Spyderco Military vs. Benchmade Griptillian

H

HoosierQ

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Feb 9, 2010
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So if we just stipulate that the the Spyderco Military in CPM S30V is about a 7 on a 10 point scale for good quality folders, where does the Benchmade Griptilliam fall? In your varied opinions?

I am going to put something like the Hinderer XM-18 at the 10 spot.

Trying to upgrade my folders and I wonder if the Grip, drop point, 154CM is a good choice. Can't afford an XM-18 right now.
 
Hey Hoosier,

I think the Grip is a good choice, but I think the Military is a great choice.

I tend to think of the Grip as a great all-around, light/medium-duty EDC. Works for the casual user, works in an office environment, works for light/medium field duty, etc.

The Military is in a different category to me. I feel it tends to fall squarely in the medium/heavy duty category instead.

The 154cm grip is a good, lightweight knife, but I think it's a little dear for what you get. If it had full steel liners like the Mini I'd be more partial to it. Then again, those dual liners add a bit of weight, something the large Grip tries to avoid.

If I had to choose one over the other, it would be the Military for me, but size and weight are highly personal preferences.

Best,

Heekma
 
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heekma said:
Hey Hoosier,

I think the Grip is a good choice, but I think the Military is a great choice.

I tend to think of the Grip as a great all-around, light/medium-duty EDC. Works for the casual user, works in an office environment, works for light/medium field duty, etc.

The Military is in a different category to me. I feel it tends to fall squarely in the medium/heavy duty category instead.

The 154cm grip is a good, lightweight knife, but I think it's a little dear for what you get. If it had full steel liners like the Mini I'd be more partial to it. Then again, those dual liners add a bit of weight, something the large Grip tries to avoid.

If I had to choose one over the other, it would be the Military for me, but size and weight are highly personal preferences.

Best,

Heekma
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Agreed. I have both, and the military is by far a better knife, although if you don't plan on using it hard, the griptilian would be a great choice too. They both lock up solid, and i would trust the military's lock more, but the axis is more fun to play with. Hope this helps.
 
HoosierQ said:
So if we just stipulate that the the Spyderco Military in CPM S30V is about a 7 on a 10 point scale for good quality folders, where does the Benchmade Griptilliam fall? In your varied opinions?

I am going to put something like the Hinderer XM-18 at the 10 spot.

Trying to upgrade my folders and I wonder if the Grip, drop point, 154CM is a good choice. Can't afford an XM-18 right now.
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On what basis is this "scale?" The XM-18, Military, and Grip are all different knives with different steels, different construction, and different purposes of use. As such putting them all on a scale is practically useless.
 
Josh K said:
On what basis is this "scale?" The XM-18, Military, and Grip are all different knives with different steels, different construction, and different purposes of use. As such putting them all on a scale is practically useless.
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I see your point Josh, but on the flip side comparing a Jeep Grand Cherokee, A Range Rover and a HumVee could be a similar comparison. Although each serve a very different market with different values, even if most wouldn't agree on which was "best" most would agree the HumVee was the most robust.

Hope I'm not putting words in Hoosier's mouth, but I think this or something like it was the gist of his post.

Best,

Heekma
 
You're right there Heekma. Very non-scientific. I am seeing Griptillians out there at about $100. Were they $50 I wouldn't even ask. I have and love a Military. So, is what I am hearing is that the Grip is two or three notches down from the Millie with only a small price break? That'd kind of be the deal breaker. I have a full flat grind Endura that fits the very lightweight, medium sized EDC role. For me, I couldn't be happier with that.

I may look at a Para-Military or some knife on that level. I am very happy with Spyderco products...and have many. I hear much good of Benchmade too but have none.
 
heekma said:
I see your point Josh, but on the flip side comparing a Jeep Grand Cherokee, A Range Rover and a HumVee could be a similar comparison. Although each serve a very different market with different values, even if most wouldn't agree on which was "best" most would agree the HumVee was the most robust.

Hope I'm not putting words in Hoosier's mouth, but I think this or something like it was the gist of his post.

Best,

Heekma
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But we aren't comparing those cars. We're comparing a Ford Focus, Mustang, and F-350.
 
