How can I tell when my mini griptilian was produced?

S

StoveTop

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Apr 14, 2011
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Hello everyone!

I am new to the blade forums. I have been into knives for a while and I have read threads here for a long time. I don't know what has taken me so long to join.

I recently bought a mini griptilian from a bass pro shop in PA. I am wondering how to tell when my particular knife was produced.

Are there any benchmade guys out there who know a lot about griptilians? I am curious to know how long they have been produced and if there are any little oddities that give clues on to when a particular knife is produced.

Mine is a black model 556 with a drop point plain edge blade. The blade is 154cm and the clip says benchmade on it. I noticed that some clips say benchmade usa on them. I am wondering when they stopped stamping usa under benchmade on the clips.

Thanks!
 
Hello everyone!

I am new to the blade forums. I have been into knives for a while and I have read threads here for a long time. I don't know what has taken me so long to join.

I recently bought a mini griptilian from a bass pro shop in PA. I am wondering how to tell when my particular knife was produced.

Are there any benchmade guys out there who know a lot about griptilians? I am curious to know how long they have been produced and if there are any little oddities that give clues on to when a particular knife is produced.

Mine is a black model 556 with a drop point plain edge blade. The blade is 154cm and the clip says benchmade on it. I noticed that some clips say benchmade usa on them. I am wondering when they stopped stamping usa under benchmade on the clips.

Thanks!
 
I think only the parkerized clips say USA on them and as far as I know they still produce them ! What I don't knownis how they decide what knives get them, my m4 Ritter had one and that just came out recently .
 
154CM puts it at the 2006 or newer mark, with a good picture there might be a few other things that let me narrow it down.
 
This doesn't exactly answer your question, but here is some info:
The only dates clues I know of are:
Standard production Grips were made 2001, Mini's came out early 2002.
Grips were made with 440c from 2001-2006,
Oval holes from 2001-2007, They were discontinued and replaced with the round hole in 2007.
They also changed the grind from flat to hollow.
154cm is from 2006-now.
Also, if you have a satin OD plain edge with oval hole, its 2001-2004. The oval was the 1st, and I think the thumbstuds were released in 2002.
 
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Moved to appropriate forum.
 
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