Benchmade Griptillian 551

[michiel]

Benchmade Griptillian 551 Review

Blade:

The blade features a droppoint blade with a flat grind that goes up to ¾ of the height of the blade. A small secondary bevel makes this blade razorsharp.
My BM 551 has the newer (since 2006) 154CM-steel blade. In my opinion this is superior to the older 44OC model.
The secondary bevel is quite crude, but shaving sharp. It’s not mirror finished and you can see the grind marks. A few licks on a loaded strop make it more polished. Over time I will convex this blade (as I do with every folder).
After cutting cardboard, rope, plastic and wood, the knife was still able to slice paper very thin. After a strop, it shaved again. I’m impressed!

Handle:

The handle is some kind of moulded, but feels very sturdy. The chequered handle offers a lot of grip, but can be painful after extended use. Maybe this will change after a while. I read that these knives become better after use. We’ll see.
The ambidextrous thumpstuds are awesome. Long, thick and are placed excellent. The blade opens great left -and right-handed.
The pocketclip is really good and can be attached at either side of the handle. De knife rides low in my pocket, which makes it pretty much invisible for non knife minded people.

Lock:

Well this is my first knife with an Axis lock. It’s simply stunning. As solid as you would want a lock to be. Never had blade play or a failure. It’s easy to keep clean using lukewarm soapy water. Make sure you oil it well after cleansing.
The knife is easy to operate with one hand, and the same goes for the lock.

Conclusion:

This knife is well built, holds an edge very well and locks up solidly. If you dislike the handle scales, you could get custom ones.
This won’t be my last Benchmade!

Pictures to follow.

 

[Forest fella]

Is the 551 the Don Ritter one?

 

[Graham_S]

I have one of these.
I have to say I agree. It's one of the best knives I've ever used. It holds a fantastic edge and cuts easily with precision.
I can featherstick toothpicks with mine.
The only thing with it is the handle feels a little cheap. I know it's strong and well made, but the handle is not a solid feeling as I'd like.
That said, there is a custom maker who does milled aluminium scales for the griptillian. I may get one in the future.
Still a good knife though.

 

[Simon H]

Good review! I've got a 556 which I think is the mini version of the one you have, and I agree completely about quality etc. Great knife.

The Doug Ritter is a differernt model, spear point et, shown here

http://www.dougritter.com/dr_rsk_mk1.htm

(got the mini version of that too but never used it).

 

[michiel]

I agree it feels cheap, but for me, it does the job.

Kevin Wilkins makes excellent scales from what I heard.

best regards,

Michiel

 

[chris7273]

That said, there is a custom maker who does milled aluminium scales for the griptillian. I may get one in the future.
Still a good knife though.

Could you give the name and coordinates for this custom maker ? I am really interested. Thank you

 

[michiel]

Kevin Wilkins. Bardster on britishblades has one of his mods.

Best regards,

Michiel

 

[Native Justice]

here ya go:

http://www.wilkins-knives.com/start_e.html

NJ

 

[Bardster]

Kevin Wilkins. Bardster on britishblades has one of his mods.

Best regards,

Michiel

Two now.....

 

[Stainz]

After a friend's insistence on how much better 'Benchmade Cutlery' is than my usual Buck & Kershaw fare, I relented and bought a 551 (440C then) nearly six years ago from a local dealer. I loved the heft - and the Axis Lock. Sadly, I didn't check it's edge - it was quite dull - and brand new. Last Dec, I ordered a BM 201 Activator+ (D2) fixed blade. Again, lovely knife - brand new - and dull!

I finally bought a Spyderco #204 Sharpmaker and put a proper edge on both BMs, although with that D2, I thought I had taken on a new career. My point is simple - if you find them in a store, check their edges. If you order them, have some means of touching up the edge - and it may just take more than that strop.

Stainz

 

[chris7273]

Kevin Wilkins. Bardster on britishblades has one of his mods.

Best regards,

Michiel

Thank you. But wow, 110 euros for the scales is quite expensive for me vs the value of the original knife. My 550 will remain "as is".

 

[Bardster]

Thank you. But wow, 110 euros for the scales is quite expensive for me vs the value of the original knife. My 550 will remain "as is".

Hmm Trust me though when I say that its worth it. The knife becomes a new entity. It is now my favourite folder when I barely used it in its previous incarnation. Also you have to takek into account the the knife moves from a production knife with cheap plastic scales, to a full blown hand made custom. Its resale value will increase in line with this, should you decide you dont like it.