Josh K said:
But we aren't comparing those cars. We're comparing a Ford Focus, Mustang, and F-350.
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Hokay, fine. We are comparing a Ford Focus, a Mustang and an F-350 instead of a Jeep, Range Rover and a HumVee. Now that we've got that squared away, how about getting back to the topic at hand here?:D

Hoosier,

That sums up the Grip for me too. I think you're on the right track for your preferences sticking with the Spyderco offerings. Not that Benchmade doesn't make some great knives--and I do like me some Benchmades--but I feel for the money, the Grip, although it offers a lot, could offer a bit more for the money.

Best,

Heekma
 
Josh K said:
On what basis is this "scale?" The XM-18, Military, and Grip are all different knives with different steels, different construction, and different purposes of use. As such putting them all on a scale is practically useless.
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I agree!

How could a distal tapered blade get a 7 on a scales where a strong, not saying fat, blade gets a 10?

I am just used to the original 550 Griptilian and can´t see, how ppl. would consider that knife to "light/medium" tasks whereas the Millie is considered to "medium/hard" tasks.

Take the Millie and beat it eight times hard on a hard wood plate (spine whacking) and see what happens. If nothing happens, than it is as strong as the axis lock. If you think about how senseless that test may be, think about that.

The Grip has a full strong spine of near 3mm exept the last 15 mm. Thereagainst the Miilie has a distal taper. I guess, the Grip has the stronger blade for some prying.

I found the Millie to be a great knife, if a long blade is demanded. The Grip is a great composition of materials and workmanship, leading to a great allround folder.
 
heekma said:
Hokay, fine. We are comparing a Ford Focus, a Mustang and an F-350 instead of a Jeep, Range Rover and a HumVee. Now that we've got that squared away, how about getting back to the topic at hand here?:D
Click to expand...

How do you compare those three? Do you want to haul a half ton of bricks around, go really fast, or go from point A to point B in a relatively economical sense?
 
Never held a XM-18 so I can't comment on it.

I'm a Benchmade fan, but not a Griptilian fan. The knife never hit it off with me.
Millie it is.


me
 
I'm a big Griptilian fan, and EDC it often. I have yet to find a task that it wouldn't perform (that one wouldn't expect a folder to perform). I don't own a Military, so I cannot give an honest comparison, but I do like the Grip.
 
The griptilian is a good knife IMO, only real gripe is the flimsy feeling handles. (not that I'm actually worried about their strength, but the perception is there.) I had one for a while, used it pretty hard and passed it to a friend, who continues to do so. I also have a military, sees plenty of use, I love the thing, but I think that an endura would be a better comparison to keep in mind when thinking about the grip.
 
Never held the XM-18 or Military but I had a Griptillian that I didn't really care for. The handle seemed to thick for my liking after pocket carrying a Delica for years and I never really liked the Axis lock.
There were a few other minor gripes and overall I still consider it a good knife, just not for me. I probably EDC'd it for at least a year before getting into knife buying/trying.
 
I own several of each and for most purposes I'd say the Military is ahead of the Griptilian. That would less clear to me if you were talking about the Ritter version, which btw has an S30V blade like the Military, but that will bring the price of the Grip up to about the same price as the Military. Note that I'm not comparing limited runs of either knife in very high-end steels like S90V, CPM-M4, CPM-D2 or M2.
 
I don't understand why everyone calls the Griptilian a light/medium use knife. Have we already forgot about Ankersons hard use test of it? And yes, the handles feel cheap but so do a bunch of Spydercos with FRN handles, especially my Endura. I'm not hating on Spyderco at all, they make fantastic knives. But to me, the Griptilian is an excellent knife, as long as you have a Ritter grip or a D2 grip.
 
The grip does feel great in the hands, but so does the military. The military also feels better in the pockets because it is slim. While the grip is good, the military is better. Unless you have a problem with the freakishly long handle..
 
Other than the axis lock on the Grip, the Millie easily beats the Grip in every other category I can think of. The Millie is a better slicer, has superior handle scales, more comfortable pocket carry, more useful blade shape, easier maintenance with open pillar construction, and FFG. These two are incomparable and not even in the same class. The Grip should be compared to something like the Endura.
 
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