Benchmade Griptilian Family
The workhorse. A 3.45 inch CPM-S30V blade in a thick, deeply textured handle built to be gripped hard with gloves on. Where the Bugout is about disappearing in a pocket, the Griptilian is about staying put in your hand. Choose your model below for full specs.
Key Features
Grip First0.64 inch thick through the handle with an aggressive texture and a deep finger choil. It fills the hand properly, wet or gloved, in a way slim EDC folders cannot.
CPM-S30V58-60 HRC on both builds, at 0.115 inch stock. Enough spine for real work while still taking a keen edge.
AXIS LockFully ambidextrous, one-handed open and close, and easy to work even with gloves because the bar sits proud of the scales.
Two Blade ShapesA sheepsfoot with a thumb hole on the 550, or a drop-point with dual thumb studs on the 551. Different opening methods, different cutting jobs.
Reversible 3-Hole ClipStandard tip-up carry, black oxide, swaps to either side. A lanyard hole is built into the butt of both models.
Built in Oregon CityMade in the USA and covered by Benchmade LifeSharp, free factory resharpening for the life of the knife.
Description
The Griptilian has been Benchmade's do-everything knife since the late 1990s. It is unapologetically chunky, and that is the entire point. The handle is glass-filled nylon moulded thick and textured, so the knife stays controlled in cold, wet or gloved hands where a thin titanium folder would slip.
Both models here share the same 8.07 inch open, 4.62 inch closed frame and the same 3.45 inch CPM-S30V blade stock. The 550 runs a sheepsfoot blade with a large thumb hole, which gives you a straight edge for board work and a blunt safe tip. The 551 runs a classic drop point with dual thumb studs and a partially serrated black Cerakote edge for rope, webbing and packaging.
Freedom USA Sales is an authorized Benchmade dealer. Every knife ships new in the factory box with full Benchmade warranty and LifeSharp coverage.
Shared Specifications
| Common To Both Models |
|---|
| Mechanism |
AXIS Lock, manual opening |
| Blade Steel |
CPM-S30V stainless, 58-60 HRC |
| Blade Length |
3.45 in (8.76 cm) |
| Blade Thickness |
0.115 in (2.92 mm) |
| Open Length |
8.07 in (20.5 cm) |
| Closed Length |
4.62 in (11.73 cm) |
| Handle Thickness |
0.64 in (16.26 mm) |
| Pocket Clip |
Standard 3-hole, tip-up, reversible, black oxide |
| Country of Origin |
USA |
What Is In The Box
Benchmade Griptilian folding knife
Standard 3-hole pocket clip, installed and reversible
Benchmade warranty card and product literature
Factory Benchmade box
Common Questions
Sheepsfoot or drop point?
The sheepsfoot 550 has a straight edge and a blunt tip, which is better for cutting on a flat surface and safer around inflatables, packaging and people. The drop-point 551 has a usable piercing tip and a curved belly, which is the more general-purpose shape.
Thumb hole or thumb studs?
The 550 uses a large round thumb hole, which many people find easier with gloves. The 551 uses dual thumb studs. Both are fully ambidextrous and both can also be opened by pulling the AXIS bar back and flicking the wrist.
Griptilian or Bugout?
The Griptilian is roughly twice the weight and twice as thick in the handle. Take it if the knife is a tool you use hard for hours. Take the Bugout if it lives in your pocket all day and gets used in short bursts.
