Customer Reviews

Benchmade Pardue Design Mini-Griptillian Plain Edge Knife

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This knife is of excellent quality. Smooth operation and the axis lock works better than expected. It can easily be opened with the flick of the wrist with some practice. I've become quite a fan of the modified sheep's foot blade, as well. The only reason i can't give it five stars is because it didn't arrive as sharp as Benchmade advertises.

I've also owned Spyderco, Kershaw, and Gerber folders. This is a step up from any of them, and made in the USA.

I never had me a Benchmade knife before because I usually only carry for the most part on an EDC sort of basis in my pocket with me everyday Spyderco knives because they are very nice and well put together with the fit and finish or whatever those whackadoodles on the internet knife clubs say. You know the ones I'm talking about, they usually say stuff like: "What do you mean you left your house with only 12 knives on your person OMG you gonna die!" Anyway those people were always blibber-blobbering about how groovy the Benchmade knives were and I took a look at them on the Amazon and saw this one and I liked the Spyderco style opener as that is what I am used to because as I said I mostly only carry Spydercos for the most part in my pockets everyday. When this knife showed up I was very excited like a kid on Christmas except Christmas was still like five days away and I am 35 years old so it was a little different, like I wasn't in my pajamas or anything. I am very impressed with the knife and I think I will end up with at least a few more Benchmade knives in my collection. This thing came super sharp out of the box (another thing I learned to say on those knife club pages) and it bit me yesterday when I was using it to open a package of candy canes for my daughter, but it wasn't her fault or the mini-grip's fault, it was mine because I am clumsy. I put some new-skin medicine on it though, so don't worry. All in all if you need a good EDC knife to carry around everyday in your pocket and you want it to be a good one I suggest you order this one and you will be very happy unless you are just a miserable type of person in which case maybe you should try to look on the bright side.

I'm going to chime in on this knife and give my 22 cents.(inflation.)

The mini Griptilian 555 is marvelous knife in every respect. Decidedly smaller in size, heft, weight and blade length than the full size Griptilian, the mini Grip is as fine an EDC knife as you can get.

The most notable aspect is the blade shape - the modified sheepsfoot with a deployment hole and hollow ground profile.

The blade is distinct yet understated. Its not a tactical, head-hunter type blade and doesn't try to be. The length of the knife blade and overall length of the knife make it nigh unto perfect in shape, size and use.

The blade is 154CM, which is one of the toughest knife steels around. (A sidebar: I demonstrate a professional knife sharpener for a living - the SELECTOOL - and I've sharpened literally thousands of pocket knives over the past year. I can tell you categorically that 154CM is without question the toughest knife steel to sharpen. Period. S30V, D2, AUS-8 are all good, but the 154CM is the toughest. In fact, if you totally lose your edge with this knife, which can happen if you don't keep it up, you need to send it back to the company for resharpening. $5 fee. You won't be able to get it back unless you are very skilled and patient with a diamond hone.)

I am not a fan of the deployment hole for two reasons - one, I like the stud better, and two, it makes it look like a Spyderco. (Nothing wrong with that knife at all, but the deployment hole is their signature. Very few other knife makers utilize it.) The hole works fine, but I believe the stud is a better choice. Only major quibble with this knife.

The satin steel finish is perfect for me. I am not a fan of the black coated knives, although functionally there's no difference. I like the contrast between the stainless and the black handle. The coating wears off with use and makes a knife look very old. (Although it quickly reveals who is working with their knife and who is not.)

The handle is perfect for me. It is wonderfully contoured with just the right amount of texture and pattern. There are zero issues with it whatever. Its lightweight and makes a perfect counter-balance to the blade. It fits in your hand like it was molded. And the jimping for your thumb and first finger assures you can get behind this knife and cut with a lot of force.

Is it a good tactical knife? I dunno. I don't get in that many street fights to tell. What I do know is that this knife says "business" and will not be confused with a cheap Chinese knife any time soon. If you have to depend on it, it will serve you well. (If you live close to a war zone, spend the extra $30 bucks and buy the full size Griptilian.)

Ah, the Axis lock. I have one of those personalities that has to play with things, and the Axis lock on this knife makes it virtually irresistible to snap, fold, and re-snap *ENDLESSLY.* I specifically tested this knife on this very issue when evaluating it, and it has come through with flying colors. You virtually cannot wear this out! (As I have with a liner lock or two, which literally breaks off with one too many "snaps.") Its as easy to one-handed open and close as any knife that exists - even the vaunted Kershaw finger assist. True, the Axis require more of a wrist or thumb flip, but is very fast and easy to operate. Two thumbs way up, (and out. Snap.)

