mine to prepare entire dinners. I have never done it but I know of a lot of people who have used it as a hunting and fishing knife. The Grip even works good as a PB & J knife, the long blade helps to prevent anything getting into the pivot. Plus I have found that the 551 is very light to carry in the pocket or IWB, making it something you will always have on you. On thing that I would add to your Hitch Hiking kit is a good sturdy plier based multi tool such as a LM Wave. This way you have a tool box in your pack to fix any of your equipment that breaks or help anybody else out. It's always nice when traveling alone to be able to help other people out, you make a lot of friends that way and may help you to catch a ride.

As far as legality goes the full sized grip is illegal in many states as it is a 3.4" blade. But if you are planning on doing your hitch hiking mostly out west then you should be fine as most of the states I have lived in and researched out there have 3.5" or 4" limits. If you plan on spending a lot of time east of the Mississippi then you may want to think about a smaller knife so there are no legal problems. You do want to make sure all of your equipment and SD options are legal because you can be talked to by LEO's while Hitch Hiking and you don't want to give them any reason to arrest you or give you a ticket.

Sorry for a long post, be safe out there on the open road and have a great time.
 
Wanderlust said:
I would have to agree with this in terms of getting a Tactical styled pen. I EDC a Schrade Tactical Pen and I love it. It writes great and is comfortable. I really like it because I carry my pen in my BRP and so when I sit on it I won't break it, plus its easily accessible if needed. I wouldn't carry pepper spray when hitch hiking as you may make your drivers a bit uncomfortable. Hitch hiking is an interesting area for self defense as you need to be able to protect yourself and have your SD weapons accessible from a seated position inside of a car but they can't be visible as obvious weapons or you might not get picked up.

I have considered a lot of carry options when it comes to hitch hiking as I plan to do a lot of it after I move in the next year. I really think you are on the right tract when thinking about SD option in your folder. Its primary purpose would be as a tool but you always want that option. I think the full sized Grip is a great knife for this. It is an amazing user, good comfort for long term use, carving whittling and such. It also make a great food prep knife, I have used mine to prepare entire dinners. I have never done it but I know of a lot of people who have used it as a hunting and fishing knife. The Grip even works good as a PB & J knife, the long blade helps to prevent anything getting into the pivot. Plus I have found that the 551 is very light to carry in the pocket or IWB, making it something you will always have on you. On thing that I would add to your Hitch Hiking kit is a good sturdy plier based multi tool such as a LM Wave. This way you have a tool box in your pack to fix any of your equipment that breaks or help anybody else out. It's always nice when traveling alone to be able to help other people out, you make a lot of friends that way and may help you to catch a ride.

As far as legality goes the full sized grip is illegal in many states as it is a 3.4" blade. But if you are planning on doing your hitch hiking mostly out west then you should be fine as most of the states I have lived in and researched out there have 3.5" or 4" limits. If you plan on spending a lot of time east of the Mississippi then you may want to think about a smaller knife so there are no legal problems. You do want to make sure all of your equipment and SD options are legal because you can be talked to by LEO's while Hitch Hiking and you don't want to give them any reason to arrest you or give you a ticket.

Sorry for a long post, be safe out there on the open road and have a great time.
Click to expand...

Shrade does make a great pen. :thumbup:
 
if you want an outdoor blade, get a fallkniven f1. I wouldnt want to use the ritter grip to survive.

-Freq
 
You can't go wrong with either one, but a 551 is easier to field sharpen if required.
 
I would go with a large orange RSK-1 mostly due to the fact that I am an S30V whore/ snob. I think Aeromedix still has them in stock. If you're going to be in the woods you'll appreciate having the easy to see orange.

If you have larger hands, avoid the Mini even though the larger blades tend to make people nervous. Mine are about 3.75" - 4" across the knuckles so the mini doesn't fit right being too small for tasks that need a good grip, especially SD.

Just my .02
 
Kinda a not real important thing...

Do the RSK1s come with the bag as well? I'm assuming they do. I'm about to pull the trigger on one and was wondering.
 
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