My first Griptilians

S

ShooterMcgavin

Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
609
I have carried the same knife for about 9 years. I know it's tough for most of you guys to commit to the same knife for 9 days ;) I have been wanting to get a new work-knife for a long time, but I couldn't find just the right deal on the right knife. It had to be something with a decent steel but, since I didn't want to be afraid to abuse it a bit, I did not want to pay more than $50. I looked at Spydercos for a long time until I recently found a guy online selling 2 Griptilians for $50 each. They have very little use and some tiny hairline scratches on the tip from him sharpening. They look great in the pictures (come with boxes, knife bags, etc.). I made a deal to buy BOTH Grips (154CM) for $75 later today.

As long as I can accept the grip thickness, I think one will be carried often. The other will be my abuse/work knife. I am pretty sure these have flat grinds, and I hope that's the case.

Good deal? What do you think?
 
Sounds good? Got a link to the pics? I bought my Griptilian NIB with shipping on eBay for $53 - I LOVE it!
 
I think that was a fantastic deal. If you don't like the handle thickness, there are places where you can get replacement handle scales in a variety of materials. Two places that I can think of are Kevin Wilkins and Cuscadi.
 
BM Griptilians are popular knives. I have a mini-grip 555, a full size 551, and a full size Ritter grip. They are nice knives the only complaint I have is that the handle is a little thicker on the full size griptilitans than I prefer for edc use. I find that I generally prefer the slimmer profiles of Spyderco knives for everyday use, but the Grips are still very good knives.
 
What knife did you carry for nine years? Very curious about this.... :cool: What do you like/dislike about it. Can we get a quick review of a nine year EDC? I think that would make for some valuable forum discussion!
 
Here are pictures. As you can see in the first picture, there are some light scratches from sharpening on the tip (both knives). Other than that, he says they are new and unused.

Looks like a flat grind to me, but can't be 100% until I have them in hand.

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Harry Callahan said:
What knife did you carry for nine years? Very curious about this.... :cool: What do you like/dislike about it. Can we get a quick review of a nine year EDC? I think that would make for some valuable forum discussion!
Click to expand...
Thanks for asking. The knife I have carried for so long is a Benchmade 720 Mel Pardue (ATS-34, plain edge, Axis lock, AL handle).

After you posted that, I spent some time writing up a full review. I will post that as its own thread. Also, I will list some quick pros/cons here...

Pros:
axis lock
good ergonomics
great blade size (3.25")
smooth operation
balance
very solid feel (great for serious use)

Cons:
weight (it does not work well for a dress knife)
bowie style tip is not as strong as a drop point tip
 
al3xd4gr34t said:
I think that was a fantastic deal. If you don't like the handle thickness, there are places where you can get replacement handle scales in a variety of materials. Two places that I can think of are Kevin Wilkins and Cuscadi.
Click to expand...

Some of those Cuscadi mods are really fantastic looking. I really like the coral snake and the black mamba.
 
good deal, I think.

Just letting you know, those are not full flat grinds. A full flat grind is one continuous grind all the way up to the spine, not counting the sharpened edge, of course. You can see on yours how the flat ground portion only goes about halfway up the blade.

A full flat ground blade looks like this.
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edit to add: this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many of the most popular knives around have all sorts of different grinds, and for every day use most people probably can't notice any noticeable difference in performance of their knife.
 
Looks like a great deal :thumbup:

They are "flat grinds," just not Full flat grinds. You'll love 'em, Griptilians are my favorite knives from benchmade :)
 
have two grips.550hg & 551s.great knife. some hate the feel of frn on grip but doesnt bother me. buttery smooth action. moved mili. out of my pocket.
 
I got the knives and I'm pretty happy. They have some tiny surface scratches on the tips, but they are 100% functional. I think I got a good deal for $75. He even threw in a Smith's Pocket Pal sharpener. The guy was real cool. I also ended up buying a green laser pointer from him.
 
I just picked up a 556 Mini-Grip today, boy, what a sweet knife! I usually carry a 940 Osborne, which I love, don't get me wrong, but sometimes in pants with small pockets it takes up a lot of pocket space. So after I got this (nice handle, great blade profile, axis lock) great knife, I was walking around with it and I could barely even feel it was there! Correction, not even, when I needed a knife, I looked around for the 940 on the counter because I forgot it was in my pocket. Great knife!
 
The Noryl scales will feel rough and cheap after you have owned a 720, but the Grip is a great lightweight knife for its size and it functions very well.
 
I use my Mini Grips more than any of the other knives I have. Raally like my 942 but it does take up more pocket space. The Noryl scales don't feel cheap just different, gripable. I think the Grips are just darn good practical knives at a good price point.
 
People often criticize the feel of the Noryl grips, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone post any reports of failure due to the scales failing to hold up. They seem to perform better than they feel.

I've often thought you could fill the hollow spaces with epoxy if the hollowness bothers you.
 
I think you made a great deal, Shooter. Flat knives like the Spydies are great carriers (I have a flat knife in my back pocket right now) but the hand-filling grip on the Griptilian will be more comfortable when you use your knife for extended periods. Great to have both so you can choose the best for that particular day.
_________________________

That which does not kill me, just postpones the inevitable.
 
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