It fits in the pocket perfectly and is light enough to be unnoticeable, (unlike the bigger model.) I keep the clip on but never use it. I don't having my knife ready to fall out of my pocket when I sit down. Nestled down next to my bills, change, and tube of Blistik is where this knife calls home.

Think about it - of all the knives ever made, this one has never been produced until recently. It is unique in that respect, and you can own one of the finest pocket knives ever constructed.

Made here in the USA. Boy, you better not let that run past you. Its rare, and you better get one for that fact only. You better start buying more USA made products, lest there be no more USA in which to buy.

Wonderful knife. Perfect design, shape, balance, and size. My next knife will be a Benchmade, and will likely be the Bone Collector combo edge, with serrations. I want the larger knife to have when I need it, and I like the look and feel of that knife as well. Will make a great big brother to this mini Grip.

I purchased this knife because I liked the sheep's foot blade design and because it is one of only a few benchmade knives that utilize a deployment hole. The problems I have with the 555hg do not have to do with the design of the knife but more the quality control of Benchmade. The knife came insufficiently oiled. The axis lock peg would stick slightly when the blade was open. Also, the angle of sharpening was not the same for both sides of the blade. One side seemed to be sharpened at a 40 degree angle and the other at 15 to 20 degrees. Once these problems were corrected with additional oil and a diligent re-sharpening, I must say that I really like this knife. Although I believe SOG to use sturdier parts in their arc loc mechanism, the mini griptilian is still a very fun knife to own with a variety of ways to quickly deploy the knife.

I bought this knife about two months ago. I wanted somthing similar in size to my Buck "rush" pocket knife. I still carry my buck a few day a week but this knife(mini griptillian) feels great when in use and the blade is exreamly sharp right out of the box. Anyone who wants a daily carry pocket knife with a clip will love this knife except you might want to bend the clip out a little as it tends to tear at your pants pocket because of the handle,s grip patern. Also the opening "hinge" is very well made.

This a nice little pocket knife. The blade shape is very useful for cutting tasks and the blade was shaving sharp right out of the box. The axis lock is interesting. It is very strong and easy to use and a lot of fun to play with, but I'm not sure that I prefer it to liner/frame locks as they are easier to close one handed. As the name suggests, the handle is very textured and there is all kinds of jimping on the blade and liners to keep this knife in your hand. My biggest complaint with this knife is it is smaller than I thought it would be. I have pretty small hands but I would be more comfortable with this knife if it were just slightly bigger. I guess I should have bought the full size Griptilian.

Quite honestly I wasn't expecting much from Benchmade for this price.
However I must say this has got to be one of the best small pocket knives I've ever seen. I'm not talking Swiss Army pocket knife, I'm talking every day carry.
The blade is 154 CM total quality and the one eye opening on the balde was smooth as silk right out of the box, no tightness, just smooth opening action. The Axis locking system is top notch also, the whole knife feels like it has been used, now I don't mean it looks used, I mean the feel of the whole opening, locking and closing of the knife feels like it has already been "Broken In".
The age old saying of you get what you pay for is 100% correct in this case, only thing is, the price was a steal.
I'd recommend this knife to anyone interested in a great quality, already broken in feel, excellent blade, EDC knife.
Above all it's made in the Good "Ole" USA and you have the ability to send it back to Benchmade to get it sharpened again and again. Support the USA and buy Benchmade, you'll not be dissapointed.

This is an excellent quality knife. Benchmade makes first class stuff and this knife is no exception. The axis lock is one of the strongest in the industry. Beware of liner locks, they will fail frequently. Very smooth operation and very sharp. What you will notice about a quality knife is how long it holds an edge. High quality steel makes a blade that stays sharp much longer than the cheap knock-offs. It can be easily opened with one hand. The modified sheep's foot blade design creates a study blade that won't bend or break under heavy use.

I carried the original Spyderco Delica since way back when Eric Remmen first started the ClipIt classes. When Spyderco switched to the Delica 4, I had to find something else. The key to a good working knife is that it is carried tip UP, so that when you remove it from your pocket, it's read to go to work. There is no need to flip, twist, or turn the knife. As a firefighter, I need me knife to work every time, it needs to go into action fast and safely. This Benchmade is my new favorite.

It's also Made in the USA!

Bought to replace one I lost--this is one of the best tools I have owned. Used as an every day knife on a working ranch, I haven't found a better one in terms of size and utility.

Well balanced, and super sharp. This is my favorite knife to carry, and I have many!