Kershaw Blur vs. Benchmade Griptilian

Kershaw Blur or Benchmade Griptilian

  • Blur

    Votes: 27 22.1%

  • Grip

    Votes: 69 56.6%

  • They Both Suck

    Votes: 10 8.2%

  • Get Both

    Votes: 16 13.1%
  • Total voters
    122
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Winch

Winch

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I bought these 2 knives in the past week. The Grip is on the left, Blur on the right. The intended use is EDC and I try to use the proper tool for the job (no intentional abuse for these knives)

Similarities:
  • Both are Made in the USA.
  • They are of similar size.
  • They look pretty much the same.
  • They weigh the same (3.90 vs. 3.82).
  • Both are drop point blades.
  • Both have pocket clips and lanyard holes.
  • Both models can be configured in multiple variations (grips/steel/colors/etc.)
Cost:
  • Blur @ $57.43 (Amazon)
  • Grip @ $102 (Blade HQ)
Blades:
  • Blur has Sandvik 14C28N black washed. Classified as "upper mid range" quality.
  • Grip with 154CM satin. Classified as "high end steel".
Handles:
  • Blur is aluminum with rubber inserts,
  • Grip is polymer with texture.
Operation:
  • Blur has the Speedsafe system.
  • Grip is manual.
Locking Mechanism:
  • Blur has a liner lock.
  • Grip has the Axis lock.
Sharpness:
  • Both knives will shave your arm hair right off out of the box. I don't have any comments on edge retention as of yet.
Quality:
  • Both knives are tight at the pivot point and the blades are centered. I applied Blue Loctite to the clip screws and checked other screws and found no issues. I applied gun oil to both knives and the action is fine on both.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly:
I really like the Speedsafe feature on the Blur. The blade opens with a slight push on the thumb stud. Now, the problem is that the Blur thumb stud is angled and sharp. I can see these thumb studs tearing up your pockets and/or hand. I actually had a file in my hand and I was going to file the studs down but I held off in case I think of a better solution. The Grip has thumb studs too but they are more rounded off and not an issue. You can easily "flick" the Grip open even though it is a manual knife.

I don't plan on beating the crap out of these knives so the blade locking mechanisms appear to be substantial enough for my EDC requirements.

The Grip is thicker than the Blur, which negatively impacts pocket carry so a certain extent.

I would buy both knives again if they were lost. The Blur is a really good value in that you could almost buy 2 Blurs for the cost of one Grip. The Blur thumb studs need to be modified though. I'm new to the Benchmade Axis lock system and just getting used to it. Blade unlocking with my thumb is a challenge since the unlocking mechanism is a little gritty. If you use your thumb and index finger to unlock the blade it is very smooth. Kershaw blade closure is a two handed operation.

Both of these knives should last a lifetime with proper care and use. You can't go wrong with either one of these. I am curious as to your thoughts and preferences on these 2 knives.
 
I have owned a Grip, but am a far bigger fan of the Blur. I've been carrying one at work for at least five years. I prefer the slimness, the tactile aesthetic of the grip, and (yes) speedsafe. On these boards you'll see far more fans of the Grip (it's kind of a cult icon), but I contend that the grip is an underappreciated knife!

I wish Kershaw did more sprints of them - I got the Elmax on last year, but would certainly buy others.
 
Had/have both and have to give the edge to the Blur. It is easier to use in my hands (XL paws) due to its wider nature. For me, the Blur is a better slicer due to its slight recurve and hollow grind. Can take or leave the Speed Safe. The thickness of the Blur seems a lot thinner, although it isn't. It carries better for me.

If you wanted a more valid comparison between the knives, step up the Blur to S30v steel, and you have something comparable in blade steel quality. (That comment was not made to start a war comparing steels, heat treat methods, and how much better M390 is than either of them.) Now you have two good, working steels that are much better than average. But the Blur in S30v is still less than $75 delivered from a couple of places. Then of course, add Kershaw's bulletproof warranty and the ability to get screws and spring bars without sending in the knife (not so with Benchmade).

So in the end, the Blur wins for me.

Robert
 
I am interested because I carry sub-$100 knives for work. My work knives get muddy in my pocket. I work in trenches, sometimes with groundwater. I might need to revisit Kershaw for my work knife rotation.
 
The american made kershaw knives are excellent user knives. They have such good geometry and make good slicers. They are really thin behind the edge and have hollow grind. As the years and many sharpening sessions pass, the edge on hollow grinds will not get thicker as flat grind blades will. This means that they hold their sharpness longer.

