The Knife I Carry (lately) - Benchmade 551-1 Griptilian

I was getting pretty absorbed with the photo contests I recently found. I love the pictures that other people post and I was excited to share some of my own. One thing I worry about is that I'm forcing my family photos on people. Just because they are meaningful to me doesn't mean anyone else cares. I want to make sure to put out quality pictures not just something that meets certain contest requirements. Not that I've been doing that but I can see how it could easily happen.

This is supposed to be a blog so enough with the contests (for now) and on with the blogging.

I'm back to one of my favorite things: knives. I already showed off one of my newer purchases, my Opinel No. 8 Carbone. It's a nice knife but honestly it's not one I'd carry around. I have a few different knives I've cycled through carrying but the latest one is my newest Benchmade Griptilian. I bought the new model a little over a year ago.

This model has a plain, drop point blade with a satin finish. The blade is 8.76 cm (3.45 inches) long and has a total open length of 20.5 cm (8.07 inches). This blade shape works really well. I've tried using a few different blade shapes. They have their strong points but for an all around everyday knife I really like the drop point. There's a reason the majority of folding knives have a drop point blade.

The clip is reversible (for left or right hand use) and mounts in the tip up position.

The older models of the Griptilian had an injection molded plastic handle. Benchmades website calls it nylon but I saw another website say it was Valox. I'm assuming Valox is a trade name for a type of nylon. Practically the handle was fine. It was tough and light weight but many people thought it made the knife look cheap. After all the complaining Benchmade came out with G10 scales on the 551-1.

With the new scales they were able to leave the back open. They added nice little blue anodized spacers on the back of the handle. It definitely improved the look of the knife in comparison to the older model. I'll make a post of the older model another day. It's the one I carry at work now. I also have a sheepsfoot model of the knife we are looking at right now. I'll do a short post on that one as well.

The old Griptilians came in 154CM steel. It's good high end stainless steel that's a step up from the basic 440C stainless steel you see on a decent kitchen knife. It is nearly the same but has better edge retention. When I bought my model of the old Griptilian they were offering an option with CPM-S30V (a step up from 154CM). I went for the higher quality blade steel right off the bat. I don't think I even own a knife in 154CM. Not because there is anything wrong with it but I usually go for the upgrade if I get the chance. I figure I'm probably not going to buy it again so I might as well get the better option to begin with. I also like trying new types of steel. The majority of knives I own weren't bought solely on the type of steel but it definitely was a factor when deciding on one knife over the other. Another improvement on the new Griptilians is the blade steel.

The blade steel on the 551-1 is CPM-20CV. It's an ultra-premium stainless steel. Some people call them super steels. It's very similar to Bohler's M390 steel and some articles I read suggested that Crucible Industries was copying Bohler when they made CPM-20CV. The steel is highly corrosion resistant and offers edge retention and toughness that you normally only see in non-stainless tool steels. The new Griptilians offer an excellent chance to have a super steel blade on your knife at a somewhat decent price.

I don't think Benchmade makes a cheap knife. It's about $145 for the original base model. The 551-1 costs about $225 CAD right now. I think that's roughly what I paid when I bought it. I order my knives from www.warriorsandwonders.com. They're based out of Vancouver. They have a HUGE selection of knives. They might have every possible combination of color, blade shape, blade steel, and clip style of the Griptilian and Mini Griptilian that Benchmade has available. They carry many different manufacturers and sell all kinds of things sharp.

I love my Griptilian. I can't really explain it but the knife just seems like it was made to be used. It fits nice in my hand. It doesn't feel awkward in any way. There are no pressure points or sharp edges. I've never used the knife and thought it was badly matched for the task. The edge geometry makes it cut exactly like you would want. Like I say, it's difficult to put my finger on, the knife is nothing that fancy but it just is a perfect knife. I think I'll be continuing to carry this knife for a long time.