Mini-Grip or Persistence?

U

ubermondo

Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
6
Hello!

My EDC knife is a Benchmade Mini-Griptillian (http://www.benchmade.com/products/556 -- plain edge), and I'm very happy with it, though the grind makes feather sticks and related tasks more difficult than they ought to be. I'm considering the purchase of a Spyderco Persistence (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=417), as I think the grind will be easier to deal with for outdoors use. Considering the price difference, however, I'm worried that the Persistence is not as good of a knife. What do you think?

Any guidance you might have to offer would be most welcome. Thanks!
 
I have a Tenacious, and the overall quality is very good. I can't find anything wrong with it at all! I say go with the Persistence.
 
I have one of each and I don't think you will be disappointed with the Persistence. It won't hold an edge as good as the Mini Grip and the screws can get stripped pretty easily if you aren't careful but aside from those two drawbacks, it's a great knife. It feels more secure in the hand to me than the Mini Grip. Generally speaking, I think the Mini Grip is a better knife but the Persistence is certainly no slouch. Well worth the price in my opinion.
 
Aside from blade steel, I think that whole line of spydercos is awesome given the price!

Even the steel isn't that bad. For me, its performed better then higher priced folders with AUS8 (SOG.)
 
I had both and eventually sold both. I loved the axis lock and the way the bladed looked on the mini grip but actually hated the handles so I hated using it. I really liked the persistence handle and blade shape.
 
i have grips and a spyderco persistence and i think the benchmade is a stouter and better made knife. neither one i would consider a delicate featured knife.if you want a knife with a thinner blade for more finess get a delica or an endura..my edc is a benchmade vex.it is very similar to the tenacious or persistence class knife.it has been run over by a 34,000 lb tandem axle truck and pushed into the gravel and you wouldn't even know it by looking at it.for a cheap knife it has held up for 6 or 8 yrs of every day use doing outside electrical construction.
 
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Thanks, folks -- I've ordered a Persistence and will give it a try. I really appreciate your time and guidance.
 
I had both I gave the persistence away to a friend it just wouldn't hold a edge very well I work offshore and cut a lot if rope on a daily basis and I really like the look and design of the persistence but it just didn't hold up to the work I do the mini grip I carry I can do 2 some time 3 14 day hitches offshore before I touch it up the persistence couldn't make 1 14 day hitch at work just my opinion the grip is the better all around knife if your going to use your knife a lot
 
While I am a Spyderco nut I always have a mini grip in rotation as I believe them to be one heck of an EDC. I do however make them look like I want too!

cfminie.jpg
 
Makes sense -- I know the Grip has better edge retention, but the Persistence is supposed to be easier to sharpen. I think I might have an easier time sharpening the persistence in the field.
 
IMO the Persistence has a problem that a lot of short bladed Spydercos have. The blade ends up being really, really fat, to provide room for the Spyderhole. I find this tends to make them carry in the pocket a lot more poorly than they should for the size. The mini-grip has a longer blade, but I bet the Persistence is a bigger knife overall, and from what I remember, filled the pocket a lot more. I especially noticed this in my Squeak, which has a shorter edge than my Case Peanut, but is about 4x bigger in how much room it takes up.

I find the Tenacious to be about the sweet spot for that line, where the knife doesn't seem way oversized for how much edge it provides, and even that is a really, really fast blade for its length.

All that said, the Persistence does manage to actually have a 4 finger handle, something the mini-grip fails at for me.
 
True enough. One of the things I'm not wild about on the mini-grip is how fat the handle is; I hadn't really thought about how the knives would stack up in the other direction.
 
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