Between the blur and grip, i would choose the hollow grind grip. I am not a fan of aluminum handles. Also, i am not a fan of recurves because they cannot be sharpened on standard whetstones. However, i do prefer 14c28n to 154cm. I am not a fan of assisted opening. I like to be able to open my knife easily and discreetly. Plus, when comparing to a benchmade with thumb studs, i do not feel that the assisted opening provides any noticeable advantage in quick opening.

For the same money, i would have put my money towards the 20cv griptilian. That to me, is a supreme knife.
 
TheGasMan said:
Is the Grip twice as nice as the Blur? I own both brands, just curious on your thoughts.
Click to expand...

I have not made a final decision on this yet but I don't have buyers remorse on either knife!!

microtech85 said:
The american made kershaw knives are excellent user knives. They have such good geometry and make good slicers. They are really thin behind the edge and have hollow grind. As the years and many sharpening sessions pass, the edge on hollow grinds will not get thicker as flat grind blades will. This means that they hold their sharpness longer.

Between the blur and grip, i would choose the hollow grind grip. I am not a fan of aluminum handles. Also, i am not a fan of recurves because they cannot be sharpened on standard whetstones. However, i do prefer 14c28n to 154cm. I am not a fan of assisted opening. I like to be able to open my knife easily and discreetly. Plus, when comparing to a benchmade with thumb studs, i do not feel that the assisted opening provides any noticeable advantage in quick opening.

For the same money, i would have put my money towards the 20cv griptilian. That to me, is a supreme knife.
Click to expand...

You bring up a good point regarding the Blur having a recurve blade. I have no idea on how to sharpen a recurve but I'm pretty sure that my KO Work Sharp is not gonna work well on the Blur.
 
I prefer the axis lock to all other locks...a lot.
I have 5 grips...one small, one large black handle 154cm.
A rei grip with green g10 scales, green back spacers, S30V
A gray blue g10 scaled with blue spacers CPM20V.
And a black paper micarta scales with steel spacers M390...on it's way.

I prefer the M390 steel and CPM20v over all others...but they
cost more. 154cm is nice and easy to sharpen. I like it better than
S30V...a steel I don't really like.
Grips are pudgy in pocket but nice in hand...great knives.

Buy a paramilitary 2. Trust me on this.
 
Grip
Buy the polymer handle version. That stuff is very strong.
 
The blur is a good and well loved Kershaw but it was never my favorite. It was mainly for one reason. I was not keen on its grip. Due to the shape, I always felt my hand was going to slip onto the blade, even though it never actually did. That is why i always favored the Piston and Knockout (which i personally saw as the improved Blur)
 
they are actually completely different knives, while i have both and both are great in their own ways, i personally have more trust in the axis lock than a liner lock
 
I don't have a griptilian but I do have a axis lock bm and i prefer that lock and action compared to the blurs. I've had a blur since 2009 and it's been a great knife. It still locks up tight and it's well centered. I personally like the thump studs on the blur and they don't tear up my pockets. I don't have any trouble closing it one handed myself.

The 14c28n steel is good stuff, you can get It stupid sharp easily and it holds a edge pretty good.
 
Not a fan of recurves so I'd choose a Griptilian. Got to admit I like the ergonomics of the Blur though. If it was offered in a blade without a recurve (other than Tanto) I'd own one.
 
I like both.

The Grip's Axis lock makes it the choice for me, but I got no problem with liner locks whatsoever.

I dig on 154CM as done by Benchmade, but I like the way Kershaw does their Sandvik too... both are great.

The Grip is easy to sharpen, but since I use a Sharpmaker, the recurve on the Blur is equally easy to sharpen.

Both companies have outstanding warranty policies. Both knives are well constructed pieces.

Between the two, it comes down to this... If I don't have enough cash for the Grip, I got no problem getting the Blur.
 
Voted Blur, great knife for the money, especially the S30V version. Don't know what you mean by the Blurs thumb studs needing to be modified or having to use two hands to close the knife though. Never had an issue with the thumb studs or closing it one handed.
 
Blur all day for me. Ergos are great, hollow grind keeps it very thin behind the edge and it carries well in the pocket. I also prefer the aluminum handles to the Grip's grip.

Someone mentioned Kershaw's warranty being bulletproof. That really is true. Lifetime sharpening (I know BM has that too so props to them), mailing out small parts for free, and let's not forget blade replacements for a mere $10.

I should add, you can de-assist the Blur and it works great that way, too.
 
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