Let me preface (you can skip this paragraph) by saying I found these forums about two weeks ago and am, for the most part, still a novice with knives. I am however quite the geek when it comes to things that interest me, soaking up every bit of information I can on the subject and then touching, holding, inspecting as much as I can to form my own opinions. Since I have learned so much from this community in such a short period of time, I'd like share a few of my observations concerning these two knives that I have been steered towards by other threads on this forum. Keep in mind that these are at-first-glance observations and do not reflect long-term use.
Why these two knives?
The first thread I started asked what to ask for Christmas. I researched each suggestion and had decided on the Doug Ritter Mini-Griptilian but a few threads about S30V having chipping problems scared me a little away from it. Since the Doug Ritter (558) is basically just a 556 with a different blade, I thought as a novice I might not appreciate the difference in quality versus the difference in price. I also wanted a combo blade so ended up on the 556S combo in 154CM.
Shortly after ordering the 556, I read the thread about best knives under $50 and was intrigued by the Spyderco Native being offered at the local Supercenter for a great price. Many people raved about Spyderco's quality and I was initially a bit turned off by the unconventional design, but the more pictures I saw, the more it grew on me and I had to go to the store and check it out. I received my mini-grip in the mail today and took it with me over to the store to compare it side by side with the Spyderco offering in S30V. I went with the intent to purchase.
First Impression
Both knives are extremely impressive at first glance. The Spyderco certainly demands more attention with that big hole in the blade, but that may be just me since I'm not used to that design. The BM is better packaged, with a little pouch and warranty insert. I don't know if that means BM pays more attention to detail or pays more for packaging that could be spent on the knife
Blade Action
I thought the hole might make the Spyderco easier to open. It definitely works, but the slick AXIS lock action of the Benchmade is by far the smoothest opening knife I have ever handled. It slides open and closed with an assertive *click* in each position that just feels like quality. For some reason the door locks on a Mercedes came to mind-- the way they roll up and down instead of jumping.
Winner: BM 556
Ergonomics
The BM scales had a rougher grip and was a bit thicker, making it swell better in the hand, but Spyderco had all the right curves in the right places making my fingers fall into place a bit better. This was a close call, but I got the feeling if I had to hold on tight for an extended period, I might lean towards the Spyderco. The Native is also a tad bigger making the hold slightly more comfortable.
Winner: Spyderco Native
Factory Edge
The BM wins in this department hands down. I could tell by feel that the Spyderco wasn't as sharp, but I sliced through some paper brochures on the counter anyway and the BM made an easier cut with less effort.
Winner: BM 556
Pocket Clip
Spyderco's clip immediately seemed better. It went in and out of my pocket with ease but had enough tension to say put. I didn't stand on my head or anything, but I think it would have held. By the shape of the BM clip, it would seem it was intended as a belt clip rather than a pocket clip. The BM clip is very stiff from the factory and at first I thought I could bend it out a bit to fix the problem but upon further inspection, it seems the problem is that the main point of tension pushes down directly onto the diamond point grip surface. Taking it in and out of my jeans several times would likely tear a hole in them. Also the BM clip is wider creating a greater area of friction between the diamond grips and the fabric of my pants. I would go so far as to say this is a flaw in design. I might take the clip off and apply the Dremel or fine grit sand paper to the area directly underneath to save my pants from certain tormoil. The only cutting I want to do with my Benchmade is with the blade.
Winner: Spyderco Native
Details - Fit/Finish
Looking very closely at each knife, there were a few things about the Spyderco that made me grimace a little. I noticed there was a little chunk of steel inside the thumb hole that hadn't been cut out perfectly. Given it was a small amount, and didn't affect performance at all, but just noticing it made me look closer at the rest of the knife. The edge had similar inconsistancies with rough, ridge like protrusions along it in various places. They were very small and I wouldn't have thought much of it except when held up next to the BM which had no such ridges. It might be the result of the factory sharpening process? The Spyderco also had some tiny burrs of material dangling off the inner edges and places on the handle, especially where edges met and inside the lanyard hole. I hadn't noticed these before on the BM but seeing them on the Spyderco prompted me to take another, close look. The only hanging Chad I could find on the BM was inside the lanyard hold where the two pieces met. Otherwise the BM was superbly polished around the edges.
Winner: BM 556
Conclusion
I'm not saying I wasn't impressed with the Spyderco, but the little things I mentioned were enough to make me not feel the need to purchase it today. It's always there if I change my mind. I wonder if any of the negatives I noted are present in the higher end models? I expect not.
