Mini Grip vs. Mini Presidio - pls. help me decide...

ZDHart

ZDHart

Joined
Feb 16, 2010
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I'm trying to decide between:

BM556 Mini Griptilian, 2.9" 154CM blade, .51" wide, 3.9" long, 2.6 oz.
BM527 Mini Presidio Ultra, 2.97" 440C blade, .55" wide, 4.2" long, 3.1 oz.

I believe the Presidio has full length liners and the Griptilian has just partial liners (probably accounting for the weight difference). So lighter weight is nice, but are full liners preferred or better for strength/durability?

There are some complaints of the body sounding hollow... this is presumably due to the lack of full length liners, right?

Is 154CM a much preferred steel over 440C?

The Grips are very popular here, but I don't see much about Presidios, so I was wondering why there seems to be a strong preference for Grips over Presidios?

I'm leaning toward the Griptilian because of the lighter weight, slightly thinner and slightly shorter body. And if the steel is going to offer better performance, that too.

To help me decide for sure, it would be great to hear what your preference would be and why?

Many thanks, in advance.
 
The mini is kind of a "standard" for low cost/high value Benchmade folders. Made in the USA with good steel and light! I have thought about trading mine several times and then I get it out and realize it would be hard to match the knife with a knife costing this little. The minis do not have the same plastic clunk as the full size grips and they sound pretty nice when popped open. Solid as a tank and of course the Axis lock is legendary. Yep, they are a dime a dozen, but there is a good reason!
 
The performance difference between the two steels is minimal. I doubt you'd be able to detect any variance. If you think the handles on the Griptilian are going to bother you, it would be wise to look at other models. However, the Grip and mini Grip make just about everyone's budget "best-buy" list for a reason.

If you are open to another suggestion you might look at the Spyderco Sage I with the carbon fiber handle. With extraordinary fit and finish......it will provide you with all the performance of a Mini-Griptilian, but do so with a bit more elegance and style. Spyderco's Sage I retails for about $89. This is just one man's opinion.

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- regards
 
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The mini griptilian actually does have full length steel liners, its the full size grip that has the partial liners. I absolutely love my griptilians. They are one of those knives where all the little things somehow come together and equal almost a perfect knife. I've got the traditional drop point on my full size grips and the modified sheepsfoot blade on the mini. Both are amazing and it would be hard for me to decide which one to get again. I'd probably go for the drop point because I generally prefer flat grinds. The reason you don't hear much about the presidio ultra is because they have not been around for very long. Now if you were considering the regular Presidio than there would be a ton more info about them. The normal presidio is a classic and a workhorse of a knife. Some people felt a little cheated when the "presidio ultra" came out. People were expecting an upgraded model of our classic presidio and instead got a value knife with cheaper materials. However all in all I'm sure its a great knife also. All things considered I myself would go for the famed mini grip if nothing else because of the lower price.

One other knife to consider is the mini barrage 585. If you like assisted opening knives this is your beast. It doesn't look very heavy duty in pictures but I assure you it can handle most anything one would throw at it. Its the only assisted axis lock available as well and comes in not much more than the mini grip. Good luck with your decision.
 
Out of the two, I favour the 556. I prefer the 556's flat sabre grind to 527's hollow sabre. Also, the blade of my 527 is paper-thin towards the tip. Really thin.

Mini Grips don't feel "clacky" like the full sized knives, so don't worry about them feeling hollow.

Go 556!
 
I choose between the the mini grip or mini ultra presidio, I ended up with the Mini ultra presidio. The handle on the grip was a bit to small, the ultra fits my hand well. I preferred the blade shape of the ultra also. The ultra also rides a bit lower in the pocket to, which is a big plus for me. The only thing the grip has on the ultra is the154cm steel, which is my favorite steel. I don't mind the 440c on the ultra.
 
After using my girlfriend's mini-grip, I realized it wasn't for me, because of the tiny grip. The 527 has a beefier grip, both thicker and slightly longer, which allowed me to get a pretty good grip on the knife, despite the 3 inch blade. The hollow grind is really thin, and I don't have much problem with the 440C blade thus far. I love how solid the 527 feels, definitely feels overbuilt, for what it is, compared to the mini-grip. But don't get me wrong, with the full liners of the mini-grip, it feels pretty solid too. The weight, grippy surface, and beefy handles really encourages confidence in the knife. So, if you're like me, and you have rather large hands, definitely go for the 527. But if that's not an issue for you, the mini grip is a fantastic choice too.
 
Mini-Grip: Better steel, stronger tip.
Ultra: Bigger handle.

If you have big hands, then go for Ultra. Otherwise I would get 556.

The regular mini Presidio (525) is a different beast, but it is more expensive.
 
Thank you for the replies! I already have a Sage 1, so getting another one of those doesn't help me with my Grip/Presidio choice... ;) The 556/527 option will just be an alternate knife for me to enjoy.

It sounds like the seemingly minor differences in measured dimensions between the 556 and the 527 are actually quite noticible in use. I already have a mini Barrage and I'm looking for another Benchmade Axis folder, but a little smaller and lighter for EDC, so it sounds like I might want to skip over the Presidio Ultra (too close in size to my mini Barrage) and go straight to the mini Gript.

Fortunately, it sounds like either choice is pretty much a good one. Thanks again.
 
The regular 525 Mini Presidio is a great knife as well, a real workhorse, very strong yet compact. Have two of them, the axis mechanism on both is very smooth. Not sure what your budget is, have seen them sell on the boards for well under $100 used.
 
If you're looking for a super light, tough edc - why not the classic 940 Osborne in s30v or this numbered limited edition D2 version at KW?

bm940d2bl.jpg
 
I like hollow grinds and the thin edge, but I would rather have a 525 than a 527.

I like 154cm considerably more than 440C, but that's just down to the results Ive gotten from sharpening.
 
Yes, the 940 is a great knife, I sorta have a 943 (wife and I went to look at knives around V-Day and she fell hard for the 943... she loves how sleek and sexy it is. She's got good taste.)

Like most here, I've slipped just a bit beyond the "need" phase and now I'm meandering through "want land".

I'm interested in the mini Gript or mini Presidio because I want the smallest, lightest BM Axis knife and they are pretty much it.

I guess I'm leaning toward the 556 Mini Gript as it's the smallest, lightest axis and I'm sure I'd be perfectly content with 154CM. Remember, I also have a mini Barrage which isn't all that much bigger and heavier than the mini Presidio. I really like the mini Barrage, but just want to go a tad smaller and lighter.
 
Just to throw in a monkey wrench, I'd consider the mini Ritter MK1 also. Same handle as the mini Grip but with a wider, s30v blade.
 
vanlink said:
Just to throw in a monkey wrench, I'd consider the mini Ritter MK1 also. Same handle as the mini Grip but with a wider, s30v blade.
Click to expand...

Is that a standard stock item or a special run? Where are they available?
 
ZDHart said:
Is that a standard stock item or a special run? Where are they available?
Click to expand...

They're available at aeromedix.com for about $110 plus shipping but you see them all the time for sale here for under $100. The s30v upgrade is nice, but it's really the Ritter blade that makes the price difference worth it to me.
 
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