Benchmade: Mini Griptilian

My introduction to Benchmade Knives came years back when my father gave me the CQC7 for my bday. For years I carried the CQC7 on adventure after adventure, it was my trusty go to blade. The CQC7 was a great overall user friendly blade. It was only replaced years later when I decided to buy a few Mini-Griptilians for presents, fitting that one would be for my dad. In doing so I kept one for myself too. That was roughly about 7 years ago, and I’m still carrying this exact knife.

The tried and true Mel Pardue Design Benchmade Mini Griptilian, is a light weight sturdy packable small blade capable of handling a wide range of tasks. Benchmade knives are customizable with a variety of blade styles to chose from, this style is known as a sheepsfoot. My choice for selecting a sheepsfoot style blade is advantageous in bushcraft for carving and whittling. It lacks in stabbing compared to drop points and such, but is excellent for work. The lack there of an angled point well used for stabbing motions also makes the sheepsfoot style blade a great choice for EMTs and first responders as a rescue carry blade. The backside of the blade is slotted with an easily accessible thumb hole making ambidextrous opening a synch. On this model adding to the sheepfoot-stlye blade is a serrated edge, also known as a combo blade.

The material used for the handle is a form of thermoplastic polyester resin, Valox. Valox is an extremely tough and durable product at a super light weight. A ridged texture was also added for better grip. Housed in the handle are also the AXIS lock and release mechanism, along with a tip up reversible pocket clip, making the knife adjustable for any righty or lefty.

For 7 plus years now my Mini-Griptilian has been a loyal backcountry companion, and it has more than earned some TLC. This year I am sending it back to the Benchmade HQ to take advantage of the awesome Benchmade Life Sharp Service. The Life Sharp Service is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Simply send your knife back to Benchmade (you pay the shipping) and the restore the sharpness of the blade back to the original factory razor sharp edge.

If you’re looking for a great gift for a knife lover or outdoorsman, Benchmade has made the customizable personalization of their knives a fun shopping experience too! The website is laid out with a user friendly build your own automated knife configuration option. Follow the Custom Knife tab and begin creating your future knife, or a personalized gift for someone else. When I bought my knife it was simply as is, but now if I were to purchase another Griptilian I would definitely take advantage of this creative option.

Menikmati.

Bunny