I'm very happy with my Benchmade purchase and will be happier once I correct the pocket clip rip phenomenon. I also wonder if any other Benchmades suffer from this or if it is only a characteristic of the Griptilian model.
Any questions, comments, insults welcome.
Why these two knives?
The first thread I started asked what to ask for Christmas. I researched each suggestion and had decided on the Doug Ritter Mini-Griptilian but a few threads about S30V having chipping problems scared me a little away from it. Since the Doug Ritter (558) is basically just a 556 with a different blade, I thought as a novice I might not appreciate the difference in quality versus the difference in price. I also wanted a combo blade so ended up on the 556S combo in 154CM.
Shortly after ordering the 556, I read the thread about best knives under $50 and was intrigued by the Spyderco Native being offered at the local Supercenter for a great price. Many people raved about Spyderco's quality and I was initially a bit turned off by the unconventional design, but the more pictures I saw, the more it grew on me and I had to go to the store and check it out. I received my mini-grip in the mail today and took it with me over to the store to compare it side by side with the Spyderco offering in S30V. I went with the intent to purchase.
First Impression
Both knives are extremely impressive at first glance. The Spyderco certainly demands more attention with that big hole in the blade, but that may be just me since I'm not used to that design. The BM is better packaged, with a little pouch and warranty insert. I don't know if that means BM pays more attention to detail or pays more for packaging that could be spent on the knife
Blade Action
I thought the hole might make the Spyderco easier to open. It definitely works, but the slick AXIS lock action of the Benchmade is by far the smoothest opening knife I have ever handled. It slides open and closed with an assertive *click* in each position that just feels like quality. For some reason the door locks on a Mercedes came to mind-- the way they roll up and down instead of jumping.
Winner: BM 556
Ergonomics
The BM scales had a rougher grip and was a bit thicker, making it swell better in the hand, but Spyderco had all the right curves in the right places making my fingers fall into place a bit better. This was a close call, but I got the feeling if I had to hold on tight for an extended period, I might lean towards the Spyderco. The Native is also a tad bigger making the hold slightly more comfortable.
Winner: Spyderco Native
Factory Edge
The BM wins in this department hands down. I could tell by feel that the Spyderco wasn't as sharp, but I sliced through some paper brochures on the counter anyway and the BM made an easier cut with less effort.
Winner: BM 556
Pocket Clip
Spyderco's clip immediately seemed better. It went in and out of my pocket with ease but had enough tension to say put. I didn't stand on my head or anything, but I think it would have held. By the shape of the BM clip, it would seem it was intended as a belt clip rather than a pocket clip. The BM clip is very stiff from the factory and at first I thought I could bend it out a bit to fix the problem but upon further inspection, it seems the problem is that the main point of tension pushes down directly onto the diamond point grip surface. Taking it in and out of my jeans several times would likely tear a hole in them. Also the BM clip is wider creating a greater area of friction between the diamond grips and the fabric of my pants. I would go so far as to say this is a flaw in design. I might take the clip off and apply the Dremel or fine grit sand paper to the area directly underneath to save my pants from certain tormoil. The only cutting I want to do with my Benchmade is with the blade.
Winner: Spyderco Native
Details - Fit/Finish
Looking very closely at each knife, there were a few things about the Spyderco that made me grimace a little. I noticed there was a little chunk of steel inside the thumb hole that hadn't been cut out perfectly. Given it was a small amount, and didn't affect performance at all, but just noticing it made me look closer at the rest of the knife. The edge had similar inconsistancies with rough, ridge like protrusions along it in various places. They were very small and I wouldn't have thought much of it except when held up next to the BM which had no such ridges. It might be the result of the factory sharpening process? The Spyderco also had some tiny burrs of material dangling off the inner edges and places on the handle, especially where edges met and inside the lanyard hole. I hadn't noticed these before on the BM but seeing them on the Spyderco prompted me to take another, close look. The only hanging Chad I could find on the BM was inside the lanyard hold where the two pieces met. Otherwise the BM was superbly polished around the edges.
Winner: BM 556
Conclusion
I'm not saying I wasn't impressed with the Spyderco, but the little things I mentioned were enough to make me not feel the need to purchase it today. It's always there if I change my mind. I wonder if any of the negatives I noted are present in the higher end models? I expect not.
I'm very happy with my Benchmade purchase and will be happier once I correct the pocket clip rip phenomenon. I also wonder if any other Benchmades suffer from this or if it is only a characteristic of the Griptilian model.
Any questions, comments, insults welcome.
