- Benchmade Griptilian 551 · Drop Point3.45″ blade · 0.115″ spine · 3.88 oz · ~1.11″ tall
Benchmade Griptilian 551
The Benchmade Griptilian 551 is a 3.45" drop point folder in CPM-S30V, flat ground. The handle is Noryl GTX, secured by an AXIS lock. At 3.88 oz it sits 40th-lightest of the 61 EDC folders here, where the median is 3.2 oz.
- Blade
- 3.45″
- Weight
- 3.88 oz
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Price band
- Premium
Everyday carry and general utility
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against knifeworks, knifecenter.
- Blade length
- 3.45″
- Spine thickness
- 0.115″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Flat
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Overall length
- 8.07″
- Closed length
- 4.62″
- Weight
- 3.88 oz
- Lock
- AXIS
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- Noryl GTX
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About CPM-S30V
The long-time American benchmark. Holds an edge far longer than 420HC and still sharpens on ordinary stones. Chippy if you pry with it.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All CPM-S30V knives
What owners say
Drawn from 677 owner discussions of the Benchmade Griptilian 551 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- The handle fills the hand: an owner of three Griptilians finds it more comfortable than their PM2 at nearly the same 3.9 oz with more blade, and another calls it wide rather than big, small enough to ride in the fifth pocket of their work pants.
- It takes hard work and keeps going: one owner's 2018 knife has been packed with dirt and grease cutting rope, rubber, plastic and cardboard, and another carried theirs as a work knife for years before a Para 3 replaced it.
- S30V suits it in owner use; one owner says it holds an edge well enough and sharpens easily.
- Lockup stays solid even on a rough example: one owner bought an abused knife for $30 that someone had taken a palm sander to, cleaned and sharpened it in an hour, and found no wiggle.
- Aftermarket scales transform it: owners who fitted milled aluminum scales describe it as solid like a beefed-up 940, hefty like a tank, or bombproof, and they pair them with Lynch or titanium deep-carry clips.
- Sale prices make it easier to justify: one owner found both of their Griptilians for a little under $100 out the door.
- Benchmade's warranty covers old knives: one owner received a decade-old Griptilian from their father that came back from warranty service with a new S30V blade.
What owners flag
- Too bulky for some pockets: one owner bought an S30V Griptilian for camp and yard work but found it too clunky and rarely carried it, and another owner's father found it a little too big and left it in their Jeep.
- Owners say Benchmade's sharpening service falls short: one five-year owner got it back sharp but not as sharp as new, and another's came back with an edge their local sharpener said had a roll in it.
- Factory finish has rough spots: one owner found a jagged, rough factory edge they reground by hand, and another found mold sprue at the base of the scales and edges they sanded down.
- It feels plain next to newer rivals: one owner says a Spyderco Manix 2 made their Griptilian feel like a big-box-store knife, and another found a Kershaw Bel Air felt higher quality.
- Price has crept up: one owner who bought in early 2025 for $120 balked at a new $160 list price, and one owner who was given theirs by a coworker calls Benchmade overrated and overpriced.
- Thicker geometry costs slicing: one owner who has handled more than 80 knives rates the PM2 and Manix 2 far better slicers and the Manix 2 much quieter in action.
- Parts are hard to get: one owner who stripped a screw was told Benchmade would not sell replacement scales even for pay, and that they should send the knife in for warranty work instead.
- Single owners report AXIS lock trouble: one says their Griptilian's lock sticks and the action is stiff compared with their Adamas, and another whose Griptilian, Bugout and 940 all broke omega springs is looking for a sturdier lock.
Nearly 25 years after its release, one buyer finally got their first Griptilian, and owners describe it as a working knife. One owner's 2018 knife has been packed with dirt and grease cutting rope, rubber, plastic and cardboard, another carried theirs as a work knife for years, and one owner fits it in the fifth pocket of their work pants. The 3.88 oz Noryl handle fills the hand, and one owner with three of them finds it more comfortable than a PM2 when bearing down.
The practical picture is a solid, unglamorous tool. Lockup is solid even on a $30 abused find, and S30V holds and resharpens well enough for one owner. Factory edges can be rough, Benchmade's sharpening service has returned edges less sharp than new, and one owner could not buy replacement scales direct. Aftermarket aluminum scales and deep-carry clips are the upgrade owners show, and they say the scales make it feel far more solid.
The Spyderco Para 3, PM2 and Manix 2 are the knives owners weigh it against, and they win on slicing and edge steel: one longtime work carrier switched to a Para 3 in 15V. The Kershaw Bel Air and the Benchmade Redoubt come up as well. The owner of three Griptilians still calls it the most tanky knife in their top five and the one they would lean on for rough use, and another who found two for under $100 calls that a pretty decent value.
Should I get the 551 drop point or the 550 sheepsfoot?
One owner with both prefers the thumb-stud drop point of the 551 over the thumb-hole sheepsfoot. Another who photographed them side by side says the 550 appears to have more bevel and a more gradually rounded edge, leaving more room for the fingers when cutting on a flat surface. A first-time buyer at the factory showroom liked a thumb hole better than the stud.
Is the full-size Griptilian too big to carry every day?
It depends on the owner. One describes it as surprisingly compact, more wide than big, and carries it often in a work-pants pocket, while another found it too clunky and seldom carried it. A buyer of a custom version says it is bigger than they expected but not too big.
Is Benchmade's sharpening service worth using on a Griptilian?
Two owners were let down: one five-year owner's came back sharp but not as sharp as new, and another's came back with an edge their local sharpener said was rolled. That second owner paid $7 shipping and now uses a local sharpener instead.
What upgrades do owners add to the Griptilian?
Owners fit milled aluminum scales from AWT and Flytanium and say they make the knife feel far more solid, and one likes that it now feels hefty like a tank. Most of them add a Lynch or titanium deep-carry clip at the same time. One owner bought their scales and a large clip cheaply before they even owned the knife.
How does the Griptilian compare with a Spyderco PM2 or Para 3?
One owner of three Griptilians and two PM2s says the Griptilian is more comfortable at about the same weight with more blade, but rates the PM2 a far better slicer. Another carried a Griptilian at work for years and replaced it with a Para 3 in 15V for its edge holding.
Features
- AXIS lock
- Flat grind
- Made in USA
- Stainless blade
