There has been a bit of a buzz on the forums lately concerning the Benchmade Griptilians.
And, coincidentally, I just recently traded an Endura 4 for a 550, so I think it's time to revisit this reptile.
I started with the 555.
Great knife, but a bit small.
And then a 550 combo-edge.
Great knife but I needed to try the thumbstud drop-point version of the Grip.
So I then bought a 556 Mini in plain-edge.
Great knife but I was still looking for something better, and larger (hey, I'm a slow learner--you would have thought the 555 would have taught me something).
And that lead me to the 551.
A most excellent knife.
But something lead me away from the Griptilians....maybe it was the cheap sounding handles, or the silly name "Griptilian" (sounds like a bad B-rated horror movie: NIGHT OF THE GRIPTILIAN!!!), or maybe I thought that it was too complicated to be reliable.
At any rate, there were so many other knives calling.
Knives with different locks that I just had to try: ball-locks, compression-locks, frame-locks, arc-locks, bolt-action locks, lock-backs, ultra-locks, liner-locks, button-locks, bali-songs....the list seems to never end.
So, over time, I traded away my 551 so that I could try other knives.
BTW, you just cannot beat the exchange forums for allowing us to experience different knives without going bankrupt.
And thanks to everyone who I have traded with over the years.
Well, eventually I traded my way BACK to a 550.
And once I got it back in my hands I realized how much I had missed my Griptilian--it was like an old friend coming home.
I was instantly reminded of just how comfortable the handle is, and just how solid the axis-lock is, and just how wonderful the blade performs.
Yes, G-10 or aluminum scales would be great.
And yes, full-length liners would be better than partial liners.
And yes, the oval hole does'nt work as well as Spyderco's round hole.
And yes, it is a little bulky.
But there is no denying the excellence of the design.
It is quite possibly the perfect EDC for me.
Of course I'll need to test a few more to be sure....
Like the Rittergrip, Cabela's D-2 Grip, and Blackwater's version.
Here's some links to a few of my previous reviews:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334636
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330990
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277185
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226858
And, coincidentally, I just recently traded an Endura 4 for a 550, so I think it's time to revisit this reptile.
I started with the 555.
Great knife, but a bit small.
And then a 550 combo-edge.
Great knife but I needed to try the thumbstud drop-point version of the Grip.
So I then bought a 556 Mini in plain-edge.
Great knife but I was still looking for something better, and larger (hey, I'm a slow learner--you would have thought the 555 would have taught me something).
And that lead me to the 551.
A most excellent knife.
But something lead me away from the Griptilians....maybe it was the cheap sounding handles, or the silly name "Griptilian" (sounds like a bad B-rated horror movie: NIGHT OF THE GRIPTILIAN!!!), or maybe I thought that it was too complicated to be reliable.
At any rate, there were so many other knives calling.
Knives with different locks that I just had to try: ball-locks, compression-locks, frame-locks, arc-locks, bolt-action locks, lock-backs, ultra-locks, liner-locks, button-locks, bali-songs....the list seems to never end.
So, over time, I traded away my 551 so that I could try other knives.
BTW, you just cannot beat the exchange forums for allowing us to experience different knives without going bankrupt.
And thanks to everyone who I have traded with over the years.
Well, eventually I traded my way BACK to a 550.
And once I got it back in my hands I realized how much I had missed my Griptilian--it was like an old friend coming home.
I was instantly reminded of just how comfortable the handle is, and just how solid the axis-lock is, and just how wonderful the blade performs.
Yes, G-10 or aluminum scales would be great.
And yes, full-length liners would be better than partial liners.
And yes, the oval hole does'nt work as well as Spyderco's round hole.
And yes, it is a little bulky.
But there is no denying the excellence of the design.
It is quite possibly the perfect EDC for me.
Of course I'll need to test a few more to be sure....
Like the Rittergrip, Cabela's D-2 Grip, and Blackwater's version.
Here's some links to a few of my previous reviews:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334636
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330990
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277185
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226858
